Instant Pot Chili Lime Chicken Tacos are currently my #1 favorite answer to the question, “What's for dinner?” Juicy chicken, creamy Cilantro Lime White Beans, and a homemade Peach Salsa that will knock your socks off clear to the moon. Taco Tuesday is now EVERY DAY!
I haven't had a taco disappoint me yet, but I am telling you, this Chili LIme Chicken Taco is the best darn taco I've ever had – THE END.
I've been long on the hunt for a pressure cooker version of Chili Lime Chicken that delivered a tender, flavor bursting bite, but instead, I kept getting dry, watered-down chili lime flavor – and that is just not okay.
Mexican food is supposed to be fun, vibrant, exciting, but my chicken was sad and an embarrassment to the other food at the fiesta. When the sour cream has more flavor than the meat, we've got problems.
So I kept testing, knowing without a doubt, my perfect combination of flavors and cook times would soon find me.
And I'll be dipped, it has arrived, and I'm so SO excited to deliver it to your taco lovin' hands.
If you wanted to go VERY basic, you could simply top this chili lime chicken with pepper jack cheese and wrap it up in a tortilla and you'd be happy as could be.
But TACOS and TOPPINGS just go together, so I brought along some really amazing friends to take this taco over the top. I love a perfect combination of creamy, crunchy, and spicy on my tacos, and as you're about to see – THIS TACO HAS GOT IT ALL!
First, the Cilantro Lime White Beans. One of my favorite homemade bean recipes yet! The flavors are a perfect pair for the chicken and really elevate this taco to the next level.
Second, the Peach Salsa. I love regular ol' tomato salsa, but sweet and spicy peach-y salsa is 100% better! Go for fresh peaches if you've got 'em, but even canned or bottled peaches taste amazing.
Third, the GLITTER. AKA the dash of fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and fresh lime juice.
You need to get to know this taco, and I mean ASAP.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT CHILI LIME CHICKEN TACOS
- FAST: The chicken ingredients come together in a snap and you can prepare the rest of the taco toppers while the chicken cooks.
- FLAVORFUL: We're talkin' a punch in the face of chili lime flavor, enhanced even further with my favorite Homemade Peach Salsa of all time. No need to douse your flavorless chicken with hot sauce on this one (talking mostly to my husband here).
- COLORFUL! Don't even try and pretend you don't want your food to be pretty. If I can get all the colors of the rainbow into my dinner, well then, I've accomplished the equivalent to world peace.
- PARTY FOOD: Make it for yourself (‘cuz you're awesome and you know it) or make a double batch for a party. A table spread of taco toppings will 100% of the time make you a hero.
HOW TO MAKE CHILI LIME CHICKEN IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Put the chicken, liquids, and spices into the pressure cooker pot and get it cookin'
- Shred the cooked chicken
- Prepare the Peach Salsa
- Start assembling: first is the sour cream and beans
- Then add the chicken and salsa
- Hit it with the glitter and devour
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CHILI LIME CHICKEN TACOS
- SLICE THE CHICKEN: My trick for tender, flavorful pressure cooked chicken is to use chicken tenders or to slice a chicken breast into slices similar to a chicken tender. This allows for better flavor infusion and tender, shreddable chicken. Try it, you'll love this trick!
- REAL LIME JUICE: I'll admit to using bottled lime juice every now and again, but NOT HERE! There is no substitute for fresh squeezed lime juice with this taco recipe. I pinky promise it's worth the tiny bit of extra effort.
- PEACH SALSA! I'm sorry, it's just a must. Fresh peaches are AMAZING, but if they aren't in season, go for canned or bottled. For extra flavor, make up the salsa at least an hour (or up to a day) in advance so all the flavors can marry and intensify.
- MANGO SALSA: And if peaches aren't available, mango makes a fantastic option. Pineapple, not so much.
- USE WARM CORN TORTILLAS: Corn tortillas are better than flour with this taco (in my opinion). Unfortunately, corn tortillas tend to crack if you even THINK about folding them. Here's my trick: Wrap 10 or so corn tortillas in foil and place them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. It will warm/steam them all at one time and they will be perfectly pliable for taco time.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE CHILI LIME CHICKEN
- Store: Place cooled chicken and juices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Beans and salsa can also be stored in the fridge separately for 5 days, just keep in the mind that the salsa ingredients get softer and more watery as it sits (but more flavorful!).
- Reheat: Chicken can be reheated gently in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop with the juices.
- Freeze: Chicken freezes well in an airtight container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat as instructed above.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS FOR CHILI LIME CHICKEN TACOS
- Place chicken in pot with liquids and spices up to 2 hours before cooking. If you let it marinate much longer, the lime juice will start to “cook” the meat and give it a strange texture.
- Salsa can be made up to a day in advance without it becoming too watery.
- Wrap tortillas in foil in advance and have them ready to heat in the oven.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TACOS
- Dips: Chips and dips are always a welcome sight with tacos. Try this Mexican Street Corn Dip, Healthy Nacho Cheese Sauce, or my favorite Layered Bean Dip.
