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Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

by 7 Comments

These Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are juicy, creamy, and full of flavor. They are easy to make and are perfect for wrapping in a tortilla, putting in a bowl, or any other recipe using shredded chicken.

chicken tacos on a plate with cilantro on top of it

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Nothing beats a quick weeknight meal and tacos win in our house for a fast dinner option. I use my Instant Pot to make this taco recipe as it’s hands-off for the most part. Plus the Instant Pot is awesome for making shredded chicken. 

My family thanks me everytime I make this recipe, but my kids love tacos. This happens to be one of their favorites and lucky for me, it's so easy to make.

How to make Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

First, place ½ cup chicken broth, 1.5 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breast, and 1.5 Tablespoons of taco seasoning in the Pressure Cooker insert. Lay 1 cup of salsa on top of the chicken breast, making sure the salsa is placed on top of your chicken. This order of placement is important to prevent a burn signal. 

Cover and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot.

  • chicken in instant pot with salsa on top
  • cooked chicken in instant pot qith salsa on top

**You'll notice that the amount of liquid has increased after pressure cooking. That's because the chicken has released some juices as it cooked. The amount of liquid released will depend on the chicken and the amount of liquid added, if any. The chicken in this photo is organic with no liquid added.**

Once done, remove chicken from the Instant Pot and place it in a separate bowl. Use two forks or a hand mixer to shred the chicken. Set aside.

shredded chicken in bowl

Then press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Allow the liquid to simmer until it’s reduced by half, this should take about 5 minutes. Add in chicken, 4 ounces of softened cream cheese, and ½ cup of Mexican Crema and stir until incorporated. Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot and serve chicken on tortillas, in rice bowls, or lettuce wraps.

finished shredded chicken in instant pot

There you have it! Creamy Chicken Tacos that are perfect for taco night. 

Pro Tips:

  • I like to use this homemade taco seasoning and this salsa recipe for this recipe. You can use these recipes or the store brands would work as well. 
  • This recipe was made in a 6qt Instant Pot. Although the minimum liquid requirement on ta 6qt Instant Pot is 1 cup, I reduced the liquid to accommodate the fact that chicken breast and salsa both produce liquid. 
  • How much liquid is released in the pressure cooking cycle will depend on your choice of chicken. Some chicken breast is injected with water solutions. I use organic no water added chicken for this recipe.  
  • Mexican Crema can be found in most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, you can use sour cream or make your own with this Mexican Crema recipe. 

Looking for other Mexican inspired recipes? Try these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos

These Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are juicy, creamy, and full of flavor. They are easy to make and are perfect for wrapping in a tortilla, putting in a bowl, or any other recipe using shredded chicken.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
All Other Recipe Time20 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: instant pot chicken tacos
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place chicken broth, chicken, and taco seasoning in Instant Pot insert. Lay salsa on top of chicken breast.
  • Cover and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Once done, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot.
  • Once done, remove chicken from Instant Pot and place it in a separate bowl. Use fork or hand mixer to shred chicken. Set aside.
  • Then press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Allow the liquid to reduce until it’s reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add in chicken, cream cheese, and crema and stir until incorporated. Press “Cancel” in the Instant Pot and serve chicken on tortillas, in rice bowls, or lettuce wraps.

Notes

  • This recipe was made in a 6qt Instant Pot. Although the minimum liquid requirement on the pot is 1 cup, I reduced the liquid to accommodate the fact that chicken breast and salsa both produce liquid.
  • How much liquid is released in the pressure cooking cycle will depend on your choice of chicken. Some chicken breast is injected with water solutions. I use organic no water added chicken for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 643IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

Homemade Taco Seasoning

by 6 Comments

This easy homemade taco seasoning recipe uses the spices you already have in your pantry. It’s the perfect mixture to keep on hand for seasoning your favorite meats and vegetables.

taco seasoning in jar with measuring surrounding it

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Back in the day, I used to make a whole lot of tacos, with those nice taco seasoning packets that you can pick up in the store. They’re not expensive, and they come through in a clutch, but then I realized that most of the ingredients for taco seasonings were already in my pantry. 

It’s also healthier to make your own as you have more control of the sodium level and you know exactly what’s going in your seasoning. It took me a while to get the perfect ratio for this taco seasoning but after much mixing and matching, this combo was perfection. 

