Instant Pot Creamy Chipotle Chicken

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Your family will love Instant Pot Creamy Chipotle Chicken: a quick and easy Mexican weeknight chicken breast recipe with a chipotle cream cheese sauce and sweet corn, served over rice.

Close up of Instant Pot creamy chipotle chicken served over white rice and garnished with fresh cilantro and served in a white bowl.

We’re always on the lookout for great new Instant Pot chicken recipes, and this chipotle chicken is a new family favorite!

My son’s girlfriend made a stovetop version for our family, and I knew immediately it’d be perfect for the pressure cooker.

This dish features tender shredded chicken in a creamy Mexican-flavored sauce topped with sweet yellow corn. We serve it over Instant Pot white rice for a complete weeknight meal. 

45 degree angle of Instant Pot creamy chipotle chicken in a white bowl, served over rice and garnished with cilantro, in front of an Instant Pot.

Making Instant Pot Creamy Chipotle Chicken

This Chipotle Chicken recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

You can use as much or as little of the chipotle sauce as you like to make the creamy chipotle sauce. The chipotle sauce adds a nice smokey flavor but because there is both cream cheese and crema, this dish doesn’t come out too spicy.

Overhead shot of shredded chicken on a white platter using forks.

The key to this tender shredded chicken is the flavorful cooking liquid—chicken broth and chipotle sauce—cooked for 6 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Then, transfer the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks.  

To complete the dish, melt cream cheese to create the chipotle sauce. Stir in the Mexican crema, shredded chicken and sweet corn, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve over rice for a delicious and easy weeknight chicken dinner! 

Overhead shot of creamy chipotle chicken cooked in an Instant Pot and ready to serve.

Ingredient Notes

There are a couple of ingredients in this recipe that may be new to you. However, I think once you try this recipe, you’ll start keeping them on hand at all times. 

We use La Costeña Chipotle Sauce for the creamy chipotle sauce. You can find cans of chipotle pepper sauce at most grocery stores, but they’re also available online if you need.  You can also use Chipotles Peppers In Adobo Sauce, but you’ll want to blend the peppers with the sauce before using it.

🌶️ If you like extra spice, you can stir in extra chipotle sauce after making the cream sauce.

The Mexican crema adds a whole new level of creaminess and tones down the spice. We love the Cacique brand of Crema Mexicana

If you can’t find crema near you, you can substitute with creme fraiche plus a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt to get closer to the crema flavor. 

Overhead image of creamy chipotle chicken served over white rice, and garnished with cilantro, served in a white bowl and set in front of an Instant Pot.

What Cut of Chicken Is Best?

This recipe features boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They cook quickly and shred up beautifully.

Chicken Substitutions
• boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 9 minutes cook time
• frozen chicken breasts: 9 minutes at high pressure. 

How to Serve Chipotle Chicken

Because this recipe packs so much flavor on it’s own, we usually serve it over Instant Pot white rice. (New to rice? Get all of our best tips in our how-to guide for making perfect pressure cooker rice.)

When we have a little extra time, we’ll make a batch of Cheesy Grilled Chile Cornbread from Barbara Bakes. 

Round out the meal with fresh fruit, chips and seven layer dip, and dulce de leche over ice cream for dessert.

Instant Pot creamy chipotle chicken served over white rice, and garnished with cilantro, served in a white bowl

More Mexican Instant Pot Recipes

We love to make quick and easy Mexican-inspired recipes in our Instant Pot. Here are some more family favorites to try:

Overhead image of creamy chipotle chicken served over white rice, and garnished with cilantro, served in a white bowl and set in front of an Instant Pot.

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Close up of Instant Pot creamy chipotle chicken served over white rice and garnished with fresh cilantro and served in a white bowl.

Instant Pot Creamy Chipotle Chicken

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes

This Instant Pot Creamy Chipotle Chicken is an easy Mexican weeknight chicken breast recipe with a creamy chipotle sauce and corn, served over white rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup chipotle sauce
  • 15 ounces Mexican crema or creme fraiche
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • Prepared white rice, for serving
  • Optional for serving: diced fresh tomatoes, lime wedges, diced cilantro

Instructions

    1. Briefly rinse the frozen corn in a colander under cold water to thaw. Drain well.
    2. Select Sauté and when the pressure cooker is hot, add the butter to the pressure cooking pot. When the butter melts, add the corn. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Remove the corn to a bowl.
    3. Add the chicken, chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce to the pressure cooking pot. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 6 minutes cook time.
    4. When cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Use a natural release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
    5. Remove the chicken to a tray. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
    6. Select Sauté. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the Mexican crema, sautéed corn, and shredded chicken. Heat through, but do not bring to a boil.
    7. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and pepper. Add additional chipotle sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
    8. Serve over white rice.

Notes

Chicken Substitutions:
• boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 9 minutes cook time
• frozen chicken breasts: 9 minutes cook time 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 632mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 24g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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