Instant Pot Chicken and Rice - 30 minutes only!

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice dish is an easy, one-pot meal that comes together in 30 minutes!

What's the best part about one-pot meals? Lesser clean-up for later! This one-pot meal is made by pressure-cooking chicken along with rice. This not only helps reduce the time involved in cooking but also enhances the flavor of the rice. This a super-convenient meal for those rushed weeknights, it is also packed with flavor and doesn't let down on the taste quotient!

Our family eats rice so often, and I love making 1-pot rice meals in the Instant Pot. Some of our favorite 1-pot meals are Instant Pot fried rice, Instant Pot rice and veggies, and our Sunday lunch favorite - Instant Pot chicken biryani .

Why you should make chicken and rice in the Instant Pot

• Family-friendly one-pot meal
• Made in under 30 minutes!
• Easy to customize - add any combination of veggies you like
• Super flavorful and aromatic

Ingredients List

For this recipe, we will need:

Chicken - You can use either bone-in thighs and legs or boneless chicken. I prefer bone-in chicken as it is more flavorful and juicy. If using boneless chicken, go for boneless thighs.

Rice - Use aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine rice for more flavor.

Chicken broth or bouillon - Go for a low-sodium broth or bouillon. This is optional but adds so much good flavor.

Tinned tomatoes

Yellow onion, bell pepper, and corn

Garlic, fresh or dried basil

Seasonings and spices -
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg
Oregano
Thyme
Parsley
Paprika

Olive oil

Recipe Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to the 'Saute' setting and add olive oil. Let it heat for 3-4 minutes while you prep your ingredients. Add cleaned and dried chicken thighs and legs (skin on), skin-side down. Season with salt and fresh black pepper.

• Let the chicken cook on one side for 3 minutes, and flip it over on the other side. Season again with salt and pepper and cook again for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, keep aside on a plate.

• Add chopped onions and saute for a minute. Then add 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1/2 a bell pepper (finely chopped) and 1/4 cup corn kernels. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of white pepper powder, nutmeg, oregano, thyme, parsley (or add 1.5 teaspoons of assorted dried herbs). Saute for a minute more.

• Add 1/2 a tin of tomatoes, saute and be sure to mix well so that any residue at the bottom of the pot is mixed in with the tomatoes. Add 1.5 teaspoons paprika powder and mix.

• Add 2 cups of washed and rinsed rice, followed by 2.5 cups of chicken stock (can be substitued with water and salt). Mix well.

• Add the seared chicken back to the pot, making sure it is almost entirely immersed in the liquid. Now put on the lid of the pressure cooker and set it to 'Pressure Cook' (or Manual) for 6 minutes (make sure the vent on the lid is in 'Sealing' position)

• Let the steam release naturally and open the lid of the cooker once the safety valve comes down. Add some roughly chopped basil leaves and throw it in. Give it a gently stir to combine.

Serve up warm!

Expert Tips for cooking chicken in the Instant Pot

Use bone-in meat: You can use either bone-in thighs and legs, or boneless thigh or breast meat. My personal preference is to make this recipe with bone-in meat, as I am partial to the meaty flavour from bone-in meat.

Use Frozen chicken: For convenience, you could use frozen meat as well - the advantage of using the Instant Pot is that frozen meat doesn't need to be thawed! Big win!

Don't skip the browing: The recipe involves 3 steps - browing the chicken (skip this step if using skinless, boneless meat), sauteeing the veggies, adding the seasonings +rice+liquid, and finally, pressure cooking all the ingredients. You can also make this meal without taking the extra trouble of sauteeing the chicken and veggies - but I highly recommend doing this (if you have the time!) as this adds layers of flavour that you simply cannot get by skipping ahead and cooking it all together.

Use low-sodium broth: Keep in mind that using low-sodium chicken broth gives this dish oodles of flavour, so try using broth instead of water. Another tip is to sprinkle in some fresh basil or parsley right at the end, it adds a lovely boost of flavour.

FAQs

More 1-pot Instant Pot Meals

Instant Pot Fried Rice

Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Instant Pot Peanut Noodles

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Shinta

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice dish is a one-pot meal that comes together in 30 minutes, and makes for a delicious meal with less fuss and minimal clean-up for later. Flavored with mixed herbs, garlic and paprika, this dish is also gluten-free and protein-rich.

5 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 6 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 5

Calories 622 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 5 chicken thighs and legs bone-in, skin-on
• ▢ Salt and pepper to season
• ▢ 1 small onion diced
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ½ bell pepper diced
• ▢ ¼ cup corn kernels
• ▢ ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon thyme
• ▢ ½ teaspoon parsley
• ▢ ½ tin tomatoes approximately 7 ounces or 200 grams
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika powder
• ▢ 2 cups rice washed and rinsed
• ▢ 2.5 cups chicken stock can be replaced with water and salt
• ▢ Fresh basil leaves can be replaced with dried basil

Instructions

 

• Turn the Instant Pot to the 'Saute' setting and add the olive oil. Let it pre-heat for 3-4 minutes. Add cleaned and dried chicken thighs and legs (skin on), skin-side down. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Let the chicken cook on one side for 3 minutes, until lightly browned, add pepper and salt to season and flip it over on the other side. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook again for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, keep aside on a plate.
• Add chopped onions and sauté for a minute. Then add 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1/2 a bell pepper (finely chopped) and 1/4 cup corn kernels. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of white pepper powder, nutmeg, oregano, thyme, parsley (or add 2.5 teaspoons of assorted dried herbs). Sauté for a minute more.
• Add 1/2 a tin of tomatoes, sauté and be sure to mix well so that any residue at the bottom of the pot is mixed in with the tomatoes. This is important - if nor properly deglazed, the Instant Pot will show a 'Burn' error.
• Add the paprika powder and mix.
• Add 2 cups of washed and rinsed rice, followed by 2.5 cups of chicken stock or water. If adding water, add more salt to season. Mix well.
• Add the seared chicken back to the pot, making sure it is almost entirely immersed in the liquid. Now put on the lid of the pressure cooker and set it to 'Pressure Cook' (or ‘Manual’) for 6 minutes (make sure the vent is in 'Sealing' position for the Instant Pot)
• Let the steam release naturally and open the lip of the cooker once the safety valve comes down. Add some roughly chopped basil leaves and throw it in. Give it a gently stir to combine.

Notes

For chicken breasts - Use small-medium-sized (4-6 ounce) skinless chicken breasts, and skip the initial steps of searing the meat. Continue with the rest of the instructions and set the cooking time to 7 minutes (9 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts). After the cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for 5 minutes and then manually release pressure.

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 27gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 280mgPotassium: 511mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 559IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Instant Pot, instant pot chicken and rice, one pot chicken and rice

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