If you love easy pressure cooker meals, this Pressure Cooker Chili-Lime chicken is a versatile recipe to have in your arsenal. If you don’t have a pressure cooker- don’t turn away. This is still a great recipe that you could use with any other cooking method so stick with me. This chicken is delicious in a tacos, burritos, rice bowls, with side of beans, or on a big Mexican-inspired salad. It’s a great option for meal prep that you can enjoy in many ways throughout the week!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – The first few times I cooked boneless, skinless chicken in my pressure cooker, I was disappointed. It always had a funny texture; kind of dry and mealy- similar to when you overcook it in a slowcooker. After several trial and error experiences, I finally figured out I was cooking it waaaaay too long. For me, the magic number has been 6. Six minutes under high pressure and I get perfectly cooked, juicy, flavorful chicken that my family loves. I also discovered that I didn’t need lots of extra moisture, like broth. When extra liquid was added, it simply diluted the flavors and turned quite soupy. To remedy this, I put this chicken in without any additional fat; simply a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a handful of seasonings. It results in the perfect amount of flavor-packed juices to toss the chicken in. I generally use chicken breasts that are a little over than an inch thick at most. I would say if they’re any thicker than that I’d probably just cut them in half to make sure they get cooked through.
- Limes – If I don’t happen to have fresh limes around, I always have a big shaker jar of TrueLime (seriously one of my FAVORITE pantry ingredients. It’s granulated fresh lime and works brilliantly in just about everything). Just reconstitute it with the appropriate amount of water in this case so the pressure cooker has some liquid to create steam.
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Liquid smoke
- Pressure cooker – I have an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker, if you want to read more info about it, I’ve written about it, here!
How to Make Pressure Cooker Chili Lime Chicken
- Just toss boneless, skinless chicken breasts into your pressure cooker and squeeze a lime over it, then add chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt and pepper, and some fresh minced garlic. Just a bit of liquid smoke gives it the perfect hint of smoky flavor. Simply toss everything around and make sure it’s well coated.
- You could probably do an immediate steam release, especially since you’re going to shred the chicken anyway (immediate release tends to break food up a bit sometimes) but I generally let it sit for just a few minutes as I’m prepping dinner and then release. Your chicken should look nice and plump and juicy. I always pop an instant-read thermometer in there just to make sure everything is to temperature. It should be at least 165°F.
- Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks and then pop it back in the pan and toss it with the juices. You’re left with really flavorful chicken, perfect for salads, tacos, burritos, you name it.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished chicken in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within about 4 days for best results.
- Chili-Lime Chicken is great to keep in the fridge to pull out for quick meals throughout the week. I love to have it on hand for meals while my kids are at school and I need a quick, healthy, filling lunch. It’s so easy to toss in a wrap, or in a bowl with leftover quinoa or rice and some veggies.
- If using frozen chicken breasts, I usually do 12 minutes high pressure. If using “thin cut” frozen (I buy them in bags at Costco) they cook in 6 minutes!
Alternate Cooking Methods
Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a 9×13 pan, prep your chicken as outlined in the recipe. Cover with foil and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Grill
Prep the chicken in a pan or bowl, allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours, then toss the chicken on the grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. For quick, even cooking, you may want to butterfly your chicken breasts first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make it one day and enjoy it for 3-4 days! Store the chicken with some of the cooking liquid and reheat gently to help keep it juicy.
Yes, this chicken freezes well. Place chicken in a freezer safe container with cooking juices and freeze for up to 3 months.
Yep! You shouldn’t need to adjust the cooking time, just be aware that it may take a little longer to come to pressure and a little longer for the pressure to release.
Yep, simply prep the chicken the exact same way but in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until your chicken reaches and internal temperature of 165°F, probably around 30 minutes. You could also prep the chicken in a pan, allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours, then toss the chicken on the grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Pressure Cooker Chili-Lime Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 limes medium-large
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt use a little less is substituting table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- If chicken breasts are more than 1-inch thick, cut in half. Place chicken in pressure cooker pot. Squeeze in the juice of both limes. Sprinkle all seasonings and liquid smoke over chicken and add garlic. Use clean hands to rub spice mixture all over all sides of chicken.
- Secure lid on pot and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. When finished let rest for 5 minutes and then release steam. (Or if you're short on time, just do immediate steam release). Check temperature of chicken with an instant-read thermometer and make sure internal temperature is at least 165℉.
- Shred chicken and return to pot and toss in juices. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Notes
- Store finished chicken in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within about 4 days for best results.
- Chili-Lime Chicken is great to keep in the fridge to pull out for quick meals throughout the week. I love to have it on hand for meals while my kids are at school and I need a quick, healthy, filling lunch. It’s so easy to toss in a wrap, or in a bowl with leftover quinoa or rice and some veggies.
- If using frozen chicken breasts, I usually do 12 minutes high pressure. If using “thin cut” frozen (I buy them in bags at Costco) they cook in 6 minutes!
Alternate Cooking Methods
Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a 9×13 pan, prep your chicken as outlined in the recipe. Cover with foil and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.Grill
Prep the chicken in a pan or bowl, allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours, then toss the chicken on the grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. For quick, even cooking, you may want to butterfly your chicken breasts first.Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, you can read more about them here.
Questions & Reviews
It was pretty tasty and fit the bill on this particular day
I’ve never made a recipe as much as this one! It’s so flavorful, easy, and versatile My family has called it “award winning”! Great recipe, thanks so much.
Let’s just say I’m glad I doubled the recipe so I have some left overs. I paired it with some homemade pineapple mango salsa. Amazing!!!!!! This will definitely be a regular.
I’ve been using this for a long time, but haven’t ever rated it. It is delicious and easy and versatile. Just try it you won’t be disappointed!
Delicious. Will make again!
This is a FAVORITE family recipe. However, my daughter is on a mission and does not have a crock pot or instant pot. Is there a way to make this without either??? She misses this meal so much!
No problem! I’d just cover a pan with foil and cook it in the oven. 350 until chicken reaches 165 degrees!
Great flavor! Hubby loved it! I didn’t have liquid smoke on hand so I used smoked paprika and a little water in its place. Excited for the leftovers!
I use this recipe to season my chicken all the time, at least once a week. It is so yummy!! I prefer it without the smoke flavor but it’s still great with it as well. 🙂
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! Our 14 year old made this with ease. It turned out perfectly!!!
Love this recipe! After trying a couple times I doubled the chili powder, cumin,onion, and pepper because flavor preferences but left everything else the same. Thank you! 🙂