This all-in-one dinner has quickly become a family favorite! Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls all cooked together in one pot, with rice, black beans, corn, salsa, chicken and seasonings.
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
When I reached out on my Instagram page to ask for your recipe recommendations, it quickly became clear that my readers want more easy dinner ideas–including more recipes you can make in your instant pot!
(Here's the instant pot I own and if you're thinking about buying one, you can read this great article about them.)
If you've been following along with my blog at all, you may know my affection for “bowls” : complete meals–including grains, protein and veggies, served together in a bowl. These are a few of my absolute favorites.
The instant pot takes my affection for “bowl recipes” to a whole new level, allowing me to add all of the ingredients to the pot at the same time, without any prep! YES!! This recipe is a busy mom's dream come true.
I first got the great idea for these bowls from wondermom wannabe. I knew I wanted to use white rice, and adjust the ingredient ratios, for less rice. I also played around with the recipe several times to make sure the rice and chicken cooking times coordinated enough that the rice was cooked perfectly, and not gloopy/mushy, and the chicken not dry.
The end result was just perfect! It really doesn't get much easier than these Chicken Taco Bowls, made in the handy, dandy Instant Pot!
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls:
- Add a little broth, and 2 chicken breasts to the bottom of the IP.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken. (If you don't have a packet of taco seasoning, you can make it really easily from scratch).
- Top with black beans, corn, salsa, and uncooked white rice.
- Add the rest of the chicken broth. BAM!
- Secure the lid, and follow my setting instructions.
- While the mixture cooks, prepare your toppings.
One important tip I would offer, when everything is done cooking, is to fluff the rice really gently with a fork. If you take the lid off and stir the mixture when the rice is piping hot, you'll end up with rice that gloops (is that a word?) and sticks together. Yuck! So just fluff it with a fork, then put the lid over it and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.
What Instant Pot size to use:
I developed this recipe for use in the 6-QUART INSTANT POT. If you're using a larger IP you may need to add more liquid so that you don't get a burn notice.
Can I use brown rice or Quinoa?
Yes, you could use brown rice for these instant pot chicken bowls but some adaptions will be needed. Add ¼ cup more chicken broth, and I would also suggest using chicken thighs, or cooking the chicken separately, so that it doesn't get overcooked/dry. Brown rice takes longer to cook in the IP–about 22-24 minutes (22 for low elevations, 24 for higher). Then follow the same pressure release instructions.
If you'd like to use quinoa instead of rice I recommend cooking it separately. Quinoa only takes 1 min on high pressure to cook, so if used in this recipe it would be very overcooked.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
Yes! To make this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, follow the directions exactly as they are listed below (but use frozen breasts). Cook on manual (high pressure) for a total of 10 minutes, instead of the 8 minutes it calls for. Then allow the pressure to naturally release for 12 minutes.
Other ways to adapt these Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls:
- Use ground beef/ground turkey. To substitute, sauté the meat in the bottom of the IP, first, before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Make it vegetarian. You could also leave the chicken out, to make this a vegetarian meal. Add additional veggies like chopped bell pepper, zucchini, or stir in fresh spinach at the end.
- Switch the beans. If you don't have black beans I would suggest pinto, or really any other type of bean you like.
- Leave out the rice. If you'd like to leave the rice out, you only need 1 cup of chicken broth. Cook time is the same.
Toppings are key!
The toppings can really make this dish fantastic! I would suggest a little shredded cheese, a scoop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt, and definitely some fresh chopped cilantro and avocado. You could serve warm corn/flour tortillas or tortilla chips on the side. You could also top with some shredded lettuce or chopped spinach.
Check out my other INSTANT POT RECIPES! Popular ones include:
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Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth , divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 15 ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn
- 1 1/2 cups salsa
- 1 1/4 cups long grain white rice , rinsed and drained
Topping ideas:
- cheese
- fresh cilantro , chopped
- avocado sliced
- green onion , chopped
- sour cream
Instructions
- Spray bottom of IP with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add ½ cup chicken broth to bottom of IP.
- Add chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning.
- Add black beans and corn.
- Add salsa.
- Add rice.
- Add remaining 1 cup chicken broth.
