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Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

Everything you love about chicken fajitas comes together in this easy pressure cooker recipe that combines zesty flavors and ingredients into a low-carb meal that’s healthy and delicious. The directions will work for a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot to create a tasty low-carb chicken fajita bowl that will take its rightful place in your chicken dinner rotation.

hero instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot

This chicken fajita bowl is considered comfort food in my family. From the spicy chicken to the pepper and onions that accompany it, to tasty toppings that are piled on to make it even more irresistible, this pressure-cooked version is always a winner at the dinner table.

vertical instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot with fork

Here, I’ll show you how to make it in your Ninja Food or Instant Pot for succulent and tender chicken. You can either cut the chicken into strips, like traditional fajitas or because it’s so tender, go ahead and shred the chicken using two forks. I also like to keep this recipe low carb, so I substitute riced cauliflower instead of using traditional rice.

vertical instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot

Oh, and this recipe is great for meal prep! So, if you love a spicy chicken recipe that’s easy, healthy, and nutritious, then this recipe is for you!

vertical instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth forkinstant pot

Ingredients Needed

For The Chicken Fajitas

Skinless Chicken Breasts – can be cut into strips or shredded, once cooked

Taco Seasoning – for seasoning the chicken

Chicken Broth – for deglazing and cooking the fajita mixture

Bell Peppers – red and green, cut into strips

Sweet Onion – cut into strips

Olive Oil – for sautéeing the chicken, peppers, and onions

Salt And Pepper – seasoning

For The Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Riced Cauliflower – pre-packed or freshly riced

Lime Juice – for seasoning

Cilantro – herbal seasoning, freshly chopped

Olive Oil – for sautéeing the cauliflower in a skillet

How To Make Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

saute cauliflower rice in pan

Note: This is a summary of the recipe steps. For complete instructions, see the recipe card down below.

  1. Brown the seasoned chicken breasts in the pressure cooker on the sauté setting of your Ninja Foodie or Instant Pot.
  2. Remove the chicken and deglaze the inner pot with chicken broth.
  3. Add the chicken back in and pressure cook in the chicken broth for 8 minutes before releasing pressure.
  4. Remove the chicken and cut or shred.
  5. If using a Ninja Foodi, return the chicken to the pot and place bell peppers and onions on top of the chicken. Cover with the air fryer lid and set to broil for 5 minutes to cook the veggies.
  6. If using an Instant Pot, do not add the chicken back in; instead, add a little more olive oil and add the peppers and onions. Sauté them until tender.
  7. To cook the riced cauliflower, sauté it in a little olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop until heated through. Season with lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper before serving.
vertical top image instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot

Why Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower is a great low-carb substitute for regular rice. You can easily “rice” cauliflower with a food processor, pulsing it in a high-speed blender, or even shred/rice it with a hand grater. My favorite hack, though, is to purchase a bag of already riced cauliflower in the freezer section of the grocery store. That’s right – you can buy it already riced – brilliant! I usually have a few bags stashed in the freezer for easy meals like this one.

vertical top image instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot fork

How To Build Your Bowl

Get a deep bowl ready because you’re going to fill it with these healthy ingredients that will keep you full and satisfied.

Pile in your cilantro-riced cauliflower and top it with the zesty shredded or chunked chicken plus the peppers and onions.

From there, you’ll no doubt want to add some other delicious items. Here’s a list of ideas to top your fajita bowl with:

  • Cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Guacamole or sliced avocado
  • Salsa or pico de gallo
  • Roasted pepitas
  • Lime slices
horizontal shot instant pot low carb chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth

Other Ways To Serve Chicken Fajita Bowls

  • Low Carb Tortillas – If you have a favorite low-carb tortilla, go old school and serve the fajitas with that. Again, if you’re not on a low-carb diet, use your favorite classic flour tortilla.
  • Lettuce – You can always serve these chicken fajitas on a bed of lettuce in a bowl, or use larger lettuce leaves such as Romaine and serve this dish in lettuce wraps.
  • White or Brown Rice – If you’re not worried about being low carb, use your favorite rice, white or brown instead of cauliflower rice.
horizontal instant pot low carb chicken pieces fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa sliced avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot

Meal Prepping Tips

This is a great meal-prepping recipe. If you know you’ll be eating it on the regular throughout the week, double or triple up on the recipe so you can save some for later.

