Instant Pot chicken burrito bowls
Chicken, rice, black beans, corn and salsa cook together in one pot, then get topped with melty cheese and everything you love.
- 45 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.89 a serving
- 650 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1¼ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed well
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 650 calories, 51 g protein, 72 g carbs and 18 g fat, and costs about $2.89 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No salsa? Pico de gallo works.
- No Mexican blend cheese? Shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of salt, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Set the Instant Pot to , heat the oil, and cook the onion 3 minutes, until .
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Timer: 3 min
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom clean with a wooden spoon.
Dolly’s tip: A clean bottom is how you avoid the burn warning.in the rice and the rest of the salt, and press the rice flat under the liquid.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Layer the chicken, beans and corn on top, then spoon the salsa over everything. Don’t .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes.
Timer: 8 min
Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then vent the rest and check that the biggest piece of chicken reads 165°F.
Timer: 10 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
everything together, scatter the cheese over the top, and put the lid back on for 2 minutes to it.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 2 min
Spoon into bowls and top with a squeeze of lime, cilantro, sour cream and avocado.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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