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Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) Recipe

Today’s Best Recipe is Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo or Instant Pot Chicken with rice.

This Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe ventures away from the traditional saffron rice and mingles chicken with flavorful and colorful Spanish-style rice.

The dish offers plenty of flavors, from the marinade to the rice.

It’s a complete meal, or you can add Abuela Approved Instant Pot Black Beans and Instant Pot Arroz con Leche for a delicious variance.

You may also want to check out my Pinterest Instant Pot board for more great recipes like this pressure cooker Arroz Con Pollo!

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe Ingredients:

12 chicken thighs (you can use boneless, or skinless–I like the flavor better with the skin and bones)

Recipe Marinade

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Dried Oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

The juice of one lime

 Sofrito

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1-½ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1-½ medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

Cilantro to taste (I add about 12 sprigs)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

28-ounce can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with liquid

5 cups chicken stock

¼ teaspoon salt

3 cups long grain rice

1 ½ cups Spanish Olives (Green stuffed with Pimentos)

2 Tablespoons Olive brine

This Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe

 

 

How to Make Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) 

Begin with the Marinade

Combine olive oil, sea salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and lime in a large bowl or Ziploc bag. Stir well until everything is well blended.

Add the chicken and coat evenly with the marinade. (I like to tuck garlic between the skin and meat of the chicken)

Let marinate for at least one hour (achieve the best flavor by marinating overnight).

Be sure to rotate the chicken so all sides get a good marinade.

arroz con pollo marinating the chicken thighs

Now the Chicken!

Heat the inner liner of the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” setting. (I actually do this in a pan on the stovetop because I think it’s faster)

Add oil.

Remove chicken from the marinade; save the leftover.

Brown the chicken in batches (I do 4 thighs at a time), about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. (I prefer to do this on my stovetop)

arroz con pollo brown the chicken

 

On to the Rice!

Add sofrito, cumin, garlic, and oregano to the pan you just browned the chicken in and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

If you are using a pan on the stovetop, add the above mixture to your Instant Pot now.

Add any leftover marinade, diced tomatoes, stock, and salt; simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the rice, olives, and olive brine, and stir.

Add the browned chicken pieces to the soup mixture.

arroz con pollo after adding chicken to broth

 

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it into place.

Press the Meat/Stew Button and adjust the time to 15 minutes.

setting the instant pot for 15 minutes

 

When Instant Pot beeps at the end of the cycle, allow a natural release.

Remove the lid once all the pressure has been released.

arroz con pollo after cooking in the instant pot

 

Serve with a side of rice or chicken over the rice.

arroz con pollo recipe

 

This meal also freezes nicely.

I store it in Ziploc bags and then remove it from the freezer the night before we plan to eat it.

The next evening, I add about 1/4 cup water and reheat it in the microwave or a casserole dish in the oven until heated through.

 Serves: 6 – 8

This Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe ventures away from the traditional saffron rice and mingles chicken with a flavorful, and colorful Spanish-style rice

arroz con pollo after cooking in the instant pot

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe

Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

This Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe ventures away from the traditional saffron rice and mingles chicken with a flavorful, and colorful Spanish-style rice

Ingredients

  • 12 chicken thighs (you can use boneless, skinless--I like the flavor better with the skin and bones)

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) Recipe Marinade

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • The juice of one lime

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) Recipe Sofrito

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1-½ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1-½ medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • Cilantro to taste (I add about 12 sprigs)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) Recipe Rice

  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 28-ounce can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups long grain rice
  • 1 ½ cups Spanish Olives (Green stuffed with Pimentos)
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive brine

Instructions

  1. Begin with the Marinade
  2. Combine olive oil, garlic, sea salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and lime in a large bowl or Ziploc bag. Stir well until everything is well blended.
  3. Add the chicken and coat evenly with the marinade.(I like to tuck garlic between the skin and meat of the chicken)
  4. Let marinate for at least one hour (achieved best flavor by marinating overnight). Be sure to rotate the chicken, so all sides get a good marinade.
  5. Now the Chicken!
  6. Heat the inner liner of the Instant Pot on “Sauté” setting. (I actually do this in a pan on the stove top because I think it's faster)
  7. Add oil.
  8. Remove chicken from marinade, save the leftover.
  9. Brown the chicken in batches (I do 4 thighs at a time), about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
  10. On to the Rice!
  11. Add onion, bell peppers, cumin, garlic and oregano to the pan you just browned the chicken in and sautéed until just tender, about 5 minutes.
  12. If you are using a pan on the stovetop, add the above mixture to your Instant Pot now.
  13. Add any leftover marinade, diced tomatoes, stock, and sea salt; simmer for 2 minutes.
  14. Add the rice, olives, and olive brine.
  15. Add the browned chicken pieces to the soup mixture
  16. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place.
  17. Press the Meat/Stew Button and then adjust the time to 15 minutes.
  18. When Instant Pot beeps at the end of the cycle, allow natural release.
  19. Remove lid once all the pressure has been released.
  20. Serve with a side of rice, or chicken over the rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 683Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 254mgSodium: 2076mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 53g

The Nutritional Information may not be accurate.

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More Latin American Inspired Recipes:

Caramelized Pork Tenderloin with Mango Pineapple Salsa
Costa Rican Salsa Lizano
Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) Recipe
Arroz con Leche Recipe (Rice Pudding Recipe)
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe EASY!
Instant Pot Dulce de Leche (Caramel)
Grilled Carne Asada Tacos
Krafts Famous Queso Dip
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Easy Chicken Avocado Tortilla Soup Recipe
Easy Pineapple Mango Salsa
Easy Pork Chile Verde
Chicken con Queso

More Chicken Dishes:

Lazy Chicken Alfredo
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Artichoke Chicken Salad Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
Instant Pot Lemon Mustard Chicken with Potatoes
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken Recipe
Coca-Cola BBQ Chicken Casserole
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Mustard Maple Glazed Chicken
Copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup

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