Mrs. Clay’s Tex-Mex Shredded Chicken

❤️ Tender, juicy shredded chicken cooked from frozen, seasoned from the inside out, and perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, Crunchwraps, and every Tex-Mex meal in between.

Some recipes are created because you’re looking for something new.

Others are created because you forgot to thaw the chicken.

This one falls into the second category.

It was Taco Tuesday, and somewhere between planning the week and living the week, I completely forgot to move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator.

Normally, I would have reached for canned chicken or simply made beef tacos instead.

But I wanted the chicken to be just as good as the beef.

Not an afterthought.

Not the “other option.”

I wanted every bite to be full of flavor.

So instead of simply pressure cooking the chicken and adding taco seasoning afterward, I decided to build the flavor from the very beginning. Salsa, onions, garlic, spices, and a few little Tex-Mex touches all went into the Instant Pot before the frozen chicken ever did.

Once it was shredded, I let it soak right back into those flavorful cooking juices.

The result?

Tender chicken that tasted seasoned all the way through instead of tasting like plain chicken with seasoning sprinkled on top.

The best part was seeing everyone build their tacos exactly the way they liked them.

Some reached for beef.

Some reached for chicken.

A few piled on both.

And that made me smile.

Because around our house, Taco Tuesday isn’t about everyone eating the same thing.

It’s about everyone gathering around the same table.

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

It starts with frozen chicken, so there’s no need to panic if you forgot to thaw it.

The chicken stays juicy and flavorful.

Every bite is seasoned from the inside out.

It’s just as delicious in quesadillas, burritos, rice bowls, taco salads, and homemade Crunchwraps as it is in tacos.

And the leftovers make some of our favorite lunches the next day.

🥣 Step-by-Step with Mrs. Clay

1. Build the cooking liquid.

Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the Instant Pot.

Add:

⅓ cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
1–2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño juice

Now stir in:

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Accent (MSG)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½–1 teaspoon kosher salt

2. Add the chicken.

Place 2 jumbo frozen chicken breasts directly into the cooking liquid.

No thawing necessary.

3. Pressure cook.

Cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes.

If your chicken breasts are exceptionally large, cook for 20 minutes.

Allow a 10-minute natural release, then carefully release the remaining pressure.

4. Shred the chicken.

Remove the chicken and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Shred the chicken using two forks or a hand mixer.

Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and let it simmer on Sauté for 5–10 minutes so it absorbs those flavorful juices.

Finish with the juice of ½ fresh lime.

Taste and adjust with another splash of jalapeño juice or a pinch of salt if needed.

5. Keep warm.

Transfer the chicken to a warming crock.

Add ¼–½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid to keep it moist while everyone serves themselves.

Switch to Warm until it’s time to eat.

🌸 Mrs. Clay’s Tips

• Don’t throw away the cooking liquid. It’s packed with flavor and keeps the chicken wonderfully moist.

• Frozen chicken works beautifully in this recipe. No need to thaw ahead of time.

• Let the shredded chicken simmer in the juices before serving. That’s where the magic happens.

• This chicken freezes well, making future Taco Tuesdays even easier.

• It’s just as good the next day in quesadillas and homemade Crunchwraps.

✨ Ways to Change It Up

Chicken Burritos

Wrap it with Mexican rice, refried beans, cheese, and salsa.

Quesadilla Night

Layer the chicken with freshly shredded cheese inside a crispy tortilla.

Crunchwraps

Add nacho cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and a crunchy tostada shell for a homemade favorite.

Rice Bowls

Serve over seasoned rice with black beans, cheese, salsa, and avocado.

Loaded Nachos

Pile tortilla chips high with shredded chicken, queso, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sour cream.

❤️ Mrs. Clay’s Kitchen Table

I’ve learned that good meals don’t always begin with perfect planning.

Sometimes they begin with opening the freezer and realizing you forgot something important.

The funny thing is, those moments have taught me to be more creative than any recipe ever has.

Some of our family’s favorite meals weren’t carefully planned weeks in advance.

They were simply made with what I had, a little creativity, and the determination to put something good on the table anyway.

I’ve found that’s true of life too.

It rarely goes exactly as planned.

But sometimes the unexpected turns out to be even better than what we originally had in mind.

🍲 From My Recipe Box to Yours

Mrs. Clay’s Tex-Mex Shredded Chicken

Yield: About 6–8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes (plus pressure release)

Total Time: About 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 jumbo frozen chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water + 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon)
1 cup salsa
⅓ cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1–2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Accent (MSG)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½–1 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of ½ lime

Instructions

Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Add ⅓ cup diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup salsa, 1–2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños, and 1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño juice.
Stir in 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon Accent, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½–1 teaspoon salt.
Place 2 frozen chicken breasts into the pot.
Pressure cook on High for 18 minutes (20 minutes for very large chicken breasts). Allow a 10-minute natural release, then release the remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Shred the chicken and return it to the Instant Pot. Simmer on Sauté for 5–10 minutes.
Stir in the juice of ½ lime.
Transfer to a warming crock with ¼–½ cup reserved cooking liquid until ready to serve.

❤️ Mrs. Clay’s Recipe Notes

This recipe was born because I forgot to thaw the chicken for Taco Tuesday. Instead of settling for plain shredded chicken, I decided to season it from the beginning and let it soak back into its own cooking juices. It turned an ordinary “Plan B” into a recipe our family looks forward to making again.