If you’re looking for an easy Instant Pot or slower cooker meal for busy weeknights, or when hosting football watch parties, give these Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos a try!
As we all know, Instant Pot (or slow cooker) recipes are great for busy weekdays. Simply prepare your meal then walk away and let the Instant Pot do the work! Which is what makes these recipes perfect for football watch parties or when hosting in general as well. You can get your recipe started then prepare everything else ahead of your guests’ arrival.
For these Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos, chicken is first perfectly seasoned and then browned. Next, the chicken slowly simmers in a delicious chipotle mixture that is brightened by a bottle of beer. And if you’ve never cooked chicken in beer, you are in for a treat. It adds the perfect flavor to the sauce while also helping to tenderize your chicken. But don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off so this is still great for the whole family — my girls loved this recipe!
While your chicken is cooking, you’ll make a quick avocado crema that only further brightens this dish. Pile up your tortillas with your preferred toppings — I like the full work-up with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, cilantro, and cotija cheese — then top with the avocado crema and all you’ll need are lime wedges + another beer for drinking, and you are set!
To make this even easier when serving your family or guests, you can also set up a build-your-own taco station. Set the chicken out with all of the topping options and let everyone create their own perfect tacos or lettuce cups, making it even easier for you!
Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil more as needed
- 2-3 chipotle pepper in adobo minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Two 4-ounce can mild chopped green chiles
- One 12-ounce bottle Modelo Especial sub Pacifico
For the Avocado Crema:
- 1 large ripe avocado peeled and seed removed
- ¼ cup jarred jalapeno slices
- 2 tablespoons brine from the jarred jalapeno slices
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional For Serving:
- Corn tortillas or lettuce cups
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Radishes thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks
- Cilantro leaves
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken | Instant Pot Method:
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Season both sides of the chicken with this seasoning mix.
- Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté function and heat the oil. When hot, in batches to not overcrowd the Instant Pot, sear the chicken until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set browned chicken aside and continue cooking until all chicken is browned, adding additional oil if your Instant Pot runs dry.
- Next, add the chipotle pepper and tomato paste. Stir to toast the paste, about 1 minute. Add the green chiles and beer to the Instant Pot and whisk to combine.
- Nestle the chicken back into the Instant Pot and turn the saute function off. Securely fasten the lid on top of the Instant Pot, making sure the vent is sealed. Press the "manual" and then set the time to 15 minutes. Walk away from the Instant Pot and let it do its thing! Note: If your IP doesn't have a manual button, set it to 'high pressure.’
- When the cook time is complete, release the pressure manually by carefully turning the valve. When all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet (do not discard the remaining liquid in the IP). Using two forks, shred the chicken then add back to the Instant Pot.
Prepare the Chicken | Slow Cooker Method:
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Season both sides of the chicken with this seasoning mix.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
- In the bottom of a slow cooker, combine the chipotle peppers, tomato paste, green chiles, and beer and whisk until well combined. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6.
- When cook time is complete, shred the chicken with two forks directly in the slow cooker or transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet to shred with two forks (do not discard the remaining liquid in the slow cooker) and add the chicken back to the slow cooker. Serve with avocado crema.
Make the Avocado Crema:
- In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine the avocado, jalapeno slices and brine, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Set aside.
- Serve as desired and top with the avocado crema.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
42 Comments
Stacy Mehta
April 13, 2023 at 9:33 pmDoes the abobo peppers make this spicy? Can I omit them to make it kid friendly without changing the flavor too much?
Alex
April 14, 2023 at 6:20 pmI would say these are smokier than spicy and that my kids eat as is, but you could just do 1 pepper if worried!
Aimee
April 6, 2023 at 3:26 pmThis is so good, I make it frequently! Then I used the leftovers as a starting point for dd tortilla-less soup and it was even more delicious! https://thedefineddish.com/creamy-tortilla-less-soup/
Lauren Sancton
February 12, 2023 at 7:20 pmCan you make the crema ahead of time and does it stay in the fridge for a few days? If so, how long?
Alex
February 15, 2023 at 1:02 pmYou can make the crema ahead of time but keep in mind that it has avocado in it, so it browns a bit. Since it has the other ingredients mixed in, it doesn’t brown super quickly but I would use it within 1-2 days.
Grace
February 7, 2023 at 12:51 amThis is SO good. I used chicken breasts in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low and WOW so good! Another amazing Defined Dish recipe 🙂
Alex
February 7, 2023 at 12:59 amThank you so much, Grace! glad you loved it.
Susan
October 24, 2022 at 7:31 pmThis recipe was simple and delicious. Every recipe I have made of yours has always been a winner in our house. Thank you!
Emily
October 17, 2022 at 11:13 pmI am making this for 6 so 2 lbs of chicken thighs. It still says to use 1 modelo bottle. Is this accurate even though it’s less chicken thighs than serving 12 (4 pounds)?
Emily
October 17, 2022 at 3:42 pmI want to make this for 6 people. The recipe calls for the same amount of beer as serving for 12. Is this accurate even though it is less chicken?
