Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice
Make this Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice recipe! Tender chicken in aromatic coconut turmeric sauce, paired with perfectly cooked fried rice, topped with creamy melted cheese
Make this Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice recipe! Tender chicken in aromatic coconut turmeric sauce, paired with perfectly cooked fried rice, topped with creamy melted cheese
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 3 cloves (minced)
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 200 ml coconut milk
- kosher salt (to taste)
- black pepper (ground to taste)
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 3 chicken quarters (drumsticks and thighs, deboned,
- 1 medium carrot (cut into chunks)
- 2 small potatoes (quartered)
- 1 small shallot (sliced)
- 1 green bell pepper (cubed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons of water)
- 1 dash white pepper (ground)
- 250 grams jasmine rice (already cooked)
- 1 large egg ( beaten)
- grated cheese (optional flavour enhancing ingredi
- Carbohydrate 94.525772652324 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 41.5913640124108 g
- Fiber 1.9768922744694 g
- Protein 11.0705422707194 g
- Saturated Fat 21.6030270955299 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (374g)
- Sodium 1992.47440235954 mg
- Sugar 92.5488803778546 g
- Trans Fat 2.39442993235843 g
- Calories 798 calories
Step-by-step
- Marinate the Chicken Thighs: Marinate chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, a dash of ground white pepper, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the Pressure Cooker: Heat up pressure cooker Press Sauté button and click adjust button to go to Sauté More function. wait until indicator says HOT to sauté onions.
- Sauté the Onion, Shallot, and Garlic: Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil into the pressure cooker. Add sliced onion & shallot, sauté until brown & fragrant. Add minced garlic, sauté until fragrant. Season layering with kosher salt & ground black pepper if desired.
- Sauté the Chicken Thighs: Pour in the chicken, sauté until slightly browned (let the chicken caramelize on one side first before stirring, you don’t have to stir continuously). Add in 1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric powder & 1 teaspoon cumin powder. Sauté and mix well to let the spices release their aroma. Add quartered potatoes, carrots, and 2 small bay leaves. Mix well.
- Deglaze: Pour in 200 ml of coconut milk & 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, completely deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Pressure Cook the Portuguese Chicken and Rice: Place a steamer rack into the pressure cooker and carefully place a bowl with 1 cup of Jasmine rice onto the rack. Pour water into the bowl of rice. Make sure all the rice is soaked with water.
- Immediately close lid and cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and Full Natural Release. Manually release the remaining pressure by carefully turning the venting knob to the venting position. Open lid carefully.
- Optional Flavor Enhancing Step - Preheat Oven: While the Portuguese chicken and rice is cooking in the pressure cooker, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Thicken the Coconut Sauce: Fluff rice and set aside to allow it to cool down. If you are making the optional fried rice, preheat a wok or skillet on high heat with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil.
- Press sauté button once Instant pot is cleaned out. Add green pepper, cook for one minute, taste the seasoning. Add more light soy sauce, coconut milk, or salt if desired. Mix the cornstarch with water and mix it into the coconut sauce one third at a time until desired thickness. Turn off the heat.
- Optional Flavor Enhancing Steps - Fried Rice: When the oil starts to smoke, add in the fluffed rice and press them against the wok with a wok chuan (wok spatula) to separate the rice from each other. Repeat for roughly 20 - 30 seconds. Add 1 beaten extra-large egg on top of the rice and quickly stir-fry the rice to allow the beaten egg to coat the rice evenly. Stir-fry for another minute until fragrant, then season with sea salt. Mix well and turn off the heat.
- Optional Oven Step: Fill an oven-safe container half-way full with fried rice. Fill up the container with Portuguese chicken and vegetables. Add grated cheese (as much as you like!) over the top and place into oven for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately (piping hot!) Enjoy!
Temperature control during the initial chicken sear dictates whether the meat develops deep umami or simply steams in its own juices. Allowing the deboned quarters to sit undisturbed on a hot surface creates essential caramelization before the coconut milk hits the vessel. Pressure cooking requires strict adherence to timing to prevent starches from breaking down prematurely.
- Preheat the pressure cooker until the display reads HOT before introducing fats or aromatics.
- Cook under high pressure for exactly 4 minutes to ensure the jasmine rice steams properly inside the bowl without turning gummy.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry incrementally into the simmering sauce to monitor viscosity precisely.
- Store cooked components in airtight containers for up to 3 days if preparing elements ahead of schedule.
Transforming leftover grains into fried rice requires high heat and a smoking wok to coat every starch grain with beaten egg. Baking the final assembly at 425 degrees Fahrenheit melts the cheese topping rapidly without overcooking the tender poultry underneath.
