How to make the best healthy Instant Pot chicken burrito bowls at home - This simple, quick, and easy recipe in the Instapot uses shredded chicken with rice, beans, salsa, cilantro, avocado, and cheddar cheese. Easy meal prep for one pot taco bowls too. Low carb option.
Can I just tell you how much I love avocados? I think they are one of the finest foods on the planet, along with asparagus, beets, feta, and sharp cheddar cheese.
I look for reasons to buy avocados. They have a lot of calories, it's true, but they're made of a lot of healthy fats and so having a half of one every day or every couple of days is quite good for you.
The problem I have with avocados is that my local grocery store only sells them when they're hard as marbles. Then I have to bring them home and wait a few days to a week before they're soft enough to be edible. That is annoying. I want to come home from the grocery store, cut open the avocado, and eat it. I don't want to wait a week.
But anyway, this post is not about avocados; it's about this chicken burrito bowl recipe. I made up this recipe for the bowls because I had some really nice avocados that I wanted to use up and I was hungry for a Neato Burrito bowl. (Neato Burrito is a local restaurant here in the Harrisburg, PA area, and they are amazing, and if you ever get the chance to eat there, you will never again be satisfied with Chipotle. Just saying.) We made at home Neato Burrito burritos once, and those are still amazing, but we didn't have any feta, and they just aren't the same without the feta.
So we used the Instant Pot to pressure cook some chicken with garlic, salsa, beans, corn, and rice, and Joe and I had burrito bowls made with the chicken and bean mixture, avocado, cheese, cilantro (grown by me), and Greek yogurt. Joe put extra tomatoes on his because he likes raw tomatoes, but I hate raw tomatoes and didn't.
Our kids are super picky, and they wouldn't eat the burrito bowls. Instead, Joe put some of the shredded chicken from the bowls into hard taco shells, topped it with shredded cheddar cheese, and the kids were as happy as cats in the sunshine. We ate a family meal at home and saved $50 (what we would have spent at Neato Burrito, if it had not been the time of the quarantine, and they had not been closed).
This is such a quick, easy, and simple recipe that it has earned a place in our regular meal rotation. It's nice to not have to babysit the stove; the Instant Pot takes care of all the cooking and babysitting, and the whole meal is done in less than a half hour which makes it an amazing after a long day of working dinner.
It's rare that we find something that Joe and I enjoy and the kids will also readily eat.
What you'll need to make chicken burrito bowls in the Instant Pot
Equipment
The only equipment you really need for this recipe is a 6-quart Instant Pot or other electronic pressure cooker. A garlic press is also very helpful, although you could mince the garlic with a sharp knife if you're so inclined.
Ingredients
This is a very forgiving recipe that adjusts for taste preferences and dietary needs very easily.
- 1-½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2-4 tablespoons taco seasoning - This is the equivalent of 1-2 packages. I prefer to make my own at home so that I can adjust the flavors to my family's preferences and also to avoid the fillers and preservatives that are found in the packets you can buy at the store.
- 3 cloves garlic - I know there's garlic in the taco seasoning, but adding fresh really kicks the burrito bowls up a notch.
- 1 can of black beans - You could prepare your own dried black beans if you're into that. I go homemade on a lot of things, but I prefer to buy canned beans.
- One small bag of frozen corn kernels - I prefer frozen or fresh corn, but by all means, use whatever you like. There's no reason not to use canned corn if you like that.
- One jar of salsa - My current favorite is Newman's Own pineapple salsa, but you can of course use whatever salsa you like. The finished burrito bowls will taste a lot like your salsa, so make sure it's a variety that you really enjoy.
- Jasmine rice - Leave this out for a low carb meal. Cooking instructions below for making it separately.
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth - This is enough to make the rice in the Instant Pot while the chicken cooks. Use only 1 cup if you are not adding rice into the IP.
The following ingredients are only used in making the bowls and not in the actual cooking.
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges - To squeeze over the finished bowl
- Fresh cilantro
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Sliced avocado
- Diced tomato
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Add the chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Place the chicken in the broth and sprinkle with taco seasoning, using 1 packet for a mild flavor and 2 packets for more spice.
