Beginners to pressure cooking will love this easy Instant Pot Salsa Chicken & Brown Rice. It is simple and family friendly! Gluten free and full of fiber, this will be a healthy staple on your dinner table.
This Instant Pot Salsa Chicken & Brown Rice is one of those one pot wonders. The IP is so great for those.
It’s why I invested in this handy kitchen tool!
Simple one pot, no babysitting and a delicious, consistent product.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
What separates the Instant Pot from a slow cooker is the very useful saute function.
Instead of browning meat or sauteing veggies in another pan, you can do it right in the Instant Pot. Love that!
Anything to lessen the never-ending pile of washing. Joe calls me ‘the dirty dish maker’.
That’s life with a food blogger.
Don’t worry. I have a few names for him too. 😉
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT SALSA CHICKEN & BROWN RICE
First, I sauteed up some onions in a little bit of coconut oil then hit the pot with freshly minced garlic. I did use homemade bone broth in this recipe instead of water as the liquid.
Using broth adds so much flavour.
This is something I cannot recommend enough.
Another homemade addition was the black beans that I made from dried. Did I make them in the Instant Pot?
Of course I did!
Remember friends, you were warned.
It’s been Instant Pot city up in here. You could even call me a pot head. 😉 I promise to share all of these recipes with my fellow junkies
I used frozen chicken breasts for this recipe. Using frozen chicken makes it easier to cut into chunks beforehand and because the Instant Pot is like my little magician, it cooks in the same time as the brown rice.
A perfect little marriage. 🙂
I’ve also been cooking up frozen chicken breasts to shred for soups, salads or wraps.
The final touch on this easy, breezy dish was fresh cilantro.
I know that cilantro is a love it or hate it ingredient.
Count me in the love it list.
I adore the fresh, clean taste of cilantro and topped my plate liberally. Couple that with a bit of freshly grated cheese and BOOM! Dinner is ready and it’s delicious to boot.
I’m a huge fan of healthier Mexican inspired dishes and am so glad this one out of my Instant Pot was a hit.
MORE HEALTHIER MEXICAN RECIPE IDEAS:
*Originally posted February 20, 2017. Updated June 3, 2019*
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For my Instant Pot Recipes I use the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 frozen chicken breasts cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 398 ml. can black beans drained & rinsed (I used 1.5 cups)
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt & 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup broth
- Set Instant Pot to saute and adjust it to low heat. Add oil and let it warm up until liquid. Add onions and saute, stirring periodically,until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute. Keep stirring as not to burn the garlic
- Add in the chicken pieces, brown rice, beans and seasonings, and stir well. Add the salsa and broth and stir well again
- Turn off the saute function
- Lock the lid in place and press the manual button. Set the time for 18 minutes
- Allow pressure to release naturally. Stir and serve with desired toppings.
I just got my instant pot last month and have only used it once. Not going to lie, I’m intimidated. This recipe sounds like one I could tackle though! Thank you for sharing. It sounds delicious.
Bust it out, girlfriend!! If anything the IP is a wicked prep cook. Beans, rice, chickpeas, broth all super easy and hands off. 🙂 And this recipe of course! Thanks Jo!
Love how easy this instant pot recipe is! It’s my new fave kitchen gadget. Salsa chicken is definitely a winner!
You and me both, Vanessa! Total favourite around here. Thanks! 🙂
I’m always looking for different ways to use my Instant Pot, so your post is really helpful! Like you, I love the sauté function. It eliminates those extra dishes! This allergy-free recipe is right up my alley! Thanks for sharing.
The IP is in constant use this summer. I love not heating the place into a raging inferno. 😉 Thanks Elaine!
I don’t have an instant pot but I would totally recreate in a regular one. Looks delicious!
Is the 1 cup of brown rice cooked already or dry?
Dry! Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve edited the recipe. 🙂 Have a great week Susan!
I’ve been intimidated by my IP too. But after a successful attempt at steel cut oatmeal this mo, I’m trying this recipe tonight. Ran into a problem when I got to the end and the instructions say use the manual setting. I don’t have a manual setting. So I set it on Pressure Cook and High and now hoping for the best.
That should work! It’s too bad they couldn’t keep the controls the same on their models. I hope it was a success Valeria!
So bummed ! Followed directions to a tee and all it did was BURN. THREE times I tried, adding more water each go. Had to just let it sit the last time and PRESTO! It’s sooo good BUT am not sure I’ll make again? I have no idea how long it actually cooked, but the (brown) rice finally got soft so we could enjoy eating it. I have an 8qt DUO IP.
Hey Andrea! So sorry this didn’t work out for you. I haven’t seen a BURN notice on mine. Perhaps my salsa is more liquidy than the brand you use? I use Herdez which has chunks and lots of juice. I find that this and the 1 cup of broth is plenty of liquid to avoid the BURN.