Easy Instant Pot Gluten Free Mexican Casserole Recipe

When you want a great Mexican casserole, the whole family will love but do not have a lot of time, go with my Easy Instant Pot Gluten Free Mexican Casserole Recipe.

I show you how to not only make your chicken flavorful with a homemade enchilada sauce, but also keep this low carb with my favorite low carb tortillas by Alamadre.

Made with chicken legs or chicken breasts, this chicken enchilada casserole is packed with flavor and perfect for busy weeknights. 

The entire family will say this is one of their favorite Instant Pot meals and will want seconds of this easy dinner recipe, mine always does!

It is such an easy recipe that you will not mess it up even if it’s your first time using your electric pressure cooker.

Keep reading as I walk you through preparing the chicken in the pressure cooker, layering it in the pot to cook, then going over tips, substitutions and frequently asked questions you may have.

Why You’ll Love This Delicious Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

• Whether you prefer chicken legs, chicken breasts, or even ground meat like ground beef, ground chicken, or even ground turkey, this recipe can be easily adapted to suit your tastes. Using ground beef creates a delicious Instant Pot Taco Casserole. 
• Using the Instant Pot significantly cuts down on cooking time, making this an easy weeknight dinner ideal for those busy nights when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.
• For those with gluten sensitivities or following a gluten-free diet, this casserole uses corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas, ensuring a gluten-free meal that the whole family can enjoy.
• This casserole is bursting with Mexican flavors that will satisfy any craving. Plus you can customize it with additions to the remaining ingredients like green chiles, green onion, extra chili powder, pinto beans, and bell peppers.

The pantry staples needed to make this Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole

• Tomato Paste
• MCT oil or coconut oil 
• Olive oil
• Glucomannan or Xanthan Gum
• Ground Chili Powder
• Ground Cumin
• Lime juice from one small lime
• Dried Ground Oregano
• Sea Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Chicken Broth
• A LA MADRE tortillas or other small 4-5″ gluten free tortilla
• Chicken Legs, Chicken Thighs OR Shredded Cooked Chicken
• Shredded Cheese like cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Let’s start making this Easy Instant Pot Mexican Recipe

The first step is to make the enchilada sauce.

Get out your blender and add everything except the chicken and cheese, starting with liquids then adding the rest of the ingredients.

Blend the sauce very well until there are no more clumps.

Set this aside while you prepare the chicken.

Set the pressure cooker to the saute function and add the olive oil. Once hot, sear the chicken until golden brown on all sides.

This helps give the meat extra flavor. You can skip this step if you are rushed for time though.

Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add your chopped onion and sauté and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to help prevent the burn message.

Place a trivet in the bottom of the pot and add the chicken back in.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the chicken and cook on MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes with a NATURAL release of 10 minutes.

​If it is boneless chicken breasts, cut the time to 5 minutes with a NATURAL release of 10 minutes.

This simply means for you to leave it alone before releasing the remaining pressure.

Once the pressure valve is released, remove the chicken from the enchilada sauce it cooked in and shred it up.

Remove 1 cup of the sauce to reserve for the end.

Now stir in the shredded chicken into the sauce.

Remove the sauce and chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside in a large bowl.

Start with layering the casserole as follows: chicken, tortilla then shredded cheese.

Once you are out of the chicken mixture, top with the last tortilla, then the reserved sauce from the beginning.

End with adding the remaining cheese to the top of this Instant pot Mexican Casserole.

Replace the lid and set your pressure cooker to KEEP WARM and set the timer for 30 minutes.

Once the time is up, its time to eat what will quickly become your favorite dinner!

I cut mine into 6-8 triangles and served it up with some my favorite toppings like fresh salsa or Pico de Gallo, sour cream, black olives and end with some fresh cilantro!

If for some reason you have leftovers, or you are making a large batch for meal prep, you need to make sure you store them in an airtight container as it will dry out easily.

You can also freeze in individual servings.

Cool completely to room temperature, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, then put the wrapped slices in a gallon freezer bag.

It will last up to 2 months like this.

You can reheat from frozen or thaw overnight in the fridge for an easy weeknight meal!

Cook at 350F for 10 minutes covered to prevent drying it out.

