Spicy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos are the perfect idea for a summer dinner when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen! The spicy shredded chicken can be made in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker and eating it in lettuce wraps adds a cooling element you’ll love when it’s hot outside.

PIN the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos to try them later!

These Spicy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos are a recipe that every Instant Pot or slow cooker fan will appreciate when it’s hot outside, because this is a perfect idea for a summer dinner! And once you’ve made the spicy shredded chicken there are endless ways to use it if you don’t want lettuce wraps.

When I first made this recipe I experimented with the cooking sauce to get just the right spicy flavor, and then we made the chicken lettuce wrap tacos with an amazing avocado salsa that was so tasty! But you could also use the shredded chicken with my favorite low-carb tortillas to make regular tacos, chicken tostadas, or burritos.

And whether you make this spicy shredded chicken into chicken lettuce wrap tacos or some other variation of tacos, I hope you don’t skip the avocado salsa, which was the perfect thing to go with the spicy meat. I hope you enjoy this recipe if you need something to help you stay cool!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

What gives these chicken lettuce wrap tacos the spicy flavor?

I think using Pace Picante Sauce (affiliate link), diced green chiles (affiliate link), and a touch of Cholula Hot Sauce (affiliate link) in the cooking liquid gives these chicken tacos the perfect amount of spicy goodness. I would say these are old mildly spicy, but if you’re not into spicy food you might want to skip the hot sauce or use a bit less. But please don’t skip the lime juice that also adds so much flavor.

Will you make this chicken in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot?

I first made this spicy chicken to serve in a chicken lettuce wrap in the slow cooker (many years ago!) But now many of you would make this in the Instant Pot, so when I made it that way recently I took new photos to update the recipe with better Instant Pot directions. Either way you make it these lettuce wraps tacos are a great summer dinner idea.

How low in carbs are the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos?

The tasty chicken tacos made with lettuce wraps have only 5.3 net carbs per taco and 22 grams of protein!

What Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Do I Use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot for all my Instant Pot Recipes. I used my Crock-Pot 3-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker for this recipe, and you need one that’s close to this size. 

How to make Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos in the Instant Pot:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe. Complete instructions for the slow cooker are directly after the complete Instant Pot instructions.)

1. Trim chicken breasts and cut lengthwise into strips.
2. Put chicken strips into the Instant Pot.
3. Mix salsa, chicken stock, diced green chiles, onion powder, hot sauce, lime juice, and onion powder to make the spicy sauce.
4. Pour sauce over chicken breasts.
5. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 8 minutes.
6. When the time is up, let the Instant Pot NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes; then turn the valve to release the rest of the pressure manually.
7. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken strips to cutting board.
8. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE/LOW HEAT, to cook down the sauce in the pot while you pull the chicken apart into chunks with two forks.
9. When sauce has reduced (about 5-10 minutes) put chicken back into the Instant Pot with the sauce and let it warm and absorb the sauce for a few minutes.

How to make Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos in the Slow Cooker:

1. Trim chicken breasts, and  cut lengthwise into strips.
2. Arrange the chicken in the slow cooker.
3. Mix together salsa, diced green chiles, onion powder, hot sauce, lime juice, and onion powder. (No chicken stock is needed for the slow cooker version.)
4. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
5. Cook on LOW HEAT for about 5 hours, or until chicken is very tender.
6. Remove chicken from slow cooker with a slotted spoon, let it cool; then shred chicken apart with two forks.
7. Turn the slow cooker to high and leave the lid partly off while you’re shredding chicken to reduce the sauce a bit.
8. Then put shredded chicken back into the slow cooker, stir to combine with the sauce, and let it heat up again while you prep your other ingredients.

Making the Avocado Salsa and assembling the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos:

1. Squeeze the lime juice (or use fresh-frozen lime juice like I did) and chop the red onion and the cilantro.
2. Peel avocado and cut into pieces; then toss with the lime juice.
3. Add the chopped red onion and chopped cilantro to the avocado and lime juice, and stir gently to combine.
4. For these lettuce wrap tacos, we used Iceberg lettuce. Cut a head of lettuce in half and wash it in the salad spinner if needed, but most Iceberg lettuce won’t need to be washed.
5. Peel lettuce apart to make “cups”, using two pieces of lettuce for each cup. (I trim the edges a bit with Kitchen Shears, but if you’re not taking photos you probably won’t need to do that!)
6. To make the lettuce wrap tacos, fill each lettuce “cup” with some shredded chicken, and put a generous scoop of avocado salsa on top.
7. Fold over the lettuce and eat the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos with your hands, and enjoy!

Want more Instant Pot ideas for Summer?

If you love using the Instant Pot to keep the kitchen cool, check out Favorite Keto Instant Pot Recipes for more delicious ideas.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Spicy Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos made with a low-sugar salsa would be approved for low-carb and Keto eating plans, and also for all phases of the original South Beach Diet. The salsa does have some carbs, but you’re only eating the amount of sauce that clings to the chicken.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Lettuce Wraps to find more dinners like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos were first made many years ago as a slow cooker recipe. The recipe was updated in 2019 with Instant Pot photos and instructions. This recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.

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