What’s in it?

My homemade version of taco seasoning includes the following pantry staples.

  • Chili powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Cumin
  • Kosher salt
  • Paprika
  • Oregano
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne pepper
Taco seasoning laying on a plate

I tend to have store-bought chili powder in my house these days but you can make your own homemade chili powder recipe.

I use kosher salt for all my recipes as I like the after taste and flake size better than table salt, but table salt will work well in this recipe just fine. 

How to Make Taco Seasoning

It’s crazy easy. Combine all your spices in a bowl and stir until combined or add it to a glass jar and shake it up. That’s it! 

Taco seasoning with spoon sticking out of it

How to Use it?

When using this taco seasoning, you’ll want to use about 2 Tablespoons per 1 lb of meat. That may be adjusted according to the recipe and preference. The recipe as written creates about 5 Tablespoons of seasoning. You can adjust the amounts to make more or less.

Use this seasoning on the following recipes. 

Tips on Taco Seasoning

  • This Taco seasoning is best stored in an airtight container. These small glass mason jars are perfect for spice storage. I also like to use a label maker to make labels for my homemade spices. 
  • This seasoning will last up to 2-3 years but it lasts no longer than a month in our house. 

Looking for more homemade seasoning recipes? Try these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Homemade Taco Seasoning

You can make your own homemade taco seasoning that’s perfect for seasoning your meat for tacos, burritos, nachos, and more.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: spices
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: homemade taco seasoning, taco seasoning
Servings: 12
Calories: 7kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all your spices in a bowl and stir until combined or add it to a glass jar and shake it up.

Notes

  • Adjust the seasoning to your personal preference. The added salt will depend on how salty your chili powder is.
  • This seasoning will last up to 2-3 years.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Easy Flavorful Kale Rice

by 10 Comments

This easy kale rice is a step up from plain and boring white rice. It’s full of flavor and can be cooked on the stovetop or in your electric pressure cooker.  

kale rice in white bowl with spoon and kale in background

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love rice and I like to eat it plain with no additional seasonings. Unfortunately, my family doesn't approve and they fuss at me anytime I give them a bowl of plain white rice. Hence this flavorful kale rice recipe was created just for them but it’s so darn good. 

The great thing about this rice recipe is that it’s easy, healthy, and amped up with ingredients like onion, garlic, kale, and rice wine vinegar. My go-to device when making this recipe is my Electric Pressure Cooker but this can be done on the stove as well.

How to Make Kale Rice

Instant Pot Instructions

First, chop your 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic and set it aside. Set your pressure cooker to sauté and set it to the “more” setting. Once the display says “HOT”, add butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more. 

Then add rinsed rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt, and rice vinegar.

instant pot insert with onions on left and instant pot insert with onions, rice, and water on the right

Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare your kale but removing the stems and chopping the kale into fine pieces. Set aside.

chopped kale on teal cutting board

Once your 5 minute pressure cook time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure. Press Cancel on the pressure cooker. 

Open the lid and pour chopped kale into the insert and use a spoon or fork to stir in the kale. Rest the pressure cooker lid on the rice for about 2 minutes. Then open and stir.   

kale rice inside instant pot

Stovetop Directions

Cooking this recipe on the stove top will cause for a change in the water to rice ratio.

The majority of the ingredients will stay the same except for the liquid, you will need to increase the water to 2 ½-3 cups of water instead of 2 for the stovetop.  (2 ½ cups for a dryer firm rice and 3 cups for a more moist rice).

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more. 

Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt, and rice vinegar. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Allow the rice to cook for 18-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. 

Meanwhile, chop the kale.

When rice is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in kale. Cover saucepan with lid for 2 minutes. Then serve and enjoy. 

