Description

This Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken and Rice is a flavorful and easy one-pot meal that combines tender, juicy chicken with sweet pineapple chunks and colorful bell peppers. The recipe features a tangy BBQ sauce base and perfectly cooked white rice, all made quickly using the pressure cooking function of the Instant Pot, making it a perfect dinner for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Pineapple Mixture

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks or tidbits packed in juice (do not drain)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced

Rice

1 cup white rice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Finishing Sauce

1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Brown chicken: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and the diced chicken pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until browned on all sides, then add the sliced onion and cook for an additional minute. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Mix sauce: Add the can of pineapple (both juice and chunks) into the Instant Pot with the chicken. Add 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and the diced red and yellow peppers. Stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits to avoid a burn warning during pressure cooking.
Add rice: Place the trivet inside the Instant Pot over the chicken mixture. In a separate oven-proof dish that fits inside the Instant Pot, combine the white rice, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place this dish on top of the trivet.
Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and ensure the valve is set to the “sealing” position. Select pressure cook (manual) on high pressure for 2 minutes. When cooking finishes, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure carefully.
Finish: Remove the rice dish and trivet from the Instant Pot. Fluff the rice with a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons water. Set the Instant Pot back to sauté mode. Stir in the BBQ sauce mixture into the chicken and pineapple base and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Mix together the sauce and rice before serving.

Notes

Use a heatproof dish that fits inside your Instant Pot for cooking the rice separately from the chicken mixture to prevent overcooking or rice sticking to the pot.
Do not drain the pineapple and juice as they add sweetness and moisture to the chicken.
If you don’t have BBQ sauce, substitute with a mix of ketchup, vinegar, and a touch of brown sugar for a similar flavor.
Make sure to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot well before pressure cooking to prevent burn notices.
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free BBQ sauce and verify the cornstarch is pure cornstarch.