Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

This Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice is an economical one-pot marvel. Juicy Chicken thighs loaded with Cajun seasoning with colorful peppers, onions and long grain white rice. The easy and delicious Cajun Chicken Rice Instant Pot recipe comes together under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights!

Cajun Chicken Rice Instant Pot

We love easy, economical, flavorful and express one-pot meals that don't require much elbow grease.

Today's Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice fits the bill perfectly.

Just a little bit sauteing and dump and cook is all you've to do.

In fact this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice dish is our most favorite Cajun dishes that we enjoy eating and a lot.

So flavorful and so good!

The sweetness from the bell-peppers and the onion, the tang from the tomato paste, the smokiness from the paprika perfectly balances the spicy kick from the Cajun seasoning.

We went a little heavy on the Cajun seasoning because we love the kick and the taste.

However, you can always scale it down and also totally skip adding the paprika.

You can also use either boneless Chicken Breasts or thighs for the recipe. We chose chicken thighs and hence, the meat is darker.

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice Ingredients

• Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and flash marinated them with little bit of Cajun seasoning and paprika. You can also use chicken breasts.
• Rice: Long Grain white rice rinsed and drained well.
• Water or Chicken Stock.
• Onion: Yellow Onion roughly chopped.
• Celery: Chopped finely.
• Bell Peppers: Green, yellow, orange and red varieties finely chopped.
• Tomato paste: Use store bought either from the tube or the can.
• Cajun Seasoning.
• Paprika. (optional)
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.

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What is Cajun seasoning made of?

Cajun seasoning is made of a combination of flavorful dry ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme.

However, DIY homemade Cajun seasonings might also contain paprika, black pepper and chili flakes.

Those extra stuffs lend a whole new kick to the Cajun seasoning.

What does Cajun seasoning taste like?

Cajun seasoning tastes smoky, garlicky, peppery with a good kick from the cayenne pepper. It's a delicious seasoning spice blend perfect for summer barbecue and grilling and so much more.

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Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice - Foodies Terminal Tips

• Rinse the rice very well: This little extra effort will make your Instant Pot Chicken and rice so much fluffy. Rinse the rice several times until clear water runs through. This helps to remove the surface starch from the rice and prevents the rice from clumping up and getting gummy while being cooked.
• Braise the Chicken pieces for extra flavor quotient: Lightly fry the chicken pieces to surface brown them with a dash of seasoning. Braising helps build flavor, it's like adding brownie points to your dish to make it extra flavorful 😀 You can skip it but it's highly recommended.
• Saute the bell peppers and onions a tad bit: This will help bring our their sweetness.
• Avoid BURN message, de-glaze the inner pot of the Instant Pot really well before pressure cooking. You need to scrape out any bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the steel insert.
• The water and rice ratio is important: For every 2 cups rinsed long grain white rice I use 2 cups + 50 ml water. Follow this amount for fully cooked, fluffy cajun rice that's not a gooey mess!
• Fluff the rice with a fork once the pressure cooking is over. This helps the steam escape quickly and makes the rice light and fluffy.
• For best result allow the Instant Pot Cajun chicken and rice to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will make the rice grans extra fluffy.

How to make Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice? Step by Step

Step #1 Braise the Chicken

Braising the chicken will greatly increase the flavor of the dish.

Lightly fry the Chicken both sides until lightly brown on SAUTE kept at HIGH in your Instant Pot.

Set aside and use the same oil for the rest of the recipe.

Step #2 Saute the Veggies

You can dump the Onion and the other veggies all at once and saute just for a couple of minutes to develop flavors.

However, you also take our route and saute the onions first until just beginning to become translucent.

Than, quickly add the bell peppers and celery and saute them for about 1 minute.

Step #3 Add Chicken, rice & pressure cook

Add the cajun seasoning, give everything a good mix.

Add back the braised chicken to the pot.

Pour water or chicken stock, mix in the tomato paste. You'll get a gorgeous bright colored gravy.

Also, de-glaze the pot very well with the help of a spatula so that there are no bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the BURN message.

Gently mix in the rinsed rice (READ NOTES). Do not stir too much because the rice grains will break.

Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes and than wait for 10 minutes Natural pressure release.

After that release the rest of the pressure manually and open the pot.

Gently fluff the rice with the help of a fork.

For the best fluffy Cajun chicken and rice allow the dish to rest for at least 10 mins before serving.

How long does Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice last in the fridge?

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice shall last you for 5 days in the fridge in air tight containers.

Re-heat the dish in microwave oven with sprinkles of water or just grab a skillet and re-heat on the stove top over medium heat.

And do not forget to drizzle a few drops of water. This helps keep the rice moist and fluffy.

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Cajun Chicken Rice Instant Pot Freezing Tips

Instant pot cajun chicken and rice is extremely freezer friendly. It will last your for 2 months in the freezer.

We love storing the portion sizes in freezer safe bags. That way it's way easier to grab the bags and re-heat them as required.

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Why not try these EASY Rice Recipes from the world?

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