Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo – made in a fraction of the time! An easy, one-pot, chicken, rice and vegetable dish infused with delicious Spanish flavors of saffron and smoked paprika, similar to Paella but without the seafood.  Fast and easy! See recipe notes for the stove-top version!  Updated Recipe 3/11/20

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Drop by drop a river is made.~ Rumi

Here’s a quick and easy weeknight dinner that can be made in an Instant Pot, or on the stovetop. Arroz con Pollo which translates to “rice with chicken”, is a traditional dish in both Spain and Latin countries. This version is influenced by Spanish flavors with the use of saffron and smoked paprika, similar to paella but without the seafood.

The saffron gives it its beautiful golden hue, whereas in Latin countries, the use of annatto is more common.

You can also make this on the stovetop!

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Saffron does vary in flavor. Some are quite mild, and others like this Rumi Brand are more intense. Notice how deeply red the color is. The flavor is twice as intense as most saffron I’ve tried, so you’ll need a little less than the recipe calls for.

The saffron really gives this recipe for Arroz con Pollo,  it’s authentic Spanish flavor, so don’t skip it. Soak the threads in warm water, then add both the water and the threads to the dish.

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Season chicken thighs with smoked paprika and salt and pepper.

Now, if you want these to have a little color, I suggest browning the tops for just a couple of minutes.

They taste totally fine without browning; they just won’t look like the photographs here.

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Saute the onions and garlic, add the veggies, rinsed rice, stock, wine, and spices and nestle the chicken over top.

A note about rice. Different rice requires different amounts of water and cooking times. Be sure to check recipe notes to prevent the burn error.

Here I’ve just used plain old white rice. Not aborio, not calrose, not brown, not basmati. All of the others will work, but you will need to adjust water.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes, on high. Naturally release for 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and olives. Squeeze with lime.

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Here I’ve kept the Arroz con Pollo simple, but you could serve it with warm tortillas, queso fresco cheese ( or sour cream), avocado slices and a lime wedge.

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Here you go, Arroz con Pollo, made in an Instant Pot! So quick and easy! See the recipe notes for the stovetop version!

Enjoy and let us know what you think.

xoxo

Sylvia

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Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo - made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! #instantpotchicken #instantpotrecipes #spanishchicken #easydinners #ArrozconPollo

Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 107 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: main, chicken,
  • Method: instant pot
  • Cuisine: Spanish

Description

Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo – made in a fraction of the time! This Spanish version is infused with saffron and smoked paprika and full of amazing flavor! See notes for stovetop version. Please read recipe notes about the “Burn Error” before starting. Updated recipe 3/11/20


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs (whole, boneless, skinless)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ——
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon saffron
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • —–
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced or sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth (see notes, varies depening on rice you use)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika if you like.
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/21 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted are nice) with the juices
  • 1 cup white rice, rinsed (use medium-grain or short-grain white rice) or see notes for other varieties -IMPORTANT!

  • 1/4 cup sliced green olives
  • 12 cups peas (frozen are fine, or sub shelled edamame)
  • a squeeze of fresh lime
  • Optional Garnishes: lime wedges, warm tortillas, queso fresco cheese or sour cream, avocado, fresh Italian parsley.

Instructions

  1. Please read instructions all the way through first, including the NOTES, taking note of the type of rice being used -and be precise with measuring!
  2. Season the whole chicken thighs, generously on all sides with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Set aside. You could brown the top side in oil if you like (so they end up like photos) or just plop them in raw (they will still taste really good, but look a bit paler – totally fine if in a hurry)!
  3. In a small bowl, pour 2 tablespoons warm water over  the saffron threads, if using and let this steep. (If using Rumi Saffron, ¼ teaspoon is enough.)
  4. Heat oil in a 6 quart Instant Pot, using the “saute” function. Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes, then add bell pepper and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the saffron and its water, the chicken broth and wine to the instant pot,  bring to a simmer, then using a wood spoon or spatula,  scrap up any browned bits – getting into all those corners (this is absolutely imperative to preventing the burn error!!!).
  6. Stir in the remaining spices and salt.
  7. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices.
  8. Rinse the rice (important) and sprinkle it evenly over top – do not stir!
  9. Place the seasoned chicken over top of the rice, nestling it in a bit.
  10. Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes.
  11. Naturally release, for 10 minutes.
  12. Break the chicken apart with two forks, and stir in the olives and peas, covering on warm for just a few minutes until peas heat through.
  13. Squeeze with lime and serve with the optional garnishes.

Notes

RICE: If using a different kind of rice, you will need to adjust broth amount. Read rice to liquid ratio on the package of your rice, (considering liquid from tomatoes) and add more or less broth accordingly. So if your rice requires 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice, you will need to add 2 cups broth (instead of the 1 1/2 cup in the recipe). Different kinds of rice also require different cooking times. For example, brown rice takes 15 mins of pressure cooking. Wild rice takes 25. If unsure how much liquid your type of rice needs, just google. Thinner, long-grain rice ( like Basmati) won’t work as well here and tends to get soggy or mushy. 

I have not tried this with brown rice, but I am guessing the brown rice would need 1/4-1/2 cup more liquid and take 5 minutes longer to cook.

BURN ERRORS: I used a 6-quart instant pot, have tested this 4 times, with no burn errors using jasmine rice and white basmati rice.  With that being said, a few of you are still getting burn errors- and I believe it is because you are using a different kind of rice, with not enough liquid.  So just make sure to read your rice package. Please leave any notes in the comments below for suggested ratios and times- for others to reference. Thanks!!!

STOVE TOP VERSION: If making on the stovetop, follow the same directions, but brown the thighs first before nestling into the rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until rice is cooked through and all the liquid is absorbed. (30-45 minutes).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 382
  • Sugar: 5.1 g
  • Sodium: 1095 mg
  • Fat: 10.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.3 g
  • Fiber: 3.5 g
  • Protein: 28 g
  • Cholesterol: 106.5 mg

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Comments

  1. Delicious! Nice flavors, not too spicy, easy to make.
    Put your own spin on it with toppings.






  2. Great Flavor!
    …Made it with Basmati Rice; feared Jasmine would give it the wrong taste. Used boneless/skinless chicken breast; sprinkled spices on the and seared them BRIEFLY in a second pan (no burned bits in the InstaPot.) Doubled the amount of olive slices (like the taste, might add a small amount of juice at the end next time) and garlic. Need to experiment to figure out how to make a bit more juice without and make the rice mushy, perhaps sauté the rice before adding it….






    1. I’m guessing the tomatoes add a lot of moisture and flavor to this recipe. Anyone have suggestions on what I could sub for the tomatoes? We have a tomato allergy in the family.

  3. On the positive side, flavor was delicious. As many others have said, though, mine was much too liquidy. Based on earlier comments, I cut the liquid a bit — no wine (largely because I didn’t have any), and I only used 1.25 cups of broth (standard Instant Pot rice:water ratio, 1:1.25). I used standard medium-grain white rice. I will make this again because the flavor was great and the liquid is an easy fix. Instructions were excellent — overall a great recipe.






  4. This was great! No burn errors for me — layering is always key, as is deglazing the bottom of the pan properly. I used long grain white rice. The ratio on the bag of rice was 2:1 and I probably used a few tablespoons shy of 2 c broth since I rinsed the rice so thoroughly and always assume there will be extra moisture with this. My only issue was that I used frozen peas and just threw them in frozen so it took awhile for them to cook through just by leaving the top on and letting the steam do the work. If i make this again, I would definitely thaw them first. Otherwise a really delicious and flavorful dish!






    1. I’d remove the skin before pressure cooking, then remove the bones after pressure cooking. 🙂

  5. I used basmati rice and it came out perfect, no burn error.. Followed the recipe and used my small instant pot, had plenty of room, came right to the limit. I love Spanish chorizo in my arroz con pollo and will add next time. Great recipe and very easy; glad to have a recipe for the instant pot.






  6. I’ve made this twice. the first time I used Jasmin, and it was mushy- although flavors were amazing and family devoured it anyways. The second time I used basmati. Turned out perfect!






  7. Far too much chicken broth. I used the rice recommended by the recipe and it came out completely like mush. Wasted every other ingredient listed here for bad food.

    Do not make this recipe.

  8. This recipe is full of flavor, and I substituted some ingredients like adding cayenne pepper (we like spicy) for a kick. However, the times/water ratio are off with instapot. Used jasmine rice and kept getting a food burn error and tried to rectify by cooking on slow cooker. Instead of pressurizing and soaking up the liquids, it is mush and my rice, while cooked, has more liquid than it needs. Would have been better off cooking this on the sove – as we cook rice almost every day in our household.

  9. Recipe is delicious, but u fortunately the rice came out mushy. I used white jasmine rice with 1-1/2 cups chicken broth. Maybe I will try the suggestion in one of the comments below to pressure cook the chicken for 6 minutes and then add the ride and pressure cook for six more. Or decrease the broth to 1 cup. My husband and i just love all these instant pot recipes and hope you will add more!!






  10. Made it today following the recipe and the Jasmine rice came out like oatmeal, highly overcooked

  11. Made this tonight and it was Aaaaahhhhmazing!!! Doubled the recipe and used parboiled rice (did not rinse). Really really good!






  12. I believe there is far too much liquid and cooking time for the rice. I follow Barbara Schieving (Pressure Cooking Today) for all advice on pressure cooking recipes, and she recommends just 1.25 cups liquid (total) to 1 cup of rice, including liquid from the tomatoes. Sautee all the other ingredients, rinse the rice thoroughly and add to the pot with the liquid, veggies, seasonings and chicken, then cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and let release naturally for 10 minutes. Open pot and fluff with a fork. Try that and I bet you’ll be pleased. You shouldn’t get a burn notice if you’re using a 6-quart pot and have rinsed your rice well.

  13. Fantastic recipe, so much flavor. I was very careful with liquid / rice ratios and had to do it in the stove as the Insta Pot was being used for another recipe. Followed exactly except did the brown rice mixture for 45 minutes with a 10 minute rest before adding peas and olives. Then warmed it for another five.






  14. Used this recipe for my base added some diced ham in the very sauté, added a nice smoky flavor also used a nice lager, instead of wine.
    Used ur recommendations regarding The amount of stock per cup of rice.
    Family loved it!!! We have a new favorite.






  15. I just made this. The flavor is very good. I questioned the amount of water, wine, & tomatoes with juice for 1 cup of rice. It is a soupy mess…

      1. My is also too soupy. It was very much arroz con pollo soup! Very tasty, but not like the picture. I used Basmati Brown Rice, 1 cup rice to 1-3/4 broth according to package directions for the rice, plus the 1/4 wine. Perhaps less broth next time ? It is also the first time I used the Instant Pot. Wondering if I could have done something wrong. Should I have let liquid simmer longer?






  16. Really easy, great flavors, thanks for posting! I browned the chicken separately. It not only looks good, it avoids the stuck-on-food and (I presume) any burn errors. One suggestion: I think you could get the same flavor with half the dry spices. 2 teaspoons each of cumin, etc is a lot for a dish of this size.






  17. I suspect the burn error issues have nothing to do with the rice:liquid ratios… I cook rice and grains in my instant pot 3-4 times a week and never have burn errors, and I always use the same ratio of liquid to grains. And I used the same ratio here, so it’s reasonable to conclude the issue isn’t the liquid ratio, but something else.

    I suspect the real issue here is the sofrito (onion, carrots, bell pepper). These will typically sink to the bottom and they are very rich in sugars, which will carmelize and then burn in the high heat and pressure of the instant pot. In the sautee stage this isn’t an issue because one is stirring and the pot is open and not under pressure, so the temperature is lower. Once the lid goes on and the temp/pressure goes up, I suspect the temp is going up beyond the burn point of the sugars in the sofrito. Tough issue to address. Cooking the chicken and rice in two stages (with a quick stir of the sofrito inbetween) as I suggested might help. Another option might be to transfer the sofrito mix to a bowl, put the rice and broth in the instant pot, and then the sofrito on top of it, creating a buffer layer between the hot bottom and the sofrito… Just thoughts. Nobody take offense, please.

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