Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice

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Spanish-Style Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a healthy and easy one-pot meal with lean chicken breasts, red bell pepper, and fluffy rice spiced with paprika and cumin. 

A 45 degree shot of a white bowl filled with Spanish style Instant Pot chicken and rice, garnished with red bell peppers and diced parsley, with a wooden spoon tucked in the back right of the bowl, with extra parsley and red bell peppers in the background

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This quick Instant Pot recipe is a complete and satisfying dinner in one pot. It’s full of Spanish-inpsired flavor with just a bit of heat to please parents and kids. 

We’re all about one-pan dinners here at Pressure Cooking Today. Whether it’s Instant Pot Chili Mac or One-Pot Tortellini, if we can cut back on time and dishes and get a healthy and flavorful meal on the table, you can sign us up!

This Spanish-style chicken and rice is our latest favorite one-pot pressure cooker dinner that we’re excited to share with you!

Pinterest button for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (Spanish-style flavors), featuring two photos: the top shows a spoonful of chicken and rice coming out of the instant pot, and the bottom photo shows an overhead view of a white bowl full of Instant Pot chicken and rice

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken & Rice

This Spanish-Style Chicken & Rice recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant PotNinja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL

The flavor in this chicken and rice recipe somes from a few dried spices:

  • Paprika, which is a classic Spanish seasoning made from dried peppers. It’s also called pimenton. You can use sweet or smoked paprika for this recipe, depending on your taste preferences. 
  • Garlic powder. This adds a nice savory element to the rice. You can also use fresh garlic if you prefer. 2 minced garlic cloves will work. 
  • Cumin. This is a nice nutty and warming spice to round out the sweetness of bell pepper and onion. 
  • Oregano. For a nice bit of fresh, herby flavor. If you’re out of oregano, you can replace it with parsley, cilantro, or marjoram. 
A spoon taking out a serving of Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, suspended over an Instant Pot

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?

Yes, if you prefer the flavor of chicken thighs to chicken breasts, you can make the swap. Just dice the boneless, skinless thighs into bite-sized pieces and follow the recipe as written. 

An overhead shot looking into an Instant Pot filled with Spanish-style Chicken and Rice, with a wooden spoon in the top left of the frame

Serving Suggestions

You can certainly serve this chicken and rice dish as-is. I love it as a simple rice bowl. But my kids prefer it served with some crunchy and cooling toppings like:

  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Tortilla chips, for scooping
45 degree shot of a white bowl full of Instant Pot spanish style chicken and rice, with an instant pot, bell peppers, and cilantro in the background

Storage

You can store leftover Spanish-style Instant Pot chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. It makes a great lunch!

You can also freeze leftovers for up to three months. Let the meal defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or in the instant pot. 

Close-up of the Instant Pot spanish style chicken and rice with a wooden spoon, cilantro, and bell peppers in the background

More Chicken and Rice Recipes

Try these other healthy protein and grain recipes for easy weeknight dinners next:


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A 45 degree shot of a white bowl filled with Spanish style Instant Pot chicken and rice, garnished with red bell peppers and diced parsley, with a wooden spoon tucked in the back right of the bowl, with extra parsley and red bell peppers in the background

Spanish-Style Instant Pot Chicken & Rice

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Additional Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot is a quick one-pot meal with chicken breasts, paprika, garlic and fluffy white rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into ½-inch pieces (about 2 breasts total)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Toppings, as desired, for serving

Instructions

    1. Select sauté to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add oil and cubed chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
    2. Add the paprika, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste and stir to coat everything in the seasonings. Add the peppers, onions, and rice and stir to combine.
    3. Add chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
    4. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time.
    5. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
    6. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    7. Serve as is or with your favorite toppings, as desired.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 26g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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originally published August 7, 2021 — last updated October 5, 2021
Categories: Chicken