Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Rice
Try this Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Rice recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Rice recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp butter
- sour cream
- 1 tsp cumin
- diced avocado
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- chopped cilantro
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 lime juice of
- diced tomato
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cans diced, chili-ready tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh (or canned) corn kernels
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 cup shredded marbled cheddar
- !taco toppings:
- Carbohydrate 58.1187445833352 g
- Cholesterol 86.8724561565405 mg
- Fat 9.87196905780078 g
- Fiber 4.2283959116141 g
- Protein 33.0046426832759 g
- Saturated Fat 5.31757724847933 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (477g)
- Sodium 355.361843476857 mg
- Sugar 53.8903486717211 g
- Trans Fat 1.0810179970894 g
- Calories 455 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the chicken, diced tomatoes, onion, corn, rice, lime juice, garlic salt, cumin, butter and water in the pot of your pressure cooker and stir to combine.
- Set to the POULTRY setting for 12 minutes with the steam release valve in the closed position.
- Let the pressure cooker naturally release pressure (about 10 to 15 minutes).
- Stir the mixture to fluff the rice.
- Add in the 1 cup cheese and 1/3 cup chopped cilantro and stir until cheese is melted.
- Serve in bowls, with optional taco toppings if desired.
- Enjoy!
Protein Substitutions
Swapping boneless, skinless chicken thighs for lean chicken breasts fundamentally alters the dish because white meat lacks the intramuscular fat required to withstand high-pressure cooking without drying out. When utilizing lean breast meat, reduce the pressure cooking duration by two minutes to prevent the protein fibers from seizing and turning chalky under sustained heat. Cutting the poultry into uniform one-inch cubes guarantees even heat penetration, eliminating the risk of undercooked centers while preventing smaller pieces from disintegrating entirely into the surrounding starches.Assessing Doneness
Determining whether the rice is properly cooked in a sealed pressure vessel relies entirely on visual and textural inspection rather than probing with a thermometer. Once the natural pressure release finishes after 10 to 15 minutes, remove the lid and examine the grains; properly hydrated jasmine rice should display an opaque exterior while offering zero resistance when pressed firmly between two fingers. If hard white cores remain visible in the center of the grains, re-secure the lid and let the pot sit off the heat for five additional minutes to allow residual steam to finish softening the starch.Managing Texture
Starch management dictates the final consistency of grain-based pressure cooker dishes. Rinsing the jasmine rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water removes excess surface starch that otherwise gelatinizes and creates a gluey, compact mass inside the pot. Incorporating fats like butter directly into the initial cooking liquid coats the individual grains in a lipid barrier, physically restricting water absorption speed and keeping the finished dish light and separate rather than heavy and risotto-like.
