Instapot Chicken Tacos with Zesty Slaw
Easy, no fuss dinners are my go to these days. I have been trying to keep things simple this summer, in hopes that I would spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside enjoying the warm summer days, my goats, my dog, and my kids. I have been making this easy chicken taco with zesty slaw recipe for years. Usually I make it in the crock pot, but that requires more forethought,…which I struggle with.
Lets be real, we would all love to be able to make a tasty dinner that is effortless and tasty. I decided one day that there was no reason why this couldn’t be made in the Instapot. Now, I will never look back.
To be honest, I struggle with using my Instapot sometimes. I guess I enjoy the old ways of cooking my meals…and i actually think that they have a bit more flavor when made over a slow cooked or braised method. But, I love my Instapot for cooking these types of dinners, or basically anything involving chicken, roast or other meats.
So first off, let’s talk about this recipe. I have been making it for years. I originally found something similar to this recipe oFood Network years ago, but it used different meat and a few different ingredients. It has been changed over time to become something that my family loves.
And what they love the most? The zesty slaw that you add at the end!
This chicken taco recipe is a wonderful combination of smokey shredded chicken topped with some zesty slaw and a dollop of sour cream.
So, there are a few options of how you can make this depending on how much time you have. I prefer either slow cooker or in my Instapot. If you decide to cook it in your crock pot, it will need to be cooked for 4 hours or until your chicken is fork tender.
But, I want to talk about how to make these chicken tacos in the Instapot.
(You can get the full recipe at the end of this post)
First things first, get your Instapot set up. Add your chicken breasts to the pot. Now you want to add in the seasonings, tomato paste, honey, garlic, chicken broth, sliced orange and lime, and the sliced onion.
Give it all a quick stir and turn your Instapot on manual and cook the chicken for 20 minutes on high. Once the timer is up, let out the pressure and wait until it comes back to normal.
While the chicken is cooking, whip up your zesty slaw. You can see the recipe at the end of this post.
Carefully open the lid and set aside. Take out the orange, lime, onion, and garlic(if its still a solid piece). These can be tossed.
Shred the chicken. I like to use 2 forks to shred my chicken. I also like to leave it a bit chunky, and not finely shredded.
Keep the chicken in the pot with the sauce that was made in the Instapot.
Heat your corn tortillas in a frying pan, and top with a bit of cheese. Then add some of the shredded chicken, top that with some zesty slaw and a dollop of sour cream.
Low and behold you have dinner! A super easy, super flavorful chicken taco dinner.
You have to try them out!
Chicken Tacos with Zesty Slaw:
Instapot Chicken Tacos with Zesty Slaw
Equipment
- Instapot
Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 onion peels and sliced in half
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 orange-halved
- 1 lime- halved
- 1 pkg corn tortillas
- chopped cilantro optional
- sour cream garnish
- zesty slaw recipe follows
Instructions
- Put the chicken, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, chicken stock, tomato paste, honey, orange, and lime in the Instapot.
- Give it a quick mix together
- Cook in your Instapot for 20 minutes manually on high
- Once it is done, use the quick release to release the steam safely
- Remove the onion, garlic, orange, and lime. Shred the chicken and leave it in the sauce
- We like to melt a bit of cheese on our corn tortillas, top it with some chicken, zesty slaw and a bit of sour cream.
Make sure to get my Zesty Slaw recipe:
Zesty Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Precut coleslaw mix with carrots (you can also easily cut your favorite cabbage in thin slices and add grated carrot, just use whats easier for you)
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Mix up the rice wine vinegar, oil, sugar, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Pour over the cabbage mixture and top with green onions
- Let the mixture sit for about 10 -30 minutes to give it time to blend the ingredients and soften the cabbage a bit.
- Add to the top of your favorite bbq sandwich or use on my favorite chicken tacos.
These chicken tacos are so versatile too! If you don’t like corn tortillas, use flour tortillas, whole wheat, or whatever is your favorite! You could add other toppings, including onions, that would be great.
The smokey shredded chicken with the zesty slaw is perfection. I love this slaw and could sit and eat it all alone if I have extra from the chicken tacos.
You can top with Cilantro as well, but often times, I just don’t have any, so we do without and its still amazing!
Tell me that doesn’t look good!
Make sure to PIN IT for later!
Make sure to try my other yummy chicken recipes:
Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Skewers With Flatbread and Tzatziki Sauce
The Best Tortilla Soup Recipe Ever for the Crock Pot, Stove Top, or InstaPot!
Try This Super Easy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe You Can Make at Home
How about some delicious popsicle recipes
Sweet and Sour Strawberry Pina Colada Popsicles
Non-Alcoholic Strawberry Mojito Popsicles for Kids and Adults!
Sweet and Tasty 2 Ingredient Pina Colada Popsicles for All Ages