Description
This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Burrito Bowls recipe is a quick and flavorful one-pot meal combining tender chicken, fluffy rice, black beans, corn, and chunky salsa. Perfect for a busy weeknight, it comes together in just 25 minutes and can be customized with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, avocado, and sour cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup chunky salsa (mild or spicy)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth (or water)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocado slices
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add olive oil, diced onions, and minced garlic. Cook while stirring frequently until the onions soften and become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Cook Chicken: Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the rinsed rice, drained black beans, frozen corn, chunky salsa, and chicken broth. Use a spatula or spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, ensuring no bits stick and burn during pressure cooking.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and ensure the valve is set to sealing. Set the cooker to ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ mode on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Release Pressure: Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then carefully switch the valve to quick release to fully release remaining pressure before opening the lid.
- Serve: Fluff the chicken and rice mixture gently with a fork. Serve in bowls and top with your choice of shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges for extra flavor.
Notes
- For added heat, use spicy salsa or add chopped jalapeños before cooking.
- Chicken thighs provide more moisture and flavor, but chicken breast works well too.
- Be sure to rinse the rice to remove excess starch and prevent it from being too sticky.
- You can substitute chicken broth with water for a lighter version but broth adds more flavor.
- To make it vegetarian, replace chicken with diced tofu or extra beans and adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat easily in the microwave.