Tips:

  • I serve this as a side, usually to a roasted chicken. You could make it a one-pot meal by adding chopped boneless chicken breast or thighs to the pot when you add the water.
  • The rice vinegar is optional but I love the flavor it adds to this rice dish.
  • If adjusting the amount of servings for this recipe on the stove top, this guide to cooking perfect white rice is helpful.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Looking for other rice recipes? Try these out:

Print Recipe
4 from 1 vote

Easy Flavorful Kale Rice

This easy kale rice is a step up from plain and boring white rice. It’s full of flavor and can be cooked on the stovetop or in your electric pressure cooker.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Rise to pressure and natural relase15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kale rice
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 214kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups long-grain rice rinsed
  • 2 cups water*
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 3 cups chopped kale

Instructions

Pressure Cooker Instructions

  • Set your pressure cooker to sauté and set it to the “more” setting. Once the display says “HOT”, add butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more.
  • Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt and rice vinegar.
  • Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare your kale but removing the stems and chopping the kale into fine pieces. Set aside.
  • Once your 5 minute cook time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to “venting. Press Cancel on the pressure cooker.
  • Open the lid and pour chopped kale into the insert and use a spoon or fork to stir in the kale. Rest the pressure cooker lid on the rice for about 2 minutes. Then open and stir.
  • The majority of the ingredients will stay the same except for the liquid, you will need to increase the water to 4 cups instead of 2 for the stovetop.

Stove Top Directions

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more.
  • Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add in 2 ½ - 3 cups of water*, salt, and rice vinegar. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Allow the rice to cook for 18-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.
  • Meanwhile, chop the kale.
  • When rice is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in kale. Cover saucepan with lid for 2 minutes. Then serve and enjoy.

Video

Notes

*water amounts different for instant pot and stove top instructions. Use 2 ½ cups for a dryer firm rice and 3 cups for a more moist rice.
  • You could make it a one-pot meal by adding chopped boneless chicken breast or thighs to the pot when you add the water.
  • The rice vinegar is optional but I love the flavor it adds to this rice dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2597IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

Easy Homemade Salsa in a Blender

by 2 Comments

Making homemade salsa is so easy and the results are a delicious salsa that is full of fresh flavor. All you need is a blender, a few ingredients, and some tortilla chips for dipping. 

salsa in a black bowl

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Once you make homemade salsa, you’ll never go back. Homemade salsa is cheaper than most store-bought salsas in a jar and you get to control the ingredients. It also tastes much better than jar salsas in my opinion. 

All you need is a few ingredients and a blender (or food processor) to make this recipe. For this recipe I used the following:

  • Peeled whole tomatoes in a can
  • Rotel
  • Onion
  • A Jalapeño
  • Cilantro
  • Juice of a Lime
  • Ground Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Salt

How to make Homemade Salsa

Add your ingredients to a blender. For my blender, I make sure to add the chopped onions and chopped jalapeño to the blender first and top with the rest of the ingredients. That ensures my salsa gets chopped equally since the firmer ingredients are on the bottom. 

top of blender with cilantro, tomatoes, garlic powder and salt showing

Press the “Pulse” button on your blender until the desired consistency is reached. Do not simply put the blender on a blend setting or your salsa may liquify too much. 

blended salsa ingredients in blender container

You can serve your salsa immediately or place it in the fridge for an hour to allow those flavors to mend together. We prefer allowing the flavors to mend. 

salsa in a jar with the date of 1/21 on it

Salsa Making Tips

  • If you prefer fresh tomatoes in your salsa, I’d recommend using Roma tomatoes. You can use about 6 Roma tomatoes rather than the 28 oz can of whole tomatoes.
  • I use red onion in this recipe but white onion is a good substitution. It results in a lighter onion taste in your overall salsa. We like both variations. 
  • There isn’t really a sub for cilantro in salsa. If you don’t like it, you’ll likely want to leave it out. Subbing for a herb like parsley will have your salsa tasting like spaghetti.

Storage Tips

  • This salsa should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Glass ball jars are great for this.  
  • This homemade salsa will last about a week in your refrigerator. Ours doesn’t last any longer than that. 
  • I use a label maker to make labels to place on the jars with the date that the salsa is made. That way I know how long my salsa has been in the fridge.

I hope you enjoy this salsa as much as we do.

Looking for recipes to serve with this salsa? Try these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

Making homemade salsa is so easy and the results are delicious and full of fresh flavor. All you need is a blender, a few ingredients, and some tortilla chips for dipping.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: blender salsa, homemade salsa
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 18kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 28 oz can whole tomatoes drained
  • 10 oz can tomatoes with green chilies undrained
  • ½ red onion about ½ cup
  • 1 jalapeño seeded and roughly chopped*
  • Juice of 1 lime about 2 Tbsp
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • A handful of cilantro about ½ cup chopped

Instructions

  • Add your ingredients to the blender, placing the onion and jalapeño on the bottom.
  • Press the “Pulse” button on your blender until the desired consistency is reached. Do not simply put the blender on the blend or your salsa may liquify too much.
  • You can serve your salsa immediately or place it in the fridge for about an hour to allow those flavors to mend together.

