Name: Shredded Chicken Salad (Instant Pot)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken breast; Pinch of salt and pepper; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 1/2 cup chicken stock ((or water)); 1 tbsp. vegetable oil; 2 tbsp. cilantro leaves ((finely diced)); 1 small garlic clove ((finely minced)); Juice of 1/2 lime ((about 1 tablespoon)); 2 tbsp. olive oil; 1 tbsp. water; Salt and pepper to taste ((about 1/8 tsp. each is a good start)); pinch of red pepper flakes ((optional)); 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce ((about 10-12 leaves)); 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes ((about 12-16 tomatoes)); 7 oz. drained and rinsed chickpeas ((half a regular size can)); 1 small carrot ((julienned or grated)); 2 scallions ((diced))

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Tender juicy shredded chicken cooked in the Instant Pot makes a great addition to your salad for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

Plate of shredded chicken salad on a table with dressing on the side

The Instant Pot can be used to cook flavorful chicken very quickly. It gives the chicken breast a very tender texture without drying it out, which makes for great shredded chicken after just 15 minutes of cooking at high pressure.

The shredded chicken can then be used in several dishes for the next few days. One of my favorite uses for shredded chicken is in a healthy green salad.

Once you have everything ready and prepped for a salad, it is very easy to throw together, and very easy to stay on top of eating healthy.

How to make shredded chicken salad

Step 1: Season the chicken breast generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Seasoned chicken breast in the instant pot

Step 2: Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken breast into the Instant Pot and allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. This will create a nice brown crust. Use tongs to carefully flip the chicken breast, cook on the other side for 5 minutes. Press cancel to stop cooking.

Step 3: Add chicken stock or water to the Instant Pot. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve is in the “sealing” position. Set the Instant Pot to cook on manual setting at high pressure for 15 minutes. It will take about 5 minutes to come to pressure.

Step 4: Once it is done cooking, naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, and then turn the valve to “venting” to manually release pressure (make sure your fingers are not over the red button, so you don’t burn yourself with the steam!).

Step 5: Use two forks to shred the chicken. You can do this right in the Instant Pot to get all the delicious juices into the shredded chicken. Be careful not to burn your hands on the edges of the Instant Pot.

Step 6: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and gently stir. Allow the flavors to infuse while you prepare the salad and wait for the shredded chicken to cook.

Step 7: Prepare all the vegetables for the salad. Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl, or divide between 2-4 plates. Top with warm shredded chicken. Pour the cilantro lime dressing over the salad right before serving.

Adjusting the carb count

Most of the carbohydrates in this recipe are from the chickpeas. I love to add the peas because of their great flavor and because they add some “crunch” to the salad, but you can cut them out if you prefer to keep your salad very low carb.

Why I use an Instant pot

The Instant Pot is one of my most used kitchen tools. I love that it can brown the chicken breast on the “saute” function and then cook it to tender perfection under high pressure all in one pot.

And I absolutely love using the saute function because the walls of the Instant Pot are so high that I don’t ever have to worry about splatter. Less splatter = less mess = less cleaning. Definitely a win in my book.

I shred the chicken right in the Instant Pot and it stays warm while I prep the salad.

Tip for making the perfect salad

I’ll share another tip for making great salad at home: use a salad spinner. I went so many years without a salad spinner because I just didn’t think it was a necessary kitchen tool. When I finally got one… GAME CHANGER.

Lettuce that is no longer dripping wet holds on to the dressing better. What this means for you is more flavor in every bite!

I wash and rinse the chopped lettuce, give it a quick spin, drain the extra water (it is amazing how much water comes off lettuce after spinning it), and then store the lettuce in the salad spinner until it’s ready to use.

Clean, dried lettuce also keeps in the fridge longer than lettuce brought home from the store, so that is another bonus. The clean, chopped lettuce is ready to use, which makes it easier to stick to healthy eating all through the week.

Give this Shredded Chicken Salad a try – it’s a classic salad that is so convenient to prepare with the help of the Instant Pot!

More healthy salad recipes

I am a huge fan of healthy and easy salads that taste great! Here are some of my favorite salads and dressing:

You can also check out my roundup of delicious Diabetic Salad Recipes for more inspiration.

When you’ve tried this salad recipe, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!

Shredded Chicken Salad (Instant Pot)

How to make shredded chicken salad

Adjusting the carb count

Why I use an Instant pot

Tip for making the perfect salad

More healthy salad recipes