Instant Pot Spicy Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Rice

Chicken and rice is one of those old fashioned family meals that is so reliable, so easy, so tasty, that it’s been around forever. But the popularity of pressure cookers has really made this dish relevant again. An Instant Pot can get a meal on your table fast and easy.

Our newest Instant Pot recipe, Spicy Chicken and Rice, is comfort food at its finest. Tender chicken with rice and vegetables, flavored with warm spices and herbs– it’s enough for the whole family. And the whole family will love it!

We have a new test kitchen at Chef Shamy, which allows us to easily share the food we make with our colleagues who work at our plant. And this one was a hit– most people immediately asked for the recipe.

So let’s talk about it.

Chicken, Rice, and Veggies

Use the Saute function and add a little cooking oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Take a few minutes to quickly sear your chicken thighs (already seasoned). Then remove them from the pot and set them aside. We use oil because we don’t want the butter or garlic to burn.

Then we add some of our famous Fresh Churned Garlic Butter. Saute some onions, carrots, and celery in the butter, allowing them to soak up all that delicious flavor. Then add rice, chicken broth, and spices. Our recipes calls for cumin, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. It’s not actually very spicy, but warm and, as one of our friends called it, “homey.”

Feeling the Pressure

Add the chicken back in, and seal the lid. Cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes. This is enough time to cook the chicken and rice and distribute those tasty flavors throughout the whole dish.

This is great as a meal-prep, or to use as leftovers for a second dinner. It will reheat really well.

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Spicy Chicken and Rice

Recipe by Chef ShamyCourse: Dinner

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil

• 1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 4 T Fresh Churned Garlic Butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• ½ cup celery, chopped

• ½ cup carrot, diced

• 1½ cups long-grain rice

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 3 cups chicken broth

• Fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions

• Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE and add oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper (both sides), then sear in the oil, 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
• Add Garlic Butter and allow to melt. Add onions, celery, and carrot, and saute for 3 minutes. Pour in rice, cumin, paprika, thyme, cayenne, and chicken broth and stir to combine. Add chicken thighs back into the pot.
• Close the lid and seal. Cook on HIGH for 7 minutes, with a natural release.
• Shred chicken and stir into the rice.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
• Notes
• If you prefer to white meat to dark meat, you can substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs.