PilafAmericanEasy

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Name: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (285 g) basmati rice, rinsed in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drained well; 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil; 1 large (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups); 3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin; ¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or warm; 1 small (60 g) lemon, half squeezed for juice (about 1 tablespoon), half cut into wedges for serving; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Golden turmeric-scented basmati and juicy chicken thighs cook together in one pot under pressure. Seared chicken and sautéed onion build deep flavor, and the rice comes out fluffy and separate.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 generous servings (about 6 cups)

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Ingredients

4 servings

1½ cups (285 g) basmati rice, rinsed in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drained well
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 large (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups)
3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or warm
1 small (60 g) lemon, half squeezed for juice (about 1 tablespoon), half cut into wedges for serving
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

6-quart (5.7 L) Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
Fine-mesh sieve
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wooden or silicone spoon (for scraping the pot bottom)
Instant-read thermometer
Fork for fluffing

Steps

Before you start

This recipe is written for a 6-quart (5.7 L) Instant Pot. In an 8-quart, keep the same amounts but expect it to take a few extra minutes to come to pressure.
Rinse the rice first: it needs to rinse and drain for 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
Use low-sodium broth if you can. Pressure cooking concentrates salt, and the recipe seasons the chicken separately.
Measure the rice and broth level and don't add extra liquid. Pressure cooking loses almost no water, so the 1:1 ratio is deliberate.

1
Rinse the rice
- Put the basmati in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, swishing with your fingers, for about 1 minute, until the water runs mostly clear.
- Shake well and leave the sieve resting over a bowl to drain for 10 minutes while you prep the rest.
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Ready when: Rinse water is nearly clear and the grains look opaque white
Tip: Rinsing removes surface starch, which is what keeps pilaf from turning gummy.
2
Prep and season chicken
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and toss in a bowl with the turmeric, cumin, ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper until evenly coated in yellow.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated with no dry pockets of spice
Tip: Dry chicken sears and browns; wet chicken steams.
3
Sear the chicken
- Press Sauté and set to More/High.
- When the display reads Hot (about 3 minutes), add the oil and swirl.
- Add half the chicken in a single layer and sear without moving for 2 minutes, then flip and sear 1 more minute.
- Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- It will not be cooked through.
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Ready when: Chicken is golden brown on the edges and releases easily from the pot
Tip: Don't crowd the pot or the chicken will steam instead of browning.
4
Soften the onion
- Press Adjust to switch to Normal/Medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to the browned bits left in the pot.
- Stir for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent; garlic smells fragrant but is not browned
5
Deglaze the pot
- Pour in the broth and lemon juice.
- With a wooden spoon, scrape the entire bottom of the pot firmly, loosening every brown bit.
- Press Cancel to turn off Sauté.
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Ready when: Pot bottom feels completely smooth when scraped, with no stuck bits
Tip: Any stuck bits left on the bottom can trigger the Burn warning, so scrape thoroughly.
6
Layer rice and chicken
- Add the drained rice and stir once so it is submerged in the broth and level.
- Do not stir again.
- Arrange the seared chicken and any juices from the plate on top of the rice in an even layer, without pushing it into the liquid.
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Ready when: Rice forms a flat layer under the liquid with the chicken resting on top
Tip: Keeping the rice on the bottom and the chicken on top helps prevent scorching.
7
Pressure cook
- Lock the lid and turn the valve to Sealing.
- Press Pressure Cook/Manual on High and set 6 minutes.
- The pot takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the countdown begins.
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Ready when: Display switches from On to the countdown, then beeps when finished
Tip: If you see a Burn notice, press Cancel, release pressure, and scrape the bottom again before restarting.
8
Natural release
- Leave the pot alone for a 10-minute natural release; the display will count up.
- After 10 minutes, carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam, keeping hands and face away from the vent.
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Ready when: Float valve has dropped and the lid turns freely
Tip: A quick release right away makes rice spurt starchy liquid and cook unevenly.
9
Check the chicken
- Open the lid.
- Move a piece of chicken aside and insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest piece; it should read at least 175°F (80°C) for tender thigh meat.
- If lower, re-lock the lid and let it steam 3 more minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken reads 175°F (80°C) with no pink in the center
10
Rest and fluff
- Cover the pot again and let it rest 5 minutes off the heat.
- Then use a fork to gently fold the chicken into the rice, lifting from the bottom, until the rice is fluffy and streaked yellow.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
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Ready when: Grains are separate, tender and fluffy, not mushy or wet
Tip: Fold gently with a fork; stirring hard breaks the long basmati grains.
11
Garnish and serve
- Scatter the parsley over the pilaf and serve straight from the pot with lemon wedges for squeezing over each portion.

Good to know

Tips

Level, exact measurements matter: more liquid makes mushy rice, and less can trigger the Burn warning.
Don't stir after adding the rice and chicken on top; keeping layers separate prevents scorching.
Add a ½ cup of frozen peas on top of the rice after the natural release, then cover for the 5-minute rest to warm them through.
For more color and aroma, sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon or a few cardamom pods into the onions.

Make ahead

"Rinse and drain the rice, dice the onion and mince the garlic up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately in covered containers. The chicken can be cut and seasoned up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated. Cook the pilaf fresh for best texture."

Storage & reheating

"Cool within 1 hour of cooking. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat with 1 tablespoon of water per serving, covered, in the microwave for 1½ to 2 minutes (until steaming hot, 165°F/74°C), stirring halfway. Do not leave at room temperature more than 1 hour."

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch pieces. Breast dries out more easily; cook it for 4 minutes at high pressure instead of 6 and check that it reaches 165°F (74°C).
basmati rice → long-grain white rice (rinsed). Cook at the same ratio and time. Do not use brown rice or short-grain rice without changing the liquid and time.
olive oil → ghee or unsalted butter. Gives a richer, nuttier flavor; use the same amount.
low-sodium chicken broth → vegetable broth or water with ½ teaspoon extra salt. Flavor will be milder; use the same volume.