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
Yum
This is SO easy and SO delicious! I usually add a can of white beans when it’s done cooking to stretch it a little further!
I just made this for the first time last night! It was amazing! Thanks for sharing so many amazing recipes! Our family loves all of them!
So I when I saw this on Instagram I thought I should comment because WE LOVE THIS!!! I made it shortly after you first published it and it has been a hit with my kids, family and friends! Honestly I have made this so many times and every time people ask for the recipe. But the best one is my daughter at Utah State made it for a bunch of guys so long ago and they guys all said it was the perfect dish. They bring her packages of chicken and ask for her to make it still! Definitely a family favorite!!! If you have not made this yet do it!!
Haha, that’s awesome about your daughter! Love that.
This is amazing, I make it almost weekly, it has so much flavor!
Terrific recipe. So flavorful. Great medley of spices. Would be great for a crowd since it is so versatile.
Hi Mel, would you use this chicken for Hawaiian haystacks? We’re looking for an instant pot chicken recipe for a family reunion. Thanks!
It would definitely add a different flavor to the haystacks, but it could be yummy. I’d drain off most of the liquid if using it in the haystack recipe.
I mean can we give this recipe 10 stars!? My entire family loved it including a super picky 7 year old. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy (not too spicy). We made street tacos and it will
now be on repeat!
Awesome flavor! Such a treat. I’ve seen a few others posting about the chicken being a little dry. I had the same experience. I used 3 de-thawed chicken breasts and cooked in my instant pot as instructed. Any thoughts on how to get the chicken more tender next time?
Cutting a few minutes from the cooking time should do the trick
This tastes amazing. I used frozen chicken breasts from the freezer that I had already, no thawing is necessary and no extra time need be added to the instant pot. I also just threw it into my kitchen aid mixer and used the regular beater, not the whisk one, and it does the shredding for you. It could not get easier or almost more hands off than that. I cooked bell peppers and onions on the stove in a few minutes and we had it fajita style with mini tortillas.
Love this chicken (and I hate chicken) I made this for my husband since I had the ingredients on hand. It was fabulous! We used it in tacos, on nachos .. over rice in a burrito bowl. Would definitely make again! I shared it with my coworkers as well!
If I don’t have green salsa could I use green enchilada sauce in place of it, or would red salsa be better?
Yes, green enchilada sauce should work!
I used Trader Joe’s chunky red salsa once when I ran out of green salsa and it was still amazing.
LOVE this recipe! Thanks so much!!
Not sure if anyone has ever commented On this use, but my favorite way to use this chicken is in a bbq chicken pizza on naan bread. It gives such good flavor! A double recipe is in my crockpot currently to freeze for use amidst these coming weeks …
Total hit! Halved the honey because I don’t tend to like sweet but otherwise made as is. Everyone loved it, even my pickiest kid. Thanks!
I have made this many times and the last time I made it I didn’t realize until I went back to look up the recipe by searching for it as “Honey chicken” that I had forgotten to add the honey.
Still tasted great! This recipe is great with or without the honey so it deserves 10 stars!
How long would I cook if I use chicken thighs? What was the weight for the breats so I can use the same amount for the thighs?
I use 2-3 pounds of chicken breasts. I don’t think you need any extra time for chicken thighs.
Mel, I am making this for a pre-race meal for my sons’ mountain biking team tomorrow! (Sign up called for a taco lunch) I immediately grabbed this recipe, it’s delicious and I know they’ll love it! Thank you for all that you do for us! 🙂
Thanks Jamie! Hope it worked out!
Have you tried this recipe with frozen chicken? Same amount of cooking time?
I add 2-3 minutes for frozen chicken (but some people say you don’t need to because the extra time it takes the pressure cooker to come to pressure accounts for the frozen chicken).
Yeah for a tasty and healthy recipe. I put extra salsa for serving and I did add a little more spices at the end. I had every spice that the recipe called for so that was convenient. I agree that it tastes even better the following days. I heat it up in a pan to get it a little browned. 10/10
This was amazing! Thank you for another great recipe!
Fantastic as written. Great flavor and not the same ole taco seasoning. My family all loved this!
Cooked this in my instant pot with frozen chicken and it cooked perfectly and was devoured as chicken tacos! Everyone loved them!
Perfectly straightforward to put together and absolutely delicious, with a very slight sweetness from the honey and some depth from the liquid smoke but with not one flavor overpowering the other. I followed the slow cooker instructions, and it was perfect for a Sunday morning before church, coming together in ten minutes before heading out the door. This may become a standard.
Delicious!!! This was my second time using my instant pot and it turned out amazing! Thanks for this great recipe! I will definitely be making again!
Love this chicken! I’ve made it many times and I find I often have to add 1/2 c water or broth. It just doesn’t want to start and get up to pressure without it. Tastes amazing! We love it with rice, beans and lettuce as a salad, but really, we’d happily eat it plain too.
The first time I made this my husband and I loved it, but this time I keep getting the “burn” alert. What do I do? I don’t want to throw it all away, but I’ve done it twice and it keeps happening.