Notes

*For a really spicy salsa, you can leave a few of the jalapeño seeds in. 
  • This recipe makes about 4 cups of salsa.
  • This salsa should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  
  • This homemade salsa will last about a week in your refrigerator. 

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken Wings

by 10 Comments

These honey mustard wings are the perfect appetizer for any occasion. They are nice and crispy and covered in a delicious honey mustard sauce.

honey mustard wings on a plate with celery and carrots in the back

We love chicken wings around these parts and find ourselves making them more and more thanks to our Air Fryer. We’re always coming up with different sauces and rubs to put on them so it’s no surprise that honey mustard made the mix.

I originally made these wings for our New Years’ Eve celebration and hubby decided that these wings were so good that they deserved a page on the blog. I agreed so here they are.

How to make Honey Mustard Wings

First, you’ll need to cook your chicken wings. Now you can deep fry or bake your wings if you choose, but we love our air fryer for making chicken wings. 

To Air Fry your wings, dry your chicken wings with paper towel and place your wings in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

raw chicken wings in an air fryer basket

Cook on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes, until your wings have reached your desired crispiness. Set aside.

Meanwhile, Make the Honey Mustard Sauce

honey mustard sauce in glass bowl with whisk sticking out

While your wings are cooking, make the sauce by combining mustard, honey, hot sauce, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.

I bet you’re asking “Hey Yo, why the mayo?” 

Mayo makes the sauce a little creamy and provides a little bit of tango that isn’t overpowering.

When you’re chicken wings are done, toss them in the sauce.

honey mustard wings in air fryer basket

Now you can serve your wings exactly like this if you prefer, but I like to give them a little char by placing those wings back in the air fryer basket and cooking for an additional 2-5 minutes. 

charred wings in air fryer basket

Then I toss them in the sauce again before serving to get them extra saucy. 

And there you have it, Honey Mustard Wings!

honey mustard wings on a plate, close up photo

Notes:

I hope you enjoy these wings as much as we do. Looking for other air fryer post? Check out my air fryer appetizers round up or these Jerk Chicken Wings.

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken Wings

These honey mustard wings are the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Nice and crispy and covered in a delicious honey mustard sauce.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer chicken wings, honey mustard chicken wings, honey mustard wings
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings

Honey Mustard Sauce

  • 4 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 4 Tablespoon Honey
  • 3 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Dry your chicken wings and place them in your Air Fryer basket.
  • Close the Air Fryer basket and cook the wings on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes. Cook until wings are desired crispiness and have reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • While wings are cooking, add dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl. Whisk until fully combined.
  • When wings are done, remove them from the basket and toss them in the sauce.
  • You may serve at this point or add the wings back to the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 2-5 minutes for a little more char.
  • Add them back to the sauce and then serve.

Notes

  • You can bake or fry your chicken first if you prefer and then cover in sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes with Hot Honey Butter

by 12 Comments

These Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Top them with a delicious hot honey butter for the perfect side dish.

sweet potato topped with butter with fork and blue napkin in the background

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love sweet potatoes. In fact, I love them so much that I’ve tried many times to perfect a sweet potato fry recipe to put on the blog. It hasn’t been perfected by me yet, so it hasn’t been shared on the blog yet. Hopefully one day. 

Until then, this air fryer sweet potato recipe will do, because they are amazingly delicious. Similar to cooking a baked potato in the air fryer, sweet potato is just as simple and easy. 

A few things to note before you start your sweet potatoes, you’ll want to make sure of the following:

  • Your sweet potatoes need to be equal size if you want them to cook at the same time. I use medium-sized sweet potatoes, which measure around 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. 
  • Adding a little bit of olive oil rubbed on the outside of the sweet potatoes will result in a nice crispy sweet potato skin. 
  • There’s no need to parboil, poke, or wrap in foil before baking. Just give the sweet potatoes a light coat with oil and place in the air fryer.

