Fiesta Chicken Pressure-cooker

Looking for a SUPER EASY, one-pot meal? This Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken is IT!

Simple meals are awesome, right? The kind of "dump recipes" (that term makes me cringe, but that's what people call them!) that you place all the ingredients into one pot. Then you walk away while the pressure cooker or slow cooker does all the work.

But in addition to being super simple, these dishes also need to be super tasty!

This Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken is not only SO super simple peasy. It's also packed with yummy flavors and textures. We LOVE the tangy spices in this dish! But it's mild enough for the whole family to enjoy.

AND, it's a quite versatile.

What's great about Fiesta Chicken

Fiesta chicken is like a party on a plate!

It's a medley of Southwestern-inspired ingredients with complementary flavors and textures, and you can serve it a variety of ways.

We've made this chicken dinner recipe several times. Make it once, and then enjoy it different ways for two days of leftovers. It's a yummy recipe that keeps on giving! :)

What do you need to make fiesta chicken?

For this Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken dish, you'll need:

frozen chicken breasts – If you're like me, you often decide on dinner right before it's time to eat. This recipe is PERFECT for last minute dinners because you can use FROZEN chicken! Yep, no need to thaw You can also use fresh chicken. If you do, simply decrease the pressure cooking time by 5 minutes.
taco seasoning – use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning or whip up this yummy homemade BBQ seasoning in less than 5 minutes!
black beans – these add high fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more protein to the dish, as well as tasty texture.
corn – We can't imagine this dish without corn. It adds a beautiful bit of sweetness to the richness of it all.
salsa – choose your favorite store-bought salsa (this is our family's fave store-bought salsa) or whip up this restaurant-style homemade salsa.
chicken broth – this helps cook the chicken properly in the Pressure-cooker, making it nice and tender and shreddable. Chicken broth also adds another layer of brothy flavor to the dish.

How do you cook frozen chicken in a pressure cooker?

One of the best features of the Pressure-cooker is being able to cook frozen meat in it. For people like me, who often decide what to eat right before dinner time, not having to remember to thaw meat for recipes is a huge plus!

Some tips to help you cook frozen chicken in the pressure cooker:

When you get home from the store with your chicken, lay the individual chicken breasts or breast tenders apart in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze the chicken. And then place into a freezer-safe bag or container. This helps ensure you don't have one big block of frozen chicken when you're ready to cook.
If you DO have one big block of chicken all frozen together, take a minute to separate them out. Frozen chicken will cook much more evenly if you separate them out before cooking in the Pressure-cooker.

You can also purchase already frozen chicken breasts in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. These typically have already been separated, making cooking this Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken recipe a cinch!

What wine to serve with this fiesta chicken dish?

The spices and richness of this fiesta chicken recipe calls for an equally bold and spicy red wine. Pair this chicken dish with a big, peppery Carmenere or fuller-bodied, savory Tempranillo.

Truth be told, We've also enjoyed this dish with a lively Albariño. The acidity of this Spanish white wine balances the richness of the dish and helps bring out some of the more nuanced flavors within the ingredients.

More chicken dinner recipes

Pressure-cooker Fiesta Chicken

By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 people Fiesta Chicken can be served over rice, used as chicken taco fillings, or served over tortilla chips for loaded nachos! A definitely family favorite!

Ingredients

1 pound frozen chicken breast
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup taco seasoning
1 cup corn
1 cup salsa
⅔ cup chicken broth

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to the Pressure-cooker.
Close the lid and seal it. Set to PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL on some Instant Pots), on high pressure for 20 minutes.
When the timer is up, allow pressure to release on natural pressure.
When the valve is down and all pressure has been released, carefully open the lid.
Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Shred the chicken with two forks. Serve immediately or freeze for later (see Notes for serving ideas)

Notes

Serving ideas:

serve over rice
use as taco meat
serve over nachos

Serve with:

shredded cheese
sour cream
green onions

Refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the microwave before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 298 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Protein: 32 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 73 mg, Sodium: 1897 mg, Potassium: 900 mg, Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 1839 IU, Vitamin C: 11 mg, Calcium: 43 mg, Iron: 3 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.