Usually that happens if the chicken is pressed too close to the bottom of the pot. Try stirring everything and getting some liquid between the bottom of the pot and the chicken.
This is absolutely delicious!
I made this recipe tonight. SUPER easy and is by far the VERY best thing I’ve ever made in the crockpot! It was AMAZING. I’m going to cook more and freeze portions!
Do yourself a FAVOR. Try this recipe!
Val Pope
Matthews, NC
Thanks, Val!
This is probably a dumb question, but I’m making this for a school function and it needs to be gluten free. I’m safe with this recipe correct?
Just double check all your spice labels and the salsa to make sure it is certified gluten free and you should be good to go.
This is sooooo good! Thank you! Just a quick tip, my favorite way to shred instant pot chick is right in the pot with my hand mixer! Your life has never been easier!
My family loves this recipe! I actually throw all the ingredients together in a bowl, and let it marinate overnight, and then cook it. It is even more tender and yummy!
Fantastic idea!
This chicken has become a fast favorite! So easy and versatile! We had some leftover, and I used it in your CHEESY MEXICAN CHICKEN SWEET POTATO SKILLET MEAL (another family favorite) and it was out of this world amazing!
Whoa!!! That sounds amazing!
I made this in the slow cooker and invited some friends to come eat with our family. I never received so many compliments, we all thought this chicken was so yummy, and it was kid approved. This is definitely going on rotation at our house.
This recipe is amazing! We love it so much. I have made it so many times this summer and recommend it all the time to friends looking for instant pot recipes.
This was amazing!! The whole pot was gone by the end of dinner (3 adults and three kids)! Will definitely make this again and often!
I wondered if you’ve ever added rice to the mix to make at the same time? With the amount of liquid at the end I wondered if it would work to add rice at the same time?
I haven’t tried that, sorry!
Mel – sorry if asked before, but wondering if this freezes well. Great recipe!
Looks delicious! How many does this serve?
6-8
So so good! Made it in the slow cooker exactly as written. Perfect. Served with the cilantro lime rice which is my new fave (this time brown jasmine rice – threw everything in the rice cooker – excellent).
Never mind Mel – just saw that freezing works!
After following MKC for years I finally got an Instant Pot. This is the first thing I cooked in it. Very tasty. It is nice to have a flavorful, quick and easy chicken recipe. I will definately make this recipe again. I rubbed the chicken with oil and it didn’t stick.
I’m so glad you’ve entered the IP world!!
The cilantro adds even more to this delicious chicken!
This is the first recipe my wife used in our instant pot. The bottom was a bit burnt.
Any Ideas?
I’ve made it twice and I always have to add about a 1/2 cup water or broth. Maybe that will help!
I try to make sure when I put the chicken in the sauce that the chicken isn’t touching the bottom of the pot – that can help.
Hi! My husband and I really love the flavour of this chicken, but I have made this twice now in my Instant Pot, and both times the chicken never got to the point where it would easily shred. Last time I tried I cooked it for 14 minutes, and then did the 10 min natural release and it still wouldn’t shred. Do you have any advice? 🙂
Hey Ashlee – what brand of chicken are you using? Are the chicken breasts thick or thin?
I don’t quick release my chicken in the IP because it tends to be too dry. I let mine cook and then stay warm about an hour total. I also drizzled some of the sauce over the shredded chicken.
My family loved this even though it was a bit dry because it was first thing I tried in new instant pot. Just added a bit more salsa and broth! Thanks for sharing this.
My whole family loved loved loved this!!
Can you double the recipe in an Instant Pot? If so, do you keep the liquid amount the same and double the other ingredients? Thanks!
As long as your IP is big enough without reaching or exceeding the max fill line, it should be fine. I would double all the ingredients for flavor, but you don’t necessarily need the double amount of liquid for the IP to come to pressure.
Too much smoke flavor. It overpowers all of the other seasonings. Next time I will leave out the liquid smoke.
This is definitely a keeper! Made it again last night— 4 lbs of frozen chicken breasts and doubled the other ingredients. Cooked for 15 minutes, natural pressure release, so nice to be able to dump it in and walk away! I’ll be enjoying burrito bowls for lunch every day… 🙂 🙂
Thanks for helping me know I can use frozen chicken!!!!!
I made the recipe exactly as written. It was good on day one but REALLY, REALLY good on day two, three, and four. I was going to freeze the leftovers but I can’t stop eating it!!!
okay. what!! first time out of the box insta pot user and used this recipe!! soooo good! a little watery but didnt even mind!
Hi Mel! I made this chicken last night and oh my goodness was it good. It was so easy that going into it I did not expect it to be so good. My entire family loved this and my husband asked if we can eat the leftovers for dinner tonight. I can’t think of another time when my husband asked me if we could eat leftovers. I’m usually the one telling my family we will have leftovers as to not waste good ha. Anyway, I also wanted to tell you I think this recipe should be put into the list with the best/favorite recipes. This is my new go to recipe for tacos, fajitas, etc. I have already shared it with all of my family and friends that own an instant pot!! Thank you for sharing such great recipes.