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Home » INSTANT POT RECIPES

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

Jan 31, 2020 · Modified: Apr 15, 2023 by Foodies Terminal 4 Comments 2139 words. [feast_sponsored_disclosure before=“”]

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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!

Instant pot Cajun chicken and rice on a black plate
Perfectly cooked Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

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.

colorful bell peppers being sauteed in Instant pot
The colorful bell peppers lend an extraordinary subtle sweetness to the dish

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.

Boneless chicken thighs being sauteed with cajun spice in instant pot
The juicy chicken thighs spiced up with Cajun spice

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice Ingredients

Instant pot cajun chicken and rice ingredients in bowls on a black surface
Recipe 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.

What is Cajun seasoning made of?

cajun seasoning in a small glass bowl
Cajun spice blend - aromatic and delicious with a slight kick

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.

Cajun chicken and rice ready to be pressure cooked in the instant pot
The pot is ready to be pressure cooked

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.


Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice - Foodies Terminal Tips

Cajun chicken rice ready in the instant pot
Hot Cajun chicken and rice ready to be devoured
  • 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

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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.

Braising chicken in instant pot
Braise the chicken

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.

sauteing onions and bell peppers in instant pot
Saute veggies

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.

pressure cooking cajun chicken and rice in the instant pot step by step
Pressure cook cajun chicken and rice
instant pot cajun chicken and rice swerved with a  a spoon and lime
Delicious one-pot cajun chicken rice ready!

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.


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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Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 939kcal
Author: Meghna

Watch Recipe Video

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice is a delicious one-pot meal loaded with juicy Cajun spiced chicken, veggies and long grain white rice. This Southern Chicken and rice is a perfect weeknight meal that gets ready under 30 mins.

Ingredients

  • 1.66 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2.5" large chunks
  • 2 cups long gran white rice (rinsed very well)
  • 2 cups and additional 50 ml water or low sodium chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
  • 1.5 tsp Paprika (optional)
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste (diluted with 2 tbsp water)
  • 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt (to taste)

Veggies

  • ½ cup green bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ cup yellow bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ cup orange bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ cup celery finely chopped
  • ½ cup onion roughly chopped (yellow onion)

For Flash Marinating Chicken (Optional)

  • 4 dashes Cajun Seasoning
  • 2 dashes Paprika
  • Salt (to taste)
Want more Recipe Videos?Check out our Youtube channel!

Equipment Used

Instant Pot DUO 6 quart

Instructions

  • Flash Marinate the chicken with 4 dashes cajun seasoning, 2 dashes paprika and salt according to taste. Cajun seasoning already contains salt so you need to keep that in mind. This step is totally optional, however, flash marinating and than braising the chicken does build up excellent flavors. So, if you have a few extra mins on hand do this step.
  • Now, set the Instant Pot on SAUTE and set it on HIGH. Add oil. When the oil becomes moderately hot add the flash marinated chicken pieces and braise (fry them) them both sides until lightly golden or golden brown. Set them aside. You'll have some bits and crumbs sticking at the bottom of the pot while braising the meat, that's perfectly normal. Moreover. we'll be de-glazing the pot very well before pressure cooking.
  • Use the same oil, add more if needed. Keep the SAUTE settings to NORMAL. Add the chopped onions and saute until they begin to become translucent.
  • Now, add the colored bell peppers along with the celery and saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Next, add the Cajun seasoning ( I mixed in the paprika too in the cajun seasoning just before adding). Mix everything well.
  • Add back the braised chicken chunks to the pot and give everything a very good mix.
  • In the meantime rinse the long grain white rice with enough water several times until you see clear water running through. This step is very important. It helps make the rice fluffy and prevents them from becoming messy, sticky and gooey. The surface starch of the rice is all drained out this way. Also, drain the rinsed rice very well. There should not be any excess water left.
  • Come back to the pot and add exactly 2 cups + additional 50 ml water and mix well. At this point de-glaze the pot really well with the help of a spatula. There should not be any bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot. De-glazing the pot well will prevent the BURN message.
  • Add the tomato paste and mix well again.
  • Next, add the rice and gently mix the grains in the water. Avoid over mixing, it will break the rice grains.
  • Check the seasoning and add salt if you need to.
  • Close the lid of the pot and seal the valve. Pressure Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes when the Instant Pot begins to beep wait for 10 minutes natural pressure release. Than, release the rest of the pressure manually.
  • Open the lid carefully and fluff the Cajun rice gently with the help of a fork. For best result allow the Cajun Chicken and rice to rest for 10 mins before serving. This helps the rice become more fluffy. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Measuring Units used, 1 cup = 240 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
  2. What is Braising anyway? Braising means lightly frying or browning the meat both sides. And than cooking the meat covered in the same juices. This adds tons of flavor and depth to any recipe and also makes any tough meat fork-tender.
  3. Don't want to braise the chicken pieces? Flash marinate them as already mentioned in the recipe and add them directly in the pot. Saute them for 2-3 mins along with the other ingredients.
  4. DO NOT ever skip rinsing the rice well. You can find the huge difference once you make the recipe using rinsed rice. No more gooey, sticky and messy rice ever!
  5. Drain the rinsed rice very well. There should not be excess water left.
  6. Use the same cup to measure the rice and the water.
  7. Use the exact amount of water mentioned in the recipe for best results.
  8. Avoid BURN message: De-glaze the pot very well with the help of a spatula after adding chicken stock or water. There should not be any bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot. That eventually leads to the BURN message as Instant Pots are sensitive.
  9. You can reduce the amount of Cajun spice and also skip the paprika totally from the recipe if you prefer a milder Cajun chicken and rice.
  10. We went a little heavy on the Cajun spice because we love the flavors and the kick.
  11. NOTE: You can skip sauteing the onion, instead dump the onions and the veggies together in the pot and saute everything for 2-3 mins and follow the rest of the recipe. Sauteing the onion brings out the sweetness and makes the dish more flavorful.
  12. STORING TIPS: This Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice stores upto 5 days in the fridge in air tight containers.
  13. RE-HEATING TIPS: Re-heat the Cajun chicken and rice in the microwave oven until warm with sprinkles of water. The water will prevent the rice from drying out. You can also re-heat the rice on a skillet with sprinkles of water and over medium heat. Stir often to prevent it from getting stuck at the bottom of the skillet.
  14. FREZZING TIP: The Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and rice freezes very well upto 2 months. I often freeze it in freezer safe bags, thaw them over night in the fridge and than reheat with sprinkles of water. Works beautifully every single time.
 
Calorific details are provided by a third party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
 
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 939 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 238mg79%
Sodium 295mg13%
Potassium 1269mg36%
Carbohydrates 112g37%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 60g120%
Vitamin A 5690IU114%
Vitamin C 133mg161%
Calcium 81mg8%
Iron 5mg28%
* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 939kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 1269mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5690IU | Vitamin C: 133mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5mg
Course :Main Course
Cuisine :American
Keyword :Cajun Chicken and Rice, Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice, Souther Chicken and Rice Instant Pot
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peg says

    February 02, 2021 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night for supper. It was fantastic!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      February 11, 2021 at 8:11 pm

      So glad to know that you loved the recipe Peg! Totally appreciate your feedback, thank you very much 🙂 - Meghna.

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    April 29, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! We loved the savory flavor, just made a big batch and it's going in the freezer for next week 🙂 Thank you Meghna.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      April 30, 2020 at 2:55 am

      Thank you Anna for sharing your feedback with us 🙂 I am so glad that you loved the recipe. Keep coming back and take care Anna 🙂 - Meghna.

      Reply
5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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