Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo is a Latin-inspired pressure cooker chicken and rice recipe that’s a great weeknight option because it’s an easy one-pot meal. The selection of spices in this recipe gives the rice a vibrant flavor and festive, colorful appearance. The chicken adds flavor and protein, making this a satisfying meal-in-one.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Arroz con pollo (pronounced ‘ah-ross con poyo’) means rice with chicken in Spanish. Chicken and rice recipes are common in many cultures. Latin America is no exception.
My family lived in different parts of South America when I was a kid, and we discovered that this traditional chicken and rice is popular all over Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s said to be descended from the Spanish chicken and rice dish called paella.
I can’t claim that this is an authentic arroz con pollo because I’ve made some adaptations to make the recipe Instant Pot-friendly. As some of you may know, I like a lot of flavor in my recipes, so the flavors are bolder than in some versions of arroz con pollo.
Here are some other Instant Pot Rice recipes you might like to try out!
– Instant Pot Jambalaya
– Instant Pot Lamb Biryani
– Instant Pot Chinese-Style Fried Rice
– Instant Pot Parboiled Rice
Tips and Substitutions
Spices
Cumin powder is traditionally used in arroz con pollo but you can also add a bit of coriander powder if you like the flavor of coriander. I frequently add both.
Traditional Arroz con Pollo can have either saffron or annatto powder to give the rice its yellow color. Saffron can be expensive but annatto powder is more affordable.
Annato powder comes from the achiote seed and is widely used in Latin American cooking. Turmeric, although stronger in flavor, works well too.
This recipe has bold flavors, so if you want a simpler pressure cooker arroz con pollo, reduce the quantity of spices to suit your tastes.
Rice
The recipe calls for regular long grain rice or basmati rice. If you’d like to use jasmine rice, pressure cook for 4 minutes.
Brown rice requires a longer pressure cooking time (approximately 22 minutes), so your meats and vegetables could get overcooked if you pressure cook for that long.
You can try and substitute the diced chicken with bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, and cook with brown rice for 22 to 24 minutes. You might need to increase the quantity of liquid by a bit.
The rice is not stirred in, but added at the top and pushed down to immerse it in the broth. This is done to avoid the Instant Pot burn notice.
Broth
I have made the recipe with 2 cups of broth and 1 3/4 cups of broth. I did not get a Burn or Food Burn error with either. However, many of my readers have Instant Pots that are prone to getting burn messages.
If you use the lesser quantity, the rice will be dry when you open the lid. If you use the larger quantity, the rice will be a bit wetter. But if you just let it sit open for 10 minutes, it will thicken right up.
Tomatoes
Feel free to use fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups) or canned tomato sauce. Just remember not to stir the tomato sauce in, or you might end up getting the burn message.
Regional Variations
There are so many regional variations of chicken and rice recipes. Peruvian arroz con pollo uses a lot of cilantro (blended), aji amarillo (a yellow pepper paste), and is topped with a lime onion relish (Salsa Criolla). Colombian arroz con pollo uses shredded chicken breasts.
Here are some other ways you change up this recipe. Choose any or all!
Puerto Rican
- Use 2 to 3 teaspoons Goya Sazon flavoring (1 to 1 1/2 packets, or to taste) and omit the powdered spices
- Stir in green olives with the peas at the end
- Increase the quantity of cilantro
- Substitute the green peas with rinsed and drained canned green pigeon peas (gandules)
Cuban
- Saute a couple of strips of chopped bacon, drain and remove before beginning the recipe. Add the bacon back in with the chicken.
- Substitute 1/2 cup amber lager beer (such as Dos Equis) for 1/2 cup of the chicken broth
- Add a tablespoon of capers
- Garnish with strips of jarred roasted red peppers or pimientos
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo – Ingredients
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Rice
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Peas
- Cilantro stems
- Olive oil
- Cumin
- Coriander (optional)
- Turmeric
- Bay leaf
- Garlic
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt
- Cilantro leaves
- Black pepper
- Oregano
- White pepper
- Chicken
- Broth
How to Make Arroz con Pollo in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute chicken
- Saute vegetables
- Saute spices and add chicken
- Add tomato and rice
- Pressure cook
- Natural release after 10 minutes
- Stir in Peas and Cilantro
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Chicken
- Once the inner pot has preheated, add oil to the inner pot and let it heat up.
- Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes, till lightly browned.
