Instant Pot Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless); ¼ Cup chicken broth; 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning; 1 Cup salsa; Juice of 1 lime; 16 Leaves romaine (large ); cheddar cheese (shredded); red onion (finely diced); tomatoes (diced); sour cream; guacamole; jalapeno (sliced); cilantro (chopped)

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Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps use lettuce instead of tortillas, and are delicious whether you’re eating keto or not! Following a lighter plan doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite recipes. You can make a few tweaks and enjoy these delicious tacos for dinner. Chicken taco lettuce wraps are everything that your family loves about chicken tacos but without the carbs. They make the perfect lunch or a Taco Tuesday dinner!

A plate of Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, grated cheese, sliced jalapeños, and topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps make such a great dinner. The tasty chicken filling is enclosed in crisp romaine and garnished with the best taco toppings.

Cauliflower carbonara is tasty dish. Taco fans might also enjoy breakfast tacos, Mexican shredded chicken, and taco-stuffed zucchini boats.

Three Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, topped with jalapeños, cilantro, and sour cream, with halved limes, a red onion, and a white napkin nearby.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy to make: Once you’ve cooked the chicken and combined it with the taco seasoning and salsa, you just need to add the chicken to large lettuce leaves, add toppings, and serve!
Really tasty: Taco seasoning, lime juice and salsa add plenty of flavor to the chicken taco lettuce wraps and then you can add as many of your favorite taco toppings as you like.
Great for a midweek meal: It takes just half an hour to prepare and cook chicken lettuce wraps from scratch, making it a great option for one of those hectic midweek evenings.

Three Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, shredded cheese, diced red onions, sour cream, and jalapeno slices, garnished with cilantro and a lime wedge on a white plate.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Taco Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken breasts: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could use chicken thighs if you prefer, or even ground chicken.
Taco seasoning: Check the ingredients and opt for something sugar-free (I love this one!)
Salsa: Use mild, medium or hot salsa, as you prefer.
Lime juice: Fresh is best!
Romaine lettuce: Choose 16 large leaves without tears or bruising.
Garnishes: Shredded cheese, red onion, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno slices, and cilantro make good toppings, along with sour cream and guacamole. You can mix and match which ones you use.

A selection of ingredients for Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps, including raw chicken breasts, lettuce, red onion, lime, cilantro, shredded cheese, salsa, seasonings, sour cream, and a jalapeño pepper arranged on a light-colored surface.

How to Make Lettuce Wrap Chicken Tacos

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cook the chicken: Put the chicken in an Instant Pot with the broth, taco seasoning, salsa, and lime juice. Seal the valve and pressure cook until done. Release the pressure and shred it with a pair of forks.
Assemble the chicken taco lettuce wraps: Top each romaine lettuce leaf with some of the shredded chicken mixture, add your favorite taco toppings and serve immediately.

A hand holding an Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wrap filled with shredded chicken, cheese, jalapenos, red onion, cilantro, and sour cream. Two more wraps and half a red onion are in the background on a white surface.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, make sure your chicken broth, taco seasoning and salsa are free from gluten.
Another protein: Chicken thighs would work in place of the chicken breasts, or you could use something else like pork, beef or turkey.
Not a romaine lettuce lover? Use taco-sized keto-friendly tortillas. The Mission brand is pretty good and these tasty wraps last for weeks when refrigerated.
Vegetarian version: Swap the chicken for tofu, beans or portobella mushrooms, and the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Extra spicy: Use hot salsa and/or add some red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce or pinch of chili powder to the chicken mixture.
Kid friendly: Use mild salsa and add shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese on top.

Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and topped with sliced jalapenos, garnished with a lime half on a white plate.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers: Start the meal with this 5-layer bean dip or some shrimp ceviche.
Side dishes: Smoked elote (Mexican street corn) is good on the side, or you could have cauliflower rice or one of these vegetable side dishes.
Dessert: Mexican rice pudding makes a tasty dessert.

Two lettuce wraps filled with Instant Pot shredded chicken, cheese, sliced jalapeño, and topped with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. A halved red onion and additional wraps are in the background.

How to Store Chicken Tacos

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. It’s best to keep the chicken, lettuce leaves and toppings separate and then assemble just before serving so the romaine doesn’t wilt.
Freeze: The shredded chicken mixture freezes really well. I like to freeze it in portions to thaw out when I’m in a taco mood. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Thaw: Defrost the chicken taco meat in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.

Plate of Instant Pot chicken lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, cheese, diced onions, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and lime wedges. Placed next to a halved onion, whole lime, sliced lime, and a checkered napkin.

Top Tips

Let the Instant Pot pressurize: Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to increase before the cooking process starts.
Meal prep chicken tacos: Keep the cooked chicken mixture in an airtight container in the fridge, the washed, dried romaine lettuce leaves in a gallon Ziploc bag in the fridge, and the toppings either pre-cut or you can prep them just before serving. That way, you can have lunch or dinner ready in 5 minutes!
Make a taco station: It can be fun to serve all the toppings separately so everyone can add their own. This is also a fun dish if you have guests over.
Keto-friendly: Use keto-friendly taco seasoning and salsa if desired.

Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro are garnished with lime slices, shown on a white plate with a plaid napkin and fresh lettuce leaves.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap FAQs

How many carbs are in chicken taco lettuce wraps?

This depends on your ingredients. The chicken, taco seasoning, romaine, cheese, red onion, sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, and cilantro have minimal carbs. Just check the labels on the chicken broth and salsa to figure out the carb count. I recommend shredding your own cheese instead of using the bagged pre-shredded kind (those have added starch to stop the shreds sticking together).

Is there another kind of taco sauce you can serve with these?

You could stick with sour cream and/or guacamole or perhaps you have a preferred taco sauce. Creamy queso sauce (like this one) is great with chicken taco lettuce wraps.

Can you use a different type of lettuce?

Romaine lettuce is ideal but you could use iceberg lettuce leaves which are nice and crisp although a little trickier to roll or butter lettuce leaves which don’t offer any crunch but are great at holding the chicken mixture without tearing.

Two Instant Pot chicken lettuce wraps filled with shredded chicken, grated cheese, jalapeño slices, and sour cream sit on a white plate. A halved red onion and an additional plate with wraps are in the background.

Lettuce Wrapped Chicken Tacos Recipe

A stainless steel bowl containing raw chicken breasts covered in seasoning and salsa, perfect for Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps, is surrounded by a red onion, limes, a salt grinder, a yellow juicer, a checkered towel, and romaine lettuce.

These chicken taco lettuce wraps are so easy to make and low in carbs too. Juicy chicken is flavored with taco seasoning, salsa and lime juice and then served in romaine lettuce leaves with your favorite toppings. If you enjoy Mexican food, you’re going to love this chicken taco lettuce recipe which uses lettuce leaves in place of a taco shell.

Other Recipes to Try

Instant Pot chicken taco lettuce wraps topped with cheese, jalapenos, red onions, and lime are perfect for low carb diets.

Lettuce wraps brimming with shredded chicken, cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream, crowned with a lime slice. Text overlay reads "Instant Pot Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps.

Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.