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Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos
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5 from 31 votes

Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos

Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Alex Snodgrass

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more as needed
  • 2-3 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 (4-ounce) cans mild chopped green chiles
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle Modelo Especial

For the Avocado Crema:

  • 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 1/4 cup jarred jalapeño slices
  • 2 tablespoons brine from the jarred jalapeño slices
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional For Serving:

  • corn tortillas or lettuce cups
  • shredded iceberg lettuce
  • radishes, thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks
  • chopped cilantro leaves
  • cotija cheese
  • lime wedges

Instructions

Cook the Chicken:

  • In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. Season both sides of the chicken with this seasoning mix.
  • Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté function and heat the oil. Working in batches, 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.
  • Add the chipotle peppers and tomato paste. Stir to toast the paste, about 1 minute. Add the green chiles and beer and whisk to combine.
  • Nestle the chicken back into the Instant Pot and turn the sauté function off. Securely fasten the lid on top of the Instant Pot, making sure the vent is sealed. Select the “manual” or high pressure setting and set the time to 15 minutes.
  • 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 Instant Pot). Using two forks, shred the chicken, then add back to the Instant Pot.

Make the Avocado Crema:

  • In a small high-powered blender or using an immersion blender, combine the avocado, jalapeño slices and brine, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Set aside.
  • Serve with tortillas, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime wedges, as desired. Top with the avocado crema.

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg