These easy Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls feature flavorful shredded chicken, fluffy yellow rice, crisp greens and a mountain of fresh toppings!
Salsa chicken is hands-down one of my favorite meals to prep during soccer season. Between Paul coaching, the kiddo playing, and me attempting to help as a clueless (but enthusiastic!) assistant, weeknights have become quite the ordeal. I make the chicken and rice before we leave for practice and pop it in the fridge then when we get home all we have to do is warm it up and pile on the toppings!
I’ll make a double batch sometimes, using it for burrito bowls one day, tortilla soup the next day, and then either taco salad, nachos, or quesadillas one of the following days — whatever sounds good at the moment basically.
You can skip ahead to the recipe card or stay tuned for the post where I’ll share my favorite burrito bowl toppings and add-ins as well as a slow cooker version if you prefer to use your crock-pot for the chicken.
Let’s do this!
Tasty Toppings for Burrito Bowls
When it comes to topping your burrito bowls, the options are nearly endless! Here are some of our favorites to get you started.
Simply mix and match for a baller burrito bowl that’s full of all your favs!
- grated cheese
- fresh cilantro
- chopped green onion
- grilled vegetables
- black bean salsa
- corn + black beans
- pico de gallo
- guacamole
- sour cream
- sliced black olives
- pickled jalapeño peppers
- pickled red onion
- shredded cabbage or slaw
- crushed tortilla chips
- tortilla strips
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls
These baller burrito bowls are so easy to customize. Add all your favorite veggies and toppings!
I like to add a LOT of veggies to our bowls to help pack in those extra servings of veg each day *AND* because they just plain taste great the salsa chicken and rice. I love to pack a lot of flavors and textures in every bowl!
I didn’t have any on the day I took these photos, but I love addings sliced avocado or guacamole on top. So good!
The salsa chicken can be made mild, medium, or spicy! I keep ours mild for the kiddo but when it’s just the adults I’ll opt for a spicy salsa and added cayenne pepper. Choice of toppings and spice level of salsa will determine the heat of your chicken and burrito bowls.
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
SALSA CHICKEN
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 8 ounces jarred salsa (choose your favorite!)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 TBSP taco seasoning (homemade or store bought)
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or a combo of breast + thighs
BURRITO BOWL INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups cooked yellow rice
- 3-4 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can (15 oz) sweet corn (drained)
- 1-2 cups pico de gallo
TASTY TOPPINGS (choose your favorites)
- sour cream
- guacamole
- fresh chopped cilantro
- pickled red onions
- sliced jalapeño peppers
- crispy tortilla strips or tortilla chips
- grated cheese
- lime wedges to garnish
Instructions
- Add salsa, diced onion, garlic, water, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Stir then place the chicken on top and gently press them into the salsa mixture.
- NOTE: during this step you can also mix in the black beans and corn if you'd like! I keep mine separate since the kiddo likes her veggies on the side instead of mixed in.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock into place, ensuring the vent is in the sealed position.
- Set Instant Pot to 10 minutes on the "HIGH" pressure setting. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and 10 minutes of active cook time.
- When the IP beeps to signal it is finished, allow natural pressure release. This typically takes 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken with tongs and shred. You can use forks, shred the chicken in a stand mixer, or simply chop it into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and mix well into the sauce. Taste and add any additional seasoning desired.
- Portion rice and lettuce into each bowl and top with the salsa chicken. Add all your favorite toppings and extras for a totally custom burrito bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Need to make your chicken in a Crock-Pot instead of the Instant Pot? It’s so easy to do!
If you’d like to have additional salsa chicken on hand for recipes throughout the week (tacos, nachos, quesadillas, tortilla soup, enchiladas, salads etc…) double the salsa chicken portion of the recipe above. You can also freeze a portion of this for later.
Whatever chicken I have leftover I love using for Chicken Tortilla Soup and then i’ll freeze the soup for an easy family meal when we’re too busy to cook.
Crock-Pot Instructions
To the slow cooker, add onion, garlic, salsa, taco seasoning and salt.
If you’d like to add the corn and black beans to the slow cooker instead of prepping it seperate for the burrito bowls, drain and rinse both and add them in.
Stir well, then place the chicken breasts on top, gently pressing them into the salsa mixture. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken and shred the chicken with two forks. You can also shred the chicken in a stand mixer (a fun trick I’ve been a fan of recently) or simply chop it into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and mix well into the sauce. Taste and add any additional seasoning desired.
All that’s left to do is add this deliciousness to your burrito bowls!
More Baller Burrito Bowl Recipes
- NEW! Black Bean Burrito Bowls
- Black Bean and Lentil Burrito Bowls
- Roasted Chickpea Burrito Bowls
- Vegetarian Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl Recipe
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowls with Roasted Cauliflower
- Chipotle Lentil Burrito Bowls
- Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
If you get a chance to try these instant pot salsa chicken burrito bowls, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
Love it!
yum yum i want it all!