Instant Pot Chicken Nachos Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Nachos are full of spicy tender shredded meat, cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, and chili powder topped with sour cream, guacamole, and jalapenos. This is such a delicious dish, you should make a double batch so you can freeze some for the next game day.
For other chicken recipes, try our Chipotle Chicken Nachos made with Greek yogurt and corn chips or Air Fryer Dorito Chicken made with Doritos and panko bread crumbs. Another scrumptious dish to try is our beefy Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef made with brisket, apple cider vinegar, and adobo sauce.
You can easily change this dish around from spicy to creamy by adding a can of cream of chicken soup and leaving out the jalapenos.
Another way to make it your own is to use refried beans when serving or choosing any blend of cheeses you like.
This recipe makes a delicious dinner or you can serve it as an appetizer. The super juicy and tender meat, tastes amazing when combined with all the classic nacho toppings!
Ingredients needed:
Head to the bottom of the page to our recipe card where we have the instructions and measurements. But here are the main ingredients for this simple recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Fresh or frozen.
- Salsa: Homemade or store-bought.
- Chicken stock: Or chicken broth.
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Taco seasoning: Any brand or homemade.
- Lime zest
- Lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- Tortilla chips: Any brand will do.
- Pico de gallo: Homemade or store-bought will both work.
- Cheddar cheese: Shredded.
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Jalapenos: Freshly chopped is best.
- Fresh cilantro leaves: Chopped.
How to make instant pot chicken nachos?
- Prepare: First, add meat, salsa, stock, chili powder, taco seasonings, lime juice, and zest, to your pot and toss to combine.
- Cook: Next, use manual setting to set the pressure to high and set time for 10 minutes. When finished, quick-release pressure until it is done.
- Shred: Then, remove the meat and use two forks to shred it, and season to taste.
- Preheat: After, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Prepare: Meanwhile, put the chips on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Put two cups of the meat on the chips and add cheese and pico de gallo to the top of the chicken mixture.
- Bake: Last, bake them in the oven until the cheese melts, for about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Serve: For best flavor, serve immediately.
Recipe variations:
- Beans: For even more protein, add black beans to the mixture.
- Onions: Feel free to add other veggies like white, red, or green onions or maybe some chopped green pepper.
- Nacho recipe: Add nacho cheese instead of cheddar for the original nacho flavor.
- Hot sauce: If you want more heat in your nachos, add some hot sauce to the mixture.
- Super spicy: Similarly, add some cayenne peppers for even more spice.
- Chipotle: You could dry the peppers to make them chipotle peppers and to get a smoky flavor.
How to serve:
Serve these nachos with your favorite toppings and sauces while it is still warm. These are perfect for game day. Or try one of these ideas:
- Make loaded nachos by topping them with the cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream, any remaining cheese, and guacamole.
- You could also make quesadillas by putting a heaping tablespoon of the mixture inside tortillas and top with sour cream and shredded cheese.
- Make it a chicken burrito bowl by serving this on top of our delicious Mexican rice or quinoa.
- Top a salad with your leftovers along with tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black beans, and corn. Add some pico de gallo for dressing.
- Add leftover chicken to this slow cooker taco casserole.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put raw chicken in an electric pressure cooker?
Absolutely. Raw chicken is perfect for cooking the instant pot. In fact, you can even use frozen chicken.
There is no reason to precook or thaw because the pot does all that for you. Just put the chicken in the pot and it is ready to go.
Can you overcook chicken in an instant pot?
It is really difficult to overcook chicken in an instant pot because the steam provides it with a moist environment.
Keeping the chicken breasts whole will prevent overcooking. If you cut it up, you have a better chance of overcooking it.
Why is my chicken rubbery?
Strangely, cooking chicken breasts in the instant pot can be difficult until you know exactly how long to cook them for the best texture.
If you do not cook them long enough, they will be rubbery and hard to chew.
Alternatively, if you cook it too long, it will be dry and chalky tasting. The best way to cook these is on high pressure for 10 minutes.
However, cooking time varies depending on the type and size of your cooker as well as the size of the chicken.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: To store leftover nachos, put them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Freeze: If you know you are going to have to freeze some of this dish, put everything but the chips in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to three months.
- Thaw: Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving for best results.
- Reheat: You can reheat this in the pot on sauté for about five minutes to get rid of excess water. Then cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes before doing a quick release. You may also use the microwave or oven to reheat the chicken.
More Mexican recipes:
Cooking tips:
- Pressure cooking and cooking in the instant pot are basically the same things except your pot is electric and the pressure cooker goes on the stove.
- Make sure the pressure release valve is in place and the vent position is set to seal.
- If you have extra chips, add a second layer of the remaining tortilla chips and add more of the mixture on top.
- The best part about using an instant pot is that there is only one pot to clean.
Instant Pot Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup salsa spicy or mild
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- Zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For serving:
- 12 ounces tortilla chips
- 1 cup pico de gallo homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or more
- 1 cup guacamole
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 jalapenos chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
Cook the meat:
- Add chicken, salsa, chicken stock, chili powder, taco seasoning, and cumin, lime juice, and zest, to a 6-qt Instant Pot and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Close and lock the lid, point the valve to sealed (on older models).
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When finished cooking, do a quick-release according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and place it in a medium bowl. Shred-it using two forks, and season it with salt and pepper, to taste.
Make nachos:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet, and distribute them evenly.
- Top with 2 cups of shredded chicken (reserving the remaining chicken for later use), pico de Gallo, and shredded cheese.
- Place into oven and bake until heated through and the cheese has melted; about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with guacamole, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, and cilantro.
Nutrition