- If the chicken browns too quickly, press Cancel until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and press the Saute button again. Deglaze as needed with a few tablespoons of broth.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Saute Vegetables
- Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the inner pot.
- Saute vegetables until the onion is translucent. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pan. If it’s not, add a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze.
- Press Cancel. The spices added in the next step will cook in the residual heat.
- Add cumin, oregano, turmeric, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, and salt.
Saute Spices and Add Chicken
- Stir together vegetables and spices, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with a tablespoon or two of broth if necessary.
- Stir in broth, bay leaves, and reserved chicken.
Add Tomato, and Rice
- Add the tomatoes and cilantro stems, and gently spread out with a spatula. Don’t stir.
- Add the rice and gently push down with a spatula till covered with broth. Don’t stir it in.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 6 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘6‘ (6 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 6 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 6 minutes (00:06).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to do a 10-minute Natural Release of Pressure
- Allow the Instant Pot to stay in Keep Warm mode for 10 minutes.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Any remaining steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and any remaining steam will come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Stir in Peas and Cilantro
- Add cilantro and peas. Carefully stir the arroz con pollo.
- Let the rice rest (lid open) for 7 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with hot sauce on the side if desired.
Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo | Chicken and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1½ inch pieces
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 1 cup bell peppers red and/or green
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder or annato powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 small bay leaves or 1 medium to large
- 1/4 cup cilantro stems and leaves separated, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth – minus 2 Tbsp, for stovetop
- 14 oz. diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice or basmati rice
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press Saute and add oil to inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add chicken to the inner pot, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside. If the chicken browns too quickly, press Cancel until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and press the Saute button again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
- Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Stir until onion is translucent. The liquid released from the vegetables should be enough to deglaze the pan. If it's not, add a tablespoon or more of broth to deglaze. Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in the residual heat.
- Add cumin, oregano, turmeric, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, salt, and stir to coat, about 30 seconds. Make sure there's nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot – deglaze as needed.
- Stir in chicken broth, bay leaves, reserved chicken, and cilantro stems.
- Add the tomatoes (with the liquid) and spread out with a spatula, but don't stir.
- Add the rice and gently push down with a spatula till immersed in the liquid, but don’t stir in.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.
- Do a 10 minute natural pressure release. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the Instant Pot and add in the peas and cilantro. Carefully stir the arroz con pollo.
- Let the rice rest open for 7 to 10 minutes. Serve with hot sauce on the side if desired.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the oil and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.
- Add cumin, oregano, turmeric, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, salt, and stir to coat, about 30 seconds. Turn off heat.
- Stir in bay leaves, cilantro stems, broth, and tomatoes.
- Stir in rice and peas. Stir in reserved chicken.
- Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until rice is cooked through.
- Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. cut up chicken, chopped onion, etc.
- The rice may appear to be liquidy when you open the Instant Pot lid. Allow it to rest open and it will dry up.
- Tomatoes and rice are layered on top without stirring in and this will help you avoid the Burn Message on the Instant Pot.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips. You don’t want to miss any!
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Jennie
I made the Arroz con pollo con gandules tonight Puerto Rican style and it was tender the chicken almost fell off the bone. It was perfect, this is going to be my special recipe… thank you, so much! My Mother would be proud this tasted so Puerto Rican.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Jennie, thank you for your comment – you made my day!
Susan
Hi, this recipe looks delicious! If I wanted to make this ahead for a party and make say, 3 doubled batches (enough for 36 guests) could I then reheat it in the oven covered with foil, or what would you suggest? Any reheating tips?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Susan, sorry for the delay in replying to your question. I think your idea of reheating (with foil) in the oven is a good one. The microwave might also work – I do that with other rice dishes but not such a large quantity. Let me know how it goes.
Kathy
Great! Easy!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Kathy!
Cathy
First try and this was a big hit with my family!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Cathy! I’m always pleased to hear that families are happy with a recipe!
Kaylee
Loved this recipe!!!! Will be using again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Kaylee!
Mike Posner
The Arroz con Pollo recipe is simply delicious. I followed the recipe without any changes. The spices were amazing. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers. This is the second recipe of yours I have cooked that we love (the other was Red Beans and Rice). I will try more!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Mike! I hope you get to try out more of my recipes. I really appreciate the comment!
