Keto Salsa Chicken
When you want something quick and easy to serve for dinner that also has a lot of flavors this Instant Pot Mexican Chicken is a perfect choice. With only a handful of ingredients and the ability to cook it in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop my Keto Salsa Chicken will become a family favorite.
I was craving Mexican food yesterday. I crave Mexican food at least twice a month. So I decided to brave my new Instant Pot and make a low carb main course. This keto salsa chicken recipe was my first go and it worked so so well. If you don’t have an Instant Pot don’t worry, you can also make this in a crockpot or on the stovetop.
I am totally in love with my Instant Pot and I’ve only used it twice. The first time I cooked a few Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Breasts I had in the freezer. They were completely cooked, from frozen, in 20 minutes. And tender!
Or for a fun variation on this recipe try my Salsa Chicken Casserole Recipe!
Ingredients
Chicken Breast – Either chicken breast or thighs will work for this recipe.
Chicken Broth – I normally use the cooking liquid left after the chicken cooks.
Cream Cheese – Cream cheese makes the keto salsa chicken sauce very creamy.
Cottage Cheese – Cottage cheese adds protein and I promise you can’t taste it. If you prefer you can use all cream cheese.
Salsa – Any salsa without added sugar is fine. I typically use a tomato-based medium salsa.
Seasoning – Any Mexican seasoning blend is fine. Choose one with cornstarch or thickeners or make your own taco seasoning or fajita seasoning. They have a variety of common spices such as cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Keto Salsa Chicken
Instant Pot:
Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in the Instant Pot. Cook on the poultry setting with the vent sealed for 10 minutes. Quick-release the lid. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest. Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients to the Instant Pot. Turn on the Saute setting. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Turn to Keep Warm. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Serve the keto instant pot salsa chicken with optional toppings.
Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest. Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients to the crockpot. Turn to high. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the crockpot. Serve the slow cooker chicken recipe with optional toppings. (If the sauce isn’t thick enough you can add 1/4 tsp glucomannan to help it thicken).
Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Cover and cook on medium for 20-30 minutes or until fully cooked. Stovetop times can vary a lot. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest. Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients back to the pot. Turn to medium-high. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Turn to low. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the pot. Serve the keto salsa chicken with optional toppings. (If the sauce isn’t thick enough you can add 1/4 tsp glucomannan to help it thicken).
Oven:
Craving a creamy casserole? Follow any of the above instructions and then transfer the chicken into a baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake. You can even just broil for just a few minutes (watching closely) to melt and brown the cheese. This option is one of our favorite low carb dishes!
Common Questions
What Type of Chicken for Keto Salsa Chicken?
Alternatively, you can swap in chicken thighs for the boneless skinless chicken breasts or even make this dish with ground turkey or beef or pork. Darker meats shred a little easier than white meats. Shredded chicken made from chicken thighs in the Instant Pot is one of my favorite things ever. I can take that base ingredient and turn it into casseroles, tacos, soups, salads, and more.
One of our other favorite dished to make in the Instant Pot is chili. This low carb Keto Instant Pot Chunky Chili from my friend Stacy over at Beauty and the Foodie is great!
What Seasoning Should I Use?
You can use either my keto fajita seasoning or taco seasoning for the seasoning in this keto salsa recipe. Store-bought seasoning works fine too just watch for added sugar and carbs!
What Do I Serve With Keto Salsa Chicken?
I serve my easy low carb salsa chicken recipe with an assortment of toppings so that each person can top their own bowl as desired. My favorite is some avocado, cilantro, a slice of lime, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Low Carb Tortillas – store-bought or homemade go well with this. You can put crushed tortilla chips on top or scoop the creamy low carb chicken into tortillas to serve. There are tons of low carb recipes to make your own.
Cauliflower Rice – mix in a little cauliflower rice and no one will know. It can be our secret.
Keto Guacamole – this creamy avocado dip is a fave in my house!
Fresh Salsa – can you ever have too much salsa? Since the salsa in this gets mixed into the creamy sauce feel free to serve it with more to dollop on top. Make it as hot as you like by adjusting the amount of jalapeno.
Hot Sauce – If your family likes things spicy you can use a hot salsa when the keto salsa chicken is cooking or serve with addition hot sauce.
On Trim Healthy Mama you can a 1/4 cup of beans within the guidelines for a low carb or S meal so occasionally I’ll sprinkle on some black beans too.
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Keto Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 2.5 - 3 pounds chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup cooking liquid from the chicken (or chicken broth)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup salsa
- 1-2 tsp taco or fajita seasoning
- toppings of your choice
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in the Instant Pot. Cook on the poultry setting with the vent sealed for 10 minutes. Quick release the lid. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
- Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients to the Instant Pot. Turn on the Saute setting. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Turn to Keep Warm. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Serve with optional toppings.
Crock Pot Instructions:
- Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
- Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients to the crock pot. Turn to high. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the crock pot. Serve with optional toppings. (If the sauce isn't thick enough you can add 1/4 tsp gluccomannan to help it thicken).
Stove Top Instructions:
- Put the chicken breasts and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Cover and cook on medium for 20-30 minutes or until fully cooked. Stove top times can vary a lot. Check that the chicken is at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
- Add the reserved cooking liquid and the other ingredients back to the pot. Turn to medium high. Whisk until the cream cheese and cottage cheese have melted. Turn to low. Shred the chicken. Add back to the sauce in the pot. Serve with optional toppings. (If the sauce isn't thick enough you can add 1/4 tsp gluccomannan to help it thicken).
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for other Low Carb or Keto Mexican Recipes? Check these out:
Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Trying to use your Instant Pot more? How about this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken recipe?
Originally Published July 19, 2016. Revised and Republished May 13, 2022.
I’ve been making this recipe since May 2018! Our whole family loves it. Thank you!! I use an immersion blender to make the sauce smooth before adding the chicken. I also have noticed that we tend to like sweeter salsas with this for whatever reason.
This cooked up super fast and everyone loved it! Thanks for another great dinner recipe. I love that I can trust your recipes to taste great.
Highly recommended! Super loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious!
You can never have too many delicious chicken recipes to try. Delicious.