- Cold Drinks: Horchata, Lemonade, Infused Water, Homemade Fizzy Water.
- Rice: Mexican Rice is a given, but White Rice, Brown Rice, or Green Rice are also a great side.
VARIATIONS FOR THE CHILI LIME CHICKEN
- Taco Salad with Chili Lime Chicken: Serve it over lettuce with a drizzle of ranch and desired toppings.
- Chili Lime Chicken Tamales: This chicken would taste amazing in these Instant Pot Tamales or this Tamale Pie.
- Chicken Burritos: Add rice, beans, chicken, cheese, and salsa in a large tortilla and roll it up tight. Make it “smothered” with this creamy Verde sauce.
Welcome to my new favorite shredded chicken recipe! This chicken is so versatile and so easy, I have high hopes it will become your new “rescue dinner” as well.
Whether it's Taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, Fiesta Friday, or basically any other day that you need to eat something crazy delicious, this chicken is your new best friend!
Enjoy!
MORE INSTANT POT MEXICAN RECIPES
- Instant Pot Healthy Crack Chicken
- Instant Pot Steak Fajitas
- Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Instant Pot Green Chile Beef Burritos
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHILI LIME CHICKEN TACOS
PrintInstant Pot Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
Taco Night has never looked so good! Chili Lime Tacos for everyone!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 3 strips each
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne – optional for more heat
For the Peach Salsa
- 1 small peach (or mango), diced
- 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced
- ½ small onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, minced
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For assembling the taco
- Corn or wheat tortillas, warmed (see notes)
- sour cream or plain yogurt
- Cilantro Lime White Beans (see note), warmed
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional: crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Place chicken in the pressure cooker pot in a single layer as much as possible.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and zest, liquid smoke, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using). Pour over chicken.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare Peach Salsa by tossing all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and add extra lime juice or salt if needed.
- When pressure cooking is complete, turn off the cooker and use a natural release. May also manually release pressure after 10 minutes if in a hurry.
- Remove chicken to a plate and shred.
- Return chicken to pot and stir so it can soak up the extra juices.
- To serve, put a smear of sour cream down the center of a tortilla. Top with beans then chicken. Add a big scoop of Peach Salsa and a sprinkle of cotija cheese and cilantro.
Notes
- This is my favorite way to warm tortillas: Wrap a stack of 10 tortillas in foil and set them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. If you have a gas stove, heat and blister the tortillas directly over the flame for a few seconds on each side.
- Mangoes can be substituted for peaches in the salsa. Canned peaches also work in a pinch.
- I love these Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Beans. If you'd like to use canned beans, just rinse, place them in a bowl, add the juice of a lime, a handful of chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt and stir.
- Nutrition facts are for the chicken. Facts will vary depending on how you serve the meat.
Keywords: chili lime chicken, instant pot tacos, chili lime chicken tacos
This is a fantastic recipe. It’s muggy hot in GA, and this was such a refreshing change and a great summer dinner. I didn’t think the onions added anything to it. I might try shallots next time.
Liz
★★★★★
Oh my goodness! We are HUGE taco lovers of all kinds so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it!! Made it tonight and it did not disappoint! So, so yummy! Def a keeper! Thanks for sharing!’ ❤️
Sandi, Yay! I’m glad you liked it. It’s become a new staple here.
Made this last night and was a BIG hit! So delish and healthy too! I have a question…when you cook with chicken tenderloins, do you take out the tendon?
★★★★★
Erin, I’m glad you liked it! So funny that you ask that, when I talked to the butcher he said it will just melt away when cooked. But for whatever reason, it bugs me, so I always take kitchen shears and trim it out. So you can do either!
Oh my goodness! I had to try this, it sounded so good and it was delicious! My husband says it’s a keeper and I agree. So, so good! The peach salsa is the bomb! Yum!
😊Cecilia
Cecilia, yay! I’m excited you made this one and went the second mile for the salsa too. Cheers for tacos!
is that enough moisture for the pressure cooker? I thought we would need at least a cup to create steam?????
Lucy, yes, it works great! The chicken will make its own liquid as the pot heats up – it works, I promise!
It doesn’t say how many tortillas or how many tacos per serving. How can you give calories per serving when you don’t know how many tacos per serving.? Six servings of how many tacos”?
Grace, sorry, the nutrition is for the chicken. I’ll add a note. Thanks for the catch.
another option for any salsa recipe for mango is cantalope -is great substitute
thanks
jeanine
Jeanine, Interesting, I’ve never tried this. Have you tried it with salsa?
Hi! I don’t see any instructions for the beans? Is that going to be added soon? Thanks!
In the notes section at the end of the recipe
Susan, Yes, I’m still tweaking that recipe so in the meantime I included in the notes how to make a quick version with canned beans. I promise they’re worth the wait, I just need them to be just right before I post the recipe.