An Easy + Versatile Instant Pot Mexican Chicken

This is a true dump-and-go Instant Pot recipe that's a meal on its own with chicken, pinto beans, and corn. You can make it once and eat it in so many different forms throughout the week!

This recipe was inspired by the Mexican food aisle at Aldi, where I grabbed a bunch of ingredients, threw them in my Instant Pot, and haven't looked back since.

I started making this during our kitchen renovation last summer, when my cooking tools were limited to an Instant Pot and a microwave. It instantly became a staple of our diets, and the fact that I still make it is a testament to its versatility and sheer tastiness. Not only did we not get sick of eating it, we all still love it!

Now, it's a go-to if I'm cooking for a crowd, and it's one of the first things I turn to if we've got a busy week ahead and need some easy meals, or if I want to meal prep some freezer meals.

Ingredients

• A family pack of chicken breasts - This is 4-5 pounds. I cut them in half to make them skinnier - otherwise, I've had issues with them not cooking through during pressure cooking. This is basically the only step of prep work required.
• Two packets of taco seasoning - Use whatever brand you like here! Keep in mind this is a LOT of chicken, so you'll definitely want to use both packs.
• A jar of pinto beans - They don't need to be rinsed, but you will want to pour off the excess liquid from the can (what I call a "lazy drain"). Imagine you have no drain and no running water, and are just pouring the bean juice into a cup in your dining room. Basically, that's the caliber of drain job you're shooting for here.
• A jar of salsa - I get the 24 ounce jar from Aldi, but there is a lot of wiggle room here. If you use all 24 ounces, you will have a good amount of liquid when it's done cooking (good if you're using it for rice bowls or chili). If you want less liquid (like if you're doing tacos), I use half the jar.
• A can of green chiles - These add lots of good flavor and a hint of spice.
• A bag of frozen corn - This is added while the chicken is being shredded, which keeps the corn slightly on the crisp+fresh side.

A grand total of 6 ingredients, all of which you can find at Aldi (also, any other grocery store), for a ridiculously delicious and easy meal.

How to Make It

Add everything but the corn to the Instant Pot in the order listed. Yes, this means there will be chicken at the bottom of the Instant Pot with nothing under it - I know this defies all Instant Pot wisdom, but it works! The only times I've ever had burning with this recipe is when I put the salsa in first. I don't get it, but I've learned not to question it.

You don't need to stir it or do anything once the ingredients are in the pot. Secure the lid and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool for a few minutes before shredding. Meanwhile, add the bag of corn to the Instant Pot and set to the "keep warm" setting.

Shred the chicken and return to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine and it's ready!

Some Ideas On How To Eat This

One of the reasons I think we didn't get sick of this last summer, despite me making it probably at least a couple of times a month, is there are so many things you can do with it!

Here are some ideas:

• Rice bowls - Serve on a bed of rice topped with your favorite toppings.
• Tacos - The absolute best way to do a taco with this chicken is to put the filling in a hard shell, then put the hard shell in a soft shell. Trust me!
• Enchiladas - Leftovers make a really easy filling for enchiladas!
• Chicken chili - Cook chopped bell peppers and onions until soft, then add this chicken and enough chicken broth to make it your ideal soup consistency.

However you eat this, I highly recommend tortilla chips with it! Oh, and some pickled red onions.

Our usual progression with this is:

• Night 1: Tacos. These require no additional cooking.
• Night 2: I make rice and we have rice bowls.
• Night 3: A repeat of tacos or rice bowls. I'm also packing it for Josh's lunches and making some rice + chicken Souper Cubes for later.
• Night 4: Using whatever we have left for chili!

We get like 20 meals out of this!