How to make Whole Sweet Potatoes in the Air Fryer

Grab 1-4 medium-sized sweet potatoes. Scrub and clean the outside, then pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean dishtowel. 

Rub about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the potatoes and place in your air fryer. 

raw sweet potatoes in air fryer basket

Cook on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes, until the sweet potato is soft on the inside. I use a toothpick to test the potato, and stick it in until it reaches the center. If the toothpick enters the sweet potato without any resistance, it’s done. 

cooked sweet potatoes in air fryer basket

Prepare Hot Honey Butter

You can top your sweet potatoes with whatever you choose, but my go-to is this hot honey butter. While your sweet potatoes are cooking, combine butter, honey, hot sauce, and salt in a bowl and whisk vigorously until combined and smooth.

hot honey butter in bowl with whisk in it

Cut open your sweet potato, fluff the insides a little, and then top it with this butter. Yummo!

cook air fryer sweet potato in basket opened and topped with hot honey butter

Notes:

  • You can make 1-4 sweet potatoes at a time, depending on how big your air fryer basket is. Just make sure the sweet potatoes aren’t overlapping so proper air circulation can cook them properly. 
  • The cook time suggested is for medium-sized sweet potatoes, which are about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. Smaller sweet potatoes will need less time while large potatoes will need more. For smaller potatoes, I start to check with a toothpick around 25 minutes. 
  • If you need baked sweet potatoes for other recipes, such as pie (yum), this method is perfect. 
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake your sweet potatoes in the oven. Then top with hot honey butter.
  • I use Texas Pete or Frank’s Hot Sauce for my hot honey butter. 
  • I use this method for baking my potatoes for my sweet potato pie and my sweet potato cornbread.

I hope you enjoy these air fried sweet potatoes with hot honey butter as much as we do. Looking for more air fryer veggie sides? Try these out:

or you can try my oven roasted cauliflower and sweet potato recipe.

Need ideas on what to serve this with? Try these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Air Fryer Sweet Potato with Hot Honey Butter

This Air Fryer Sweet Potato recipe is perfect for baking whole sweet potatoes in your Air Fryer. Top them with a delicious Hot Honey Butter for the perfect side dish. It’s so easy and takes less time than the oven.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer sweet potato
Calories: 237kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1-4 sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and patted dry
  • 1 teaspoon oil

Hot Honey Butter

  • 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 2 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Coat sweet potatoes with oil and place in the air fryer basket.
  • Cook on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft on the inside.

Hot Honey Butter

  • While your sweet potatoes are cooking, combine butter, honey, hot sauce, and salt in a bowl and whisk vigorously until combined and smooth. 
  • Cut open your sweet potato, fluff the insides a little, and then top it with this butter.

Notes

  • I use Texas Pete or Frank’s Hot Sauce for my hot honey butter.
  • You can make 1-4 sweet potatoes at a time, depending on your air fryer basket. Just make sure the sweet potatoes aren’t overlapping so proper air circulation can cook them properly. 
  • The cook time suggested is for medium-sized sweet potatoes. Smaller sweet potatoes will need less time while large potatoes will need more. For smaller potatoes, I start to check with a toothpick around 25 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 18793IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad Recipe

by 12 Comments

This Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad Recipe is full of delicious and healthy ingredients for an amazing fresh salad filled with tons of flavor. It's colorful, delicious, and perfect for everyday eats or for any gathering.   

cranberry pecan apple salad in a white bowl

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

One thing I love to make is a BIG SALAD. Every time I think of a salad, I think of Elaine on Seinfeld and how she loved ordering a big salad from their favorite diner. I have no clue what was in that big salad, but I imagine it was pretty amazing. 

This big salad is one of my favorites and it’s one I’ve been showing up to our get-togethers with. It’s bright, colorful, and full of lots of healthy and yummy ingredients.

This salad is filled with apples, cranberries, spinach, red onion, and topped with creamy goat cheese, sugared pecans, and a sweet and tangy dressing. It is a salad recipe that everyone will ask you the recipe for.

Here's how I make it.

How to make Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad

Grab a mandolin and thinly slice your red apples and red onions. The thin slices of apple and red onion create the perfect bite when eating the salad with the other ingredients.

  • apple slices in front of a black mandolin
  • red onion thinly sliced in front of a mandolin blade

If you don’t have a mandolin, you can just chop these ingredients into bite-sized pieces. 

