Instant Pot Chicken Rice Recipe | Latin Style
One the the most popular google searches is for Instant Pot Chicken recipes. It seems clear people are looking chicken recipes that are inventive, easy and that work in the Instant Pot. This recipe is prefect because it’s simple, fast, and is full of wonderful latin flavors.
My Version of Arroz Con Pollo in the Instant Pot
I always associate arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) with summertime. I think it has something to do with the years I spent living in Brooklyn and the memories of latin smells wafting from mom and pop eateries as I walked down the streets. Succumbing to the flavors and surrendering to a plate of slow cooked food and a cold beer was immensely refreshing. For those few moments you didn’t feel like you were in New York, it felt like a small vacation and escape from the oppressive heat and grind of the city. So all these years later when summer rolls around I still crave those latin flavors.
There are a million different version of Arroz Con Pollo (chicken and rice) scattered throughout Latin America and each have their own take, offering different seasonings and ingredients. I would say this version is a mix of elements I like in both the Cuban and Puerto Rican versions. I love adding briny olives or capers to my arroz con pollo which is traditionally done in Puerto Rico. Personally I use a homemade sofrito that is more cuban in style and feel this is the element that really flavors the dish. This dish really sums of my style of cooking, which is tasting, experiencing, and then borrow the things for multiple dishes to create something slightly unique.
What makes the recipe even more appealing is that we can make it in the Instant Pot and have tender juicy chicken that falls off the bone along with flavorful rice, that all cooks in only a mater of minutes.
To learn tip and tricks for using the Instant Pot check out my weekly live online cooking classes.
Arroz Con Pollo in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 pieces of chicken (whole chicken or thighs or legs, skin on)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 c chicken broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste or 18 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp anatto
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 c rice
- 1 c frozen green peas
- 1/2 c sofrito, homemade or Goya brand
- 3 saffron threads
- 1 c sliced green olives with pimientos (optional)
- cilantro and lime for garnish
Instructions
- Instructions
- I have a unique method for getting crispy brown chicken skin in the Instant Pot. The usual way would be to put oil on the bottom of the pot and then brown the chicken skin, but I don’t find this method works well. The pot doesn’t get hot enough to get a good sear on the chicken skin. Often the skin tears, and it’s not pretty. However, skipping the step results in slimy chicken skin, of which I am not a fan.
- So here’s my approach.
- Step 1: Take the chicken pieces and put them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel. This is a crucial step. Moisture is the enemy of browned meat, so always dry your meat before browning. Then spray the meat with cooking spray (I like avocado oil).
- Step 2: Place the baking sheet in the broiler and let the skin brown. Watch it carefully because it can burn quickly. Every oven has hot spots, so you will likely need to move the pieces around so they are evenly browned. After a few minutes you will have beautiful brown skins, but raw chicken on the inside. That’s exactly what we want!
- Step 3: The next step is to cut the peppers, onions, and garlic.
- Step 4: Sauté these with olive oil in the Instant Pot. Don’t forget to add salt to help them sweat.
- Step 5: Once the above ingredients are softened, turn the pot off and add everything but the chicken and rice. The order you add the chicken and rice is very important. I have found if you add all the rice first and then layer the chicken on top, you’re likely to get a burn notice. So place 3-4 pieces of chicken into the broth and then add rice. (It’s better when not forced to the bottom with the weight off all the chicken on top of it.) Then, add the remainder of chicken.
- Step 6: Once all the ingredients are added, place the lid on the pot and cook under pressure for 12 mins. Instant release. If the dish is too wet, then hit the sauté feature and allow it to reduce for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.