Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo
Make this one-pot Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe with bone-in chicken thighs, savory Spanish rice, and vegetables for a complete family dinner in under 30 minutes. This pressure cooker arroz con pollo requires minimal prep and delivers maximum flavor with tender chicken and perfectly seasoned rice every time.
Servings: 5
Calories: 629kcal
Cost: 11
Recipe Link
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4-5 bone-in chicken thighs , with skin
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion , chopped
- 1 bell pepper , chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste*
- 1/2 cup white wine , optional*
- 2 cups long grain white rice , rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- cilantro or parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- *UPDATE 5/17/2020: I removed this recipe after many comments of readers struggling with the burn notice--then received a ton of backlash because so many of you love this recipe and-- it works perfectly for me as well) so I am reposting it. Before cooking, PLEASE CONSULT your instant pot manual for the proper rice to liquid cooking ratio for your instant pot. I use a 1:1 ratio, but some require a 1:2 ratio, so you may want to add an additional cup of broth.
- *Prepare all of your ingredients and have them ready. This will help prevent too much liquid from evaporating during sautéing and help you avoid a burn notice.
- Brown chicken: Turn Instant pot on sauté setting. Add oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the hot pot and cook for a few minutes on both sides, until the skin on the chicken thighs is golden brown and crispy. Remove chicken to a plate.1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, 4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
- Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and tomato paste to the pot. Stir well and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove everything to a plate.1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste*
- Add white wine to the pot to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 1 minute until most of the wine has evaporated. Turn the pot OFF!1/2 cup white wine
- Add chicken broth and bay leaf to the pot and stir. Add the veggie/spice mixture and stir to combine. Pour rice over everything and place chicken thighs on top, skin side up.2 bay leaves, 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups long grain white rice
- Pressure Cook: Secure instant pot lid, with valve turned to the sealed position. Cook on manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes. When the timer beeps allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes before removing the lid.
- Finish: Remove the instant pot lid and pour the frozen peas on top of the mixture. Return lid and allow to rest for a few minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Gently fluff rice with a fork. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.1 cup frozen peas, cilantro or parsley
Video
Notes
Chicken Thighs: I highly recommend chicken thighs, over chicken breasts, because I think they cook much better in the instant pot and are more tender and flavorful. If you want to substitute chicken breasts, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 5 minute natural release.
Tomato Paste: you can substitute 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Wine: I use Chardonnay. Any dry white wine would work. The alcohol gets cooked out. If you don’t want to use wine, just leave this step out and deglaze the pan when you add the chicken broth.
Rice: I use regular long-grain white rice. (If you want to use brown rice, see my cooking note above). Be sure to rinse the rice before adding it to the instant pot to remove the starch, and help keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Storage and Freezing Instructions: I doubt you'll have leftovers of this tasty dinner, but if you do, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3737IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg
