This Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep is inspired by the chicken burrito bowls from Chipotle! It’s so easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes to meal prep for four days!
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Chipotle inspired meal prep | Spicy Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot
Folks, it’s been freezing cold in Toronto. Like cycling through snow, ice, frozen rain, type of cold. I was excited about having a white Christmas but now that it’s mid-January, I’m over it. I have to put on base layers under my sweatpants to get to work! It’s practically like having to put on a costume because of all the additional layers! This weather essentially activated hibernation mode and when I’m at work and I want to cross the street for some Chipotle, I’ve got to go put on all my layers plus switch into my winter boot. Nope. There’s got to be a better way!
And thus, this Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep was born! I want my Chipotle and this is pretty much the next best thing (well, number 1 now since it means I don’t have to go outside). With the Instant Pot, this meal is so easy to make and very hands off. You can also make this without the Instant Pot but you just have to go through a few extra steps.
Update: Hello from 2019! This post was originally written in January 17, 2018 and it is currently March 2019, and I’ve updated this post with some new photos and an updated video. So if you’ve gotten this post in your inbox already and think you’re seeing double then you are correct! After a year of using the Instant Pot, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks and decided to give this easy Instant Pot chicken and rice meal prep a refresh so I’m re-publishing this recipe. Check out the new photos and video plus new tips such as lining the bottom of the pot with onions so you don’t get a burn message!
What You Need For The Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep
This Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep is made in two steps. The first round, you put in
- rice
- salsa
- water
- oil
- chicken
- spices
Then after you pressure cook that, you open it and stir in
- beans
- corn
- cilantro or garnish of your choice
and then you just give it a stir and you’re ready to go! Easy right? Other things you can add in afterwards could be chopped red onions, sour cream, cheese, guac, and lettuce just like Chipotle does! However, mix sour cream and guac later, on the day of eating because it might spoil.
So What’s An Instant Pot?
I have the Duo Plus 9 in 1 Instant Pot. The Duo Plus replaces 9 commonly used kitchen appliances – Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice/Porridge Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake/Egg Maker, Sauté/Searing, Steam, Warm and Sterilize. It’s quite the multi-use product! Plus, because this is using the Instant Pot, it falls under the #OnePotRecipe category too! Minimal dishes! Win-Win-Win!
Tips and Notes for Making the Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep
- To prevent the chicken and rice from burning in the Instant Pot, we layer all the ingredients. We start with onions (they let out a lot of liquid when they are pressure cooked. When the rice gets poured in, I gently pat it down to make sure the rice is in the liquid, do not stir.
- I used extra chunky salsa for this Instant Pot chicken and rice, keep in mind that the salsa that you pick may have a different liquid amount in them and affect how liquidly the recipe comes out. But not to worry, the liquid will thicken up once you start stirring in your corn and beans.
- I used frozen corn directly into the Instant Pot since the heat from the Instant Pot will cook the frozen corn through.
- Instead of water, you can use chicken broth to amp up the flavour in this chicken and rice meal prep
- I’m a huge fan of glass containers for packing my lunches in as they’re great for reheating in the microwave and they don’t hold onto smells over time. They come in square, rectangle, and circular shapes.
- If you want to mix it up, shred your chicken or cut it into smaller cubes and put it inside a tortilla and turn it into a burrito
- Turn this into a spicy meal prep burrito by shredding the chicken and rolling it up with tortilla wrap.
- Rinsing the rice first will remove some of the starch, and will help prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot if that is a huge concern to you.
Spicy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped roughly
- 3 chicken breast
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chili
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 500 ml salsa
- 1.3 cups water or broth* see notes
- 1 cup long grain white rice
add in after
- 1 can beans
- 1 cup corn
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the ingredients in this layer, do not stir: onion, chicken, spices/seasonings, salsa, rice, and water/broth.
- Give the rice a gentle tap to make sure all the rice is touching the liquids. Do not stir.
- Put your lid on and make sure to seal the little knob on it and turn the instant pot on high pressure for 9 minutes. When done, quick release.
- Once ready, open the lid, remove the chicken to slice or shred. Set it aside. Mix in the beans and corn. Serve immediately or portion into containers for later.
Stove Top Instructions
- Mix 1 cup rice, salsa, and 2 cup water in small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer, stirring every 5-7 minutes until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Coat the chicken with your spice mix and in a cast iron, cook your chicken until it's done.
- Once the rice is done, stir in the beans, corn, and the chicken. Serve immediately or portion into containers for later.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ’s for This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Can I Use A Different Rice for this chicken and rice recipe?
Yes, if they have the same cook time. Something like brown rice might not work as well but jasmin rice could work. Note: I have not tested this.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
I would not recommend it due to the chicken and rice cooking together in the Instant Pot, it could skew the liquid to rice ratio.
How to Avoid the Burn Message
I had some concerns about getting a burn message, to make sure your chicken and rice do not burn, make sure you 1. layer the onions on the bottom and 2. place the chicken down next. This way the rice isn’t near the bottom of the pot and there’s a layer between them.
Click here to pin this Healthy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Meal Prep for later!
Want to try another Instant Pot recipes? Check these recipes out
- Healthier Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Healthy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
- Instant Pot Poached Eggs
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: carmy@carmyy.com
Lori
January 18, 2018 at 5:57 pmFollowed this recipe and unfortunately there wasn’t enough liquid and got a BURN message. Had to try to salvage supper by cooking it on the stove
Carmy
January 19, 2018 at 2:35 pmHi Lori! I’m so sorry to hear. Do you mind if I double check what kind of rice you’re using? I’ve tried this a couple times and never got a burn message myself.
Carolle
August 8, 2019 at 10:10 pmSame here. 😢
Carmy
August 9, 2019 at 3:06 pmHi Carolle,
I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you. Do you mind sharing what model IP you’re using as well as type of rice? I’ve made this recipe over 10 times and not once had I gotten a burn message. Also, the layering is very important as the chicken on the bottom keeps the rice from sticking on the the bottom as well. Can you confirm if it was layered properly? Thanks!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
May 7, 2018 at 10:22 amThis looks like a really hearty meal for the whole week — and I love your tip about putting it on a tortilla like a burrito. I don’t have an instant pot (yet) but I do have a slow cooker and a regular pressure cooker (not to mention a monster dutch oven), so I’m confident I could make this recipe in a multitude of ways. I love the idea of the bento boxes for portioning out individual lunches too — I’m not nearly as crafty — relying on my tupperware to do the job. I may have to invest in a few bentos.
The Foodie Journey
May 7, 2018 at 7:36 pmI do not have a instant pot but Im sure I could make this in a pot instead. It looks delicious! Im always after simple yet nutritious recipes and this one seems perfect! Thanks for sharing
Amanda
May 9, 2018 at 9:46 pmI love chipotle so much so having this for lunch just makes my day so amazing. Although, it doesn’t last me all week because I keep giving myself extra big portions hehehe
Gloria
May 10, 2018 at 11:55 amMeal preps are becoming very popular. Sure helps during the busy weeknights for dinner. This sounds and looks delicious. We all need a little help in the kitchen.
Susie
May 10, 2018 at 2:13 pmThank goodness it is finally spring.. I hope you are finally having some warmer weather in Canada. Just reading your post made me so glad the snow is gone!
I have the same Instant Pot as you and I LOVE it! Besides my grill it is probably one of my favorite appliances in my kitchen/house.
These burrito bowls look amazing. I would love this for summer lunch prep when the kids are home all day, every day. It would make my day a lot easier
Julia
May 10, 2018 at 3:23 pmOmg – don’t remind me of the winter! It was bad!! Love this recipe and video – so cute! I also like how you actually cut the chicken breasts in half. I find that a full chicken breast is often too much but most recipes (mine included) always assume 1 chicken breast per person and I never can finish a whole thing.
Patty
May 12, 2018 at 9:24 amNice recipe, meal prep is so handy and the instant pot is such a time saver. As a new user, I’m so glad for all the tips you are giving, I hope I can use only 1.5 cups of water like you and not get the burn notice, thanks!
michele
May 13, 2018 at 10:40 amI really love the bento boxes you found for these, I like to make my meal prep meals look cute so when Im eating them my meals feel special! The burrito bowls at Chipotle are my favorite so you know I’ll be making these really soon! 🙂
Tina
May 13, 2018 at 11:58 amI love how easy this is and healthy too. Meal prep is popular in my house. Everybody is always on the go and if we wait until last minute to pack a lunch, we end up eating fast food. I love this idea, I can easily adapt this to my slow cooker. Saving this, thank you!
Marisa Franca
May 13, 2018 at 1:51 pmAt times like this I really miss not having an Insta-Pot!! Meal prep is a must in a busy household. We always get so tied up trying to finish what we start that our meals have to be made ahead or it’s throw something together at the last minute. This recipe is a real time saver.
Amanda
May 14, 2018 at 7:29 amWhat a great recipe for the Instant Pot! I haven’t done a lot of chicken in it yet and this looks like the perfect recipe to prep for the week ahead. Love those zesty spices, and what a great idea to use a jar of prepared salsa. Easy and delish!
Tracy Koslicki
May 14, 2018 at 8:37 amOh I LOVE a good copycat recipe! And one that is EASY. Thank you for both with this one. Although jeez as if I needed MORE reasons for this magical Instant Pot but this may be the recipe that finally gets my husband to break down and get me one! 😉
Dan
October 14, 2018 at 5:54 pmIP was used for the recipe. I used brown rice and a cup and a half of chicken broth. Rice came out a little soupy but it was tasty. Will try again with a cup and a half.
Carmy
October 14, 2018 at 9:30 pmThanks for letting me know! I’m glad it was tasty! 🙂
Daniel
October 14, 2018 at 9:45 pmAny time. Should have said one cup of broth. 😛
Joy
November 4, 2018 at 2:35 pmCould this recipe be doubled without changing the cook time?
Carmy
November 4, 2018 at 4:17 pmI would stay within Instant Pot’s suggestion of 6 minutes per lb of chicken if you were to double the recipe 🙂
Janice - Salads for Lunch
January 2, 2019 at 6:48 pmOh I love when I come across a recipe where I already have all the ingredients in the house. This looks easy and delicious!
Martha
March 21, 2019 at 7:41 pmI’m guessing the 1tbsp chili is chili powder. What is 1tbsp garlic? Is it minced garlic or garlic powder?
Carmy
March 21, 2019 at 9:43 pmHi Martha! Yup, they’re both powder. However, if you prefer minced garlic, it works as well!
Lorraine
July 2, 2019 at 4:13 pmSo I am making this with frozen breasts, and they are 3 lb of chicken, which should make it an 18 min cook time correct? However, my other concern is, I have layered this exactly as stated and my broth is no where In site of the rice. I did a total of 12-14 oz of broth since I do have a large IP.
Carmy
July 2, 2019 at 8:15 pmHey Lorraine, I haven’t tried it with frozen chicken breasts and mention in the post that I do not recommend using frozen breasts for this recipe. Using frozen chicken may skew the liquid to rice ratio and make soggy rice.
Gwilt
May 11, 2019 at 7:57 pmCurrently cooking this but just wanted to say that garlic should be changed to garlic powder. God bless I didn’t use a tbsp of garlic lol.
Carmy
May 12, 2019 at 9:05 amThanks for catching that!
Gwilt
May 12, 2019 at 11:11 amNo problem, using this recipe to meal prep and damn it’s good and so simple, thank you for putting it here.
Chara
June 16, 2019 at 4:58 pmIf making in a crockpot can I add the rice with it? I dont own a instapot and not much of a cook. I’m trying though 😉.
Any feedback would be wonderful.
Carmy
June 17, 2019 at 8:56 pmHey Chara! Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this in my slowcooker! At this time, I’ve only tried it on the stove top and the Instant Pot.