Instant Pot Asian-Inspired Chicken and Rice

Are you stuck in your house wondering what you can make for dinner? Heading home from work and don't have time to do any grocery shopping? Hopefully, you have some basic ingredients in your house that you can use to cook a quick, delicious meal. I created this Instant Pot Asian-inspired Chicken and Rice recipe during the coronavirus quarantine using ingredients I had in my RV pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. 

Want to give it a try? Go and look to see what you have in your pantries, refrigerators, and freezers that can be thrown together to make a tasty meal. Since I made up this recipe around the basic ingredients I had, you should consider my list of vegetable and spice ingredients as flexible. Feel free to experiment and adapt this recipe to match what you have in your home.

Imagine, you could do Spanish rice by substituting ground beef for the chicken; substitute chili powder, paprika, oregano, garlic powder and cumin for the ginger and Chinese spices; and add a can of minced tomatoes. Just be sure that you have at least one cup of liquid in the Instant Pot when you cook using pressure.

When you cook vegetables, spices, meat, and rice all together in the Instant Pot, the rice soaks up all the wonderful juices as it cooks. When you brown the meat before cooking, it helps to keep the meat moist and increases its flavor.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to eating,; and, I humbly must say I think this meal tastes pretty AMAZING!

Instant Pot Asian-inspired Chicken and Rice

Serves 6 - (2 cups per serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can, water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 teaspoon, powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon, Chinese 5 spice
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound, chicken, chopped into 1 " cubes
• 2 cups rice, uncooked
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Assemble all your ingredients before you start. Things will happen quickly once you start cooking.
2. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté.  
3. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and warm. 
4. Add onions, green peppers, garlic, and water chestnuts. Cook until onions are translucent. 
5. Add chicken, Chinese 5 spice, ginger, and salt. Stir till chicken is browned (no pink showing).
6. Turn the Instant Pot off.
7. Add rice, water and soy sauce. Stir till mixed. Scrap any pieces of rice off the inside walls of the pot. 
8. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing. Press the Rice option or set to manual for 12 minutes. 
9. Once the cycle is completed, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. If the pressure indicator is still up, you can carefully move the valve to vent. (I cover the valve with a towel before I turn it so I don’t get burned.) 
10. Stir everything in the pot to ensure the chicken and rice are cooked the way you want. 

If you want things crispier like fried rice, turn the Instant Pot to sauté and stir till everything gets to the crispiness you want. Garnish with a pinch of black pepper, some more soy sauce or the contents of a Chinese sauce packet you may have leftover from your last takeaway order.  Serve with a side of steamed vegetables.