MEXICAN CHICKEN & RICE {ONE POT}

Imagine this wonderful scene: You come home after a long, tiring day, feeling exhausted and lacking the energy to cook a full meal, but your conscience tells you to avoid buying takeout, which is sometimes unhealthy. Sound familiar? Well, whether it happens frequently or just once, I’m sure it happens to all of us.

A few days ago, I was craving Mexican food because I like it, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. After a quick search in the fridge and pantry, I found some brown rice, a jar of Mexican salsa (I always try to have a flavor or two of salsa at home; it’s so versatile!), and some chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) in the freezer.

These ingredients were just the inspiration I needed and the perfect match for my Instant Pot! It only takes a few minutes to prep the ingredients, and the Instant Pot does the rest. In no time, a delicious, complete meal was ready (in less time than it takes to order and receive the order!). I think it’s great that I can just throw all the ingredients (including the frozen chicken) right into the Instant Pot, and everything cooks together, enhancing the flavors even more—and ultimately, no more pans to wash!

If you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, you can make this recipe in a regular pressure cooker on the stovetop, but you’ll probably need to increase the amount of liquid a little (pressure cookers lose more moisture/steam than the Instant Pot).

Why you will love this recipe

• Uses simple pantry ingredients
• Totally customisable to taste
• It is simple, quick and fast
• While this is a stove-top recipe, it can be oven-baked too
• Minimal prep: 10 minutes tops!
• It stores well in the fridge at least for up to 5 days, I like to keep it for 3 days maximum for optimum freshness. You can also freeze it too!
• Depending on the type of rice you are using, this recipe would be ready in 30 minutes. See why you have to love a one-pot dinner? It is totally awesome!

Variations on Chicken and Rice

Use fresh garlic and onion. Use freshly chopped onion and garlic instead of the dried versions. I recommend 1/2 chopped yellow onion or 1 chopped shallot, and 3 pressed or minced fresh garlic cloves (or 4 if you’re a garlic lover like me!)

Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable stock or broth instead of chicken stock, and omit the chicken to make this dish vegetarian. Use these swaps PLUS use dairy-free butter to make it vegan.

Swap in rotisserie chicken. If you have shredded rotisserie chicken on hand, stir in 1-1/2 cups pre-cooked, shredded chicken at the end to warm through.

Add a parmesan cheese rind. This is one of my favorite hacks for adding slow-cooked flavor to quick-cooking soups, especially — drop a parmesan cheese rind into the pot with the chicken stock then let it simmer with the dish. Remove before serving. You will be SHOCKED by how much flavor it adds!

Add more veggies. Pump up the veggies by sauting sliced celery, sliced mushrooms, and/or frozen corn in with the carrots, and/or stir in frozen peas at the end.

INGREDIENTS

• Onions: If you have eagle-eyed kids who don’t like to see diced onion in their food, use 1 teaspoon onion powder instead.
• Olive Oil: You can swap it for avocado oil or even butter if that’s what you have.
• Tomato Paste: If you don’t have tomato paste, use 1 ½ cups tomato sauce instead and omit the water.
• Spices and seasonings: I use garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper. Swap for a taco seasoning blend if you have one on hand.
• Rice: I use long-grain white rice. If you use long-grain brown rice, add ½ a cup of water and cook it for an additional 20-25 minutes, or according to package instructions.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: Swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs instead, if desired.
• Green Chilies: Adds a slight tang and gentle heat. If you like things spicier, try swapping for 2 chipotle chilies in adobo, roughly chopped. If you like things on the mild side, swap for ½ cup chopped bell pepper instead. Add the bell pepper in step 1, with the onion.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN CHICKEN AND RICE

• Step 1: Sauté the onions with some olive oil until they soften.
• Step 2: Add cubed chicken breast and seasonings.
• Step 3: Cook until chicken is almost cooked through.
• Step 4: Add tomato paste and rice. Stir to evenly coat rice and chicken in tomato paste.
• Step 5: Add water and green chilies and bring to a boil.
• Step 6: Cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.

RECIPE TIPS

• Rinse the rice with cold water before cooking to remove extra starch. Rinsing the rice well will prevent the rice from sticking together when cooked.
• Don’t overcook the chicken. You want to slightly undercook the chicken before adding the rice. The chicken will cook through while the rice cooks.
• Let the dish rest after cooking. Removing the pan from heat and letting it sit allows the rice to finish cooking in its steam so it’s nice and fluffy.
• Make sure to use a very deep pan to allow the rice space to grow and steam. If you don’t have a pan, you can use a pot as well. Just make sure it has a tight-fitting lid.

SERVING IDEAS

Stuffed Peppers: Bake it inside halved bell peppers for a fun twist.

Burrito and Taco Bowls: Serve with chopped lettuce, salsa, and fresh tomatoes for a tasty dinner bowl

Tacos: Spoon it into soft tortillas, top with avocado and hot sauce.

Breakfast Burrito: Use leftover Mexican Chicken and Rice for breakfast. Add scrambled eggs and cheese for a hearty start.

Chicken and Rice Recipe FAQ

Can I use arborio rice? This recipe will not work as written with arborio rice.

Can I use brown rice? You can, but you will need to add more broth to the recipe, and simmer the rice longer. The chicken will still only need 7-10 minutes to cook through so plan accordingly.

Can I freeze leftovers? I don’t recommend freezing cooked rice-based dishes as they can become mushy once thawed and reheated.

Can I make this in the crock pot or my Instant Pot / pressure cooker? My experience with cooking rice in a slow cooker has not been positive, and extensive additional testing would be required to confidently recommend the best timing/method for cooking this recipe in an Instant Pot. If you’ve tried it, let us know in the comments section!

Can I use fresh onion and garlic? Absolutely! I recommend 1/2 chopped yellow onion or 1 chopped shallot, and 3-4 pressed or minced fresh garlic cloves.