This is a recipe for Instant Chili Lime Chicken Tacos, but it’s really about making shredded chicken in the pressure cooker. Sure, I’m giving you all the ingredients and topping suggestions for making delicious tacos, but the shredded chicken that you make with this recipe is good for so many other meals – toss it into a salad, make it into a quesadilla or build these delicious chicken tostadas.
Spice Rub for Chicken
A lot of the flavor in these chili lime chicken tacos comes from the spice rub that is put on the chicken at the start. You don’t need to marinate the chicken with this rub, although you could if you wanted to. The key is to get the rub on all parts of the chicken and then to brown the chicken in oil, letting those spice rub flavors shine through.
How Long to Pressure Cook Chicken
Once browned, this chicken only cooks for 5 minutes under high pressure – not very long. The key to making sure the chicken is tender, however, is to make sure you do a natural pressure release. Now a natural pressure release can add as much as 15 minutes to the cooking time, so make sure you plan for that in your timing for diner. It’s important to let the pressure drop naturally, and you’ll be happy you did when you shred the tender chicken.
Shredding the Chicken
If you were patient and did let the pressure drop naturally, the chicken should be so tender that shredding it with two forks is easy. It’s easier to shred the chicken while it is still warm, so let it cool for just a few minutes and then go for it. In the meantime, let the braising liquid in the pressure cooker reduce and thicken. This sauce isn’t critical to the recipe, but it’s nice to be able to moisten the shredded chicken, which if you chose to cook chicken breasts, can be a bit dry.
Taco Fixings
When it comes to taco fixings, it’s really up to you what you decide to put into your taco. That’s the beauty of tacos, really. You can put out all the toppings – lettuce, salsa, avocado, limes, sour cream, fried onions, cheese, etc… – and let everyone build dinner the way they want it.
Tortillas for Tacos
There are corn tortillas and there are flour tortillas and most people have a preference. I prefer corn tortillas, but you’ll see flour tortillas in the photo above. Use whichever you like, but warm them before serving – they are so much better warmed. You can wrap them in foil and pop them in a 300ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or you can brush them with oil and air-fry them for 2 to 3 minutes, or you can even fry them in a skillet with a little oil for a really delicious taco wrap.
The instructions says garlic powder but there is none in the ingredient list. Should there be? Thanks
Hi Phylis. No, there’s no garlic powder in the recipe. That was in a previous version of the recipe and I forgot to take it out of the instructions. Thanks for catching that. I have fixed it now.
ML
Chili Lime Chicken Tacos was a success for Tuesday Cinco De Mayo dinner. Everyone enjoyed it. Enjoy your recipes all the time. The Margaritas gave it an extra zip!
These are the best chicken tacos and so easy to make in the pressure cooker. I made them for Cinco de Mayo yesterday and will be keeping this recipe!
Let the meat shine thru! I understand that this is a taco recipe but I would suggest limiting the toppings so that the deliciousness of the meat be the star.
I dont have a pressure cooker… How can I make it on the stovetop or oven?? It sounds amazing!!!
Hi Sandy, If you want to make this on the stovetop, I would simmer it gently, adding enough chicken stock to cover the chicken. Simmer for 30 – 45 minutes, until the chicken is super tender and shreddable. Then, only reduce part of the sauce to moisten the shredded chicken.
This recipe is a keeper! Delicious and easy to do.
Can I substitute bone-in thighs?
Hi Diane. Sure! You can use bone-in thighs. I would still remove the skin, however, because you’ll end up emulsifying a lot of fat into the sauce if they are left on. If they are really big, add a couple of minutes to the cooking time. If they are a modest size, the cooking time should stay the same.
Made this tonight at home – the fourth Blue Jean Chef recipe this week as part of the Low Calorie 7-day meal planner. It was fantastic, as were all of the others. I was able to use the mango salsa from Sunday with this recipe. Such a perfect combination. Thank you!
Wow! Great planning ahead for a week. So glad all the recipes were a hit!
ML
I think we both would like tacos for dinner tonight. I can’t wait to try this new dish.
Thank you so much for the picture and the recipes.
This sounds yummy. Will it freeze well?
If you can store the chicken in a container that is as air-tight as possible, it will freeze perfectly.
Hi Meredith, if I make this in half in the pressure cooker, do I keep same cooking time and half the water?
Hi Pierre,
The time stays exactly the same, but it is inadvisable to cut the liquid in half. Generally, a pressure cooker needs a cup of liquid in order to create the steam needed to build pressure. If you cut the liquid down too far, it can evaporate and the food will burn on the bottom. If you don’t want to make the whole recipe, I would cut the chicken and spice rub quantities down, but keep the rest the same. Then, reduce the sauce and only use as much as you need to moisten the chicken.
Made this today and wish it was in my life sooner!!! So easy, chicken fell apart after the pressure cooker worked its magic!!!! I will be the queen of Whiskey Wednesdays with this winner!!!! Thank you!!!!!
This recipe was a huge hit! So very Tasty like all your recipes tend to be! Made it for Super Bowl wknd. My husband right away said it was a keeper & commented I should of doubled the recipe. We usually have leftovers 🥲. Thanks Meredith sharing with all of us!
I followed the recipe it was excellent as written.
Hi Meredith,
I would like to know how to make extra sauce for the chicken tacos? I made a second batch of them &. it needs extra sauce to reheat them. Also, how would you recommend tacos be reheated?
Thank you!
When you cook the chicken next time, you can increase the chicken stock by 1 cup to give you more sauce at the end. To re-heat the batch you already have, you can just add some chicken stock when reheating the chicken. If you feel like it needs a little extra flavor you can season it with some chili powder and salt to taste and finish with a little fresh lime juice.
How much do you suggest adjusting the cooking time if I’m using a combination of boneless breasts and bone-in legs and thighs? I saw your comment above for all none-in thighs but am curious as to a combination of boneless/ bone-in. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
The time and temperature would stay the same for a combination of boneless breasts and bone-in legs and thighs. It is best to remove the skin on all of the chicken.