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Instant Pot Chipotle Shredded Chicken

Chipotle Chicken in a white bowl with rice and vegetables

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5 from 9 reviews

Smoky shredded Instant Pot Chicken bursting with a flavorful combination of heat and sweet and just begging for alllllll the toppings!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 24 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (leave them whole)
  • 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Optional: 1/4 – 1/3 cup heavy cream

Toppings

  • roasted veggies (see note), diced avocado or guacamole, brown rice, cilantro, sour cream, cotija cheese (or use your favorite cheese), corn chips, etc

Instructions

  1. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pressure cooker pot.  Add chicken breasts to the pot, placing them in a single layer across the bottom as much as possible.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk to combine chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt cumin, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, and honey.  Pour over the chicken, do not stir.
  3. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
  4. While chicken is cooking, prepare your toppings (roast veggies, chop avocado, grate cheese, make rice, etc – see notes)
  5. When pressure cooking is complete, use a natural release.
  6. Move the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks or place it in a food processor and pulse a few times for a smaller dice, being careful not to overprocess it to the point that it turns to mush.
  7. Note:  For more spice, shred the chipotle peppers into the chicken.  For a mild version, remove the peppers and serve on the side to people who like it spicy.
  8. Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir into the sauce.
  9. Optional:  Add heavy cream to the liquid in the pot for a silkier, mild sauce.

To make a Chipotle Chicken Bowl

  1. Put a scoop of rice in a bowl, top with shredded chicken and your favorite toppings.

Freezer Instructions

  1. Place a freezer safe ziplock inside the pressure cooker pot.  Arrange the chicken in a single layer with the other ingredients in step 2.  Seal the bag and freeze inside pressure cooker pot until solid, then remove the bag from the pot, place bag in the freezer until ready to use.
  2. When ready to cook, add 1/4 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot.  Remove chicken and other ingredients from ziplock and place inside the pot.
  3. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, proceed with remaining directions.

Notes

  • As written, the chicken is a mild spice level.  To increase spice level, add extra chipotle peppers or shred cooked peppers into the chicken instead of leaving them whole.  To decrease the spice level, use fewer chipotle peppers, remove the peppers once the chicken is cooked, and/or add cream to the cooked shredded chicken
  • Cook rice in a separate pressure cooker while the chicken cooks.  White Rice, Brown Rice, or Green Rice are all good options
  • As a rule of thumb for roasted vegetables, I chop them into bite-size pieces, toss in a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast them in a 425°F oven for 10 – 15 minutes.  This works great for mini bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, zucchini, etc
  • Other great uses for this chicken include quesadillas, tacos, nachos, tacos salads, tamales, etc
  • To freeze leftover chicken, place in a freezer safe ziplock and use within 3 months
  • Nutrition facts are for the chicken only