Tips, Substitutions, and FAQs

• Double the recipe and make it in an 9x13inch casserole dish as the leftovers are even that much better! Instead of layering into your Instant Pot, layer into a baking pan for the oven.
• If you do not purchase the Low Carb tortillas by Alamadre, you can easily use cheddar cheese taco shells or cheese wraps in place of them. It will be a looser set but will still be a delicious casserole!
• If you are not following a strict low carb or keto diet, or maybe you are making half for others, you can easily add in a can of drained and rinsed black beans in-between your layers.
• Another way to jazz up this keto chicken casserole recipe is to add in some green chilis or red bell pepper to the chicken mixture as the sauce helps hold everything together.
• If you prefer the taste of refried beans in your casserole, spread refried beans over each tortilla before stacking them in the casserole.
• Add in some cauliflower rice, white rice, or brown rice for a Mexican Rice Casserole version. Layer it with the meat and use extra cheese over it for the perfect cheesy rice chicken casserole. 
• Add an extra creamy taste next time when you stir 2 oz of cream cheese bits into the chicken and sauce step before layering.
• This recipe is ideal for meal prep. Make a big batch and store it in individual containers for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week since it reheats beautifully and tastes just as delicious as last night!
• Serve with a side of tortilla chips for a crunchy contrast or skip the tortillas altogether and serve the saucy chicken over tortilla chips with lots of cheese for the ultimate cheesy nachos!

What if I do not have tomato paste but tomato sauce, will this recipe still work?  Yes, but you need to adjust the added chicken stock or beef broth that you use. A common size for tomato sauce is 15oz. If you use this size, add in when the broth is called for but reduce the broth to 1/4 cup and proceed with the recipe as usual or there will be too much liquid.

Can I use any cut of chicken even if its boneless chicken breast?  Although chicken with the bone is the best option, you can use any cut of chicken in this recipe. If you are using boneless chicken breast you may get a burn notice so cook it for half of the time called for bone in chicken.

Will this work as an oven casserole if I prefer to bake it?  Preheat your oven to 350F. Remove 1 cup of the sauce to reserve for the end. Shred the chicken then stir into the remaining sauce. In an 8×8 inch baking dish spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom. Now top with 2 low carb tortillas. One will be whole and the other tear in half. Line up the flat edges to the outside of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take off the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until it is golden brown. 

Can this recipe be turned into a slow cooker recipe?  If you want to use the crockpot/slow cooker method, you will brown the chicken in a skillet along with the onions then transfer it all to the crockpot/slow cooker and set to HIGH with a cook time of 4 hours. Once the cook time is up, remove 1 cup of the sauce to reserve for the end. Shred the chicken then stir into the remaining sauce. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom of the crock pot. Now top with 2 low carb tortillas then top with a thin layer of shredded cheese. Repeat until the last tortilla is used. Top with the remaining sauce then remaining cheese. Cover and set to lowest setting for 1 hour to warm and melt the cheese.

Can I turn this into a vegetarian casserole?  Yes! Instead of cooking the meat in the first step with the sauce, just skip this and go right to layering. It will create a bean casserole that still creates a great mexican food quickly in the Instant Pot. Use beans, sautéed veggies like corn, zucchini, mushrooms or anything else you want to add. 

Is there a way to create a smaller portion than the Instant Pot size?  Yes, you can get a small 7-inch springform pan that is designed for the Instant Pot. You will need to halve the recipe and still cook the meat in the first step.

Can I use ground beef instead of chicken to create an Instant Pot Beef Mexican Casserole?  Yes, you can substitute ground beef for chicken. Brown the ground beef using the saute mode and drain any excess grease before adding the other ingredients. You will not cook the meat in the sauce like the chicken but skip straight to the assembling step after browning the meat.

What if I get a burn notice? If you get a burn notice, turn off the Instant Pot and carefully move the pressure release valve. Open the lid and stir to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom. You can add a 1/4 cup of water to give it a bit more liquid if needed and resume cooking. Even by the time the burn notice shows up, which it has for me when I use chicken breasts, the meat is pretty much cooked if you browned it before cooking.

When you’re looking for a delicious dinner for taco Tuesday or need something quick that doesn’t require heating up your kitchen, look no further than this Easy Instant Pot Casserole recipe.

Plus, using Instant Pot recipes like this means you can skip the oven altogether and still get a warm, comforting meal on the table in no time.

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Here are more gluten free Mexican recipes you will love!

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