Let me just start off by saying that the Instant-Pot is a pretty magical invention. When I heard there was an appliance that could achieve the flavors produced in 3+ hours of slow cooking in under 20 minutes, I knew I had to get my hands on one.
Since I’ve gotten the Instant-Pot, I definitely haven’t been experimenting with it as much as I could be, but that’s because the one main thing I’ve been using it for is so incredibly quick, easy, and delicious that I’ve become too addicted to it to try anything else. I’m talking about my Mexican salsa chicken bowl.
The way I prepare this bowl is pretty simple and healthified, but there are plenty of ways to jazz it up that I’ll get to later on. For now, just know that the two main components of mine are 1) chicken pressure cooked in an Instant-Pot with salsa and spices, and 2) corn sautéed with onions and adobo seasoning. Yes, it’s really that easy. I’ll be explaining how to make a single serving, so there’s no need to try and decipher how to cut the recipe down if you’re just cooking for yourself, but you can easily multiply everything to suit the number of people you’re looking to feed.
Starting with the chicken, the instructions are pretty simple. In a bowl, mix together some cumin, ground cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of oregano. I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea how much of each spice I use, nor do I even mix them in a bowl before seasoning the chicken. Just use however much feels right to season the amount of chicken you’re using, which in my case is usually two thin-sliced, boneless, skinless breasts. Also make sure to be careful with the crushed cayenne pepper, because you can always add more heat later, but once you’ve dumped a spice explosion into the pot, there’s no going back.
Use half the mixture to season the bottom of the pot, place the chicken inside, and pour on the rest of the seasoning. Then it’s time to add the salsa right on top. I use ½ cup of Pace chunky mild salsa. The reason I use mild is because you get a decent amount of heat from the spices on the chicken, but feel free to assault your taste buds by using a hotter salsa if that’s your thing.
From there, all you do is set the pot to pressure cook for 13 minutes, do a quick release when time’s up, and shred the chicken with two forks. You’ll be amazed by how juicy and flavor-loaded the chicken is after such a short amount of time.
In terms of the corn, all I do is microwave some frozen corn kernels (frozen vegetables are NOT a sin), add them to a skillet of onions that have been sautéing for a few minutes, and then sprinkle in some (or more than just some) adobo seasoning. In short, adobo is a common Mexican seasoning that can be added to pretty much anything, and I’m not kidding when I say that. I put it on eggs, chicken, vegetables, and my favorite, roasted spaghetti squash.
Yes, I’m aware that the Instant-Pot has a sauté setting that I could use for the corn and onions and turn this into a one-pot meal. However, as I said, I haven’t done much experimenting with the pot yet and I like that I can get the corn done while the chicken is cooking so I haven’t felt the need to do it differently yet.
Once you have your chicken and corn in a bowl, you can top them with whatever floats your boat. For me, that’s avocado, but if you want this to be way more exciting and delicious, top it with some cheese (it’ll melt perfectly once it hits the chicken) and sour cream. You can also add more vegetables to the skillet that you sauté the corn in, or make the dish heartier overall by serving everything over rice. I personally like having this without the rice because it keeps it low-carb and allows me to really taste the flavors infused into the chicken.
Instant-Pot Salsa Chicken Bowl-- Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 thin-sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cumin, ground cayenne pepper, oregano salt, and pepper to taste
½ cup preferred salsa
1 cup corn kernels
½ cup diced yellow onion
¼ tsp olive oil
Adobo seasoning
Sliced avocado for topping
Directions:
In a bowl, mix together some cumin, ground cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and a pinch of oregano.
Use half the mixture to season the bottom of the pot, place the chicken inside, and toss in the rest of the seasoning. Then pour in the salsa.
Lock the Instant-Pot lid, set the venting knob to sealed, and set the pot to pressure cook for 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and let it sauté for a few minutes.
If using microwavable corn (like I do), microwave it in a bowl covered with a paper towel so that it doesn’t dry out. Then add it to the skillet with the corn and sprinkle in your desired amount of adobo seasoning. If you don’t have adobo seasoning, the same mixture of spices used for the chicken will work as well.
After a few minutes, turn off the heat and leave the skillet covered until the chicken is done.
When the time on the chicken is up, do a quick release of the pressure. Once that is done, open the lid and shred the chicken with two forks.
Put everything in a bowl and add desired toppings (avocado, cheese, sour cream, etc).