Press garlic into the pot and top with beans, corn, and salsa. Add rice to the pot, if using, and stir together. - Cook the chicken and beans. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes, then use manual quick release and carefully unlock the lid.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken only from the Instant Pot and shred with two forks.
- Assemble the taco bowls and serve. To serve, top the shredded chicken with the rice and beans mixture from the Instant Pot, shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, diced tomatoes, and sliced avocado. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream in the center.
Instant Pot burrito bowl variations:
- Vegetarian - Burrito bowls don't have to have chicken as beans and rice together make a complete protein. To make this a vegetarian meal, simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth or vegetable stock in place of the chicken broth.
- Fajita-style - Add chopped or sliced onions and sliced red, orange, or yellow peppers to the Instant Pot before cooking for a more fajita-like flavor.
- Use different chicken - Boneless skinless chicken breasts are my personal preference in this recipe, but skinless chicken thighs also come out really well. They taste different of course, but they tend to be juicier and a bit more flavorful, so give them a try and see what you think.
- Use leftover turkey - This recipe would be a perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. Omit the chicken before cooking, using the Instant Pot for just the rice and veggies. Shred the already cooked turkey and use it as the base of the bowls before topping with the cooked veggies and rice.
- Low carb - For a lower carb or bariatric meal, cook the rice separately or leave it out altogether. If cooking separately, prepare it with ½ cup salsa and 2 ½ cups chicken broth instead of water. This will give it a nice flavor, as if it were cooked with the chicken in the Instant Pot.
- Low carb, continued - Also for a lower carb meal, you can serve the chicken mixture overtop of shredded lettuce, as the base of a nice salad, or over cauliflower rice.
Notes for better Instant Pot burrito bowls:
- This recipe is equally good in taco shells, wrapped up in tortillas, or served over tortilla chips like nachos. My kids love it all three ways.
- I prefer to use my homemade taco seasoning in place of packets because doing so allows me to adjust the amount of chili powder and cumin to my family's preferences. Each commercial packet equals approximately 2 tablespoons of seasoning.
Check out these other amazing Instant Pot recipes while you're here:
- Easy Shredded Beef Tacos in the Instant Pot
- Mongolian Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Coconut Chicken Curry in the Instant Pot
- The Best Instant Pot Sloppy Joes Recipe
- Very Best Pot Roast Ever (Instant Pot Recipe)
- Sweet Balsamic Pork Roast in the Instant Pot
Recipe
Chicken Burrito Bowls in the Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1-2 packets taco seasoning Use 1 for a mild flavor and 2 for a spicier flavor.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 15 ounces black beans
- 12 ounces corn I think frozen corn tastes best, but use whatever you like.
- 15 ounces salsa
- 3 cups jasmine rice Leave this out for a low carb meal. Cooking instructions below for making it separately.
- 3 cups chicken broth Use only 1 cup if you are not adding rice.
- cheddar cheese shredded
- fresh cilantro snipped
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- avocado sliced
- tomato diced
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Add chicken broth to the pot. Place chicken in the broth and sprinkle with taco seasoning, using 1 packet for a mild flavor and 2 packets for more spice.
- Press garlic into the pot and top with beans, corn, and salsa. Add rice to the pot, if using, and stir to distribute.
- Lock the lid and cook on manual pressure for 12 minutes. Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes, then use quick release and carefully unlock the lid.
- Remove the chicken only from the pot and shred.
- To serve, top the shredded chicken with corn and beans mixture, cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream.
Notes
Sarah says
How long would you cook this if the chicken was frozen? Or would you suggest thawing the chicken first.
Tara Ziegmont says
Joe said he cooks it in the Instant Pot for 20 to 30 minutes when the chicken is frozen.
Jenny Earnest says
Your cooking time says 20 mins., but you say to remove the chicken at 12 minutes. Do the rice and beans need longer to cook?
Tara Ziegmont says
No, it's only 12 minutes in the Instant Pot for the whole thing. I said 20 minutes because it will take a bit to shred the chicken and get ready to serve the meal.
Tatjana says
Anyone have a like not Spivey at all salsa, less then mild...but still tasty?
I'm in Southern California (I know, it's not me it's my kids!)
Thanks!
Tara Ziegmont says
I really like Newman's Own pineapple salsa. It's sweet, no spice, and it has a really nice flavor.
Sydney says
If you’re X2 the recipe do you still cook for 12 minutes?
Tara Ziegmont says
Oh boy. I know you could double it, and I'm pretty sure you'd have to increase the time, but I'm honestly not sure how much you'd have to increase the time by. Sorry.
Karen Carter says
My family loved this meal; thank you for sharing!
Tara Ziegmont says
You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it!
Tammy Bates says
This taste delicious but it kept giving me the burn Indicator ! I finally had to transfer it to my crockpot to finish cooking it ! I think it might need more liquid then it calls for or less rice !
Tara Ziegmont says
Hi Tammy,
I'm really curious about this because, when I make this recipe, the finished dish is almost soupy because there's so much broth. I'm sure there are lots of different variables, including elevation and type of rice. Next time you make it, I would suggest adding an extra cup of chicken broth. It will probably be too much in the end and give you that soupy consistency, but it's not a big deal because you can always just pour off the excess as you spoon it out of the pot. Thanks for letting me know you had trouble. I'm sure you're not the only one.
Will G. says
My fiancé and I just made this and it kept burning too! We switched to a big pot on the stove and had to add a lot more water/broth but the recipe itself tasted delicious.
Sarah says
How long does the rice need to be cooked if cooked separately?
Tara Ziegmont says
You can just follow the package instructions.
kulani Hadlow says
Great meal! We want to use brown rice this time. Do you know if I'll have to add time for using brown rice?
Tara Ziegmont says
I think brown rice does take longer, but I'm not sure how much longer. I found this article which may help:
https://lifemadesweeter.com/instant-pot-rice/
Rachael says
Tried this recipe tonight and my pressure cooker kept alerting water. I added more broth three times with no avail. I’m using the Ninja Foodi Deluxe, that is less than a year old and have never had this happen.
Elaine says
Same thing is happening to us. Ugh!! I think maybe if I’d left off 1 cup of rice and kept the same liquid maybe wouldn’t have dried out thus giving the water error 3x.
Mindy says
This recipe kept burning in my instant pot even after adding 1.5 cups more of broth!. I had to remove it after the 4th burn notice and transfer to a pot and cook it on the stove. So definitely add more broth or cook in crock pot or on top of stove.
Tara Ziegmont says
I have never had that happen in all the times I've made this recipe. I'm sorry you had so much trouble!
Sierra says
Hi thank you for publishing this recipe! Do you know the carb count if you do not eat the rice? Thank you!
Tara Ziegmont says
This is a serving without the rice:
Jeanna says
Is this a crock pot friendly recipe too?
Tara Ziegmont says
I've never tried to make it in the Crockpot, but I can't think of a reason why you couldn't. I think it should be fine.
Jennifer Burke says
For some reason, neither my chicken nor my rice were cooked after the 12 minutes and the 10 minute release. I keep having to add liquid and cook longer….I don’t know what I did wrong?
Tara Ziegmont says
Was your chicken frozen? Were the breasts extra thick? Those are the only things I can think of in terms of the food.
The other thing I thought of is was the valve fully closed or is the seal cracked? Like maybe the IP isn't getting up to pressure correctly?
Courtney says
Judging by the other comments I realized that there are two issues. One, the rice should not be stirred in with the other ingredients. Two, if you use a very thick salsa you'll need extra liquid.
I use a "fresh" salsa. (I bought it at the grocery store but it's in the refrigerated produce department instead of near the taco shells.) This is only relevant because it's not as thick and it will release more liquid during cooking. I also added a can of diced tomato and a half cup of pickled jalapeños.
I also reduced the rice by a half cup.
The chicken was 80 percent thawed so I cut them in half and increased the cook time by three minutes so I had a 15 minute cook time and a ten minute natural release.
The best way to put this together is to take all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the rice and chicken and stir them up. If it's thick at all consider adding more liquid. I then put 2 1/2 cups of rice on top and made sure it was covered by the liquid. DO NOT STIR. Then I gently pushed in the chicken.
It came out perfectly with no burn notice.