Instant Pot Crack Chicken – Jalapeño Popper Style

Using sauté setting – add bacon to pot and cook until crispy. Add jalapeños and continue cooking for another minute or so. Then remove bacon and jalapeños and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, then sear them for about 3 minutes on each side in the bacon fat. Then transfer them to a mixing bowl and set aside momentarily.

Discard remaining bacon fat, but do not rinse pot. Instead, add 2-3 tablespoons of jalapeño brine from the jar, along with 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and scrape up all the fond (brown bits) from the bottom of pot.

Return the chicken to pot and season with remaining spices – chives, parsley, dill weed, garlic powder, and onion powder. Gently turn the chicken breasts so that the seasonings are mostly in the broth. Lock lid and cook for 7 minutes at high pressure.

Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally.

Remove lid and transfer chicken breasts back to mixing bowl. Then, using two forks, pull the chicken apart into bite-size pieces.

Pour off all but about 1 cup of broth from the pot, then add the cream cheese and mix until completely melted. Return chicken to pot with cream cheese mixture and give a good mix.

Finally, add bacon/jalapeños and cheddar cheese. Give one last mix until cheddar is melted. Serve over pasta, on a sandwich, or (for a really low-carb option) on a salad!