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chicken and rice in instant pot.

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice

Kemi
Instant pot chicken thighs and rice! This pressure cooker rice and chicken recipe is easy, quick, and simple. It is aromatic, flavorful, delicious, and will have everyone coming back for seconds. Learn how to cook chicken and rice in instant pot using boneless skinless chicken thighs, or bone-in chicken thighs.
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
natural pressure release 5 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, British
Servings 6
Calories 647 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 6 pieces Chicken thighs Boneless skinless or bone in skinless.
  • 3 cups Rice Easy cook long grain rice or Golden sella basmati rice.
  • 4 tablespoons Vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 1 medium Onion chopped
  • 1 medium Red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Dried thyme
  • I tablespoon Curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon Tumeric For the yellow color.
  • 2 5g Stock cubes crushed
  • 5 cups Chicken broth or half chicken broth, half water.
  • Salt to taste

To Season Chicken

  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start by patting the chicken thighs dry then seasoning with paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
  • Put the pot in the instant pot, then turn it on to saute mode and allow it to heat up.
    Add in the vegetable oil. Once the oil is heated, arrange the chicken thighs in it in a single layer (If it all doesn't fit at once, do it in batches).
  • Brown the chicken side for 2 minutes, then use a tong to flip them to brown the other side for another 2 minutes.
    If using bone in skinless chicken thighs, brown the sides for 4 minutes each.
    Take the chicken thighs out of the instant pot.
  • Add the diced onions to the pot and saute it till it's translucent (about 2-3 minutes).
    Add in the garlic, diced bell pepper, dried thyme, curry powder, turmeric, crushed stock cubes, salt.
  • Turn off the instant pot then add a cup of chicken broth in the pot. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pot by lifting off any brown bits at the bottom of the pot (This step is very important).
  • After deglazing the pot, add the remaining broth in the pot then add in washed rice.
    Stir, then place the chicken thighs on the rice.
  • Close the instant pot with its lid then turn the valve into sealing position. Set instant pot to pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.
  • Once the time has passed, let the Instant Pot release naturally for 5 minutes, then you can do a quick release to get rid of the remaining pressure.
  • When the pot is depressurized, open it then stir the rice.
    Serve and enjoy.

Notes

You can half this recipe, but the same cooking time applies so don't half the cooking time.
  • To prevent the instant pot from giving burn notice, make sure you deglaze the pot after browning the chicken. Ensure that no brown bits are sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Burn notice usually happens when there's not enough liquid in the instant pot or when food is stuck on the bottom of the pot. The amount of water specified in this recipe is adequate and you should not get burn notice if you follow the instructions. This recipe was made using my 6-quart instant pot pressure cooker.
  • Use easy cook long grain rice or golden sella basmati rice for this recipe. Brown rice is not suitable as it takes way longer to cook than the type of rice specified. Easy cook rice has a perfect texture, plumps up nicely, and just has an overall better taste and texture that pairs with the chicken.
  • Wash rice with warm water 2-3 times or till water runs clear to avoid sticky rice.
  • Adjust cayenne or black pepper to suit your taste.
  • Use chicken broth as stated but where that is not available, replace it with stock cubes like knorr, Maggi plus water. This ensures your rice is flavorful.
  • Skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts work best with instant pot chicken and rice as when browned for 4 minutes, how long to cook boneless chicken thighs or breast in a pressure cooker is 7 minutes which is the same time to pressure cook rice.
  •  

Nutrition

Calories: 647kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 40gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 952mgPotassium: 768mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 718IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 4mg
Keyword how to cook chicken thighs and rice in instant pot, instant pot chicken and rice, instant pot chicken thighs and rice, instant pot rice and chicken
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