We’re giving this classic dish a flavor twist and making it in a snap. Instant Pot Southwestern Chicken and Rice is sure to be a family favorite.
Southwestern Chicken and Rice is the ultimate one pot meal. Everything gets thrown into the Instant Pot and dinner is ready in about 30 minutes. I can’t even remember how I got dinner on the table before the magical Instant Pot was invented.
Oh yeah! I used the slow cooker all the time. I still do when I’m in the mood for one of these slow cooker chicken dinners. But let’s face it. Fast is the name of the game these days. (If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, we recommend this one.)
Southwestern Chicken and Rice takes all those flavors you love, like beans, corn, chili peppers, rice and chicken and seasons it all with taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade taco seasoning both work well here. Then it all gets cooked together for an easy meal.
One of my family’s favorite parts of this meal is the toppings. Some of our favorites are diced tomatoes, jalapeños, salsa, cilantro and lime wedges. Sour cream, cheese and avocado are also great additions, but you can totally top with your own favorite go-tos. The kids will love being able to create their own bowl.
Print Instant Pot Southwestern Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- 1 (14 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilis
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. pepper
- 1 pound chicken breast
- Optional toppings: sliced jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, salsa, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges
Instructions
- Add rice, corn, onion, beans, tomatoes and water to Instant Pot and stir to combine. Place chicken in mixture, making sure to cover some with the liquid. Sprinkle seasonings over chicken, rice and bean mixture.
- Close lid, set vent to seal. Set to pressure cook on high 12 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then turn the vent to venting.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Place it back in the pot, stir to incorporate and serve with optional toppings if using.
Have you ever doubled this? Also, can I make it without rice
Marcia, I haven’t doubled this before and I’m not entirely sure if it would work. I do, however, think that you can make it without the rice. If making the amount of chicken called for in the recipe, the cooking time would remain the same. If doubling the chicken, I’d try to arrange it more vertically so that the chicken breasts aren’t laying on each other. When chicken is touching in the Instant pot, it doesn’t cook in those places as quickly. If the chicken is arranged that way, I don’t even think you’d need to increase the amount of time in the Instant Pot. 12 minutes is probably good, but maybe do 14 just to be safe.