Dump and Go Instant Pot Recipes: Chicken Tacos and Taco Party Platter

These days I’ve been using a lot of dump-and-go instant pot recipes and slow cooker recipes. One of the things I love making in the Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting is Chicken TACOS with our stock of chicken in the freezer from Omaha Steaks. The recipe is so easy, and makes for a gorgeous taco party platter, or as I like to call it, a taco board!

Everyone enjoys tacos. That’s why Taco Tuesdays are such a hit, always. My family is no exception.

I especially love serving tacos because each family member can add their own toppings as they wish. I can set out an array of taco toppings that I like, and my kids get to have fun coming up with their own creations… and when they make it how they like it, they’re more apt to eat it all up – a win! That’s another reason why tacos are great for family gatherings, potlucks, birthdays and baby/bridal showers. They are always crowd-pleasers.

Dump and go instant pot recipes (especially on the slow cook setting) are so easy; which is why I highly recommend them. It’s the way to go for anyone that’s busy, but especially for large families like ours. So, let’s get into some of my must-know slow cooker tips and this easy slow cooker Chicken Taco recipe. 

Slow Cooker Tips

So, like I’ve said I use my Instant Pot for the great dump and go instant pot recipes, but that doesn’t mean I always use it as a pressure cooker. I love the slow cooker setting. If you don’t have a slow cooker yet I recommend you get one. 

And if you can afford it I would go with an instant pot that has this feature to get the benefits of a multi-cooker. I feel like it saves you money and space. Ours even has a yogurt function to make our own yogurt for less than half the price of store-bought.

We recently shared our Barbacoa Beef recipe for tacos as well, which was cooked on the slow cook setting in our Instant Pot. The result was deliciously tender meat and an incredible taco!

Shop our Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Picks:

If you aren’t familiar with slow cookers I have some great slow cooker tips to share with you.

Slow Cooker Tips:

1. Make clean up easier with slow cooker liners. If you worry about the particulate transfer to your food you can rub the inside with oil or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray before adding your ingredients.
2. If you are able and for most recipes, I recommend that you start your cooking on high (for about an hour) and then turn it down to low for the rest of your cooking.
3. If you want to ensure that meat is cooked through and you’re using a shorter cook time, you should defrost frozen meat in the fridge before cooking. Honestly, I don’t usually do this, but I do use a thermometer to test the meat or cut open the largest piece if I’m cooking chicken. 
4. Be sure to fill your slow cooker no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full. If you cook too little food it could dry out and burn and too much may not cook on time or overflow. 
5. Be sure to add liquid such as broth, water, or barbecue sauce, but you won’t always need much. Liquids do not boil away in a slow cooker, for the most part, so you can reduce liquids in about half when you convert a non-slow cooker recipe for a slow cooker.
6. If you’re using pre-cooked rice, pasta, and other grains, add toward the end of the cooking time or it may become mushy. 
7. Vegetables cook slower than meat so place your veggies on the bottom of the slow cooker first. Follow with the meat and then top with the liquid.
8. Try to leave the lid on the entire time while cooking. Each time you lift the lid it adds about 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
9. Don’t add creams, cheese, or milk until the last hour of cooking or it may curdle when cooked on high.
10. Save soft vegetables, such as zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms, for the last 45 minutes of cooking or you may end up with mush.

Taco Party Platter Tips

I’ve got some great tips to set up your Taco Party Platter so you can look like the hostess with the most-est. Tacos are SUCH a great way to entertain and bring people together. It’s always a little funny how impressed guests are with a taco spread, but it doesn’t take much effort. These easy tips will wow your guests too.

How to make an epic taco board:

1. Start with an epic board! Choose a large round platter, a long board or even a large baking sheet would work (make sure it’s seasoned for food, or lay down parchment paper).
2. Start with your bowls. Place a bowl in the center that will hold your meat, and fill in with bowls of shredded lettuce, cheese, and rice.
3. Add small bowls with other favorite toppings like salsa, guacamole, cilantro, red onion, sour cream, and more. I love adding in sliced radish (especially when adding barbacoa beef to the table as well!). Other options are grilled corn, olives, cotija cheese, beans, sliced lime… basically, anything you’d like on a taco or in a taco salad!
4. Around the outside, leave room for chips and taco shells!

Dump and Go Chicken Tacos

I’ve mentioned it before, but we love to stock up our freezer monthly with a shipment from Omaha Steaks. It makes meal planning easier and keeps good, quality meats and sides on hand. What I love about slow cooker meals (which Omaha Steaks has as well), is that you can cook right from frozen! 

For our recipe, and because we were feeding a family gathering, including grandparents, I used four chicken breasts, but feel free to adjust the recipe as needed. 

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Dump and Go Instant Pot Recipes: Chicken Tacos and Taco Party Platter

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Ingredients

• 2 lb Omaha Steaks chicken breasts
• 1 white onion diced
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 15 oz can tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning of choice

Instructions

1. Lay chicken in a 6-Quart Slow Cooker or Instant Pot (with slow cook function).
2. Lay onions over chicken.
3. Pour taco seasoning, salsa and tomatoes over chicken.
4. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
5. Once chicken is cooked, shred with forks and stir with to mix with tomato mixture in crockpot.

Did you make this recipe?

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Final Thoughts on Dump and Go Instant Pot Recipes

I hope you see how easy dump and go instant pot recipes can be. If you love these slow cooker Chicken Tacos then I think you may also like the Barbacoa Beef Tacos I posted recently. It makes the MOST INCREDIBLE taco night to use both recipes and combine them with a taco party platter to make an awesome self-serve spread.

Okay, now on to the important facts… Does your husband like tacos as much as mine? These are going to be KILLER for Father’s Day. Easy for me, happy, fun meal for him (and the whole fam!).

Using the slow cooker lets us have more time to do Dad centered activities as a family versus me spending all afternoon in the kitchen cooking a meal.

AND, I even like to order a little extra when I stock up our freezer from Omaha Steaks (you, guys, this is one of my FAVORITE monthly orders). By extra, I mean dessert. We’ve been trying the apple tartlets and 

For even more recipe ideas, I’ve recently been experimenting with my new bread machine and our cast iron skillet. I’ve been making meals with my children. You may be interested in these recipes—they’re pretty easy too.

Whichever way you like to cook it’s always made with love.

Do you have a chicken tacos recipe that you love?  Let me know in a comment below!