Place the apple slices in a large salad bowl and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the apple slices and toss, ensuring all apple slices get covered in the lemon juice. This is so your apples don’t turn brown.

apple slices in bowl

Then add spinach mix, apple slices, red onion slices, cranberries, sugared pecans, and goat cheese to the bowl. Use salad tongs and toss these ingredients together. Set aside. 

Make the salad dressing

In a small mason jar, add apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, white sugar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover and shake vigorously, for about 20-30 seconds, until salad dressing has thickened.

close up photo of yellow salad dressing in mason jar

When ready to serve, lightly pour dressing over salad greens and toss.

  • ingredients of cranberry apple salad in white bowl
  • ingredients of cranberry apple salad in bowl with yellow salad dressing being poured onto salad

Serve and enjoy.  

cranberry pecan apple salad in a white bowl

Helpful Tips: 

  • It’s best to wait until right before serving to pour the dressing on. If you put the dressing on too early, the spinach leaves will wilt. Your salad will still taste good, it just won’t be as pretty. 
  • I use my Sugared Pecans for the chopped pecans in this recipe. I just give them a quick pulse in my mini food processor to chop them up a bit.
  • This is a great base salad that can be changed up in a few ways:
    • Apples - I use red delicious apples (for color and tartness) but a thinly sliced granny apple is great in this salad too. 
    • A thinly sliced shallot is a great sub for the red onion.
    • Need protein? Baked chicken breast or drained chickpeas are a great addition if you are looking for more of a meal.
  • Feel free to double or triple the dressing and keep it on the side. This stuff is pretty good on all kinds of greens.

Looking for other big salad recipes? Try these out:

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5 from 1 vote

Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad

This Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad is the perfect light and delicious salad. It’s made with healthy ingredients and topped with delicious creamy goat cheese, sugared pecans, and a sweet and tangy dijon vinegarette.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple salad recipe, cranberry apple salad recipe, winter salad recipe
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 257kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 red apples thinly sliced on a mandolin
  • 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 4-5 cups spinach salad mix
  • ½ red onion thinly sliced on a mandolin
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup sugared pecans chopped
  • 4 Tablespoon goat cheese chopped or crumbled

Salad Dressing

  • 2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1.5 Tablespoon white sugar
  • 1.5 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place the apple slices in a large salad bowl and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the apple slices and toss, ensuring all apple slices get covered in the lemon juice.
  • In a large salad bowl, add spinach salad mix, red apples, red onion, dried cranberries, sugared pecans, and goat cheese. Toss to combine. Set aside.
  • In a small mason jar, add apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, white sugar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover and shake vigorously, for about 20-30 seconds, until salad dressing has thickened.
  • When ready to serve, lightly pour dressing over salad greens and toss. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

  • It’s best to wait until right before serving to pour the dressing on.
  • Feel free to double or triple the dressing and keep it on the side. This stuff is pretty good on all kinds of greens.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2005IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Sweet & Spicy Party Meatballs

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These Sweet and Spicy Party Meatballs are the perfect twist on the classic cocktail meatball appetizer. They are made with only 4 ingredients and cooked low and slow in the slow cooker until heated through.  

party meatballs in the slow cooker liner with wooden spoon sticking out

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Every party menu should have cocktail meatballs on it. They are so easy to make and they are downright delicious. It’s crazy to think about how a few ingredients and a little bit of prep time can make an amazing appetizer. 

Inspired by the classic grape jelly meatball recipe, these meatballs are a little different as they are made with cranberry sauce, bbq sauce, and a couple of chipotle peppers for an added spicy kick. 

How to make Party Meatballs

First, prepare your chipotle peppers in adobo sauce by chopping them up finely. I generally buy a small can of peppers, remove two whole peppers and chop them finely with a knife. Place them in the slow cooker. For a spicier meatball sauce, add 2 tablespoon of the adobo sauce from the can.

chipotle peppers chopped on cutting mat with knife laying next to it

Next, pop open your can of jellied cranberry sauce and place the sauce in your slow cooker and use a spoon to break the jelly up. 

can of cranberry jelly sauce opened with jelly sticking out

Then add bbq sauce and stir thoroughly. 

