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    Home » Recipe Index » Chicken Dishes

    Instant Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice for One

    August 26, 2020 Updated April 16, 2024 By Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD Chicken Dishes, Cooking for One, Easy Recipes, Entrees, Instant Pot Recipes, One Pot/One Pan Meals

    Jump to Recipe
    hand holding spoon in chicken and yellow rice with text overlay
    chicken and yellow rice in a bowl with text overlay

    Need a super easy single serving one pot meal for dinner tonight? Look no farther this this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice. The chicken and rice are done at the same time, and are super tender and flavorful.

    chicken and yellow rice in glass bowl

    [This Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice recipe was originally posted in August 2022. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    Table of contents

    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage/Reheating Tips
    • Substitutions/Tips
    • FAQ
    • Other great Instant Pot Recipes
    • Repurpose this chicken and rice
    • What to do with leftover ingredients

    For lots of us, recipes for one need to be easy, fairly quick, and delicious. This one pot Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice dish for one is just that. You just have to add the ingredients to your Instant Pot, turn it on, and let it do the work for you.

    This is a great recipe because the chicken and rice cook up in the same amount of time and are both tender and flavorful afterward. Not just that, it's ready to eat in about 30 minutes. Easy for a weeknight meal.

    I use frozen chicken tenders, chicken bouillon paste, and frozen vegetables because they're great lower cost options, are perfect for single serving recipes, and last longer. I love these ingredients for cooking for one.

    Yellow rice is made in lots of different cuisines including Latin cuisines, African, and Mediterranean. Most use saffron or turmeric to flavor and color the rice yellow.

    Ingredients

    Scroll down to the Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

    instant pot chicken and yellow rice ingredients
    • Frozen Chicken Tenders: I prefer having frozen chicken tenders in the freezer. Sometimes a whole chicken breast is more than I want to eat for one meal, I've got more options with smaller tenders than whole breasts.
    • Jasmine Rice: Use your favorite type of long grain white rice. Note that brown rice, and thicker types of rice will take longer to cook, they may take longer.
    • Chicken Bouillon Paste: I have switched from using boxed chicken/other broth to having a Costco sized container of Better than Bouillon. It takes up less room, is less expensive, and doesn't leave me with a cup here and there to try to use up.
    • Tumeric: This gorgeous yellow, and flavorful spice makes the rice yellow and easily delicious. It's the main flavoring in this easy Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice.
    • Garlic Powder: A bit of garlic powder adds a nice, sweet, garlicky flavor to your rice.
    • Frozen Vegetables: I usually have frozen vegetables on hand, so it's an easy option. You can swap for fresh or canned too. They might cook more quickly though.

    Instructions

    Scroll down to the Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

    frozen chicken tenders on trivet in instant pot

    1. Start to make this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice by pouring water into Instant Pot bowl. Place a 2-3 cup volume glass bowl inside the Instant Pot bowl.

    2. Pour jasmine rice, water, chicken bouillon paste, turmeric powder, and a pinch of garlic powder in the glass bowl.

    3. Next, you'll place a trivet on top of the glass bowl and lay 2-3 frozen chicken tenders on the trivet.

    4. Cover your Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice with the lid, turn the valve to SEALING. Click the MULTIGRAIN setting, and set for 15 minutes.

    5. Quick release steam when timer dings by flipping the valve to STEAMING when the timer hits zero. When the steam finishes releasing, open lid to reveal the Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice.

    6. Remove trivet and stir rice. If all the water is absorbed and rice is tender, it's done. If it's hard or not all water has been absorbed, replace lid and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Check temperature of chicken, it's done when it reaches 165 degrees.

    green beans over yellow rice with steam

    7. When rice and chicken are cooked, add frozen vegetables to rice. Replace lid and let sit for about 5 minutes. Steam in the pot will cook the vegetables.

    8. When vegetables are warmed, your Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice is ready to serve.

    Storage/Reheating Tips

    Store leftover Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. You can freeze leftovers in an airtight bag/container for a couple months.

    Reheat, covered, in the microwave.

    Substitutions/Tips

    • Love turmeric? add ¼ teaspoon instead of ⅛ teaspoon to your Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice.
    • If you need to cook the rice a bit longer, and are short on time, add the frozen vegetables to cook for another couple minutes. Taste rice, add more turmeric if desired.
    • Be careful with the turmeric powder, it stains everything!
    • Other great add-ins: You can season the rice with really any spices. Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, oregano, etc instead of tumeric. You can also stir raisins or chopped nuts into the cooked rice for extra texture.

    FAQ

    Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in Instant Pot?

    Yes, you can cook some. I've found that frozen chicken tenders take the same amount of time to cook as white rice. I'll need to test other meats. That's part of what makes this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice so great.

    Can you cook frozen chicken in Instant Pot?

