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.
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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!
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 ½ 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 ½ 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 ¼ teaspoon 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 ½ 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 ¼ teaspoon 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 ¼ 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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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 - 3 pounds chicken breasts
- ½ cup cooking liquid from the chicken (or chicken broth)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup salsa
- 1-2 teaspoon 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 ½ 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 ½ 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 ¼ teaspoon 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 ½ 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 ¼ teaspoon 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.
Hannah says
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.
Allyssa says
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!
Gloria says
You can never have too many delicious chicken recipes to try. Delicious.
Elizabeth says
Do you have a taco seasoning recipe?Thanks
Taryn says
Yup! It is linked within the post. https://joyfilledeats.com/how-to-make-taco-meat-taco-seasoning/
Shawn says
How much is one serving? 1 cup?
Taryn says
1/6th of the recipe. For an exact measurement, you could weigh it using a food scale and then divide it into portions.
Shelly says
My husband and I made the salsa chicken recipe and couldn't believe how amazing it was. Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer says
What is the serving size? 1/2 cup? Just curious... Thanks! Maybe I just missed it... but didn't seem to see it
Taryn says
Hi Jennifer, it is 1/6th of the recipe. I did not measure the final product in cups so I'm not sure of that amount. If you can a food scale it would be very easy to figure out. Just weigh the instant pot insert before starting and then weigh it again with the finished product. Divide the ounces by 6 and you have your serving size. Next time I make this I'll try to do that!
Eternity says
I've made something similar with 5lbs chicken breast (frozen), and half of two different kinds of salsa - a jarred hot, and a fresher mild) and ranch powder. Then after the instant pot has done its thing, I drain and add in two blocks of cream cheese, the rest of the salsa and browned Johnsonville Chorizo.
I dished it into small freezer tins to add to my premade foods. Takes about an hour and a half in the toaster oven. I have eaten almost nothing but this for the last week, and I'm not great at eating leftovers. The chorizo makes a HUGE flavor boost! And its REALLY good next to the SteamFresh Ranch Cauliflower.
Kelli Miller says
Thank you so much for providing the directions for the crockpot as well. I don't have a instapot yet! 🙁 Anyway, this was super delicious and the slow cooker kept the chicken perfectly moist. yum!
Natalie says
I'm brand new to the Instant Pot and this is the perfect recipe to try! It looks delicious and pretty much fool-proof!
Christina says
This is perfect for busy nights. So filling and so flavorful!
Brooke Silva says
Thank you so so much for the creamy chicken recipe! We just featured it in our pressure cooker recipe round up. When we made it for superbowl, I never put it out. I hoarded it! I ate it for breakfast and lunch for almost a week. Thank you!! https://www.facebook.com/thesilvaspoons/posts/928231137312834
Barbara Nethers says
I have a whole rotisserie chicken. I'm thinking this would be ok as it's an S meal. Cuts down on cook time and will still be yummy.
Caitlin Eckert says
This was delicious and easy! Thank you for the recipe Taryn!
Kendra says
Contemplating this for work lunches. Can you tell me if it reheat well? I know cream cheese can be tricky.
Karen says
Can you please let me know the nutritional information I can't seem to find it anywhere. Thank you so much I am needing the fat, carbs and protein for one serving and the serving size.
Taryn says
Hi Karen, It is in the post at the very bottom.
Alyssa says
Can I use chic thighs since this is an S meal? I'm a newbie, still trying to figure it all out. ☺️
Taryn says
Sure!
Priscilla says
For the instant pot option, how much time would you add if the chicken was frozen? Thanks for posting, this looks yummy!
Taryn says
I've read to add 5 minutes. But then I just read not to add any time but it will take longer in the initial pressure building. When I did stuffed chicken breasts for 20 minutes they reached 190 degrees. So you could try not adding time and temping them or adding 5 minutes. I've found that overcooking in the Instant Pot doesn't dry out the food.
Priscilla says
Thank you!