Note: I keep every item in a separate container to keep the textures of each intact.

Chicken – as mentioned earlier, you can cook the chicken and cut it into thin strips or, because it’s so tender from pressure cooking, shred it. I like to shred it when I’m saving it for meal prep. I keep it in a glass container, tightly sealed in the fridge, and just take out the portion I need to reheat. I usually pop it in the microwave for a quick reheat.

Peppers and Onions – this tip is if you’re making the recipe for future meals, and it’s this: undercook the peppers and onion! The reason here is that they become mushy the longer they hang out in the fridge and will be even more so once you reheat them. To avoid this, I just undercook them knowing they’ll be just right when I go to reheat them. You can reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.

Cauliflower Rice – You can keep riced cauliflower in the freezer or fridge and just heat it quickly in a skillet on the stovetop, following the directions in the recipe card.

pin Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

How To Store And Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in separate containers, for up to five days.

Freezer: Store the cooked and cooled chicken and vegetables, separately, in airtight containers, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheating: Chicken and veggies can be reheated in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. Riced cauliflower should be heated in a skillet on the stovetop.

horizontal instant pot low carb sliced chicken fajita bowl filled with onions and peppers pepitas salsa avocado, cauli rice tomato on blue table cloth instant pot fork on blue napkin

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

Ninja Foodi Corned Beef and Cabbage

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Instant Pot Italian Meatball Sliders

Instant Pot Kielbasa, Mushroom, and Potato Soup

Instant Pot Oatmeal

Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes

25 Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken cauliflower rice avocado veggies in bowl salsa and pepitas instant pot
Yield: 10 servings

Instant Pot Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes

Chicken fajitas come together in this easy pressure cooker recipe that combines zesty flavors and ingredients into a low-carb meal that's healthy and delicious. The directions will work for a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot to create a tasty low-carb chicken fajita bowl that will take its rightful place in your chicken dinner rotation.

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 sweet onion, halved and cut into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • For Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice:
  • 1 cauliflower, riced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Additional options for Fajita Bowls:
  • Cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Lime slices
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheese
  • Guacamole
  • Diced avocado
  • Roasted pepitas

Instructions

  1. Coat chicken breasts on all sides with taco seasoning. season chicken breasts for instant pot
  2. Set the cooker to “saute.” When the liner is hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the chicken in the pot. Brown on both sides, about 3 minutes each. The chicken will not be cooked through.
  3. Remove chicken from the pot but keep warm. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom with a flat, wooden spoon to remove cooked pieces. Replace the chicken in the pot.
  4. Seal the pressure cooker lid and set the valve to sealing. Program the pressure cooker on “manual” or “pressure cook” for 8 minutes. After the depressurizing cycle is complete, allow a 5-minute natural release before switching the valve to venting for a quick pressure release.
  5. Remove and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces or shred.
  6. With a Ninja Foodi, return the chicken to the pot. Toss the bell pepper and onion in the remaining olive oil. Salt and pepper as desired. Place the bell pepper and onion strips over the chicken. Set the broil setting to 5 minutes. Cover with the air fry lid and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender. prep peppers and onions
  7. With an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cookers, remove the liquid from the pot. Turn on the “saute” function until hot. Add the remaining olive oil. Add the bell pepper and onion strips and saute until crisp-tender. 
  8. For the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and cauliflower. Cook, stirring as needed to avoid burning until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper if desired. saute cauliflower rice in pan

Notes

This recipe works for a Ninja Foodi or an Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 411Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 60mgSodium 510mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 29g

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The directions will work for a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot to create a tasty low-carb chicken fajita bowl that will take its rightful place in your chicken dinner rotation. via @Mooreorlesscook

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