Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken for Tacos is a unique and delicious Mexican chicken recipe that is done in less than 20 minutes, lid closed to lid open! Tender, flavorful chicken for tacos, burritos or a taco salad is minutes away. 

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So take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He’s in the waiting
He’s in the waiting

Hold on to your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He’s never failing
He’s never failing

In my most frustrated moments, in the moments when I let the weight of our time in the desert sit squarely on my little shoulders, feel it pressing down on me, burning into my skin and crushing me with its impossibility, I wonder, “How will we ever be ok?”

I think, “There’s no way out. We just wait and work, and wait and work some more, and that big thing never comes. What on earth are we going to do?”

My little family has been in a season of waiting for a while now. We got married the Saturday before Alex started law school and even though we didn’t realize it at first, we’ve been waiting since then. We’ve been waiting for things to be ok. For THAT job to come along that sets us up and makes us feel like grown ups, let’s us buy a house and go on family vacations, provides financial stability so we don’t have to worry about how we will support our two daughters.

Seven years and we’re still waiting.

I won’t lie to you, and I don’t much feel like putting on an artificially happy face right now.

It’s HARD to wait. It feels really hard to me tonight. I feel sad.

And I would feel hopeless, it would be so easy to feel hopeless.

But when I start to feel this way – tired, sad, almost hopeless – I remind myself that my hope is not in where we live or what jobs we have or how much money is in the bank. None of that is what truly matters.

My HOPE is in He who knows where we are going next.

My HOPE is in He who has my triumph planned and waiting for me.

My HOPE is in He who is faithful to finish the good works He began in us!

I’ve had the lyrics above from the song Take Courage by Bethel Music playing on repeat in my head for so long. He is in the waiting. He is in the waiting. It’s my mantra that I say to myself when I start to get down and I forget that I’m right where He needs me to be.

Guys, it’s normal to feel sad and frustrated with your circumstance when you are in a desert time of life. It’s normal to be tired of waiting. I’m tired of waiting!! But if you know God like I do, then you also know that this time of waiting is not for nothing. It’s NOT pointless and it will not be fruitless unless you and I let it be.

He’s here with us while we wait and not only that, He is doing good works in us while we wait! He is preparing us for what’s next, and I will hold onto my hope that what is next will be GOOD because I know my Father, and I know that He wants good things for us.

So, while I wait I will hold onto my hope and I will look forward every day to what He is doing with me here, where I am, today. And when I lose my joy, which so often happens, I will find it again in Him.

Sing praise my soul
Find strength in Joy
Let His words lead you on
Do not forget His great faithfulness
He’ll finish all He’s begun

I had this can of pineapple juice sitting in our pantry from a recipe I made a while back. These little cans come in a four pack at Trader Joe’s, my other home, and we had one left that was just hanging out.

I LOVE putting orange juice in with my chicken to give it a little sweet brightness, so this time I thought I would change it up a little bit and put pineapple juice in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken instead. It worked so so well!

This Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken was tender, flavorful and totally surprising because of the pineapple juice and smoked paprika.

I really just adore smoked paprika. It has a really bold flavor that works so well in Mexican inspired dishes like this. Just use it sparingly! A little of that stuff goes a long way.

And did I mention that this Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken is done in less than 20 minutes from the moment you close the lid to the moment you open it! SERIOUSLY, YOU GUYS. Pressurizing, Cooking, and Depressurizing combined, just under 20 minutes. 

It really doesn’t get better than that.

Whether you put it in a taco, in a burrito, or on a taco salad like I’ve done here, you are going to LOVE the flavor of this Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken for Tacos.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken for Tacos

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Vanessa at The Cheerful Kitchen

Yields Serves 4-6

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken for Tacos is a unique and delicious Mexican chicken recipe that is done in less than 20 minutes, lid closed to lid open! Tender, flavorful chicken for tacos, burritos or a taco salad is minutes away. 

10 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

25 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 tsp each salt, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1.5 lb bonelss skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 2 T oil for browning

Instructions

1. Mix spices together and rub all over and into chicken.
2. Heat instant pot on the high saute function with 2T oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs and brown for 3 minutes on each side. Add the pineapple juice to deglaze the bottom, stirring the chicken around to loosen the bits on the bottom.
3. Press the cancel button to reset your Instant Pot and then turn on either the Pressure Cooker function or Manual function. Set to High for 8 minutes and make sure your pressure release valve is closed. Mine took only 6 minutes to pressurize.
4. When the pressure cooker beeps to signal the end of the 8 minute cook time, manually release the pressure.
5. When depressurized, remove the lid and place chicken thighs on a cutting board. Small dice the chicken, then place back into juices.
6. Serve in a taco shell, on a bed of lettuce for a taco salad, or in burritos!

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https://thecheerfulkitchen.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-tacos/

Try these other Mexican inspired recipes:

Veggie Tacos Loaded with Guacamole

Irish Tacos – Guinness Braised Pork + Green Crema

Chicken Taco Baked Sweet Potatoes

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