Bright, zesty and supremely satisfying – this Instant Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice will soon become a meal-time favourite in your home! In addition to the light and creamy coconut lime flavour – onion, garlic and ginger make up the base flavours while the heat from the chili adds a gentle hum of spice. The turmeric provides the vibrant golden colour along with its powerful anti inflammatory benefits. | Gluten Free + Dairy Free

I normally like to include pictures or video to go along with each of my recipes showing how to make things step-by-step but today we’re going to have to do without. After spending the better half of my morning prepping this recipe and recording a video for it I mindlessly ended up deleting all of my footage in truly brilliant move.

So! Until I get around to re-filming everything I’m going to keep it short and simple – just like this recipe!

Based off of my much loved Coconut Lime Chicken, this recipe takes that reader favourite and transforms it into an even more convenient, easy to make and filling dish. Like my original recipe, this can be done all in one pot in about 30 minutes start to finish (including the time it takes for the instant pot to come up to heat and depressurise). What’s even better about this recipe is the fact the rice cooks along with the chicken in this zesty coconut lime sauce cutting down on time and amping up the overall flavour. The end result is a dish that is filling, delicious and easy to make!

Instant Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice Tips

• Rinse your rice: Rinsing your rice first helps achieve a couple different things:
  • It removes excess starch from the rice which will keep it from burning to the bottom of the pot.
  • It adds a little more moisture to the recipe which is helpful when cooking rice.
• Let the pressure cooker depressurise naturally for at least 10 minutes before your try to open it. If you opt for the quick release method you’re more likely to end up with rice stuck to the bottom of the pot.

• Don’t be afraid to add more salt or lime juice at the end.
  • The amount of salt your dish will need depends on how salty your stock is. A lower sodium stock will need more salt to make up for it and a high sodium salt won’t need quite so much. It’s always important to taste and season as you see it because we’re all working with slightly different ingredients.
  • I recommend keeping a couple extra limes on hand. One, large lime will hold about 2 tablespoons of lime juice but this isn’t always the case. Your lime juice will also vary depending on how fresh your limes are. If you feel like your dish just isn’t popping the way you want, add more lime juice (or salt) and taste again.

The Dreaded ‘Burn’ Message

I have made this recipe many times without ever experiencing the ‘burn’ notice pop up on my instant pot. However, while many other readers have also made this without issues, a few have reported seeing the ‘burn’ message pop up.

I browsed through other popular chicken and rice instant pot recipes to try to troubleshoot what may be causing this and I found a few things that may help avoid the dreaded ‘burn’ message.

Tips to avoid burning this dish:

• Rinse your rice: As mentioned above, this helps remove excess starch. Starch = stickiness which can make the rice more prone to sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

• Deglaze the pot before adding the rice: Make sure to thoroughly remove any stuck or burnt on pieces on the bottom of the pot. If there are any bits stuck, add a small amount of water or chicken broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to loosen up these bits. Since the instant pot will inevitably get very hot, any browned or caramelised bits will eventually burn if left stuck to the bottom, so just make sure to loosen it up before you add the rice.
• Make sure the stock is cooled to room temperature: If you’re using a stock cube or powder that requires you to dissolve in hot water, make sure you allow it to cool down before you add it to the pot. Often times an IP burn notice will pop up when the pot gets too hot too fast.
• Cool the pot after sauté the veggies (optional): As an extra precaution, you can turn off the pot for about 5-10 minutes after you sauté the veggies and before adding the rice. It’s possible that some ‘burn’ messages may be popping up when the pot gets too hot before it’s sealed and pressurised. By waiting a bit before you seal the pot, you’re letting it cool down enough to keep it from potentially burning.
• Make sure the seal is secure and the pot of the pot (underneath the cooking pot) is clean and clear before you cook.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Instant Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice

Yield: 6 cups Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Additional Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

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Onion, garlic and ginger make up the base flavours while the heat from the chili adds a gentle hum of spice. The turmeric provides the vibrant golden colour along with its powerful anti inflammatory benefits.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large red, white or yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 birds eye chili (or chili of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups | 360 g uncooked white rice, rinsed*
• 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
• 2 cups | 480 ml chicken stock, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 large limes (or about 1/4 cup | 60 ml lime juice)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, measure after chopping
• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Press the sauté button on the instant pot. Add the coconut oil. When the oil is simmering add the onion and cook 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, chili and turmeric and cook another 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the rice and mix until fully coated in spice and veggies.
4. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, sugar zest and juice from one lime (2 tablespoons lime juice) and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix well. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any burnt bits from the bottom. This is important to do thoroughly to prevent the 'burning' message from popping up later.
5. Add the chicken breasts to pot. Push each breast down to fully submerge in the liquids.
6. Secure the lid on the instant pot and make sure the dial on top is set to 'sealing'. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. (Press 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set the timer to 10 minutes.) 
7. After the time is up the Instant Pot will automatically switch the keep warm. Let the pot naturally depressurise on its own for at least 10 minutes before switch the 'sealing' valve off for the quick release method.
8. After removing the lid carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot and transfer to a cutting board or a plate. Using a couple of forks shred the chicken into small pieces and then add back to the pot.
9. Add the zest and juice from the remaining lime along with the remaining chopped cilantro. Stir everything together to fully mix. Taste and season your rice as needed. You may find you want a little more lime juice or salt.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure to use unsweetened coconut milk.

• The amount of salt you need to add will depend on how salty your stock is. A lower sodium stock will require more salt.

Tips to Avoid the 'Burn' Message

• Rinse your rice: Add the uncooked rise to a fine mesh strainer and rinse though roughly before adding it to the pot. This helps remove excess starch and should prevent the 'burning' message from popping up as your dish cooks. Don't worry about drying out the rise - simply add the wet rise to the pot and you're good to go.

• Deglaze the pot before adding the rice: Make sure to thoroughly remove any stuck or burnt on pieces on the bottom of the pot. If there are any bits stuck, add a small amount of water or chicken broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to loosen up these bits. Since the instant pot will inevitably get very hot, any browned or caramelised bits will eventually burn if left stuck to the bottom, so just make sure to loosen it up before you add the rice.
• Make sure the stock is cooled to room temperature: If you're using a stock cube or powder that requires you to dissolve in hot water, make sure you allow the stock to cool down before you add it to the pot. Often times an. IP burn notice will pop up when the pot gets too hot too fast.
• Cool the pot after sauté the veggies (optional): As an extra precaution, you can turn off the pot for about 5-10 minutes after you sauté the veggies and before adding the rice. It's possible that some 'burn' messages may be popping up when the pot gets too hot before it's sealed and pressurised. By waiting a bit before you seal the pot, you're letting it cool down enough to keep it from potentially burning.
• Make sure the seal is secure and the pot of the pot (underneath the cooking pot) is clean and clear before you cook.
  

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Mains Cuisine: Asian