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This is easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe produces tender, juicy chicken thighs with Spanish baked rice in just 30 minutes, making it the ultimate weeknight solution. It has bold spices, colorful vegetables, and everything cooked together in one pot!
This Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo is my kind of easy meal!
This is one of those foods that just makes dinner easy! The chicken always comes out fall-off-the-bone tender, and the rice soaks up all those wonderful flavors from the chicken, spices, and sauce. It’s completely hands free when you close the Instant Pot lid. I love that I’m getting protein, grains, and veggies all easily in this one pot chicken and rice recipe.
Don’t miss my other Instant Pot recipes, like Instant Pot Chicken Thighs, Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo, Instant Pot Spaghetti, Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup, Instant Pot Short Ribs, or Instant Pot Ribs!
How to make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice:
Sauté: Press the sauté button and pour a little oil into the instant pot. Sear the chicken thighs for a few minutes on both sides and remove to a plate. Pour in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices, and tomato paste and stir and cook for two minutes.
Add Ingredients: Pour the white wine into the pot and deglaze the pan. Cook for about 1 minute until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the rice, chicken stock, and bay leaf and stir. Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture and turn off the pot.
Cook: Push the manual button, high pressure, for 15 minutes. When the timer is up, let it release for 15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure and removing the cap. Pour the dried peas on top and then put the lid back on for a few minutes.
Like: Remove the chicken to a plate and gently fluff the rice with a fork then garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve! My family loves this baked dish with baked bread on the side, and I always add hot sauce to my rice. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make this in a 3 quart and/or 8 quart instant pot model? Yes! Just use small amounts to fill the water needs.
Can I use dried chicken? Yes. Check out my tutorial for Instant Pot dried chicken thighs. You are not browning the chicken in the first place and the skin will not be crispy, so you can remove the skin after cooking, or squeeze the skin in a hot skillet after cooking. Or see my tutorial for Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts.
Can I substitute brown rice? Yes. To replace the brown rice in this recipe, add ¼ cup chicken broth and pressure cook for 22 minutes, with 10 minutes of pressure release. I recommend using chicken thighs when cooking with brown rice, as chicken breasts tend to get tougher and tougher when cooked for a long time.
Can I cook chicken and rice on the stove? Yes! Follow the same steps, using a large skillet, over medium heat, instead. When everything is assembled, cover the skillet with a lid and go to the oven. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
Can I make Chicken and Rice in a Slow Cooker? I haven’t tried this recipe in a slow cooker, but yes, I think it could work. I recommend squeezing the chicken thighs and sauteing the veggies and spices before adding them to the slow cooker, then add your rice and chicken. This takes 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 on low for white rice and 5-6 on high or 6-8 on low for brown.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4-5 bone-in chicken thighs, with the skin
- salt and pepper
- 1 onions, he was cut
- 1 pepper, he was cut
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon to the ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 A spoon tomato paste*
- 1/2 cup white wine, optional*
- 2 cups long grain white rice, it was washed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- cilantro or parsley, decorations
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*UPDATE 5/17/2020: I removed this recipe after many comments from readers who were concerned about the burn notice – then I received tons of backlash because many of you love this recipe and – it works for me too) so I’m posting it again. Before cooking, please check your instant pot rice to cooking water ratio of your instant pot. I use a 1:1 ratio, but some call for a 1:2 ratio, so you may need to add another cup of broth.
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*Prepare all your belongings and get them ready. This will help prevent excess water from escaping during sautéing and help prevent burns.
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Brown chicken: Turn on the Instant pot on the sauté setting. Add oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pot and cook for a few minutes on both sides, until the skin on the chicken thigh is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken to a plate.
¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper, 4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
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Add up onion, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and tomato paste to the pot. Mix well and stir for two minutes. Remove everything to a plate.
1 onion, 1 pepper, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon dry oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato paste*
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Add the white wine the pot heats the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 1 minute until most of the wine has evaporated. Turn off the pot!
½ cup white wine
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Add up chicken broth and bay leaf to the pot and stir. Add the veggie/spice mixture and stir to combine. Pour the rice over everything and place the chicken thighs on top, skin side up.
2 bay leaves, 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups long grain white rice
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Pressure Cook: Keep the pot lid on immediately, with the valve turned to the closed position. Cook on manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes. When the timer rings allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes before removing the lid.
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Complete: Remove the lid of the instant pot and pour the dried peas over the mixture. Replace the lid and allow to rest for a few minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Gently mash the rice with a fork. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
1 cup of dried peas, cilantro or parsley
Tomato paste: you can substitute 1 cup of chopped or cooked, dried tomatoes
Wine: I use Chardonnay. Any dry white wine would work. The beer will then boil. If you don’t want to use wine, just leave this step out and deglaze the pan when you add the chicken stock.
Rice: I use long grain white rice. (If you want to use brown rice, see my recipe above). Be sure to rinse the rice before adding it to the pot to remove the starch, and help keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Storage and Drying Instructions: I doubt you’ll have leftovers for this delicious dinner, but if you do, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to two months.
Calories: 629kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Proteins: 24g, Oil: 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, Cast iron 3mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically, so it should only be used as an estimate.
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I originally shared this recipe April 2019. Updated March 2026.