    Yes, I used frozen chicken in this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice recipe. Cooking frozen chicken in the Instant Pot is easy- it maintains the chicken flavor and tenderness because of the additional water from it being frozen.

    Plus it saves effort and you don't have to defrost the chicken ahead of time.

    Why did my rice burn in the Instant Pot?

    Rice burns when there isn't enough cooking liquid. Usually, you add about 1 ¼ parts liquid for one part white rice when cooking it in the Instant Pot. I also add some water to the pot just in case.

    hand holding a spoon in a bowl of chicken and yellow rice

    Other great Instant Pot Recipes

    • Chicken Fried Rice
    • Instant Pot Lentil Stroganoff
    • Sweet Potato Soup
    • 'steam' some potatoes in it to make the easiest No-Mayo Potato Salad
    • Italian Beans for One
    • Instant Pot Fish
    • Pinto Beans and Rice
    • Instant Pot Chicken and Mushroom Soup
    • Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Repurpose this chicken and rice

    • The rice in your Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice dish would be good in a Greek style bowl. Add lemon chicken, crispy chickpeas, cucumber, yogurt, and other similar flavors. Use less turmeric to go with Greek flavors.
    • Add other types of meat to this dish if the rice outlasts the chicken. It'd be good with pork chops or shrimp.

    What to do with leftover ingredients

    When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

    • Rice: Beef & Broccoli, Beef & Wild Rice Stuffed Squash, Honey Garlic Tofu for One
    • Chicken: Easy Chicken Salad Pita, Chicken & Broccoli Casserole, or Chicken & Bacon Sheetpan Dinner
    • Turmeric: I don't have any recipes with turmeric other than this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice on Nourish Nutrition Blog, but check out these 37 recipes from Bon Appetit.

    Did you make this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    close up of chicken and yellow rice in a glass bowl

    Instant Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice for One

    Need a super easy single serving one pot meal for dinner tonight? Look no farther this this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice. The chicken and rice are done at the same time, and are super tender and flavorful.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: African, American, Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 person
    Author: Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Measuring Cups
    • Trivet
    • Small-medium glass bowl
    • Rubber/plastic serving spoon

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 frozen chicken tenders
    • ½ cup jasmine rice
    • 1 cup water divided
    • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon paste or use ¾ c chicken broth instead of water + bouillon paste
    • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • pinch garlic powder
    • ½ cup frozen vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower

    Instructions

    • Pour ½ cup of water into Instant Pot bowl. Place 2-3 c volume glass bowl inside Instant Pot bowl. Pour ½ c jasmine rice, ¾ cup water, ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon paste, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder, and a pinch of garlic powder in glass bowl. Place trivet on top of glass bowl, place 2-3 frozen chicken tenders on trivet.
    • Cover with lid, close valve to SEALING. Use MULTIGRAIN setting, and set for 15 minutes.
    • Quick release steam when timer dings by flipping the valve to STEAMING. When steam finishes releasing, open lid. Remove trivet and stir rice. If all the water is absorbed and rice is tender, it's done. If it's hard or not all water has been absorbed, replace lid and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Check temperature of chicken, it's done when it reaches 165 degrees. When rice and chicken are cooked, add ½ frozen vegetables to rice. Replace lid and let sit for about 5 minutes. Steam in the pot will cook the vegetables. When vegetables are warmed, it's ready to serve.

    Notes

    • Love turmeric? add ¼ teaspoon instead of ⅛ tsp.
    • If you need to cook the rice a bit longer, and are short on time, add the frozen vegetables to cook for another couple minutes. Taste rice, add more turmeric if desired.
    • Be careful with the turmeric powder, it stains everything!
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @NourishNutriCo or tag #NourishNutriCo!

    Want time saving tips to make recipes like this Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Cooking for One Time Saving Tips.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

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    About Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian who has been cooking for one for over 10 years. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline Meldrum says

      August 26, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      You're right about turmeric staining everything but it makes the rice look so pretty.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 27, 2020 at 4:24 pm

        and yummy!

        Reply
    2. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      August 26, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds like such a flavourful dish! Will be popping up this on my meal plan for the week!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 27, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        do it, it's so good!

        Reply
    3. Suzy says

      August 26, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      We love making rice in the instant pot! So easy! Love the flavor of this chicken and rice dish!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 27, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        yes! it's so good & easy!

        Reply
    4. Dionne says

      August 26, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      I am always on a lookout for a quick and meal to keep handy for those nights when there is just not enough time for everything. This recipe looks perfect!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 27, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        it totally is! enjoy

        Reply
    5. Pris says

      August 26, 2020 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      Cooking both at the same time?? YOU ARE A GENIUS! Thanks for the great idea... I'm on to try it!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 27, 2020 at 4:25 pm

        oh it's a game changer!

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes

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