Cilantro Chicken & Rice | One-Pot Meal

As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This easy one-pot Instant Pot Cilantro Chicken and Rice uses fresh herbs, chile peppers, lime juice, and chicken thighs for a quick and flavor-packed weeknight dinner. 

Instant Pot cilantro chicken and rice on a white plate, topped with fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, and a lime wedge.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe: There’s no browning or sauteing with this recipe, so it comes together with just a few minutes of hands-on preparation. Plus, the chicken and rice cook in the flavorful cilantro sauce so everything is juicy, tender, and fresh-tasting. 

After years of testing various ways to make quick and easy chicken dishes in the Instant Pot, we’ve perfected the chicken-and-rice strategy so this dish comes together with minimal effort and maximum flavor. 

This is one of our favorite one-pot chicken recipes to make in the Instant Pot. If you’re a fan, try our Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Chicken, Spanish-Style Chicken and Rice, and Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Ingredients for Instant Pot cilantro chicken and rice including Anaheim peppers, spices, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, lime, rice, chicken broth, cilantro, and chicken thighs.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Here’s what you need for this one-pot cilantro chicken and rice recipe:

  • Cilantro. You’ll use the whole bunch!
  • Aromatics. The flavor of the sauce comes from onions, garlic, and fresh chile peppers. 
  • Dried seasonings. You’ll also add oregano, cumin, and allspice to round things out. 
  • Lime juice. We recommend using fresh lime. 
  • Chicken. We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. 
  • Rice. Opt for long-grain white rice so it cooks at the right time without getting mushy.
  • Broth. You can use homemade or storebought chicken broth. 
Making a cilantro mix for adding to Instant Pot cilantro chicken and rice.

How to Make Cilantro Chicken and Rice in an Instant Pot

This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

This recipe starts with a blender or food processor to make the sauce. You’ll puree the cilantro, onion, garlic, chile peppers, dried spices, salt, pepper and lime juice with a half-cup of water until it’s nice and smooth. 

Next, grease the pressure cooking pot with nonstick spray to prevent the chicken from sticking or burning on the bottom. Add the chicken to the pot along with the chicken broth, then the rice on top. Without stirring anything, pour your cilantro sauce over the rice. 

Cook the chicken and rice on high pressure for 9 minutes, then release the pressure manually. Remove the lid and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a bowl, where you can shred them with two forks or your hands. Stir the rice into the sauce and add any additional salt and pepper if you’d like. 

Serve the cilantro chicken and rice with fresh lime wedges and tomato for garnish. Enjoy!

Ingredients added to an Instant Pot for making cilantro chicken and rice.

Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

  • The order you add the foods in this recipe is important. It should go: Chicken, broth, rice, then sauce on top.
  • Do not stir the mixture after you add the rice to the pot. This is to prevent the rice from burning on the bottom of the pot. 
  • The chicken releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, so you only need one can of chicken broth, or 14 ounces if you’re using homemade. 
  • If you like heat, you can use any chile pepper you want in the sauce. We kept ours on the mild side.
  • To keep your sauce less spicy, be sure to remove the seeds from the peppers first. 
Overhead picture of a bowl of cilantro rice, a second bowl of diced tomatoes, and a third bowl of Instant Pot cilantro chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cilantro Chicken in an Instant Pot

What’s the best way to store leftover chicken and rice?

Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. 

Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?

Yes, just be sure to cut the chicken breast into equally sized pieces so they cook fully. 

What’s the best way to serve cilantro chicken?

You can serve the shredded chicken in a bowl with rice, or add it to a salad for extra greens.

Is this cilantro chicken and rice recipe spicy?

The spice level is entirely up to you! You can use hotter peppers and keep the seeds in for more heat, or keep things mild by removing the seeds and using a mild pepper like poblano. 

Close up picture of one-pot cilantro chicken and rice plated and topped with cilantro, tomatoes, and a lime wedge, and placed in front of an Instant Pot.

MORE Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

We have dozens of family-friendly chicken recipes to make in your Instant Pot, including:

Close up picture of one-pot cilantro chicken and rice plated and topped with cilantro, tomatoes, and a lime wedge, and placed in front of an Instant Pot.

Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!


Close up picture of one-pot cilantro chicken and rice plated and topped with cilantro, tomatoes, and a lime wedge, and placed in front of an Instant Pot.

One-Pot Cilantro Chicken & Rice

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Other: 15 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
This easy Instant Pot Cilantro Chicken and Rice uses chicken thighs, fresh herbs, and long-grain rice to make a flavor-packed dinner that’s ready in minutes
4.34 from 3 votes
Print Pin Recipe Rate

Ingredients

  • 1 medium bunch fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 yellow medium onion peeled
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 mild or medium chile peppers seeded and roughly chopped (we use Anaheims or poblano)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs well trimmed and pounded to the same thickness throughout
  • 1 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
  • Lime wedges for serving
  • Diced fresh tomatoes for serving

Instructions

  • In a blender or food processor, combine cilantro, onion, garlic, chile peppers, oregano, cumin, all-spice, salt, pepper, lime juice and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
  • Spray the bottom of the pressure cooking pot with nonstick cooking spray, then add the chicken thighs. Add the chicken broth, then add the rice in an even layer. DO NOT STIR and gently layer the cilantro puree on top.
  • Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and elect High Pressure and 9 minutes cook time.
  • When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and shred. Stir the rice until well combined and salt and pepper to taste.
  • To serve, scoop a serving of rice, then top with the shredded chicken. Garnish with lime wedges, diced tomatoes, and cilantro.

Notes

Note: Can serve on its own as a bowl or as a burrito or as topping for a salad. 

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 635mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg

FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY

🥘 Browse our collection of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot recipes.

💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.  

👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.