Asian Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (A Pressure Cooker Recipe) (2024)

A hearty one-pot meal with an Asian twist! This Instant Pot chicken and rice is super easy to make and so delicious. The tender rice, juicy chicken, and colorful peppers are cooked in a savory garlicky broth. It’s perfect for dinner or if you meal-prep your lunches. {Gluten-free adaptable}

The biggest reasons I enjoy using my Instant Pot to cook dinner are:

You can put everything in one pot
It requires very little prep
You don’t need to monitor the cooking process like you do with stovetop cooking
The cooking time is shortened

For example, I’ve made chicken noodle soup, curry beef stew, and chicken congee in the past. Every time I’ve been surprised by how well the results turn out, despite the simple cooking process.

Why this recipe

1. No browning required

When I develop Instant Pot recipes, I try to keep the steps as easy as possible. Although most Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipes require you to brown the meat, my recipe does not. Here is why.

It’s true that when you cook meat on the stovetop, you usually brown the meat to seal the juices and make the meat taste richer. This is not the case when using the pressure cooker.

The pressure cooker raises the boiling point of the water in the pot. The extra-high heat not only speeds up the cooking process, but also promotes caramelization and browning in a different way. Your chicken will be caramelized in the liquid without actually browning it with oil. Your chicken rice will have a deep and complex flavor.

2. Fast cooking

You only need to lightly saute the aromatics, then layer everything and leave it to cook. Yes, you might argue that an Instant Pot takes time to add and release the pressure. But this is passive cooking time, which allows you to do other things instead of standing in front of your stove. It takes 7 minutes to add pressure, 10 minutes of cooking time, and 10 minutes to release the pressure. You can still get dinner ready very quickly!

3. Create bold flavor using the Asian approach

I enjoy the classic version of chicken and rice seasoned with parsley, thyme, and paprika. But if you’re looking for a change of pace, you cannot miss this Asian seasoning combo.

My recipe uses onion, garlic, ginger, cumin powder, soy sauce, and a drizzle of sesame oil to create a savory gingery, garlicky base that is bursting with nice aromas. Of course, if you like to spice up your chicken rice, a squeeze of Sriracha sauce at the end is perfect!

More Instant Pot recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Curry Beef Stew
Instant Pot Chicken Congee
Instant Pot Eggs

Asian Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (A Pressure Cooker Recipe)

4.45 from 9 votes

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: comfort food

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) uncooked jasmine rice
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb / 450 g), or 2 chicken breasts (*Footnote 1)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger (or 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder)
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 cup chicken broth
2 carrots chopped (yields 2/3 cup)
1 bell pepper chopped (yields 1 cup)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds (Optional)
2 tablespoons chopped green onion for garnish (Optional)

Instructions

Place the jasmine rice in a big bowl and add a few cups of water. Gently rub the rice with your fingers a few times, then drain the water. Repeat 2 times, drain the rice and set aside.
Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper on the chicken. Let marinate while preparing other ingredients.
Add peanut oil to Instant Pot and press “Saute”. Preheat for 5 minutes or until it shows “Hot” on your Instant Pot Screen. If using a pressure cooker, heat oil over medium heat on a stove until hot. Add the onion. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and cumin powder. Cook for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
Turn off “Saute” function. Add chicken broth. Use a wooden spatula to release any brown bits that are stuck on the bottom. It’s important to do this step before adding the rice, so the hot pan won’t scorch the rice.
Add the carrot and pepper. Spread the rice in the pot as evenly as possible. Top with the chicken thighs without overlapping. Drizzle soy sauce in the pot without stirring.
Close the lid and seal the valve. Set to “Manual” for 10 minutes. For pressure cooker, cook sealed over medium heat until pressure is added, turn to medium-low heat immediately. Cook under pressure for 10 minutes.
Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes, then use fast release. Shred the chicken with two forks.
Drizzle with sesame oil and add the sesame seeds and green onions, if using. Mix everything well and serve hot as a main. (*Footnote 2)

Notes

The cooking time stays the same if you’re using chicken breasts. If the chicken breasts are on the large side, slice them in half before adding them to the Instant Pot.
The bottom of the rice will brown a little bit because of the soy sauce in this recipe. It is quite normal.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g, Calories: 417kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 10.9g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 659mg, Potassium: 513mg, Fiber: 3.9g, Sugar: 4.8g, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 4mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Don't forget the last step! Leave a comment below, and tag me @OmnivoresCookbook and #OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram!