This Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl is loaded with all of your favorite Mexican staples and flavors! This gluten-free one-pot chicken casserole takes only 20 minutes to get ready. It’s a great, family-friendly dinner idea if you love Mexican food but don’t want all the calories from a restaurant!
Rice & beans. What a winning combination! These are two great staples to keep around the pantry. Why? I hear you! They absorb flavor So well and are used in many cultures: Indian, Mexican, Brazilian, Korean, and all over Latin America, to name a few.
In India, red kidney beans are used to make the famous – rajma masala.
You can literally take a trip around the world using rice and beans without leaving your kitchen. Incredible!
I wanted to try my hand at making a burrito bowl at home and came up with this Chicken Burrito Bowl.
What exactly is a Burrito Bowl?
A Burrito Bowl is essentially a deconstructed burrito, served in a bowl instead of a tortilla or wrap.
Usually, burrito bowls contain the same main ingredients of a burrito: rice, beans, meat, vegetables, cheese, and other toppings like salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, or avocado.
By skipping the tortilla, you can save around 200 calories and still have a healthy, filling meal!
In a nutshell, here’s why this burrito bowl is amazing:
- It’s healthy! This easy chicken burrito bowl recipe uses just whole grains, meat, vegetables, and spices, with optional dairy at the end to garnish. We’re skipping the tortilla, making it gluten-free with less empty calories!
- It’s easy! Just 10 minutes of prep and most of that is chopping the veggies and meat and sautéing it a little in the Instant Pot.
- It uses one pot! That’s right, everything is done in the Instant Pot from the sautéing to the pressure cooking. That means less clean up later!
- It tastes amazing! For something so healthy, the flavors in this chicken burrito bowl are absolutely next level. It tastes like you’re eating out but you didn’t even have to leave the house. Win!
Ingredients Required
Protein: We use 1 kilogram of chicken breast. Protein is essential to help you feel full for longer and also for building and maintaining muscles!
Veggies: This recipe uses a rainbow of vegetables: onion, corn, tomato, chili, avocado, lettuce, and cilantro. They are packed full of essential nutrients to keep you healthy!
Grains: Rice and beans, of course! These are the most common Mexican staples. No burrito bowl or Mexican meal is complete without rice & beans!
Fat: In this chicken burrito bowl recipe, we use oil, and also garnish the bowl with cheese and sour cream. Fat helps you to feel satisfied and full.
How to make this easy Mexican recipe:
Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water and then follow these 6 easy steps:
- Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode, and let it heat up for 5 minutes. Add oil and chopped onion, and then sauté for a minute to soften the onions (image 1).
- Next, add in the chicken breast pieces, salt, paprika, and taco seasoning. Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. The chicken will start to turn pale white as it cooks (image 2).
- After 2-3 minutes add the corn, beans, salsa or tomato paste, chopped tomato, and the green chili. Stir to sauté for another 2-3 minutes (image 3).
- Drain water from the soaked rice and add rice to the Instant Pot along with other ingredients (image 4).
- Add in the stock then stir to combine everything together. Close the lid of the Instant Pot and seal the valve. Set the Pressure Cook Mode for 3 minutes.
- When it’s finished, turn the valve to unseal the Instant Pot and let the pressure out. Then open the lid and fluff the rice using a fork. Your Chicken Burrito Bowl is ready to assemble!
FAQ’s Related to this Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl
What other toppings can I add?
You can add other veggies like arugula and spinach instead of lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, lime instead of lemon, and also hot sauce for extra heat. You could also try queso fresco (a soft, white Mexican cheese) instead of hard cheese.
Can I change the salsa type?
Yes! You could use a regular store-bought or homemade tomato salsa, or you could try mango salsa for added sweetness, fire-roasted salsa for a hint of smokiness, or a hot habañero salsa if you like an extra kick of heat.
How do I store this chicken burrito bowl?
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days without the toppings. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave or on the stove before consuming it.
Freezer: Store in an airtight, freezer-friendly container or freezer bag for up to 3 months without the toppings.
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Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 Cup long grain rice
- ½ Cup chopped onion
- ½ Cup sweet corn
- ½ Cup chopped tomato
- 1 – 2 green chilli chopped
- ½ Cup canned red kidney beans, drained
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red paprika
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix
- ½ Cup tomato salsa or tomato paste
- 1 ½ Cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
Ingredients For Topping Burrito Bowl:
- ½ Cup diced ripe avocado
- ½ Cup shredded lettuce
- ½ Cup shredded hard cheese
- ¼ Cup sour cream
- ½ Cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water while you saute remaining ingredients.
- Set the IP in saute mode for 5 minutes. Add oil, chopped onion, and saute for a minute to soften the onions.
- Next, add chicken pieces, seasoning, and saute for 2 – 3 minutes or till chicken pieces turn pale white.
- Add corn, beans, salsa or paste, chopped tomato, and green chilli. Stir to saute for the remaining time.
- Drain water from the soaked rice. Add rice to the IP along with other ingredients. Add stock. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Close the lid of IP. Set the Pressure Cook Mode for 3 minutes. Set the steam valve to the sealing position.
- After 5 minutes, open the lid and fluff the rice using a fork.
- Top each burrito bowl with shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, sour cream, cilantro and lemon juice before serving.
- Enjoy chicken burrito bowl immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Set the cooking time as per your rice variety. The kind of white rice I use, it takes 3 minutes to cook in my instant pot.
- Do not add too much water to cook rice. Else, it will turn mushy and sticky. For me the ratio of 1 Cup of rice to 1 ¼ Cup of water or stock works absolutely fine.
- Make sure chicken pieces are of equal, small bite-size size for quick and even cooking.
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