Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (Video)

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken has so much flavor from lime and melted mozzarella, and this is an Instant Pot dinner the family will love. This recipe is a pressure cooker version of my super-popular Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, so you can choose whether to use the Instant Pot or the slow cooker!

PIN Instant Pot Salsa Chicken to make it later!

It’s no secret that I was a big slow cooker fan for many years, and now I’m a big Instant Pot fan who also still likes the slow cooker. And in the Slow Cooker Recipes section of my recipe index there are some hugely popular recipes, and quite often I’ll get a comment asking how to make one of those beloved slow cooker recipes in the Instant Pot.

I’d never want to give those instructions without testing the recipe in the Instant Pot, and it did take me a few tries of recipe testing with Jake and Kara to make this Instant Pot Salsa Chicken work as well as my super-popular recipe for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.

But we thought the final version of this was so tasty, and this is an extra-easy 5-ingredient dinner! And if you use a salsa without added sugar, it’s low in carbs as well! Hope you’ll give it a try if you like the sound of this easy low-carb salsa chicken dinner with Mexican flavors.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Pace Picante Sauce (affiliate link) or other mild or medium salsa that’s low in sugar
• fresh-squeezed lime juice
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• grated Mozzarella Cheese

Why I use Pace Picante Sauce for Instant Pot Salsa Chicken:

I’m a big fan of Pace Picante Sauce, which I love both for the flavor and the fact that it doesn’t add many carbs for a recipe like this. Of course tomatoes have natural sugar, but some salsas have added sugar. I used medium Pace Picante Sauce for this recipe, but if you’re cooking for kids you may prefer mild salsa. And of course you can use any low-sugar salsa you prefer to make Salsa Chicken.

What size Instant Pot did I use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes! You can use Instant Pot Recipes to see my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes. You’ll find more Instant Pot Recipes on my other site, Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker.

Want more low-carb Instant Pot Dinners?

For more dinner ideas using the Instant pot check out Favorite Keto Instant Pot Recipes. And if you’re an Instant Pot fan who loves Mexican food, this recipe was featured in Low-Carb Mexican Food in the Instant Pot on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site!

Pressure Cooking the Instant Pot Salsa Chicken:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Trim fat and undesirable parts from the chicken, spray the pot with nonstick spray, and put chicken in the Instant Pot (affiliate link) and season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
2. Mix the salsa and fresh lime juice. (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice.)
3. Pour the salsa-lime mixture over the chicken and lock the lid of the Instant Pot.
4. Set it to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 6 minutes.
5. Let pressure release naturally when the time is up, then remove the chicken  to a cutting board, leaving the salsa mixture in the pot.
6. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH TEMPERATURE, and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes, but keep an eye on it.
7. While the sauce cooks down, preheat broiler and move the rack so it’s about 6 inches away from the broiler.
8. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and arrange them in the baking dish.

Finishing the Instant Pot Salsa Chicken:

1. When the sauce has thickened, turn off Instant Pot and spoon the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish.
2. Sprinkle with a generous amount of grated Mozzarella.
3. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes, but watch it carefully.
4. Serve hot, with diced avocado, sour cream, or Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) to add at the table if desired.

More Chicken in the Instant Pot:

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is a perfect easy dinner for low-carb and Keto diets, and this is also great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. Be sure to choose a salsa without added sugar. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more ideas for your Instant Pot! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken was first posted in 2018, and it’s been super popular on the blog. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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