Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot

I have made a similar recipe in the crockpot a lot, recently I tried it in the Instant Pot.  It turned out really good!  My chicken was even frozen when I started. You can use fresh thawed chicken too. 

 

Salsa Chicken

1- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa - chunky works great as well as home canned salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning
garlic salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)


Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot and Sprinkle just a little garlic salt over the chicken.  Sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of the chicken breasts.  Poor the salsa over it all.  Set the pressure cooker to 30 minutes high pressure. (If your chicken is thawed it will take 20 minutes).  When it is done, you can quick release or let it set about 15 minutes first (whatever you have time for).  Open the lid and shred the chicken with two forks. 

Optional:  Add in about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro after it has cooked and you've shredded it. 

This is great for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and chicken salad! 

NOTE: I rinsed my chicken first because it was so frozen, and I wanted to have a stickiness to it so the seasonings would stick to it.

This is before it's cooked.  I sprinkled some garlic salt, then added taco seasoning and salsa. 

This is what it looked like after it was cooked, but before I shredded it.

I like to add chopped cilantro in after it's cooked and after I've shredded the chicken.

 

 

Canned Salsa

Several years ago I tried several different canned salsa recipes to find one that we really liked.  It was important to me to be able to use only the things from my garden (so no funny peppers that I'd never heard of), and to actually use the things in my garden (so no Mrs. Wages packets).  This recipe came from a friend, and it is the best.  I am aware of the warnings to only can USDA certified recipes, but I hated all the salsa recipes in the Ball Blue Book. 

7 quarts peeled, chunked tomatoes
4 green peppers, diced to desired size
3 medium onion, chopped to desired consistency
2 fresh jalapenos
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbs. canning salt (no iodine)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. cayenne pepper (or red pepper, same thing)
1 cup white vinegar

Mix everything together in a large pan and simmer until it is reduced to your desired consistency (about 2 hours).  Don't let it burn!  Put in pint jars.  Process is steam canner or boiling water bath for 15 minutes.  Makes about 11 pints

Almost Fresh Salsa

I like fresh salsa best, but in middle of the winter when tomatoes aren't great, this recipe is a good substitute.  Especially if you can use canned tomatoes from your garden!  I got this recipe from my friend Jill.  Check our her recipe blog http://jbeanrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/02/restaurant-style-salsa.html.

Salsa
1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice ( I use 1 quart bottled tomatoes)
2 cans tomatoes with cilantro and lime, such as Rotel
¼ cup Chopped Onion
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 Jalapeno 
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ cups Cilantro
Juice from one lime

Put it all in a food pocessor and chop to your desired consistency.  

Note:  All measurements are estimates,  and you can adjust them to your taste.
I don't always have a jalapeno or lime on hand, but the salsa stll turns out pretty good.  Just add a little extra cumin.  

Picco De Gallo (Ree Drummond)

Easy!

3 yellow or red onions

12 roma tomatoes

2 cups fresh cilantro

2-3 jalapenos

1  lime

salt

Dice it all up!  Don't put the seeds in.  Cut the jalapenos as small as possible.