Instant Pot chicken thighs and rice
Golden chicken thighs sit on top of fluffy, savory rice that cooks in the same pot, with peas stirred in at the end.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.29 a serving
- 570 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.
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, about 6 thighs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 570 calories, 42 g protein, 66 g carbs and 14 g fat, and costs about $2.29 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice in a strainer under cold water until it runs mostly clear, then let it .
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.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
the chicken all over with the paprika, garlic powder, thyme, ¾ teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
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 the thighs smooth side down for 3 minutes. Move them to a plate.
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.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
Dolly’s tip: They won’t be cooked through yet. They finish on top of the rice.Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, , until . Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
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.
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.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
Pour in the broth and from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Scrape up the browned bits. It means loosening the brown bits stuck to the pan with a wooden spoon, usually right after adding liquid. Those bits are concentrated flavor, and they melt into the sauce.
How you’ll know: The bottom of the pan looks clean again, and the liquid turns darker and richer.
Medium-high heat
Dolly’s tip: Scrape until the bottom feels smooth. Stuck bits are what set off the burn warning.in the rice and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, smooth it flat, and set the chicken on top, side up.
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.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on HIGH for 6 minutes.
Timer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: The pot takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts. That’s normal.Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to venting to let out the rest.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Keep your hand and face away from the valve. Nudge it with a wooden spoon.Open the lid and check that the thickest thigh reads 165°F, then move the chicken to a plate.
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.
the peas and butter into the hot rice, put the lid back on for 2 minutes, then fluff and serve with the chicken on top and the parsley scattered over.
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.
Timer: 2 min
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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