Instant Pot Smoky Honey Cilantro Chicken {Bonus: Slow Cooker Directions}
The best thing to ever come out of my pressure cooker, this Instant Pot smoky honey chicken is tender, flavorful, and perfect for salads, enchiladas, tacos – you name it! {Slow cooker instructions included as well!}
This smoky honey chicken is the best thing to ever come out of my Instant Pot.
I hate to be dramatic and all, but it IS a Monday. And I’m a firm believer that a little dramatic energy on a Monday can help propel you through the week.
Truth.
So I stick with my not-even-exaggerated opening sentence: this is the best Instant Pot meal ever.
Begun as a throw a bunch of stuff in the IP and see how it turns out kinda meal, I haven’t stopped making this Instant Pot smoky honey chicken!
Seriously, we’ve had it, oh, probably five or six times in the last month, and the dreamy part is no one is complaining about repeated meals because this tender, flavorful, juicy chicken is so versatile!
Tacos! Enchiladas! Burritos! Quesadillas! Salad!
Honestly the options are limitless…helped out in part because the flavor is out of this world delicious.
Because I know not everyone on the planet has an Instant Pot (yet!), I’ve also added slow cooker directions, too.
And let me just say a word, like I always do, about smoked paprika.
It’s what makes this recipe extra specially special.
Will I banish you from my life if you use regular paprika? Prolly not.
But I’ll be super sad that you are missing out on the crazy flavor explosion smoked paprika brings to the table.
I have a couple brands of smoked paprika in my cupboard right now (yes, I have issues, and yes, I’m totally ok with it). They are all delicious: Spice Islands, Trader Joe’s and Penzey’s.
Just for fun, here are a few other recipes I have that use smoked paprika:
Smoky Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Southwest Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup (Instant Pot)
Chili Lime Tacos with Mango Salsa
Roasted Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Honestly, this Instant Pot smoky honey chicken couldn’t be easier…or any tastier. It’s become a staple around here! I hope you love it, too.
What to Serve With This
- Taco toppings (tortillas, cheese, avocados, sour cream, tomatoes, etc.)
- The Best Cornbread
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
One Year Ago: Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake Bars
Three Years Ago: Blueberry and Almond Baked Steel Cut Oats
Four Years Ago: White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Five Years Ago: Creamy Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake
Instant Pot Smoky Honey Cilantro Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup salsa verde, tomatillo salsa
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, optional, but delicious
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 cloves, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 3-4 chicken breasts, more if using thin cut)
Instructions
- Whisk together the salsa verde, honey, liquid smoke, chili powder, salt, dried oregano, cumin, garlic powder (or fresh garlic), smoked paprika, and black pepper.
- For the Instant Pot: Add the salsa verde mixture to the insert of the Instant Pot. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the pressure. Shred the chicken with two forks (right in the Instant Pot). Stir in the fresh cilantro and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- For the Slow Cooker: Add the salsa verde mixture to the insert of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours. If the mixture starts to look dry during cooking, add 1/2 cup or so chicken broth to the slow cooker and continue cooking. Shred the chicken with two forks (right in the slow cooker). Stir in the fresh cilantro and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve the chicken as desired: tacos, enchiladas, burritos, over salad, etc.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
I already posted that I made this, but I had lots of leftovers and used them today in your smothered sweet pork burritos, and that was a really good decision:)
Amazing!!! So, so yummy with a great flavor. One question though- is there any way to make this a little more “fall-aparty” in the IP? I’m pretty new to pressure cooking and although this did shred with forks, it was a little harder to shred than I prefer. I used very large chicken breasts so that may have been my problem as well. Delicious, though!!
Hey, Kristi, if the chicken breasts you used were large and the chicken didn’t fall apart at the end of cooking, increase the time by 4-5 minutes.
This is exactly the comment I was looking for. I had this same problem last week. The first time I made the recipe, the chicken fell apart. The second time, it was not falling apart as well, but I think the chicken breasts were larger. I am going to try and add 4-5 minutes to the time if we buy that same chicken again. We absolutely love this recipe. It’s in our regular rotation now! Thanks for another winning recipe in our house.
This recipe is the one that finally convinced me to get an Instant pot. It did not disappoint! Seriously amazing! So,so good. This will be going into our regular meal rotation.
So happy to hear that the IP purchase was (hopefully) worth it!
Really good! Really easy! It is a definite winner, winner chicken dinner. Thanks, Mel!
If you can ever try Epicure’s (it’s Canadian) Smoked Paprika I would love to know how it stacks up to your staples.
This stuff is really special. Really special. I don’t even like smoked paprika. I gave mine to my sister-in-law. After reading your admonition that you would still love me, I questioned whether you meant that or not and went and spent the $5 for the little bottle. Thank you for your loving discipline. It is 9am and I made a double batch to make enchilada freezer meals and was waiting to taste test it after the first batch to decide whether I was going all in. I am going all in. It is true…some of the stuff isn’t in my pantry, but it is worth driving all the way to the store to get them. Thanks for a dandy.
