I was planning on making burritos or enchiladas with this Whole30 Mexican instant pot shredded chicken but it was so good it didn’t last long enough in my house. My boyfriend and I ate it right away over make-shift taco salads instead of taking the extra few minutes to wrap them up in some Paleo tortillas. It was the fast and easy dinner we wanted. Weeknight dinners usually consist of throwing what we can together to make a meal and with my Instant Pot that has become much easier.
There’s only a few ingredients you need to make this Mexican Whole30 instant pot shredded chicken. All of them are things I typically have stored in a cupboard. Meaning there were no extra grocery store trips involved. Score.
A few days after we made this, I made another batch for my Whole30 meal prep so I’d have some for the following days. It’s so simple and delicious that I couldn’t really think of a reason not to. That and I’m totally a recipe repeater. When I love something I will eat it until I can’t eat it anymore. This stuff is no exception!
Other Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love:
I used my Instant Pot to make this but I’ve done so before in the slow cooker. I’ll include both methods in the recipe! Also, I realize that pressure cookers have been around a while but I’m brand new to the game. If you’re like me (a little behind the times) I’d suggest you invest in one. It’s a kitchen tool that I really rely on heavily. The convenience it adds to my life has made it invaluable.
In the Whole30 instant pot shredded chicken recipe, I specify to use chicken thighs. But if you only have breasts or tenders those will totally work too. I just love doing shredded chicken dishes like this with thighs because they’re so juicy. They seem to stay that way after being in the fridge for a few days more so than breasts. That could be all in my head though!
If you make this Mexican instant pot shredded chicken, tag me on Instagram and show me what you did with it!
Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5–2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chicken broth (or two cups water)
- 4–5 diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (refrigerate or freeze the other half of the can for later use!)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the Instant Pot:
- Set to sauté mode and add ghee and minced garlic
- Once the ghee is melted and garlic is fragrant, add in chicken thighs
- Cook for about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through
- Add in the liquid, spices, lime juice and peppers
- Close the lid and manually set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 15 minutes
- Ensure the steam valve is closed
- When the time is up, do a quick release and shred chicken!
For the Slow Cooker:
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker except for 1 cup of liquid
- Set on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4
- Halfway through cooking, stir and add the other 1 cup of liquid if needed!
- Shred chicken and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 0.5
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 0.5
- Protein: 28
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Stacey says
This was exactly what I’ve been looking for forever! And after it was done, I used a cup of the liquid to make mexican rice in the instant pot. It was really good and easy as well. Thanks for the recipe!!
paleobailey says
Oh I love that idea! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! <3 - B
Diane says
Can I substitute boneless chicken breast instead of thighs
paleobailey says
Yeah, I think that would work fine!
Mary says
WOW! This was SO incredible! Paired it with paleo-friendly tortillas, topped with Mild Herdez Salsa, and the new Herdez Taco street Sauce (Roja) INCREDIBLE! The chicken was juicy and flavorful! This is the second recipe of yours that I have made (first one buffalo chicken) and wow. I’m so happy I found your site!
paleobailey says
Oh that sounds delicious! Thank you so much, Mary – I so appreciate your feedback!
Michele says
I live in Arizona and we have those peppers here at our Safeway/Albertsons stores. They are way too hot for me so i will have to substitute something a little more mild. I didn’t know they even existed until i saw them on the shelf!
Liz says
DELICIOUS!!! I had to improvise with some pickled jalepeno peppers, but other than, WOW. (We did not have the adobo peppers on hand) the broth would make a great base for some kind of soup.
paleobailey says
Oh I love that idea for the broth! I’m so glad you enjoyed, and the pickled peppers is something I might just have to try too!
Mary says
Hi! This sounds so good! Can you suggest an alternative if I can’t find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? I live in Spain, and those are hard to come by!
paleobailey says
Hi there! Sorry for the late reply here! I’m not sure what a great alternative would be here for you. I’m not really familiar with what would be available there. Chipotles in adobo are dried jalapeños rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic and spices. What you could do, is use a jalapeño or two diced really finely, and mix it with 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or smoked paprika/cayenne powder mix), 1/2 teaspoon cumin, a pinch of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Let me know if you try it!
catherine mary sanicki says
I made this shredded chicken yesterday in my Instant Pot. It was delicious!!! It’s a little Hot but I will be making
this again and again.
Thank you!!!
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you so much!
kc says
hi-! this looks so tasty! but where do you get compliant chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?? thanks!! 🙂
paleobailey says
Hey there! I’d check any local Mexican food markets/grocers near you! That’s where I find them. Whole Foods has one compliant brand but I’ve noticed it’s not at every store I’ve gone to.