This Instant Pot tomato lime chicken recipe is super simple and super flavorful. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
I use my Instant Pot so much more now than I do my crock pot, and I know I’m not alone. I recently “rediscovered” a recipe I used to make all the time for dinner, and it translated perfectly to the Instant Pot – thankfully.
My slow cooker tomato lime chicken came into being in a moment of desperation years ago when I had food about to go bad that I needed to use. When I found a half used jar of salsa in the fridge the other day, I knew somewhere I had the perfect recipe for it.
I searched and found the crock pot version, but I didn’t have time for it to cook all day. I changed it up just a little bit and popped it in the Instant Pot.
And then I bought more salsa and made it four more times because my family remembered how much they loved it. It took that many tries before I finally got a batch where I could take photos before they devoured it. That’s always a good thing, right?
Like the original version, you can make the Instant Pot tomato lime chicken with both fresh and frozen chicken. If you use frozen chicken breasts, add four minutes to the cook time.
Need more great Instant Pot ideas? Check out some of my favorite recipes at the end of this article.
How to make Instant Pot tomato lime chicken
Add salsa, chicken stock, fajita seasoning, and orange juice to the liner of your Instant Pot. Juice the limes directly into the pot.
While you can use bottled juice, freshly squeezed lime juice always tastes best. Roll your lime on the counter while you press on it to release extra juice, then cut it in half and squeeze it with a juicer.
Stir to combine the mixture, then chop your cilantro and add it. You want to chiffonade the cilantro, so roll it into a tube, then slice along the tube.
Add the chicken to your Instant Pot, and flip the chicken with tongs over in the liquid to coat it. It doesn’t need to be fully submerged, but you want some of the flavorful liquid on both sides of the chicken.
Set your Instant Pot to cook for 9 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
Carefully open the vent, and remove the lid. You don’t even need to remove the chicken from the Instant Pot liner if you don’t want to.
It’s generally so tender that you can simply use (clean) tongs to shred chicken. Alternatively, pull the chicken from the liquid and place it onto a cutting board. Meat claws are my favorite way to shred beef, pork, and chicken on a cutting board.
Serve the Instant Pot tomato lime chicken immediately in tacos, over rice, on a baked potato, and more. I love how versatile it is!
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in your fridge for up to three days. This reheats beautifully; just pop it in the microwave and go.
What’s your favorite dump and go recipe?
More of my favorite Instant Pot recipes
- Lemon garlic chicken
- Potato and corn chowder
- Chicken Paprikash
- Easy meatballs and sauce for spaghetti
- French onion soup
- Sweet and smoky baked beans
- Carnitas – perfect for tacos and burrito bowls
- Mashed potatoes
- Wisconsin cheese soup (stovetop recipe also available)
- Corn chowder
- Spanish rice (one of my most popular recipes!)
- Pulled barbecue chicken
- Creamy chickpea tomato soup (with adaptation to make on stovetop)
- Easy peasy tomato soup
- Homemade chicken stock
- Updated (healthier) honey bourbon chicken
- Chicken curry
- Pulled pork
- Broccoli cheddar soup
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Carrot soup
- Risotto with peas and lemon
- Cinnamon apples
- Chicken and rice soup
Instant Pot Tomato Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 8 ounces salsa
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Add salsa, chicken stock, fajita seasoning, and orange juice to the Instant Pot liner. Juice the limes directly into the pot.1 tablespoon orange juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, 8 ounces salsa, 1/4 cup chicken stock, 2 limes
- Stir to combine, then chop your cilantro and add it.1/2 cup cilantro
- Add the chicken to Instant Pot, and flip chicken over in the liquid to coat.1 1/2 pounds chicken
- Set to cook for 9 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Carefully open the vent, then use tongs to shred chicken.
- Serve immediately in tacos, over rice, on a baked potato, and more.
- Store in a sealed container in fridge up to three days. This reheats beautifully.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen chicken in this recipe. If you use frozen chicken, increase the cooking time to 13 minutes. The remainder of the instructions remain the same.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
[…] Tomato lime chicken […]