This 3-Ingredient Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe is full of great flavor, easy to make in the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot, and perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads and more!
With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, I feel the need to tell you about the most delicious Mexican shredded chicken hack I recently discovered.
Seriously. It’s the perfect back pocket recipe that you can whip out when you’re short on time but craving a winner winner chicken dinner. Because as ultra-simple as this recipe is, it is equally big on flavor, and yields the most tender, juicy, irresistible chicken every time. Perfect for serving with chicken tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tamales, chilaquiles, nachos, or whatever else you may be craving.
And best of all?
All you need are 3 easy ingredients, about 3 minutes of prep time, and either an Instant Pot or a Crock-Pot to do the rest of the work for you. Can you guess the ingredients? (Drumroll please…)
Easy Mexican Shredded Chicken Ingredients:
Ta da! So simple, right? To make this Mexican Shredded Chicken, you will need:
- Chicken: I recommend boneless chicken breasts or thighs, you pick.
- Salsa: Whatever your favorite kind may be! I have made this with my favorite homemade salsa and my favorite store-bought salsa, and both were total winners.
- McCormick Original Taco Seasoning: Turns out, not all store-bought taco seasonings are created equal. I’ve become a big fan of this one over the past few years because:
- It tastes great. Especially in this recipe.
- I love the ingredient label. No preservatives, no MSG, no artificial flavors, no dairy…no hesitations.
- It’s super easy and convenient, and makes this 3 minutes of prep time possible.
How To Make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken:
To make this recipe in the Instant Pot pressure cooker, simply…
- Add your ingredients: Combine the chicken, salsa and taco seasoning together in the bowl of your Instant Pot, and briefly toss to combine.
- Pressure cook: Then pressure cook on high for about 30 minutes. Quick release the pressure, then remove the lid.
- Shred: Use two forks to shred the chicken. Then give the shredded chicken a good toss in all of those juices to soak them up. (The juices will thicken a bit into a sauce as it cools.)
- Serve! Then dig in!
How To Make Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken:
Other option that’s just as easy, but will take a bit more time? Slow cooking. In a 4-quart or 6-quart Crock-Pot, simply…
- Add your ingredients: Combine the chicken, salsa and taco seasoning together in the bowl of your slow cooker, and briefly toss to combine.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred: Use two forks to shred the chicken. Then give the shredded chicken a good toss in all of those juices to soak them up. (The juices will thicken a bit into a sauce as it cools.)
- Serve! Then dig in!
Uses For Mexican Shredded Chicken:
There are countless ways you could serve this Mexican shredded chicken recipe. But I would especially recommend using it in:
- tacos (these Mexican chicken tacos below are topped with Pico de Gallo, so easy!)
- quesadillas
- enchiladas
- burritos (or burrito bowls)
- nachos
- tostadas
- salads
- tamales
- chilaquiles
- huevos rancheros
Also, if you are looking for some side dish ideas, these are some of my go-to faves:
As always, feel free to check out our Mexican Recipes archives here on the blog for more ideas. And also, McCormick has lots of fun fiesta-worthy Cinco de Mayo recipes on their site right now too. (I’m especially eyeing their Taco-Spiced Michelada!)
However you decide to serve this chicken, hope that you enjoy it, everyone!
3-Ingredient Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 8 -10 servings 1x
Description
This 3-Ingredient Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe is full of great flavor, easy to make in the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot, and perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads and more!
Ingredients
- 2.5 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) salsa*, homemade or store-bought
- 1 packet McCormick Original Taco Seasoning
Instructions
- Instant Pot Method: Add chicken, salsa and taco seasoning to the bowl of your Instant Pot, and toss briefly to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”. Press “Manual”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until time reads 30 minutes. Cook. Then very carefully, turn the vent to “Venting” for quick release, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid. Continue with step 3 below.
- Crock-Pot Method: Add chicken, salsa and taco seasoning to the bowl of your slow cooker, and toss briefly to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, then give the chicken a good toss with the remaining juices.
- Serve immediately. Or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
*A few people have mentioned getting a “burn” message on their Instant Pot. I’ve never experienced this, but just to be safe, if you are using a thick/chunky salsa, stir in an extra 1/2 cup water along with the salsa.
This post is sponsored by McCormick, whose spices and seasonings I use regularly in my kitchen. Thank you so much as always for supporting the brands who help to make this site possible. ♡
This recipe is the best! So easy and everyone loves it. It can be used for SO MANY meal options! Thank you for sharing!
Hi I’ve made this recipe before. My question is can I switch out red salsa for a verde? Thank you
I pour a bottle of Herdez Salsa Verde, about 1/4 c water and chicken breasts or tenders in my Instant Pot. Cook on high for 5-6 minutes then serve over rice and topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. It’s my go-to easy meal.