Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
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These Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are so delicious! They take a total of about thirty minutes to get on the table, and most of that is hands-off time. They’re full of flavor, and you can go ahead and scratch tortillas off your shopping list. Top’m off with some lettuce, cheese, chopped tomatoes and/or guacamole, and you’ve got yourself a home-run dinner tonight!
Hey y’all! So, my adventure with the Instant Pot has officially started. I know, I know, I held off for so very long. Truth is, in case you haven’t noticed and/or seen me tell you before on this here blog, I’m a bit stubborn. While I like trying new foods and all, I’m not always super great at welcoming new kitchen gadgets into my world. The truth is, I’d rather have a million unique, pretty plates than a bunch of shiny new kitchen gadgets. I believe cooking, at the root of it all, is super simple, and you don’t need a ton of appliances and thing-a-ma-jigs to make an outstanding meal. While I still believe all of this, I also believe that the Instant Pot might be a gift from heaven, because y’all… I’m a little obsessed. It mighta taken me 2-3 years to jump on board, but I finally did, and I’m so happy for it. The first thing I’ve noticed about the Instant Pot is that, well.. honestly, the name is a teeny tiny bit misleading. It’s not literally instant… at least not with the things I have made in it so far. It’s more like all-in-one and hands off, just like a slow cooker, except a lot quicker. Does that make sense? So I guess when you measure it against slow cooker times, it’s pretty much instant. Either way, you’ll be seeing a bunch of recipes for this soon. Don’t worry, not everything! I am workshopping some new Instant Pot recipe ideas. But I’ve actually been having good luck creating Instant Pot versions of some of your Skinnyish favorites!
No matter what happens with this or other new kitchen appliances and devices, don’t worry friends – My first love will always and forever be good ol’ fashioned cooking. “Me, Jane – pot, pan, and cook fire good.” Ha!
These Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are the perfect example of what I mean, and exactly why I’m sharing this recipe first. I have another recipe for Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls that are drop-dead delicious. In fact, they’re one of my favorite things to make to this day. But… there are multiple steps, and multiple dishes to be washed, every time I make them. The multiple steps part doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the multiple dishes part! Washing dishes continues to be the bane of my existence. This is hilarious in itself, because of what I’ve chosen to do for a living. You know, there’s all these grocery delivery services, grocery pick up, meal kit delivery places, etc, etc. All these are designed to make cooking easier. But ya know what would really make life easier? If we could click a button on an app, and somebody shows up and cleans the messy kitchen! Now, I’d pay for that. Who’s with me?
Anyhow, I know, we’re off the subject, as usual. So let’s get down to it! These Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are so stinkin’ good, guys! Let me be clear (especially if you’ve made my Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls with the recipes like the cilantro lime rice, quick chipotle pinto beans, and skillet chipotle chicken)- these Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are different, but they’re good different! They do not taste identical. When we do something in one pressurized pot, It’s pretty much impossible to get all of the separate flavors of the original burrito bowls to come together the same exact way. These Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are quick and easy, and they’re also full of great flavor! But I don’t want you to expect the same thing… because as I convert some of your favorites into Instant Pot friendly recipes, that’s what I’m learning – there’s a trade off, convenience for flavors. This doesn’t mean it won’t be as good as the original version, just that it’s different! I promise it’s not a bad thing, because these Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls have seriously become a weekly lifesaver since I started making them!
Let’s get into the kitchen!
First, you’re gonna chop up a yellow onion and four cloves of garlic. Nothing you haven’t seen before, so I won’t add a photo. But some of you haven’t seen these little cans of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, so here it is! You’ll need to chop up one of the peppers. Yer also gonna need one tablespoon of the sauce from the can. These peppers are sooo good, and the sauce that they’re in has a TON of flavor. I always keep a can or two of these babies in the pantry. You can easily find them at any grocery store in the Hispanic/International foods section. As far as brands go, there are a lot of different ones. I’ve tried most of’m, and they’re all pretty much the same thing. (*These do have a bit of a kick! So if you’re unsure of the spice level, slice open the pepper and scoop those seeds out before chopping it up.)
Tip: You will have some peppers and sauce left over. Just freeze’m right up in a small container or ziplock bag, and they’re good for up to 3 months!
Grab a couple pounds of fresh chicken breast, and cut it up into small pieces. Sprinkle it with kosher salt and pepper. *Just to be perfectly clear – this step calls for Kosher Salt, not regular table salt. If you only have table salt, it should work, but make sure you use approximately half the amount.
Turn on your Instant Pot, and set it to Sauté. Then add two teaspoons of olive oil, and the diced onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers.
Cook for a few minutes, until the onions are softened.
When the onions are softened, sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Also, add in the tablespoon of the adobo sauce that’s in the can of chipotle peppers. Stir it all around, and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
After a couple’a minutes, pour in 1/2 cup’a chicken broth to deglaze the pot. (Deglazing is a fancy word for just getting all the lil’ bits that are stuck on the pan… unstuck.)
Throw in those chunks of diced chicken!
add in your can of drained black beans, 1 cup frozen corn, and 1-1/2 cup of salsaaaaa. Try to use a brand of salsa that you and your family enjoy, because everything in the pot is gonna take on a lot of that flavor!
Sprinkle long grain white rice on top, okay? Not minute/instant rice, the original, old-school kinda rice. Do not mix it in. I repeat- do not mix! The first two times I tested this recipe, I shoved the wooden spoon down in, and mixed it all together. And… Don’t.
Pour the remaining 1-1/4 cup’a chicken broth over the rice. If there are some little islands of rice sticking up above the broth, well, just gently press it down beneath the surface. Don’t mix it!
Use the manual setting, set to Pressure Cook HIGH for 10 minutes. Close and lock the lid. When the cooking time is complete, do a quick-release of pressure.
(NOTE: If you’re new to the Instant Pot, this Quick Release step can be a little intimidating. And I won’t lie – it can even be a little dangerous. After all, we’re releasing pressurized steam that’s heated to around 200 degrees F. I PROMISE that once you’ve done this a couple times, you’ll know exactly what to expect, and there’s nothing to it. But if it’s done in a very wrong way, there’s a very real possibility of getting serious burns. So I recommend you thoroughly read or review the official Instant Pot instructions for this quick release step. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to watch a couple YouTube videos of reputable cooks demonstrating how it’s done, properly and safely. Don’t be scared off by this step, because MANY Instant Pot recipes require a quick release. But in the kitchen, whether you’re cutting with a super-sharp knife, or using a food processor, or pouring boiling water through a strainer, the same applies for this Quick Release step: DON’T RUSH, and SAFETY FIRST!)
Nice. I know it ain’t too purdy, but your kitchen is gonna smell insanely good.
There we go! That’s a little more somethin’ to look at. The key to burrito bowls is toppings, because it wouldn’t taste burrito-y without’m. Add some fresh crunchy lettuce, a little cheese, tomato/pico de gallo, maybe even some avocado if you’re gettin’ crazy. Throw your perfect mix of goodies into the bowl, and you seriously have yourself a pretty dang good dinner, that you barely had to do anything for… which is amazing in itself! Gotta love that Instant Pot.
The best bite: a lil bit of it all… OH YEAH.
I hope you love these Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls so very much!
If you happen to need an Instant Pot, click here for the same one I have!
If you make this recipe, I would love you to let me know how they went! Here in the comment section, or over on my Instagram or Facebook!
With love, from my kitchen to yours,
Star
Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 medium chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced you can find them in a can in the hispanic section
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the same can that you get the chipotle pepper from
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1-3/4 cups chicken broth, low sodium if available set 1/2 cup seperately
- 1½ lbs fresh chicken breast, raw
- 1 15 oz can black beans (about 1½ cups) drained, but not rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1-1/2 cups jarred/fresh salsa be sure to use a brand that you know and love
- 1 cup long grain white rice do not use instant/minute rice
Ideas for toppings, optional
- avocado/guacamole
- chopped tomatoes
- shredded cheese
- chopped romaine lettuce
Instructions
- Dice chicken breast into small bite size pieces and season with kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Turn on sauté setting, add oil, heat for a minute or two and add onions, garlic, and chipotle pepper stirring occasionally until the onions are softened.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and adobo sauce cook for about 45 seconds.
- Add ½ cup of the chicken broth, reserving the rest of the broth for a bit later, stir together and cook for about a minute.
- Add diced chicken breast, beans, corn, and salsa. Stir together well.
- Sprinkle rice over the top of the chicken, beans, and corn, but do not stir it in with the other ingredients.
- Pour the remaining 1¼ cup of broth over the rice. If there seems to be some "dry rice" spots. Gently push it down with a spoon, but do not stir.
- Use the manual pressure setting and set to high for 10 minutes. Close and lock lid.
- When the cooking time is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.
- Scoop into bowls and add your favorite toppings! Enjoy!
Could literally eat these everyday!
This is delicious!! Super easy and healthy! Thanks for another great recipe Star!!
any idea if this (and how) can be made in a crock pot? really wanting to try it!
Flavorful, healthy and easy one pot meal! So versatile too! We had it in bowls with avocado and cheese, but would be a great addition to salad (hmm, lunch tomorrow!) or a tortilla. So good! We made it with brown rice and cooked 15 mins in the instant pot, waited 5 mins after timer ran out, then released pressure. Rice was perfectly cooked! As a bonus, it’s a great low ww points recipe!
This is by far my favorite instant pot recipe! When I was gifted this massive thing, I was seriously scared to work it lol. But this recipe alone taught me to love it!! We cook it about every other week in my house, with all the fixings ready to go in it tonight. Thank you for this one!
Loved this recipe! So easy to prepare and it makes a lot and has the perfect amount of spice.
@butterflyphreak
This is hands down my FAVORITE WW meal of all time! Comes together so quickly and tastes incredible. Plus it makes the best leftovers/meal prep! The flavors here are just insane. Definitely part of our monthly rotation! – @katieinthekitchen
This is hands down my FAVORITE WW meal of all time! Comes together so quickly and tastes incredible. Plus it makes the best leftovers/meal prep! The flavors here are just insane. Definitely part of our monthly rotation! – @katieinthekitchen
Brown rice? Any changes with it? Thanks Star!
Made this tonight. Delicious and very easy! Even my husband loves it. Excited for leftovers for lunch this week!
Made this for the first time this week! It was delicious! Loved the spicy kick from the chipotle adobo sauce!
Another great recipe! This works with quinoa too. I did the quick release and then put the lid back on for about 20 minutes. The quinoa plumped and absorbed the liquid. Thank you for great, full of flavor recipes!
Hi, would you recommend reducing the liquid if you’re not adding rice to it?
Yes for sure!
Making this tonight!! Looking forward to it!! For the salsa…I’m
Using 0 point salsa but it did add points once I added the amount called for. I assume this is normal. My bowls still ended up being 4 points
When I made the recipe in the app. Also, with the rice I found where it said “raw” not “cooked” so it was about 19 points. Does that seem right? Thanks for your amazing recipes!!!
I am so thankful for your blog. Thank you for taking the time to compute calories and other nutritional values. I am trying to lose weight, be healthy, but still make yummy meals for my family of 9. Your blog has lifted that burden tremendously. Hugs and infinite thank yous!
Hey Jenny! Comments like these just make my day. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! Family of 9 sounds like you have very little “spare time!” haha! Have a great weekend!
Made this today – so easy and deliciously flavorful. Thank you for this!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for letting me know and rating the recipe!
Do you think I can double this in the Instapot?
How do you think this would cook without adding the rice? Would I need to decrease anything? Thanks!
Can you do this in a crock pot and just cook it longer?!
Lindsey
Hey Lindsey! I haven’t tested this in the slow cooker so I’m really not sure. Time would need to be adjusted for sure, but liquid may need to be adjusted as well. Sorry! I’ll for sure update the post if I give it a go in the slow cooker in the near future.
This recipe is incredible!! Highly recommend this one. Healthy ingredients and low cal. I am curious if you’ve used brown rice instead of white rice? Any adjustments needed to cooking time? Thanks!
Has anyone made this with cauliflower rice?
This turned out delicious. In addition to your suggested toppings, I also added chopped cilantro and diced scallions. A dollop of sour cream would really make it over the top.
I made this as a meal for food prep this week. I served it to my family and although we find it to be good, it was a little hotter than we prefer. I will continue to make this but just leave out the chipotle pepper. I will use tomatoes and or tomato sauce for that. All in all it is very good. I am amazed at your portion sizes though. I could only eat half of the 1 1/2 cup which is more than enough for me. This will just help me with my points throughout the day. On the second day it seems to be even hotter. I did eat mine with guacamole so it cooled it down for me.
So sorry to hear it was a bit too spicy for ya! The chipotle pepper you added could have been a extra hot one. It can be a gamble sometimes using spicy-ish peppers. You can totally leave it out or deseed the pepper next time (Cut the pepper open and scrape out the seeds). The seeds carry a lot of the heat and the pepper itself has a rich, smokey flavor. Love the portion size! I can always save it for later if I can’t finish it up.
This came out amazing! I made it exactly per the directions and it was fantastic! Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks!!
Yay! So happy you loved it, Anne! It’s such a yummy crazy night life saver!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Even my picky 15 year old ate all of it!! Looking forward to having leftovers for my lunch to.tomorrow! Excited for more instant pot recipes!!
My “new” Instant Pot has finally been used after sitting proudly on my countertop for over a year!
This was my 2nd meal after making Corned Beef & Cabbage for St Patrick’s Day! Question; do you think I could substitute very small chunks of steak? The next time I make pulled pork I’m also going to experiment with the Instant Pot. Before adding any sauce I’ll pull some out (no pun intended) and I’ll use it in this recipe in place of the chicken as well. Thanks for sharing and yes I’m still terrified of the “quick release”! At 67 this is all new to me!
Hi there! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! I’m new to the Instant Pot too so happy to be learning along with you. I think the steak would be delicious. Let me know if you give it a try and how it goes!
So I don’t have an Instant Pot but this recipe looked so good that I wanted to make it anyway. I cooked the chicken in the skillet and when done, I placed it aside. Then I saute the onions, garlic, and chipotle pepper till onion was tender. I stirred in the seasonings and adobo sauce and cooked for a few seconds. I added 1/2 cup chicken broth and let it heat up for a bit. I added the cooked chicken, beans, corn, and salsa and cooked till heated. That’s it! I used cauliflower rice to replace regular rice. I melted light butter and garlic in a skillet. Then I added a bag of cauliflower crumbles and mixed thoroughly; add salt and pepper. It only takes a few minutes for the cauliflower rice to get tender. We enjoyed this meal and I will be making it again! Thank you for sharing!!
Hey there! SO happy you were able to make this recipe work well without having an Instant Pot and that you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for letting me know how it went with the cauliflower rice too. Have a great weekend!
Oh. My. God.
I just made this and oooooooh my god it is delicious. It’s tasty and the chicken came out so SO tender which is something I struggle with when I cook chicken. Mine was a tiny bit more liquidy because I added a bit more stock but I just mixed in some Mexican blend cheese to my bowl and it was like a flavor fiesta in my mouth. I am TOTALLY making this again. Oh I also told my husband “this recipe is from the same lady who makes the buffalo chicken n rice” and he was sold before he even tried it! Thank you so much for your recipes!!!!
Hey Kate!! So happy you and your husband enjoyed and I’m glad i’m remembered because of the buffalo chicken and rice. It’s a favorite recipe of mine!
I loved this!! I put it on a soft taco shell. Thank you for this recipe!!
So happy you loved it, Corrie! Thanks so much for stopping back by to let me know!
Sooo good!! House smells amazing too! Easy one pot meal!
So happy you enjoyed’m, Carley!
Made it just now. House smells delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Peg!
I don’t have an instant pot. Could I make this in my slow cooker?
Hey Donna, I don’t have the info for that method just yet, but it should work just fine!
If I leave the rice out do I have to adjust the cooking time?
Thanks. It looks awesome. Can’t wait to try it I use my instant pot a lot.
Hope you enjoy, Kelly!