Lauren Dietrich
October 17, 2022 at 12:19 pmThese are SO good! And easy! And I just want to eat avocado crema with a spoon! You knocked it out of the park with this one, Alex! Will be on our weekly rotation!
Meghan
October 16, 2022 at 4:57 pmSo tasty and easy to pull together! The crema was a hit – love the addition of the jarred jalapeños and brine, never would’ve thought to try that and it was so yummy!
Alex
October 18, 2022 at 1:10 amThanks, Meghan!!
Erin F
October 16, 2022 at 2:37 amMade these tonight for a football get together and and the entire family loved them! I followed the recipe exactly. So flavorful!! Another winner recipe, Alex!
Alex
October 18, 2022 at 1:11 amThank you, Erin!! Glad they were a winner!
Susan
October 12, 2022 at 10:06 pmYum!!! Made this tonight and it was delicious! For the crockpot version, should the shredded chicken be added back to the pot/juices like you do for the Instapot version?
Alex
October 12, 2022 at 11:12 pmYou can shred it directly in the slow cooker depending on the style of yours, but if not, yes, shred then add it back into the slow cooker! Just updated the directions. Glad you enjoyed this!!
Elizabeth
October 4, 2022 at 2:01 amDelicious!!! So flavorful.
Rosemary
October 4, 2022 at 12:27 amI always forget about my Instant Pot but I’ll definitely be making these again! The chicken is super tender & flavorful, the topping suggestions are spot on & the avocado crema is a total rockstar. Perfect for entertaining or a quick weeknight dinner with plenty of leftovers!!
Dale
October 3, 2022 at 2:17 amWowza! I used skinless bone in chicken thighs and the bones easily fell away from the chicken when shredding. The chicken was spiced perfectly and the avocado crema had the perfect zing! Radish matchsticks and watercress added extra crunch and pep. Can’t wait to make this for friends!
Ann
October 2, 2022 at 11:33 pmMade exactly as described, delicious! This will be a family favorite, Thank you
Kate
October 2, 2022 at 10:43 pmFollowed the recipe exactly and we loved it! So similar to carnitas but felt light enough to add into the regular rotation. Garnish suggestions were spot on!
Sandy
October 1, 2022 at 5:27 pmI’m not seeing the note about the chipotle pepper and adobe?
Alex
October 3, 2022 at 5:40 pmOops, just removed! When recipe testing, I was going to make a note here then realized it was no longer needed. Thanks for catching!
Kady
September 30, 2022 at 1:18 amMy avocado crema came out way too thick. Flavor is great! What can I add to loosen it up a bit?
Alex
September 30, 2022 at 5:35 pmYou can add a bit more lime juice!
Lauren
September 29, 2022 at 5:33 pmAny suggestions to make this gluten free?
Alex
September 29, 2022 at 5:50 pmI would sub in low-sodium chicken broth for beer (still 12 ounces/1.5 cups) plus 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar should work here!
Laurann
October 6, 2022 at 3:44 pmI did the GF suggestion (for 18 servings haha) and it turned out so good.
Alex
October 6, 2022 at 4:08 pmLove that, perfect dish for a large crowd!
Nicole
September 29, 2022 at 12:08 pmDo you recommend freezing the leftovers?
Alex
September 29, 2022 at 4:59 pmYes! This recipe freezes well!
Analaura Carrillo
October 4, 2022 at 5:52 pmHi can this be made on stove top?
Alex
October 15, 2022 at 2:11 pmyes! if you do it in a dutch oven over low heat for 3-4 hours, should be great!
Kim L.
September 28, 2022 at 8:24 pmI made this with 3 pounds of chicken breast and multiplied the ingredients accordingly. Knowling that the chicken breasts would cook much quicker than thighs, I cooked on high in my pressure cooker for only 10 minutes and it is perfect. I also quartered the chicken breasts so that more surface area would be covered with the seasoning. Delicious!!! However, do not overcook if using chicken breasts instead of thighs.
Julie
September 28, 2022 at 12:24 pmCan I use any beer I have in my fridge? Like an IPA?
Alex
September 28, 2022 at 3:23 pmI would recommend a lighter beer for this! Like Modelo, Pacifico, Dos Equis etc. And IPA may be too strong/hoppy of a flavor for this.
Renee
September 27, 2022 at 11:44 pmCan you sub chicken breast? My husband refuses to eat thighs. I know-he doesn’t know what he’s missing
Alex
September 28, 2022 at 10:40 amhaha, yes! You can here– they should still turn out very good
kim
September 28, 2022 at 8:28 pmRenee, I just made this recipe with 3 pounds of chicken breasts that I quartered and only cooked for 10 minutes. I think 15 minutes would have overcooked them, given that chicken breasts usually cook faster than thighs. Good luck!
Sarah
September 27, 2022 at 11:08 pmSaw this on Instagram, and had to make it!! It is so flavorful and delicious. Another keeper recipe by Alex. 😁
Alex
September 28, 2022 at 10:40 amYay!! So glad!