Rice with Chicken – Instant Pot

Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo) is a very common dish in the Latin culture.   In Puerto Rico, we initially consumed only white rice prepared with lard and salt pork.  The stewed rice (el arroz guisado) was introduced later when the sofrito became the traditional method of cooking in our culture.   Sofrito is a special blend of herbs and vegetables sautéed in annatto oil and tomato sauce.  It is the basic condiment that gives the Puerto Rican cuisine its unique flavor, color and aroma!  

Enjoy preparing this popular and delicious rice with chicken meal with great results and less time when cooking under pressure, using the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Make sure that you read your Instant Pot Operating Manual thoroughly before preparing this dish.

Preparing the Marinade!

In a bowl, add the 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon lite salt or to taste, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon cumin.  Mix the ingredients until well blended.

Marinating the Chicken Thighs!

For this recipe, I use bone in skinless chicken thighs.  Place 7 to 8 chicken thighs in bowl.  However, you can use different chicken parts with skin and bones as well.

Pour the marinade over the chicken.  Coat the chicken entirely with marinade.  Cover bowl with lid and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Blending the Condiments for Rice with Chicken!

Before we mix the condiments to sauté later, let’s cut a few sprigs of fresh cilantro to add flavor to this dish.

Add the following ingredients into a bowl:  1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ teaspoon of Lite Salt or to taste, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 3 sprigs of fresh chopped cilantro, 14 pimiento-stuffed green olives, 2 teaspoons capers, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of sofrito made with culantro.

Note:  Our Sofrito is a special blend of herbs and vegetables sautéed in annatto oil and tomato sauce.  However, today the puréed herbs and vegetables that are prepared in advance for future use is commonly referred to as “Sofrito.”  If you are not interested in making a large batch of sofrito, then here is an easy recipe on How to Make Sofrito for a Single Meal

Lastly, add 2 seasoning envelopes with Coriander and Annatto.

Note:  The seasoning envelope with coriander and annatto is a special blend of different seasonings (spices).  It’s main purpose is to add color and flavor to our cuisine.  If you cannot find the seasoning envelopes at the supermarket, just click on this link to create your own Special Blend of Seasonings.

Stir all the ingredients until well blended and set aside.

Rinsing the Rice!

Rinse and drain 2 cups of long grain white rice with cold water, using a fine-mesh strainer.  At first the water will be cloudy because you are basically removing the surface starch.  When the water runs clear, the rice has been rinsed.

Note:  I would recommend always rinsing the rice when using a pressure cooker. 

Searing the Chicken!

Turn the power on by pressing the Cancel Button and then select the sauté program.  We want to sear the chicken thighs on Normal Temperature so press the sauté button to change the temperature to Normal.  Press the “Plus” or “Minus” button to change the time to 16 minutes. 

The pressure cooker will display the word “ON”  when the unit is heating. 

“HOT” means the temperature has been reached.  We can now add the meat to the inner pot.  

We are going to sear the chicken thighs in two batches.  Therefore, let’s add the first batch of chicken into inner pot.  Sear to lightly brown on both sides.   

After 4 minutes of searing, turn the chicken over to the other side.

The first batch of chicken thighs is done.  Remove from inner pot and place on a plate.  Add the second batch and continue searing the chicken until brown on both sides.  When the unit beeps several times, the LCD will display the word “OFF,” ending the 16-minute searing process.   However, you can reset the sauté program if you feel that you need more time to sear your chicken.  Maximum total time is 30 minutes.  

Note:  If you finish searing both batches of chicken before the selected time, then press the cancel button to stop the searing process. 

Sautéing the Condiments!

Press the Cancel button to turn the power on and select the Sauté program.  Press the Sauté button to change the temperature to “Less.”   The Less mode is for simmering.  We want to simmer the ingredients for 5 minutes, so press the “Plus” or “Minus” button to change the time to 5 minutes. 

The pressure cooker will display the word “ON”  when the unit is heating. 

“HOT” means the temperature has been reached.  We can now add the condiments to the inner pot. 

Add the condiments to the inner pot.

Sauté the ingredients for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  You can definitely smell the condiments.  When the unit beeps several times, the LCD will display the word “OFF,” ending the 5-minute sautéing process.  We are now ready to pressure cook the rice. 

Preparing the Rice with Chicken – Instant Pot!

Pour 1½ cups of water and stir the condiments and water until well blended. 

Place the chicken at the bottom of inner pot.  Depending on the size of the chicken thighs, you might not be able to add all the chicken to the inner pot.

Add 2 cups of long grain white rice and submerge rice into liquid, using the tip of the tongs.   Do not stir the rice into liquid.

After all the rice has been submerged into liquid, we are ready to pressure cook the Rice with Chicken.

Pressure Cooking the Rice with Chicken – Instant Pot!

Cover Instant Pot with lid and lock into position. 

Make sure that the Steam Release Handle is turned to the Sealing Position.  The Float Valve should be in the down position.

Let’s turn the power on by pressing the Cancel button.  Select the Pressure Cook manual program.  We want to cook the rice at High Pressure, which is automatically selected. Press the “Minus” or “Plus” button to set the cooking time for 6 minutes. 

“ON” means that the cooking unit is heating and pressure is building up with the heat.  This usually takes 3 to 4 minutes.  When the cooking unit is completely pressurized, the cooking cycle will start counting down based on the time setting we selected. For this recipe, we selected 6 minutes.

The rice is finished cooking. The cooker will switch to the Keep Warm Function, counting up.  We need to count up for 10 minutes to obtain the 10-minute natural release process.

After 10 minutes of naturally releasing the pressure, press the cancel button.  The next step is to release the remaining pressure. 

The float valve is still in the up position – it’s flush with the surface.  Let’s turn the steam release handle to the venting position for a Quick Release.

When all the steam has been released, make sure the Float Valve is in the down position before removing the lid from the pressure cooker.   

Serving the Rice with Chicken – Instant Pot!

Once the lid is removed, allow some of the steam to evaporate before turning the rice.

Turn the rice and chicken before serving.  The rice is cooked and the chicken looks juicy.   

Our traditional Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo) prepared in a pressure cooker.

This dish can be served with your favorite Stewed Beans and Double Fried Green Plantains (tostones).   Serve warm.

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Prepare Rice with Chicken, using an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker!

Recipe and Nutritional Facts

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.  Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.

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