Julie Clark
Updated:
Salsa Verde Tacos
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Taco night dinner has never been easier! Easy Salsa Verde Tacos are bursting with flavor easily made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot! You may also love our pork carnitas.
Back to school time is swirling in like a hurricane and it’s time to start planning those easy weeknight dinners. If you’re like us, between sports, school and family activities, life gets crazy this time of year.
You’ve loved our easy baked salsa chicken, and these Salsa Verde Tacos are just as much a timesaver. Make this tender, flavorful chicken in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ingredients Needed
The basic ingredients for the shredded chicken are labeled. The other ingredients are optional for how you’d like to build your tacos.
Note that boneless, skinless chicken thighs work great in this recipe, too. They are full of flavor!
✨ Skip down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts. ✨
What is salsa verde made of?
Salsa verde is a green salsa generally made from tomatillos, white onions, jalapeños and cilantro (along with other seasonings). Traditional salsa is red and tomato based. Make our Homemade Salsa Verde. It’s amazing and easy, too!
How to Make Salsa Verde Tacos
This recipe in showcased by being made in the Instant Pot, but it can be done in the slow cooker also.
Make the chicken in 4 steps:
- Season. Liberally season both side of the chicken breast with the prepared seasoning.
- Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot on the ‘Sauté’ mode. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for a minute. Add the chicken breasts and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until both sides gets a golden sear.
- Pressure cook. Turn off “Sauté” mode. Put the lid on, making sure that the pressure valve is in the “Sealing” position. Select the “Pressure Cook” mode. Adjust the ‘Pressure Level’ to “low” and adjust the time, with the “- / +” to 15 minutes. When Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release the natural way for 10 minutes and then using a thick tea towel, turn the pressure valve to “Venting” position to do the quick release.
- Shred and simmer. Using two forks or even an electric mixer, shredded the chicken in the pot itself. Then turn on the on the ‘Sauté’ mode for 5 minutes and let shredded chicken soak up the liquid.
At this point, you are ready to make your tacos!
Make it in A slow cooker
Although the Instant Pot is handy for last-minute meals, we still love our slow cooker. To make in the slow cooker, season the chicken and brown it in a hot skillet on all sides.
Then place the chicken in the slow cooker, add the salsa verde and allow it to cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low until the chicken shreds easily. The exact timing will depend on how big the chicken breasts are.
Salsa Verde Taco Toppings
Top the tacos according to your taste, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- cheese
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream
- taco sauce
- rice or beans as a base
- jalapeno peppers
- tomatoes & lettuce
- avocado
- lime
What to Serve with Tacos
Here are some of our favorite side dishes for salsa verde tacos:
- Tortilla chips and Pico de Gallo or Blender Salsa
- Corn Casserole
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Use corn tortillas or make our Homemade Flour Tortillas
Use the leftovers on your favorite salads or in quesadillas!
Love salsa verde? Try our salsa verde chicken & rice, or salsa verde quesadillas.
Salsa Verde Tacos
Taco night dinner has never been easier! Easy Salsa Verde Tacos are made easily in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot.
Servings 6
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Natural Release 10 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Ingredients
For the Salsa Verde Chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups salsa verde
To Serve:
- corn tortillas
- diced red onion
- diced tomatoes
- jalapenos
- cilantro
- avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
Make the Chicken:
- In a small bowl mix together the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Liberally season both side of the chicken breast with the prepared seasoning.
- Turn the Instant Pot on the ‘Sauté’ mode. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for a minute. Add the chicken breasts and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until both sides gets a golden sear.
- Add the salsa verde. Turn off “Sauté” mode. Put the lid on, making sure that the pressure valve is in the “Sealing” position. Select the “Pressure Cook” mode. Adjust the ‘Pressure Level’ to “low” and adjust the time, with the “- / +” to 15 minutes.
- When Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release the natural way for 10 minutes and then using a thick tea towel, turn the pressure valve to “Venting” position to do the quick release.
- Using two forks or even an electric mixer, shredded the chicken in the pot itself. Then turn on the on the ‘Sauté’ mode for 5 minutes and let shredded chicken soak up the liquid.
- Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds.
- Pile about two tablespoons of Salsa Verde Chicken on each taco shell. Top with chopped red onion, tomatoes, jalapeno slices, cilantro and a big squeeze of lime juice.
Video
Notes
To speed up the serving process, chop and prep the toppings and the garnishes, while the chicken is cooking in the instant pot. Warm the tortillas and cover them in foil to keep warm.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 servings. The calories shown are only for the chicken. Calculate the remaining calories based on what you serve on your tacos. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 724mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 4.7mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.6mg
I don’t have an instant pot can I make in slow cooker
Hi I’m going to make this for my sons graduation party and will be using about 8 pounds of chicken. Would I quadruple the salsa verde as well, or just the seasonings and chicken? I know instant pots can be tricky with liquid.
Quick question: when you say 6 servings do you mean 6 total tacos or a serving of more than one taco? Just trying to figure out how to track this in my fitness pal when I make them because I like to pre-plan my calories for the week. Please and thank you!
LOOOOOOVED this recipe!!!!! So easy to make and delicious! This will be part of our taco tuesday for sure!