I love Latin cuisines – and the flavors of Puerto-Rican dishes, such as the ones featured in this Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo are among my favorites. I love how many dishes are naturally gluten-free too. If anyone has a favorite mofongo recipe, send it my way! If you prefer a Spanish-style arroz con pollo, it’s really easy to make a few seasoning modifications here, like adding saffron and swapping in smoked paprika.
I grew up eating chicken and rice dishes of all varieties. Of course, my mom’s favorite to serve us was a creamy casserole type with cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. The concept of a hearty, one-pot rice and chicken dish has a place in so many different cultures, and I definitely prefer the healthier and lighter Latin versions over the ones of my youth! Although if you haven’t tried the creamy chicken, broccoli, and “rice” dish from Meals Made Simple, you need to.
My kids and Ryan eat white rice, and I wanted a one-pot, set it and forget it recipe that had similar flavors, so this is a rendition that I think you will all love! And a little trick to make this even faster – I throw the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic into my mini food processor and pulse a few times until it’s all chopped.
For the grain-free version of this, see page 214 in Healthy in a Hurry. It uses riced plantains and it’s so delicious!
If you are looking for more delicious rice dishes, below are some of my favorites!
Gluten-Free Saffron “Rice”
Instant Pot Sesame-Orange Chicken
Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken
Beef Cauliflower Fried Rice
Last Minute Dinner Recipes
15 Minute Dinner: Chicken Power Bowls
Gluten Free Chicken Soup with Caramelized Leeks
Sesame Orange Chicken (Two Cooking Methods!)
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PrintInstant Pot Arroz con Pollo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Puerto-Rican
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups basmati or medium grain rice – rinsed a few times until the water runs clear
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat or avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small white onion, minced
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeded
- 3 ½ tablespoons Healthy in a Hurry Adobo Seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Bone Broth
- 1 cup tomato puree or strained tomatoes
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled English peas
- 1 ⁄4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Heat the bacon fat in a 6-quart Instant Pot using the sauté mode on high heat.
- Add the garlic, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.
- Add the rice, Adobo seasoning, paprika and salt, do not stir.
- Nestle the chicken thighs over top.
- Pour in the chicken broth and tomato purée.
- Secure the lid and turn the machine to manual high pressure with a 5-minute timer.
- Allow the machine to release pressure naturally for 6 minutes longer.
- Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice and shred the chicken apart.
- Stir in the olives, peas, and cilantro.
- Serve hot with additional fresh cilantro.
Notes
My kids love green olives on their own, but do not like them mixed into dinners. Feel free to leave them out!
* If you would like to make any of the spice blends in this recipe from scratch, the full recipes of all the spice blends are in my cookbook Healthy in a Hurry. If you would like to purchase the spices ready-made, click here.
Keywords: Instant Pot, gluten-free, healthy in a hurry, Danielle Walker, against all grain, dinner, Latin cuisine
11/04/22
Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo
Hi! I think there’s a typo in steps 2 or 3 as it says to put the rice in twice. Just wanted to give you a heads up. So excited to try this!
Hi! Thank you so much for catching that – it was a typo. We have corrected the instructions and it is up to date. We apologize for the confusion. Happy cooking! – Team DW
This recipe sounds amazing! Just one question; the instructions say to add the rice with seasonings and stir to incorporate, then it says to add rice in an even layer but don’t stir it in. Which is it?
Hi! Thank you so much for catching that – it was a typo. We have corrected the instructions and it is up to date. We apologize for the confusion. Happy cooking! – Team DW
I am looking forward to making this! I did have a question about the instructions, it says to add rice in step 3 but then in step 4 to pour rice over top. Could you please clarify? Thanks so much!
Hi! Thank you so much for catching that – it was a typo. We have corrected the instructions and it is up to date. We apologize for the confusion. Happy cooking! – Team DW
I’m making this tonight and I can’t wait to dig in!
I do have a question about the addition of the peas. Should I just thaw them or should I cook them first before adding them?
Hi! They can be fresh or frozen!
Could you make this dish in a skillet or a crock pot if you don’t use an instant pot? My Puerto Rican friend’s mother used to make this dish for me all the time, but she would never let me watch her cook it. I am thinking it could be done in a dutch oven too? If you pre-cook the chicken?
I just signed up for your gluten-free cooking class on the 15th, very happy to have crossed your path on social media
Hi! You can make this in a dutch oven – I have the full recipe instructions in my cookbook Healthy In a Hurry, p. 214!
I made this recipe last week. I added a can of pinto beans. It was easy and delicious! The whole family enjoyed it. I love that it is all cooked in one pot. And I saved the leftovers in the freezer, so I have a quick meal all ready, for another night! Thanks for a cozy, delicious meal Danielle! This one will definitely go in the list of my ‘go-to’ recipes!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying it!
I love these one pot meals. The flavor was delicious. However, when I made it in my instant pot I kept getting the burn notice. What can I do next time, so that doesn’t happen?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! In regards to the burn notice, it’s hard to tell without me being in the kitchen with you – it could be a variety of reasons! If it occurs again, I’d suggest doing a quick internet search to help troubleshoot what may be causing the notice. Sorry that I can’t provide a clear answer on this!
My rice was mushy….what did I do wrong?
Hi Cheryl! My guess would be perhaps too much liquid but without being there it’s hard to say what exactly went wrong. I hope you give this recipe another try!
How would I adjust the liquid for an 8 quart instant pot? I tried the recipe, but got the food burn warning 🙁 I ended up throwing it all in a large skillet to finish cooking.
★★★
Hi! You can add more liquid if you continue to get the burn notice but without being in the kitchen with you to help troubleshoot, I’m not sure of the exact amount. Let us know if you modify the recipe and what worked – another reader might have the same question and will find your feedback helpful!
Julie,
I had the same issue in my 8qt IP tonight. My plan is to add 1 more cup of chicken broth for a total of 2.5 cups next time I make this. If that doesn’t work then I’ll up the liquid to 3 cups. I might also try doing it with the plantain rice that she uses in her HIAH cookbook. That may not absorb as much of the liquid and may be less likely to burn. Hope that helps!
This recipe was SO flavorful and delicious! My kids ate every bite. My husband had no complaints and my in-laws loved it too! I didn’t use my instant pot, but it was still easy and quick to make. The “rice” out of plantains is a stroke of genius! I’ve even used it with a curry. Try it, you won’t be disappointed!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this review – I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Tasted great… after I had to eventually remove it from the instant pot and bake it in the oven. My instant pot ALSO said it was burning… 3 times. I emptied the instant pot, we scrubbed it clean, added some moisture in the bottom (olive oil and extra bone broth), and it burned again. Did this twice more. Eventually emptied it out and baked in in a cast iron at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. I did some reading about why this happened and came across an article which said you should deglaze the bottom of the pot after sautéing and before trying to pressure cook. The article also suggested not putting starchy ingredients close to the bottom of the pot (rice). I also think maybe it should have been pressure cooked at a lower temp to avoid burning in the pot. Anyway, the flavor was good but this recipe took over 1.5 hours to make with all the mishaps. Made my own Adobo spice and it worked well. Added some avocado on top of the dish which was good 👍
★★★
I LOVE this recipe, but after making it successfully one time I struggled with the burn notice and threw it out a few times out of frustration. I did a lot of reading other recipes and reviews to figure out what I was doing wrong and today, it was perfect. I monitored the sauté the entire time and made sure nothing was stuck. The I removed my instant pot after sautéing and let it cool while I layered the other ingredents. I paid special attention to the rice to make sure it was on top of the onion & pepper mixture and none of it was on the bottom of the pot. I had no issue this time. Just thought I’d share because I think the trick was making sure the rice was on top of the onion/pepper mixture.
Hi Leigh Ann! So glad it worked for you with the rice on top! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can I add the chicken frozen…new to the insta pot stuff.
I couldn’t get this recipe to work – burn notice over and over. Had to abandon the IP and move to stovetop. Rice came our mushy after adding more liquid.
I had the same burn issue when making this recipe tonight. It was frustrating. The rice cooked and the chicken didn’t. It took 2 hours to make. I had to cook the chicken in a pot then transfer the rice. Some of the rice was undercooked and the rest was mushy. I’ve never had this issue with the Instant pot before. Once I cooked it in a pot on the stove it was edible. Next time I would just cook it on the
stove. It seems like a great recipe so I’d try again without using instant pot.
Impossible to cook this in instant pot. Just says burn over and over. Would not recommend. Wasted my time and money and ingredients making this.
★
I am so sorry about this Gloria! If you feel up to trying it again, you can try deglazing the pot in between steps to avoid the burn notice.