Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
Chicken Instant Pot Burrito Bowl (or Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice) is not only quick, easy, and picky eater friendly, it is also point friendly on WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) and easy on the calories. You can top it with a wide array of toppings which makes it perfect for a crowd. Everyone can customize their own bowl!
The cook time on this is only 15 minutes and prep is minimal. With taking the time to come to pressure into account, you can have this dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I especially love it on nights when we've had a really busy day and I don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. The fact that it comes together faster than you can go get take-out in my city plus it's point friendly... winner winner chicken (burrito bowl) dinner!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like to use chicken tenderloins, but it works with both!)
- taco seasoning (I prefer homemade)
- ground cumin
- garlic powder
- roasted green chile (optional)
- frozen corn
- canned black beans
- salsa (homemade or this is the kind I prefer if I don't have homemade on hand)
- basmati rice
- chicken stock
Can Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice be made with Quinoa or a different type of rice?
Quinoa can be tricky in the Instant Pot when combining it with other foods. I haven't tried this myself so I can't give exact instructions. The rice can be substituted for any rice you like that uses the same liquid ratio and cooking time. Brown rice may require additional cook time.
How to Make this Chicken Burrito Bowl Instant Pot Recipe
(full recipe with measurements and printable card below)
- Add chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, green chiles, corn, black beans, and salsa into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine making sure everything is well coated in the seasonings.
- Even out the mixture across the top.
- Sprinkle the rice evenly on top of the chicken mixture. DO NOT STIR.
- Carefully and slowly pour the chicken stock on top of the rice. DO NOT STIR. If there are pieces of rice floating or exposed above the stock, push them down with your utensil.
- Secure lid and set the pressure valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- Press CANCEL.
- Allow the Instant Pot to NATURAL-RELEASE the pressure for 5 minutes.
- QUICK-RELEASE the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
- Serve with your favorite toppings!
What size Instant Pot is recommended for this recipe?
This recipe works best with an 8 quart Instant Pot. If you will be using a different size, you may need to adjust the amount of liquid to what is best suited to your size.
What is the ratio of water to rice in an Instant Pot?
When cooking white or brown, long-grain rice in an Instant Pot, you need a 1:1 ratio.
Can Instant Pot Burrito Bowls be made ahead of time?
Yes, it can be. You could make it to completion as far as a couple of days in advance. It would keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days when stored properly and reheated when ready to eat. I have not personally tried freezing it, so I would not recommend that route at this time. I will update this if/when I try freezing it.
Tips and Tricks for Burrito Bowl Instant Pot Recipes
- Although cooking from frozen with meats works well in the Instant Pot, I do not recommend that with this recipe. I recommend using thawed chicken as it will effect the way the rice cooks if you don't.
- If you like a bit "drier" rice, you can use slightly less chicken stock, but you need to have your rice completely covered when cooking.
- It's very important not to stir the rice. In order for it to cook properly, it needs to be placed on top and gently covered with stock.
Instant Pot Burrito Bowls for Picky Eaters
- For those that hate tomato pieces, stick with a salsa that isn't chunky. I personally use Mateo's brand salsa (linked above) because it isn't chunky so my tomato piece haters don't have any issues.
- If you have a picky eater that is sensitive to spice, you can omit the green chile all together and use less taco seasoning if needed.
- Let them choose their own toppings. Make it fun!
Instant Pot Burrito Bowl Variations
Here are some great variations you can try. Some may affect the cooking time, so be aware of that when making substitutions.
- Meat – boneless skinless chicken thighs, ground beef, or ground chicken
- Beans – pinto beans, cannellini beans, and even chili beans
- Salsa – tomato sauce or enchilada sauce
- Rice – brown rice or long-grain white rice can be used, but be very careful of liquid amounts and cook times when changing the rice
- Stock – vegetable broth or beef broth can be used depending on what protein you choose
LOOKING FOR SIMILAR RECIPES? TRY ONE OF THESE:
Chicken Instant Pot Burrito Bowl
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1.5 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken - cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup roasted green chile chopped (optional)
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice dry & uncooked
- 2 ½ cup chicken stock
- Toppings optional: taco sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, avocado, tortilla strips, etc.
Instructions
- Add chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, green chiles, corn, black beans, and salsa into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine making sure everything is well coated in the seasonings.
- Even out the mixture across the top.
- Sprinkle the rice evenly on top of the chicken mixture. DO NOT STIR.
- Carefully and slowly pour the chicken stock on top of the rice. DO NOT STIR. If there are pieces of rice floating or exposed above the stock, push them down with your utensil.
- Secure lid and set the pressure valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- Press CANCEL.
- Allow the Instant Pot to NATURAL-RELEASE the pressure for 5 minutes.
- QUICK-RELEASE the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
- Serve with your favorite toppings!
Cristina Schackman
Another huge hit in my house. It's always great when I can get my 5 and 3 year old to eat it and ask for more. It also makes great leftovers and is awesome in a taco salad.
Kim
How would you change the cooking time or liquid amt if you used brown rice?
kara
I haven't personally tried it with brown rice myself, but I would probably adjust it to the standard ratio/times for brown rice. I would use 1 cup brown rice/1.5 cups broth. Then I'd change the cooking time to 15-18 minutes with a natural release.
Emily Seeley
Does this work with jasmine rice?
kara
Yes, absolutely. Jasmine and basmati both work really well. The cooking time and liquid amount would still be the same.
Phoebe
Can you use tinned corn instead of frozen
kara
Yes, you can replace the frozen corn with canned corn.
Colleen
Could you do this in a crock pot do you think?
kara
Hi Colleen,
You could make it in the crockpot, but you'd need to cook the rice separately. Rice has a tendency to get gummy in the crockpot. You could lower the broth amount to about 1/4-1/2 cup and cook on Low for 4 hours (doing the rest as written just omitting the rice). Then stir in the rice once it's done.
Lauren
Could I use ground chicken? And if so how would I adjust cooking time?
kara
You could use ground chicken by utilizing the saute function and cooking the chicken. Then I would proceed as normal with the rest of the recipe. You'll need same cooking time in order to be sure the rice is cooked through.
Hannah
Can I make this without rice if I am trying to do a low carb diet? Thank you!
kara
Hi Hannah! The liquid measurements and cook time are largely based on the rice. If you decided to omit the rice, I would recommend using less liquid and lowering the cooking time to match your chicken.