Alyssa Peleo
This came out amazing my first try! Am I supposed to double the time if I want to double the recipe? Instead of 6 minutes on high pressure, do I do 12 minutes on high pressure? And do I do a natural release of 20 minutes instead of 10 minutes? And do I leave it resting uncovered for 14 minutes instead of 7 minutes?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sorry Alyssa, I somehow missed your comment. You would pressure cook and natural release for the same amount of time, no need to double. No changes to leaving it open either.
laura
This completely satisfied my arroz con pollo craving. Based on the ingredients I had on hand, I used whole, skinless thighs and brown rice. The cook time was perfect but I should have decreased the liquid a bit. It was still delicious. The spices in your recipe were perfect!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh, thank you Laura! I’m glad you liked the recipe. Yes, it’s great with brown rice – glad you got to try it out that way.
Alain Rostain
Should I increase the time for brown rice based on your guidance, or leave it at 6 minutes based on this feedback? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Alain, I’m not sure how well the rice cooked for her because in my experience I need to use 22 minutes. It’s possible she used a parboiled brown rice which cooks much faster.
laura
Just came back to print the recipe and saw this. I used regular, medium grain, brown rice and cooked it for 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. I used freshly defrosted, bone-in thighs. It’s possible they were not 100% defrosed. Either way, the longer cook time worked well for cooking everything at once.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you so much for following up. I didn’t catch that you had used bone-in chicken. Cooking everything together makes sense.
Martha
Thank you for asking my question, I want to use brown rice too!
Aruna
This looks wonderful! Could I use bone-in meat perhaps to give some robust-ness? Would it cook the same way?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Aruna, you could use bone-in chicken but you’ll have to modify the recipe to cook the chicken and rice in two steps: Pressure cook the chicken with everything except the rice for about 4 minutes, do a quick or natural release. Make sure there’s nothing stuck to the bottom, or you can get a Burn message. Add in the rice and don’t stir it in, just push it down below the surface. And then pressure cook for 6 minutes.
Tina Corona McMahon
I absolutely love your recipes. Is there a way that I can substitute chicken breast with this recipe?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Tina! Yes, you can use chicken breast. I prefer thighs because they cook better in the Instant Pot, but breasts should work well too.
Janice Hamilton
This looks yummy. Since I live alone, I’d like to half the recipe. Should I adjust the time?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Janice, you don’t need to adjust the time. The only caveat is whether there will be enough liquid for your Instant Pot to come to pressure. You may have to play around with reducing the recipe.
Corey Simpson
Just made this for my family! Everyone loved it! I had Arroz con pollo almost every day during a trip I took to Costa Rica about 15 years ago. I have been looking for the right recipe for all these years, and I think this is the one!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Corey! Yay, success 🙂 I’m very happy that you liked the recipe.
Ariel Eiberman
El sabor es buenísimo pero el arroz me quedo completamente mushy.use arroz basmati blanco y se pasó totalmente con los tiempos de esta receta me imagino que la próxima voy a hacerlo afuera del instapot
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lo siento que tenia problemas con la receta. La proxima vez, trata de usar menos liquido y/o cocina para menos tiempo. Tambien, es posible que el tiempo varia con el modelo de Instant Pot.
Paige Dunn
Loved this, and it was very easy. I did not use the Turmeric, but otherwise followed the recipe as is. Will definitely make this again. This recipe makes quite a bit of food, I served with a dollop of sour cream which added a nice tang.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay Paige! Thanks for trying the recipe out and I’m excited that you liked it.
Bindu Chandrabose
This was fantastic. I like cuban style arroz con pollo so added a lot of sliced olives, also used two cups of fresh diced tomato instead of canned. It made a lot and have been giving leftovers out, rave reviews all round.
Neena, i am really excited about your recipes, I am good at eyeballing recipes and seeing if they will work, yours are the best I have seen yet for the IP.
I am an ABCD Malayali, you too, maybe? Really happy to see such a mix of international recipes, the happiest way to eat.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great to hear from a fellow Malayali, Bindu! Thank you for your kind words and I’m really glad you’ve found me – hope you enjoy the recipes and do stay in touch. I have a few Kerala-inspired recipes: fish curry, beef stew/curry, sambar, chicken korma.
Kim Kendall
This was one of my first attempts at using my InstaPot and my whole family loved this recipe. I will definitely be making it again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh thanks Kim! The first comment on a recipe is always special 🙂 I’m so excited you like the recipe.