sauce for meatballs in slow cooker insert with black spoon sticking out

Add pre-cooked frozen meatballs and stir, ensuring all the meatballs are covered in the sauce. 

frozen meatballs covered in sauce in slow cooker insert with black spoon laying on top of meatballs

Next, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through.  

meatballs on wooden spoon over slow cooker with remainder of party meatballs

Serve and enjoy 🙂

Notes:

  • If you like your sauce less spicy, leave out the extra 1-2 tablespoon of adobe pepper sauce. 
  • I use precooked frozen meatballs. I prefer beef meatballs for this recipe but any precooked meatballs you can get your hands on should work just fine. 
  • Any original bbq sauce will work fine. Homemade BBQ Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray’s work best.

Looking for other party appetizers? Try these out:

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5 from 2 votes

Sweet and Spicy Party Meatballs

These Sweet and Spicy Party Meatballs are the perfect easy appetizer for a crowd. With only 4 ingredients and a spicy bbq flavor, these are the perfect twist on a classic cocktail meatball recipe.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 5 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cocktail meatballs, party meatballs
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 32 oz frozen precooked meatballs
  • 1 14 oz can of jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup bbq sauce
  • 2 chopped Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce + 2 tablespoon sauce

Instructions

  • Place ingredients in slow cooker, ensuring all the meatballs are covered. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

  • If you like your sauce less spicy, leave out the extra 1-2 tablespoon of adobe pepper sauce. 
  • I use precooked frozen meatballs. I prefer beef meatballs for this recipe but any meatballs you can get your hands on should work just fine. 
  • Any original bbq sauce will work fine. Homemade or Sweet Baby Ray’s work best.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Homemade BBQ Sauce

by 7 Comments

This Homemade BBQ Sauce is ready in about 10 minutes and is the perfect combination of sweetness and spiciness. It’s perfect for any time you need a delicious bbq sauce and it’s good on ribs, poultry, and much more.

bbq sauce in bowl with spoon in it

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love making my own spices and sauces when it comes to bbq. This BBQ seasoning recipe is our favorite rub to put on poultry and pork. So it just made sense that I developed a bbq sauce to go right along with it. 

This sauce has the perfect combo of sweetness and spiciness and only needs a cook time of 10 minutes to get those flavors to mend together. It’s the perfect homemade condiment to have in your fridge.

How to make BBQ Sauce

Add ketchup, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, molasses, dry mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and liquid smoke to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine. 

ingredients of bbq sauce in sauce pan

Allow the mixture to gently cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 

bbq sauce in glass bowl with spoon sticking out

Remove from heat and use in your favorite BBQ recipe. 

NOTES

  • This bbq sauce has a slight kick to it because of the cayenne. Feel free to omit to keep it kick free. 
  • Make sure your heat is set to medium-low heat to avoid burning your sauce or scorching your pan. 
  • This recipe as written makes a little more than 2 cups of sauce. It can be doubled or tripled or cut in half. If doubling or tripling, increase the heat time by about 5 minutes. 
  • This sauce can be made ahead and stored. It will last in the refrigerator for about 1-2 weeks in an airtight container. I store ours in mason jars and it gets used within that time frame. 

Looking for Recipes to use this sauce with? Try these out:

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Homemade BBQ Sauce

This quick and easy Homemade BBQ Sauce is perfect on chicken, ribs, or any other food that needs a little bbq love. It’s the perfect blend of sweetness and spiciness and the perfect homemade condiment. #homemadesauce #bbqsauce
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: barbeque sauce, bbq sauce, homemade bbq sauce
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 211kcal
Author: Tanya

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, chili powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and liquid smoke to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine.
  • Allow the mixture to gently cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from heat and use in your favorite BBQ recipe.

Notes

  • This bbq sauce has a slight kick to it because of the cayenne. Feel free to omit to keep it kick free. 
  • Make sure your heat is set to medium-low heat to avoid burning your sauce or scorching your pan. 
  • This recipe as written makes a little more than 2 cups of sauce. It can be doubled or tripled or cut in half. If doubling or tripling, increase the heat time by about 5 minutes. 
  • This sauce can be made ahead and stored. It will last in the refrigerator for about 1 week in an airtight container. I store ours in mason jars. 

