Instant Pot salsa verde chicken
A jar of salsa verde and a pack of thighs become juicy, tangy shredded chicken in 30 minutes, for tacos tonight and bowls tomorrow.
- 45 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $2.73 a serving
- 490 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 3 lb boneless chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 jar salsa verde
- 1 lime, juiced
- 18 corn tortillas
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
Each serving has about 490 calories, 50 g protein, 44 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $2.73 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the cumin, garlic powder, oregano and salt and put it in the Instant Pot.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Scatter the onion over and pour the salsa verde on top without .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: Salsa on top keeps the thick bits off the bottom, which keeps the burn warning away.Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: The pot takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure first. That’s normal.Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to venting.
Timer: 10 min
Open the lid and check that the thickest piece reads 165°F.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
the chicken in the pot with two forks and in the lime juice and cilantro.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Warm the tortillas in a dry over medium, about 30 seconds per side, and fill them with the chicken, sour cream and avocado.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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