Proud of you, Beth! I’m glad you loved this one. Your comment made me smile. 🙂
I have to confess. I was skeptical – after whipping up the sauce, dumping it in my IP and popping in my three chicken breasts I did say out loud “nothing this easy can taste good.” But when I snagged a “sample” while shredding every taste bud in my mouth did a little happy dance! Slap it on some warm tortillas, top with whatever is in the fridge (in this case some diced mangoes, tomatoes and a little cheese) and EVERYONE is happy!!!! Definitely a keeper!
I made this last night and it was a HUGE hit with my family! Even my kids who only have love for beef tacos gobbled them right up! I’m so pleased to add this to our rotation. The best part – it was unbelievably easy!!!
This was so good!!! Just made it tonight and I loved it. The kiddos ate it but said it was too spicy. Oh well, more for me!
Five Stars, hands down! Made this yesterday with pork chops- what I had on hand- and Trader Joe’s fall harvest salsa instead of salsa verde (again, what I had on hand…) and it was a smashing hit! We cut the chops up and threw them on top of a green salad with corn, black beans, red peppers and homemade ranch dressing. It was SO GOOD!! Love that this is a bit versatile and so delicious! Thanks, Mel! You always deliver!
I made this for my family last night and they loved it!! Great flavor! We will definitely be adding this to our family favorites!! Thank you! I am so glad that you introduced me to the Instant Pot. I love how tender the meat is after cooking with it.
So happy you are loving the Instant Pot, Jennifer!
Thanks Mel!!! I’ve been following your website for over 5 years. Made so many of your recipes and this one deserves a standing ovation! I have a dairy allergy/nut free toddler and a gluten free/dairy allergy hubby who are picky eaters. They both gobbled this up and asked for seconds and the hubby was licking the instant pot bowl. Thank you… Thank you… Thank you!!! 10 stars!!!
Yay!! And kudos to you for working around those allergies day after day!
Love this recipe! I made it last week and we all loved it. I’m making it again tonight for my mom’s birthday and I’m wondering about doubling the recipe. Do you think I can just double it and cook it for the same amount of time or would it not work because it wouldn’t all be covered in the sauce?
I think doubling would work just fine. I tripled it yesterday (made it in my 8-quart Instant Pot) – the chicken I used was still slightly frozen (but not super frozen) and it worked great.
Made this tonight – rave reviews all around. Thanks Mel!
Thanks, Kelly!
Followed your slow cooker directions…delicious!!! Thank you for another fantastic recipe.
Thanks, Camille!
Made this in my new insta pot and it was fabulous! Great flavor and perfect for our taco night!! Thanks!
Loved how easily/quickly this main dish recipe came together! Smoky & delish. I just grabbed some tortillas & condiments from the fridge, warmed the tortillas in the microwave & assembled. We enjoyed healthy portions of fruit sal w it & called it good. Thank u, Mel, for ANOTHER great meal❤️
This was SO GOOD!!! We used it for salads and it was a huge hit!
Hi Mel! I’m going through a hard time financially so I can’t afford a small instant pot or slow cooker (I cook for just myself, when I have time), so how can I make this in the oven? Would I just put the sauce and chicken in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and roast at 350-ish for about 40 minutes? Or should it be slow roasted at a lower temp for longer? I want the meat to fall apart. This looks so yummy! I can use this meat for so many dinners!
Thanks,
Lori
Hey Lori = I think you might have better luck roasting (covered) in a 225 degree oven for a couple of hours. Should be super tender! You might need a little more liquid so it doesn’t dry out.
Trader Joe’s is my absolute favorite salsa verde too. The nearest Trader Joe’s is two hours away so I stock up any chance I get. We are actually headed there today as it’s within 30 minutes of a competition where my kids will be performing. The staff always laughs a little when we walkup with 2 grocery carts mounded to the top (filled with more than just salsa verde, haha). Those checkout counters aren’t exactly designed for larger orders! This chicken sounds amazing and I already have everything else on the list so I know what we’ll be having for dinner tomorrow after I get home with my renewed supply of salsa verde! Thanks, Mel!
Haha, so true! The counters are SO small!
Possibly a silly question. Can raw honey be used in cooking the same way regular honey can be? I’ve been buying raw honey lately and used it in my pizza dough the other night and it turned out the same as when I use regular honey.
Yep!
Can it be made in a stove top pressure cooker using similar times as instant pot?
Yep! You can cut the time down by 2-3 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker since it gets up to a higher psi than an electric pressure cooker.
Delicious!
Sounds delicious! Do you have a brand of salsa verde that you prefer?