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 646mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 747IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg

Fried Chicken Tacos (Air Fryer)

by 4 Comments

These Fried Chicken Tacos are absolutely delicious and ready in less than 20 minutes thanks to the Air Fryer. Golden air fried chicken breast fried to perfection, topped with a vinegar-based slaw and spicy mayo wrapped up into a crispy taco.

fried chicken tacos on a staco stand

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Some nights I want fried chicken, and others I want tacos. I combined them together and now I have the best of both worlds! 

The great thing about this recipe is that it takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish. It’s not only super quick and easy...the flavor combo is out of this world.

I use my air fryer to fry my chicken pieces for the tacos and I warm up by hard corn tortilla shells in the Air Fryer as well. 

hand holding finished taco

How to make Fried Chicken Tacos

Make the Toppings

I start making my coleslaw and spicy sauce for the recipe so the flavors have a few minutes to marinate before we put our tacos together.

In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, apple cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, combine good quality mayonnaise, hot sauce, buttermilk, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside. 

spicy mayonnaise in bowl with whisk sticking out, colesalw in bowl with yellow spatula sticking out

Make the Chicken

Preheat your Air Fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Create a dredging station by placing two large flat pans side by side. In the first, combine egg and buttermilk, a little salt and pepper, and whisk until combined.

In the second, combine flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir until all the seasonings are stirred into the flour. 

Cut chicken tenders into large chunks. Season them with a little salt and pepper. 

Once your Air Fryer is preheated, remove the basket and lightly spray it with oil to ensure your chicken does not stick to the basket. I use my Evo spray bottle filled with a high heat cooking oil.

Then dip your chicken into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess egg, then the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour, and then place it in the basket. Make sure your chicken pieces are in a single layer and not overlapping. 

dredging station with egg, flour, and air fryer basket

Close the air fryer basket and cook on 360 degrees for 5 minutes. Open your air fryer basket and spray the chicken and any white spots you see, then flip the chicken and spray any white spots you see on the other side.

chicken in basket with spray bottle over basket

Close the basket and cook for 5-7 more minutes on 360 degrees Fahrenheit, until your chicken is cooked and golden brown.

cooked chicken pieces in air fryer basket

Warm the Shells

Once your chicken is done, remove the air fryer basket and remove the cooked chicken. If using hard shell tacos, place them in the air fryer basket and cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes. Use a trivet to hold the taco shells down so that they don’t fly around in the air fryer. 

Once your shells are warm, assemble your tacos by placing slaw and chicken in the shell and cover it with spicy mayonnaise sauce. 

And there you have it, delicious and easy fried chicken tacos all made in your Air Fryer. 

Looking for more taco recipes? Try this turkey taco recipe or this Ninja Foodi pork carnitas recipe.

Looking for recipes to serve these tacos with? Try these out:

Or try these Air Fryer Recipes Out:

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5 from 2 votes

Fried Chicken Tacos (Air Fried)

This quick and easy fried chicken taco is packed with flavor. The chicken pieces are air fried, then topped with an amazing vinegar-based coleslaw and spicy mayonnaise mixture.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fried chicken taco
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 389kcal
Author: Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken tenders or breast chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Tablespoon buttermilk
  • ¾ cup All-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • oil for spraying

Coleslaw

Spicy Mayo

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Tortilla wrappers

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, apple cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, hot sauce, buttermilk, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Preheat your Air Fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Create a dredging station by placing two large flat pans side by side. In the first, whisk together egg and buttermilk, and season with salt and pepper. In the second, whisk flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
  • Cut chicken tenders into 1-inch chunks. Season them with a little salt and pepper.
  • Once your Air Fryer is preheated, remove the basket and lightly spray it with oil. Then coat your chicken with the egg mixture, shaking off any excess egg, then the flour mixture, and then place it in the basket, making sure your chicken pieces are not overlapping.
  • Close the air fryer basket and cook on 360 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping and spraying halfway through cooking.
  • Once the chicken is done, remove and place chicken into warmed tortilla shells. Top with coleslaw and spicy mayonnaise.

Video

Notes

  • I suggest using a good quality mayo for your spicy mayo sauce. I use Duke’s.
  • Make sure the flour spots on your chicken is fully covered with oil when spraying.
  • Use any oil with a high smoke point for spraying. (Canola, olive, avocado, vegetable, etc.)

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1889mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 534IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg