Instant Pot Greek lemon chicken and rice
Lemony, oregano-scented chicken and fluffy rice cooked together in one pot, finished with spinach and a scatter of feta.
- 40 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.41 a serving
- 480 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 1½-inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¾ cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 480 calories, 38 g protein, 61 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $2.41 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 lemons? Limes work.
- No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
- No feta cheese? Goat cheese works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with the oregano, ½ teaspoon of salt and the pepper, 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 . Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
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 30 sec
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom clean with a wooden spoon.
in the rice, the lemon 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.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Lay the chicken on top without .
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 5 minutes.
Timer: 5 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
Dolly’s tip: Those 10 minutes of resting finish the rice. Venting early leaves it crunchy.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.
in the lemon juice and spinach until the spinach , then scatter the feta and dill on top.
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.
Wilt. Wilting means cooking leafy greens just until they go soft and collapse. Greens shrink a lot, so a big pile of spinach becomes a small handful, and that’s normal.
How you’ll know: The leaves turn soft and deep green and slump into the pan, usually within a minute or two.
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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