Try this unique twist on chicken tacos! Italian Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos pressure cooked with Italian seasonings then topped with cherry tomatoes, alfredo sauce, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese.

Chicken tacos are delicious on their own, but adding Italian flavors brings them to another dimension.
I also have an Asian spin on tacos in my Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos copycat recipe you should try!
Ingredients for Italian Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (for frozen chicken follow this recipe.)
- Chicken Broth
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Minced Garlic
- Oregano
- Basil
- Salt
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Black Pepper
- Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
- Alfredo Sauce
- Basil Pesto
- Parmesan Cheese
Tacos are beloved by many and they’re so versatile when it comes to adding new flavors and toppings. This can also be called a “dump” recipe where you can dump the chicken and all of the seasonings and liquids into the Instant Pot and let it cook on its own.
All you have to do is slice the cherry tomatoes for topping! The alfredo sauce and basil pesto can be bought in jars if you are looking for easy prep without additional cooking.
If you are not a fan of canned/jarred sauces, try my alfredo sauce that’s really easy to put together (and so much better than a jar of sauce!)
Part of the Italian chicken taco seasoning is just in the sauces themselves. A delicious basil pesto drizzled on top gives it a richer Italian flavor. To make homemade basil pesto, follow the recipe below!
Homemade Basil Pesto
Basil pesto is also easy to put together.
For the basil pesto, add these ingredients into a food processor or blender:
- 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 3 tablespoon Toasted Pine Nuts
- ¼ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 3 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
After finely blending the ingredients, stir in ¼ cup olive oil. Do not blend the olive oil, otherwise, it will become foamy.
I really love using fresh basil because it gives it a bright green healthy-looking color. I have used dried basil in the past and it works well, just has a darker color. If you plan to use dried basil, add 2-3 tablespoons.
Sides
It may be confusing what to serve as a side dish when combining two types of cuisine. Do you serve Italian or Mexican side dishes? When deciding, I look at what goes well with the seasoning/spices used in the main dish.
While serving black beans and rice may be a traditional go-to with tacos, Italian sides might go better with the Italian flavors in this dish.
Some Italian sides to try an Italian salad, roasted vegetables with Italian salsa verde, or roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta.
When you try these tacos tag me on Instagram @simplyhappenings with your photos and let me know how they turned out!
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Enjoy!
Italian Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2- lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, thawed or frozen
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 3 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Basil
- ½ Salt
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Toppings
- Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
- Alfredo Sauce
- Basil Pesto
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Add a trivet to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add chicken breasts, chicken broth, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Can also add fresh basil and oregano leaves to the pot.
- Place the lid on top, seal the vent, and use the manual setting to set the timer to 12 minutes for thawed chicken and 15 minutes for frozen chicken.
- Once timer goes off, quick release the vent. Shred chicken with a fork and serve on tortilla shells. Top with cherry tomatoes, alfredo sauce, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese.
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