- Press rice into the liquid to make sure it’s fully submerged.
- Set valve to sealing. Cook on Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 12 minutes, then turn to quick release.
- Remove IP lid and gently FLUFF rice with a fork (Don't stir it!).
- Place IP lid back on (with power off) for 5 more minutes to allow rice to rest while you prepare the toppings.
- Slide rice to the side a bit to find the chicken breasts and pull them out. Shred the chicken.
- Add a scoop of rice mixture to a bowl. Top with some shredded chicken, and other desired toppings. Serve with tortillas, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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So easy and everyone loved it. Thanks
When using the Instant Pot, does total cook time include bringing the pot to pressure or do you bring it to pressure and then set the timer?
Hi Missy, the cook time doesn’t include the time to bring it pressure. On the IP the times will automatically start when it reaches pressure.
Hi again.
I was hesitant about eating the chicken but ate some of the rice and beans. I might try again but probably not all together and probably would add more to the cook time or try the poultry setting.
Can I use raw black beans? I have a bag of them but none in a can.
Hi Jeanette, you would have to cook the black beans in the IP before adding them to this recipe. Here’s a good resource https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/instant-pot-black-beans/ . Sounds delicious!
Do you think I can do cauliflower rice instead of rice or just leave rice out? Would I leave broth out then? Thanks
Hi Kelli, I have not experimented with cauliflower rice–not sure how it would work in the IP. If you want to leave the rice out, I would keep just 1/4 cup of chicken broth or water for the bottom of the IP.
Would the cook time be the same without rice?
Hi Susan,
If you omit the rice, you only need about 1 cup of liquid – at that point is just a matter of cooking it till the chicken is cooked through!
About how long would you say to cook it for without rice?
Hi Shasta,
Try cooking it for the same amount of time.
Such an EASY, delicious dinner! My family loved it. Thank you
It says cook on manual…..I assumed that was just high pressure for 8 minutes?
I got the burn message 🙁
Followed the recipe exactly. Not sure what to do better next time.
I thought it tasted great but I had to finish it in a pot on the stove to cook the rice.
Hi Jennifer, I wish I could offer better advice but I’d need to know what type of pot you have. I developed this recipe based on cooking it in my 6qt Instant Pot.
I get the burn message too on my IP Duo 8 qt. There is not enough liquid to reach pressure therefore it burns because it can’t reach pressure in my IP. Instruction manual says there has to be at least 3 cups of water, broth, etc. to reach pressure.
Question here… when you say natural release for 12 minutes.. you want it off completely right? Not on “keep warm”?
I am wondering the same thing
When it’s on “keep warm” the pressure is naturally releasing. Once the timer is up, (even when it’s on keep war), the pressure is naturally releasing. I usually just leave it on the “keep warm” setting but you can turn it off! Hope it turns out great!
Hi Kourtney,
When it’s on “keep warm” the pressure is naturally releasing. Once the timer is up, (even when it’s on keep war), the pressure is naturally releasing. I usually just leave it on the “keep warm” setting but you can turn it off! Hope it turns out great!
Use pressure cook for manual
DON’T drain the black beans or corn! I got the burn message tonight from doing that. Last time I made this I didn’t get the burn message and used all of the liquids possible. Liquid is key to no burning and it reaching its pressure
I’m getting the “Burn” error message on my Viva IP. I did use 2 frozen chicken breasts and 3 cups of chicken broth. Pressure level on on “low” and mode level on “normal”. First time using my IP..very frustrating! ☹️
Is long grain white rice different then that of minute rice? I really want to try this recipe?, but I don’t want to screw it up by using the wrong rice.
Yes, they are different 🙂 Minute rice is rice that has been precooked and then dehydrated, so that it cooks really fast (in a “minute”) when you use it. Look for “Long grain white rice” on the bag of rice.
Do the chicken breasts need to be thawed or can they go in frozen?
Hi Mollie, this recipe is for thawed chicken. If you want to cook frozen chicken I would cook everything for 11 minutes, with the same natural release–the rice may get a little on the softer side, instead of tender and fluffy. But it would still taste great.
Is this an extra 11 minutes on top of the cook time?
Delicious! Thanks so much