Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken is an easy healthy meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes! Great for tacos, salads, rice bowls, or just plain! 

Having easy weeknight meals is essential at my house because we are incredibly busy. Using the Instant Pot for dinner is a life saver. This Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken takes only 15 minutes in the Instant Pot, and is ready to serve! Use the shredded chicken in tacos, burritos, wraps, rice bowls, salads, or even all by itself! Your family will love it, and you will love the minimal cleanup and effort. 

How to make Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken:

**Scroll all the way down to see full ingredient list and directions**

• It's SO easy!
• Prep all the ingredients and then dump them all (except the cilantro) into the Instant Pot!

• Seal your instant pot and then cook on manual for 15 minutes. Once the time is up let the pot 'naturally release' the pressure for 10 minutes, then release the rest carefully. 
  • You should remember when using the Instant Pot, that the time it takes to cook the recipe (15 mins), is not the total time of the recipe. You need to give the pot some time to ‘come to pressure’.
• Shred the chicken (or leave it whole if you want), then add it back to the pot, and add the cilantro to the pot, and stir to coat with the yummy sauce. 
• Serve (see options below).

How to serve the Cilantro Lime Chicken:

• Make tacos! Hard or soft shells (corn or flour) are perfect for this chicken! Add a side of rice and call it a day!
• Make a large salad for your family!
  • Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, corn, and Pepper Jack or Colby Jack cheese all tossed together with the cilantro lime chicken would be a perfect healthy low carb meal.
• Cook up some white or brown rice and then serve the cilantro lime chicken over the top as a rice bowl.
  • TIP: If you plan to do this, try adding ¼ cup more stock/water when making the chicken; it will be extra saucy for the rice!
• Meal prep make-ahead cilantro lime chicken burritos! Add the cilantro lime chicken into large flour tortillas, fold into a burrito and then wrap them in foil or plastic wrap. These will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
  • TIP: FREEZE THEM! Make a bunch of the burritos, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze! When you are ready to cook, remove from plastic wrap and loosely wrap in a paper towel. Cook 1 min on high in the microwave, then flip over and cook for 1 more minute in the microwave. Lunch is served!
• NACHOS! Sprinkle this chicken over a bed of tortilla chips, then top with cheese; bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh cut tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream - YUM!

How to Freeze:

• Using at least a 6qt Instant Pot, this cilantro lime chicken recipe definitely can be doubled. Using an 8qt instant pot the recipe could be tripled. 
• Once the chicken is done cooking, and cooled, place portions (I like to do 5 cup portions) into freezer safe zip lock bags. Press flat and squeeze out all of the air. Place flat in freezer, freeze.
• Ready to eat?
  • Remove frozen chicken from freezer the night before you'd like to serve it. Place in the refrigerator overnight, and it should be defrosted by the next day.
    • TIP: Place frozen bag on a dish or in a baking dish. Occasionally freezer bags will leak, and this will avoid a mess all over the fridge. 

Is Cilantro Lime Chicken Healthy?

• YES! Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken is the perfect healthy meal. Each serving packs 33 grams of protein, only 272 calories, and 4 grams of fat. 
• While this recipe contains black beans making it not so 'low carb' you could also opt to leave the black beans out. This would drastically reduce the calories to 208 per serving, but also reduces the carbs to 16 grams vs. 27 grams (23 net) with the black beans. 
  • I personally like to have the black beans in the recipe because it adds healthy fiber (4g per serving). You could opt to serve the black beans on the side if you are servings this meal to someone who is eating a 'low carb' diet. 

My favorite Instant Pot Recipes:

• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps are the perfect healthy chicken recipe! Make the spicy chicken in just minutes, then load up fresh lettuce wraps with your favorite toppings!
• Instant Pot Asian Pork cooks up in just minutes, and is the perfect healthy dinner! Use the juicy meat in lettuce wraps, sliders, or a salad!
• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are done in a fraction of the time as traditional baked potatoes, and are the creamiest baked potatoes you will ever eat!
• Instant Pot Bang Bang Chicken comes together in minutes and is so delicious! The classic spicy sauce is perfect on shredded chicken which can be used in rice bowls, salads, wraps, or however you want!
• Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake is a stunning dessert that comes together in no time! Not only is it amazingly easy, but it’s the best cheesecake EVER!
• Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a delicious healthy meal that cooks in just 10 minutes! Simple to make, family friendly, and so tasty!
• Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg Loaf: In five minutes you can have a whole bunch of hardboiled eggs which are perfect for egg salad! No peeling or ice bath for this Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg Loaf!
• Instant Pot Thai Lettuce Wraps (pork or chicken) can be made with pork or chicken in the instant pot or slow cooker! Juicy pork or chicken covered in an easy Thai peanut sauce makes the perfect healthy easy dinner!
• Instant Pot Roasted Red Pepper Soup: Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons is the perfect comfort food without any guilt! Make it in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or on the stove top!
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle soup is rich with flavor and takes only a fraction of the time to make. Warm up on a cold day with this major comfort food

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4.75 from 16 votes

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Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

18 mins

 

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken is an easy healthy meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes! Great for tacos, salads, rice bowls, or just plain! 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 272 kcal

Ingredients

• 24 ounces salsa, whatever type you like
• 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
• 1 lime juiced and zested
• ¼ cup water or stock
• 1 can reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Options for serving and garnish

• cooked white rice, serve chicken on top
• flour tortillas, serve like tacos
• corn tortillas, serve like tacos
• cooked quinoa, place chicken on top
• limes, squeezed
• colby jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Using at least a 6qt instant pot, add all ingredients for the chicken into the pot, except the cilantro. Close the lid, seal the pressure valve, then set on manual/high for 15 minutes.

2. Once the time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes (don't touch it), then manually release the rest of the pressure (by flipping the valve). Remove lid.

3. Shred the chicken breast (either remove and shred or shred in pot using 2 forks); then add the cilantro into the pot. Stir everything together to coat.

4. Serve as desired, top with desired garnishes. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

To make in slow cooker: add everything except garnishes to slow cooker. Close lid and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 5 hours. Remove lid, shred chicken, add cilantro and stir to coat. Serve.

Nutrition (with beans) per serving (6), not including garnishes:

272 calories, 4g fat, 27g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 33g protein. 

Weight Watchers Smart Points: 6 points per serving