This Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo recipe is ridiculously easy to make and unbelievably delicious! It has protein, vegetables, and grains cooked together in one pot in about 30 minutes. This one is definitely one to keep in your rotation.
My stovetop Arroz con Pollo recipe have been very popular for years so I thought it was about time to share the Instant Pot version.
Without further ado, meet my Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo!
We love Arroz con Pollo … SO much. I make this recipe once a week and it’s one of my kid’s fave school lunches. Easy to pack and easier to eat.
You are going to LOVE this recipe because:
- It’s ridiculously easy to prepare,
- It has protein, vegetables, and grains cooked together in one pot,
- It’s full of flavor and DELICIOUS.
- And feed a small army.
Doesn’t it look irresistible? YUM.
How do you make arroz con pollo in the Instant Pot?
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Cook chicken until chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot and reserve. Sauté onion, peppers, garlic and green onion for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, seasoning or saffron, frozen vegetables, and cooked chicken. Mix to combine. Bring to boil. Secure the lid to the Instant Pot. Close pressure release valve. Select “manual”, or “pressure cook”, and adjust cooking time to 10 minutes. When the time is over, let the pressure release on its own for 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the valve to “Venting,” to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid. Press “cancel”. Fluff arroz con pollo with a fork, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired, and serve hot.
Can I use bone-in chicken instead of chicken breasts?
Yes! Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast meat should read 165º F.
Can I freeze Arroz con Pollo?
Yes! Add arroz con pollo into a freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze the rice for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer the rice to a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water over top. Cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Warm in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until the grains are hot.
Here’s to weeknight meals that take only a few minutes and an Instant Pot to make and tastes unbelievably delicious.
Happy Cooking!!!
This Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo recipe is ridiculously easy to make and unbelievably delicious! It has protein, vegetables, and grains cooked together in one pot in about 30 minutes. This one is definitely one to keep in your rotation.
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup red pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups white rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 packet of seasoning with saffron or 1/2 teaspoon saffron (see notes)
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas and green beans)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
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Season the chicken with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
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Turn on the Instant Pot ON and select "sauté", adjust to more. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken and cook for 5 - 8 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and reserve.
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Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot. Sauté onion, peppers, garlic and green onion for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Add chicken broth, seasoning or saffron, frozen vegetables, and cooked chicken. Mix to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Bring to boil. Press "cancel". Secure the lid to the Instant Pot. Close pressure release valve. Select "manual", or "pressure cook", and adjust cooking time to 10 minutes.
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When the time is over, let the pressure release on its own for 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the valve to "Venting," to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid. Press "cancel".
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Fluff arroz con pollo with a fork, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired, and serve hot.
To make this arroz con pollo recipe I use Sazon Goya seasoning with Azafran (saffron). You can find this seasoning in any grocery store (international aisle). The box has 8 individual packets and I use 1 packet per 2 cups of rice. If you don't find, or don't want to use, this seasoning you can also use 1 teaspoon of saffron, but in this case, make sure to add more salt and pepper to your taste.
Can I use bone-in chicken instead of chicken breasts?
Yes! Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast meat should read 165º F.
Can I freeze Arroz con Pollo?
Yes! Add arroz con pollo into a freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze the rice for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer the rice to a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water over top. Cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Warm in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until the grains are hot.
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes?
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- Instant Pot
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- Seasoning with Saffron
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- Measuring Cup Set
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- Chef Knife
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Step 3 ends with turning the IP off. Step 4 says bring to a boil? Is turning it off the mistake?
Hello MLB! Sorry for the confusion. It should be good now. Thanks for you interest in my recipe. 🙂
Hey, sorry I’m new to cooking and an idiot… is the two cups of cooker or uncooked rice?
Hello Diego! No worries, I am here to help! The rice is uncooked. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it. 🙂
Can I use a package of yellow rice instead of rice and saffron?
Hello Lauri! Yes, you can do that. You can also use white rice + 1 packet of Goya seasoning with saffron, which is my favorite way to make it. Thanks for you interest in my recipe. ☺️
I don’t have an insta pot. But the recipe looks great. How could I cook this another way? On the stove or in a crock pot? What would I need to do?
Hello Davine!! Sure, you can use my stove version: https://mommyshomecooking.com/chicken-with-rice-spanish-style-arroz-con-pollo/
Not as good as I hoped. I didn’t know what the seasoning packet had in store for me but this dish was on the bland side. After researching arroz con pollo I noticed other people use cumin and cayenne pepper. I think this is definitely missing that. Overall this was an ok dish and am not disappointed that I made it. Thank you for the recipe.
Hello Jude! Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe. Next time, you can adjust the amount of salt and pepper to your taste. 🙂
Do you use a standard measuring cup, or the cup that came with the Instant Pot to measure your rice?
Hello Lisa! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. I use a measuring cup.
Would brown rice work if that’s all i have? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
Hello Melissa! Yes, it would, just adjust the cooking time to 18 minutes and then natural release for 5 minutes. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. 🙂
Could this be made with basmati rice? Thanks
Hello Elizabeth! Yes, you could. Thanks for your interest in this recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it. 🙂
Could it be made with frozen chicken breast?
Hello Tina! I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen chicken but I think it could work fine. Just make sure the adjust the cooking time to make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
Hi! I made this arroz con pollo and followed the recipe exactly but wondering why my rice ended up mushy? Tips?
Hello Melania! Thanks so much for trying my recipe. This could happen for different reasons: too much water, the type of rice is very starchy, leaving the rice in the pot (close) too long, stirring the rice too much. I usually use parboiled rice (uncle ben’s original). You can also reduce the natural release time to 5 minutes to avoid the rice get mushy. Hope this help!
I followed all the instructions but my pot kept saying burn before it even started the count down. What did I do wrong?
Hello Monique! I am so sorry to hear that. Probably what happened was that some bits of chicken got stuck in the bottom of the pot, after the browning process, and then got burned with the high pressure. Next time, after you add the broth, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon before closing. Thanks for trying my recipe.
Flavor was decent BUT I continuously got the “burn” error on my instant pot no matter what I tried. Wasn’t able to complete the full cook time .