I usually use Trader Joe’s or Herdez.
Do you think this could be adapted to using a whole chicken? I have one in my freezer…
Probably – you might use this pressure cooker whole chicken as a starting place: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker-roasted-whole-chicken/
Oh wow, you were right! So delicious. Every member of my family, including the one that has PPS (Picky Person Syndrome), loved it.
I added some black beans into the chicken after I had shredded it. They added some nice color and a little fiber.
This meal will definitely be in my regular rotation. I am also a huge fan of Instant Pot recipes, as I am still a newbie. Thanks!
Haha. PPS. Love it.
Bought my instapot a while ago but let it sit around – finally decided I had to take the plunge and made this. Everyone loved it – (5 kids and husband) and a couple even ASKED for leftovers for dinner the next day. I used 3 1/2 lbs of chicken and did not change the amount of sauce – it worked great. It was yummy with and with out the cilantro (I have a couple kids that are not fans) and I used Herdez salsa, left out the liquid smoke and used regular paprika. Just making it work with what was in my kitchen! The sauce smelled amazing even before I started it cooking – a great sign! Thanks Mel!
Thanks for your review of the recipe, Lauren! Glad you enjoyed this one – great recipe to start with using the IP!
Delicious!!! That is all I can say. I think it’s the smoked paprika that really sends it over the top. I’m one of the ones who don’t like cilantro (soapy!), so I just left it out. I used it instead of my regular ground beef mixture for nachos and soft tacos. I don’t think I’ll ever use the old beef mixture for nachos again!
On nachos?? Yum!
For me and one of my exes cilantro tastes like tin can!
A tin can! Ha! I couldn’t understand how anyone could not like cilantro and then I read an article about it. Whether or not you like cilantro is genetic! To some people, tasting it activates the same part of the brain that is activated when you eat something like soap that is not good for your body. Your brain says, “Poison! Spit it out!”
Please help me with my lack of instant pot knowledge. Does it have super powers that my pressure cooker / rice cooker doesn’t?
Do you have a pressure cooker/rice cooker combo? If so, it probably does about the same as the Instant Pot. If you have a separate pressure cooker and a separate rice cooker, the Instant Pot definitely is an all-in-one machine with lots of features, and I know a lot of people have given up even their slow cookers (and rice cookers) for the Instant Pot because it does all of that.
It’s a combo…pressure, rice, slow cooker, etc. I think I don’t have the saute function that you have used in other recipes. Thank you for your response!
I knew I needed to try this as soon as I saw the recipe. I made it tonight and it did not disappoint! Delicious! I will be making it again soon. Thanks for sharing such amazing recipes!
Thanks, Jen!
I used this recipe in place of the shredded chicken and spice/salsa mixture (keeping the cream cheese and monterey jack cheese) from your baked chicken taquitos recipe and it was delicious. Thanks for giving us such versatile and simple recipes. Keep ’em coming!
Oh, delicious idea!
Thanks to you, I bought an instant pot when you first blogged about them. I love it! Thanks for a new recipe to try and thanks for introducing me to the instant pot!
I’m so happy to hear that, Teresa!
Would using thigh fillets be a good alternative? Or mixing breast and thigh meat?
Usually thigh meat takes longer to cook, so I’m not sure I’d mix the meat…but you could definitely use chicken thighs and increase the time by a few minutes.
Another winner, Mel! The simplicity of this is amazing and it’s packed w flavor. Be sure to let the chicken sit in the sauce after it’s been shredded for a bit. The family loved it! Thank you!!!
Thanks for reporting back, Kelsey!
This looks great. I have a farm fresh 4 kg (8.8#) hen sitting in the fridge and wasn’t sure what to do with the beast. Now I do.
Do you have any experience with using hot smoked paprika? I have a can of Spanish hot smoked paprika a friend brought me from Spain and was thinking of using it in place of the smoked. Do you think I should replace all of the smoked with hot smoked or go 50/50?
Thanks for another great post.
Hey Ron – I think if you are fine with some heat, you could replace the smoked paprika one for one with the hot smoked paprika.
Hey Mel! I’m usually open to trying new flavors and following recipes as written and then making my own adjustments. However, eating cilantro is like eating a bar of soap, to me. I’d appreciate any suggestions for a replacement. Thanks!
Hey Terri, I’d just leave it out or replace with a couple tablespoons fresh parsley.
Thank you!
did you that is a genetic thing? your genetics either have you loving cilantro or tasting like soap. just a little fun fact
Made it for dinner and everyone loved it, even the 2 year old (which is hard to please). Thanks for all the family friendly recipes, you are my go to meal planning site! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT ALL!
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! I didn’t have cilantro so I left that out but I bet it will be even better with cilantro next time. I made it with frozen chicken and the whole thing was so quick and delicious…. thank you Mel!
So happy to hear that!
Katherine, I was wondering if you used the Instant Pot? If so, what did you adjust the cooking time to for the frozen chicken? If you didn’t use the IP, can someone else comment about what cooking time should be used for frozen chicken breasts? I usually use thin cut ones.
Oops, I just saw Hilary’s comment (should have read them all first!) that she cooked her frozen chicken for 19 minutes. Mel, you can delete my comments if you’d like!
Where do you get your smoked paprika? I have never been able to find it.
check out penzeys spices. they are the best!
I’m an instant pot newbie and I’m hoping you can help me out. I keep reading about people saying you have to give time for the cooker to come to pressure, but the recipes don’t specify whether that time is included or not. So in this recipe for example, do I set the Instant Pot at 12 minutes, or do I have to add more time for it to pressurize? Or does the Instant Pot not actually start the cooking time until it’s at pressure? This is probably a really basic question but it’s been stumping me!
PS -smoked paprika truly is a wonder ingredient!
Set the Instant Pot at 12 minutes and it will pressurize on its own and then will start the cooking time. 🙂
Thank you!!
I am making this tonight and am super excited about it.
It is so so hot here in Barrie, Ontario, that I just can’t turn on my oven. Instant Pot and Mel to the rescue!
I had everything on hand so this was truly serendipitous. Hurrah!
Mel, I really can’t thank you enough. Thanks to you, I bake most of my family’s bread, try out new recipes pretty much every week, and have a bunch of core family favourites. I have no idea how you do this blog with so much on your plate, but thank you. It’s wonderful.
Thank you so much, Leslie. You have no idea how timely your comment is…it’s been a rough day where I’ve questioned every life choice I’ve ever made so thanks for the pick me up.
How long does it take for an Instant-Pot to come to high pressure so you can start timing?
It depends on how full it is and how cold/warm the ingredients are, but generally, I’ve found with recipes like this with fresh chicken, my Instant Pot takes about 10-12 minutes to come to high pressure. It will take quite a bit longer if using frozen chicken, for instance.
Thanks! So – figuring time in the instant pot at ~12 +12 +10 – about 30-35 minutes outside of prep time and shred time. Good to know. I’m on the cusp of investing in an IP.
Yeah, the timing is important to consider. I was a little discouraged when I first started pressure cooking that all these recipes that claim (5-minute potatoes!) really take longer when you consider the time it takes for the pressure cooker (Instant pot in this case) to heat up and come down from pressure. But, it’s still been a worthwhile investment for me.
Looking forward to making this & +1 on your choice of salsa verdi. Love it.
We’ll report back after we’ve made it.
I was planning on making chicken for dinner tonight so I will be trying this recipe. The only difference is that I have half a chicken thawed out so will be adjusting the time in my Instant Pot (which I love). I even have salsa verde in my pantry that I make using green tomatoes instead of tomatillos. Thanks Mel for all of your great recipes.
Oh, nice! I hope you love it! (love the idea of making green salsa with green tomatoes…)
Will Hickory Liquid Smoke work with the flavors well?
I know these are silly little questions but I am just curious….what type of honey do you use? I have both the bear honey and raw and unfiltered honey
Not silly at all! Yes, hickory liquid smoke would work great. I’ve used everything from applewood to mesquite. You can also leave it out if you just want the smoky flavor of the paprika. Also, I use raw honey, but everyday bear honey will work, too!
Thanks so much for the quick response!
Oh, oh, oh…., can’t wait to make this!!! Mondays do require a little drama at times, and this is the very best kind!! Thanks, Mel!!
i’ve never noticed the smoked paprika at trader joe’s. looks like i need to make a trip asap. recipe looks awesome. i would try it tonight except i already planned to make the green chile chicken enchiladas you posted last week.
This looks delicious! Amazingly I had all of the ingredients and it is cooking away in my IP right now! I will give you a full report after we eat it tonight!!
What?? That is amazing! I hope you love it!
Update! This is so, so delicious!! Sweet, smoky and a little bit spicy (I used medium salsa verde)!!! Very flavorful!! My chicken was frozen when I put it in the IP…cooked for 19 min and it was just perfect!!! Next time I make enchiladas, I will for sure use this chicken!! THANK YOU!!
You are AWESOME for making it so quickly and leaving a review. Thanks, Hilary!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen salsa verde where I live – would regular tomato salsa work?
I’m sure it could – if you can find canned tomatillos, I’d use those before tomato salsa.
Are you using fresh chicken breasts or frozen? I usually only ever have frozen chicken breasts on hand. What would be the cooking time for frozen breasts?
I use fresh chicken breasts (that I usually thaw from frozen) because I don’t like the extra water that using frozen chicken breasts puts off in the Instant Pot. You could try increasing the time by 5-7 minutes.