Slowly, I am building up my repertoire of Instant Pot recipes. And they are lifesavers! The time savings is a huge deal in our busy lives. When our kids were growing up (the olden days) and we had busy evenings full of activities (music lessons, karate, ice hockey, soccer, and school events), sometimes the slow cooker came into play, but more often than not, those were the evenings when the prepared frozen foods were popped into the oven for a quick dinner. These days, Eric & I still have busy evenings, (especially in the warmer months), filled with activities that are centered around ourselves instead of the kids. (Book clubs, yoga, archery lessons, and outdoor concerts.) The difference is, we no longer have to rely on prepared frozen foods for a quick dinner. We can just throw something into our Instant Pot!

Our latest Instant Pot creation is a chicken dish. The chicken is seasoned with taco seasoning then cooked in a tequila & salsa mixture. Served over rice with a squirt of lime juice, avocado slices, and cilantro along with a side salad and we have a complete meal in very little time. It’s perfect for a busy evening and way better than a prepared meal from the freezer!

Tequila Salsa Chicken

Tequila Salsa Chicken (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 15 minutes, Makes: 2 – 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope (1 ounce) taco seasoning
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 1/4 cup tequila
• hot cooked rice, lime wedges, avocado, and cilantro for serving

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker and sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken breasts.

Add the chicken to the pot and sprinkle it with the taco seasoning.

Combine the salsa with the tequila and pour the mixture over the chicken. Lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve. Pressure cook the chicken on high for 6 minutes.

Combine the tequila and salsa and pour it over the chicken.

Quick-release the pressure. Remove the chicken from the cooker (reserving the cooking liquid), and place it on a cutting board.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board when it is cooked.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with 2 forks.

Shred the chicken using two forks.

Combine the cooking liquid and the shredded chicken and transfer them to a serving bowl.

Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and combine it with the cooking liquid.

Serve the chicken with rice and desired toppings.

Serve over cooked rice with avocado slices, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.

The kids may be gone, but our evenings are still busy!  ~Linda

Tequila Salsa Chicken (adapted from tasteofhome.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope (1 ounce) taco seasoning
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 1/4 cup tequila
• hot cooked rice, lime wedges, avocado, and cilantro for serving

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker and sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken breasts. Combine the salsa with the tequila and pour the mixture over the chicken. Lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve. Pressure cook the chicken on high for 6 minutes.

Quick-release the pressure. Remove the chicken from the cooker (reserving the cooking liquid), and place it on a cutting board. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with 2 forks. Combine the cooking liquid and the shredded chicken and transfer them to a serving bowl. Serve the chicken with rice and desired toppings.