This Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo recipe is ridiculously easy to make and unbelievably delicious! Protein, vegetables, and grains are cooked together in a flash. This one is definitely one to keep in your rotation.
Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo Recipe
My stovetop Arroz con Pollo recipe has 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 weekly; it’s one of my kid’s fave school lunches. Easy to pack and easier to eat.
What is Arroz con Pollo?
Arroz con Pollo is a classic of Latin American cuisine. It is made with white rice, chicken, vegetable, and spices. It has many versions depending on the country, and even every family in the same region has their own way of cooking it.
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.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Chicken: 3 boneless chicken breasts cut into small pieces.
- Veggies: onion, green and red bell pepper, garlic, green onion.
- Seasonings: paprika, salt, black, Goya seasoning with saffron or 1/2 teaspoon saffron.
- Olive oil
- White rice (uncooked)
- Chicken broth
- Frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas, and green beans)
- Fresh cilantro to garnish (optional)
Process Overview: How Do You Make Arroz Con Pollo In The Instant Pot Step-By-Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Season the Chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Saute the Chicken
Cook chicken until chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot and reserve.
- Saute the Veggies & Rice
Sauté onion, peppers, garlic, and green onion for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze the Pot
Add chicken broth, and deglaze the pot using a wooden utensil with a flat head to scrape all the stuck bits off the bottom of the pot. This step is very important to avoid getting the “BURN” message. After the pot is deglazed and there are no more stuck bits off of the bottom of the pot, add seasoning or saffron, frozen vegetables, and cooked chicken. Mix to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Bring to a boil.
- Cook
Secure the lid to the Instant Pot. Close the pressure release valve. Select “manual”, or “pressure cook”, and adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes. When the time is over, let the pressure release on its own for 5 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.
Recipe Tips
IP Burning Message. In order to avoid getting the “BURN” message when making this recipe, it’s essential that you deglaze the pot using a wooden utensil with a flat head to scrape all of the stuck bits off the bottom of the pot (step 4). Also, if using newer versions of Instant Pot, I would recommend removing the inner pot after sautéing and letting it cool off for 5 to 10 minutes before moving on to the pressure cooking stage. This will help prevent a potential burn warning, too.
Seasoning. 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 eight individual packets; I use one packet per 2 cups of rice. If you don’t find it or don’t want to use this seasoning, you can also use one teaspoon of saffron, but in this case, make sure to add more salt and pepper to your taste.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Add the cooled 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 the top. Cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Warm in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until the grains are hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes! Add the cooled 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 the top. Cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Warm in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until the grains are hot.
Extra Long Grain Parboiled Rice is the best to make Arroz con Pollo. The cooked grains are drier and more separate, so it cooks light and fluffy.
Probably, you added too much water or overcooked it.
Absolutely! To make Arroz con Pollo over the stovetop, follow my Easy and Flavorful Arroz con Pollo (Spanish-Style Chicken & Rice) recipe.
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Recipe Card
Easy Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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 (uncooked – see notes)
- 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)
Important
You can find step-by-step photos above in the post and/or right here on the recipe card. They’ll walk you through the process and make everything super clear! Just click the camera icon button below on the right to show or hide them. Turn them off before printing if you prefer a cleaner copy!
Instructions
- Season the chicken with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
- 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.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot. Sauté onion, peppers, garlic, and green onion for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the uncooked rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add chicken broth, deglaze the pot using a wooden utensil with a flat head to scrape all of the stuck bits off of the bottom of the pot. This step is very important to avoid getting the "BURN" message.
- After the pot is deglazed and there are no more stuck bits off of the bottom of the pot, add seasoning or saffron, frozen vegetables, and cooked chicken. Mix to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Bring to a boil. Press "cancel". Secure the lid to the Instant Pot. Close the pressure release valve. Select "manual", or "pressure cook", and adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes.
- When the time is over, let the pressure release on its own for 5 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.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
This recipe was originally published in April 2020. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information were added to the post in February 2023 to make it as helpful as possible!
I’ve made this recipe many time and love it… Recently I’ve had to go low carb… Want to replace rice with cauliflower rice… Would I do it for the same amount of time?
Thank you
Hello Stephen! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so happy to hear you love the recipe. If you’re using cauliflower rice, it cooks much faster than regular rice, so you’ll need to adjust the timing. Add the cauliflower rice closer to the end of cooking, and it should only take about 5-7 minutes to soften. Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy, health, and more delicious meals! x- Oriana
My pot has a high pressure or low pressure. Which should I choose when cooking? Thanks for any advice. I want to make this for dinner this week. 🙂
Hello Kimberly – Thank you for reaching out! Since I don’t know your specific pot, I can’t say for sure which pressure setting to use. However, I recommend using the setting you’ve used before for similar recipes. That should help you get the best results! I’m excited for you to make this for dinner this week!
I saw paprika in the ingredient list, but see it nowhere in the steps, I wound up just adding it before pressure cooking. Unless I just overlooked it, it is not mentioned. You should add it.
I could not downvote this recipe bc the fault could be mine, but I was disappointed. Of course the taste is edible, including chicken, peas and rice. I left out bell peppers bc I don’t really like them. But mine turned out just mushy w/rice and peas dominating. I will probably eat some or most of it, but I would not want to serve it to anyone. Where could I have gone wrong? I otherwise kept to the recipe as written. Any ideas?
Hello Kay – the paprika is in step #1. If the rice was mushy it was probably because the rice you use has too much starch or was cooked for too long. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Can I use thighs and legs with bone. What is the time difference?
Thank you
Hello Patria! Yes, you can. I would add 3-4 more minutes of pressure cook time, however, this extra time might make your rice mushy so I would recommend using boneless chicken. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Has anyone substituted the rice for riced cauliflower? Trying to reduce carbs.
Hello Susan! Since cauliflower rice cooks in a couple of minutes I don’t think you need to use the Instant Pot. You can make this recipe over the stovetop and cook just until the cauliflower rice is al dente. Hope that helps!
Love this recipe !! Delicious, flavorful and quick . I followed everything minus the peppers since I didn’t have any peppers (red or green) so I skipped those but the dish was so yummy everyone loved it . Didn’t have any issue with a “burn” notice and my rice was just right, I used jasmine rice since that’s what I always have on hand . Will add this to my favorite recipes to make more often .
Hello A! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
The flavor was really good, but it unfortunately turned out very mushy. I think this is partly because I used yellow rice that came pre-seasoned with saffron, so I could not rinse the rice like I usually do when making it in the instant pot because it would have washed away the seasoning. I also used bone-in chicken thighs so I increased the cook time to 12 minutes, which may have contributed to the mushiness as well. Still a great recipe, and I will try to follow it more closely next time!
Hello Carla! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Wow, some of the comments – vicious…anyways, made this today. Did NOT get the burn notice (8 qt Ninja Foodi), the rice came out moist, but that’s what I was expecting when making arroz con pollo. I think the rice being moist was because I used the frozen onion/pepper mix instead of fresh and it had freezer burn so there was more liquid when I made it. Next time, I will reduce the broth a bit and make sure the mix is a fresh pack. My kids are notorious “I don’t eat green stuff, what is that?, I don’t like vegetables” but there were NO complaints. They ate what they had served themselves and went back for more. I love all the flavors and will add this to my rotation. Thanks Oriana!!
Hello Mimi – It sounds like you nailed it! This is a family favorite. My kids don’t eat “green stuff’ either LOL, but they love this rice. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.