Chicken
Southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa
A complete meal that's made in one pot and is ready in 30 minutes, this Instant Pot chicken and quinoa is a weeknight lifesaver!
A complete meal that’s made in one pot and is ready in 30 minutes, lighter, and full of flavor — this Instant Pot chicken is a weeknight lifesaver!
Admittedly, this recipe isn’t the prettiest thing in the world. However, on our reader survey, it was pretty clear what most of you wanted. More lighter recipes! More 30 minute meals! More Instant Pot recipes. Boom — this one covers all three.
You guys weren’t so much into special diet recipes and guess what? This definitely isn’t Whole30 compliant and it’s not dairy-free or vegan. It does happen to be gluten-free (which surprisingly most of you aren’t into at all), but it’s purely coincidence. How do they call it? Naturally gluten-free? That’s this recipe.
Also, we know you’re not all owners of an Instant Pot — it’s okay! There are plenty more non-Instant Pot recipes in the days to come.
If you’re looking to purchase an Instant Pot, this is the one we have. We initially used it mostly for food prep such as boiled eggs and shredded chicken breasts but have found that it does so much more than that! We're expanding our repertoire of Instant Pot recipes to include more dinner recipes – you all know how much we love a dinner that’s made in one pot/pan/dish!
- Yield: 4
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 bell pepper, any color (diced small)
- ½ red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided (more or less, depending on your preferences)
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Method
- In the bottom of a 6-quart Instant Pot, stir together chicken broth, black beans, canned tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, quinoa, and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning.
- Arrange chicken on top and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Secure the lid and turn valve to seal.
- Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (or manual, High Pressure, depending on your model) for 10 minutes.
- Carefully turn valve to vent to quick release pressure. When pressure is completely released, remove the lid. Check the internal temperature of the chicken; it should be 165°F or above.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken. Replace the cover (just set it on top, you don't have to seal it) for 1 minute, or until cheese is melted. There should be enough residual heat to melt the cheese.
- Divide chicken and quinoa mixture evenly, and serve immediately.
Notes
Chicken: If you prefer, a comparable amount of boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead.
Spice level: Feel free to adjust the amount of taco seasoning to your liking, and use more or less, depending on how spicy you want it. Keep in mind that taco seasoning can vary quite a lot, depending on the brand you buy. We almost aways use our from-scratch taco seasoning.
Variations: You could use pinto beans or another type of canned beans instead of black beans. Try different kinds of cheese (a Mexican blend would go well) or skip the cheese if you want to make this recipe dairy-free. Use whatever type of onion you happen to have on hand.
