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pressure cooker chicken fajita rice

Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Rice

Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Rice loaded with amazing good fajita flavors, juicy chicken, black beans & corn. Your whole family will enjoy this Cheesy chicken fajita rice recipe.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American-Mexican, Mexican
Keyword: Instant pot chicken fajita rice, instant pot chicken fajita rice bowl, pressure cooker fajita rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 549kcal
Author: Meghna
Cost: $5

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pound chicken **skinless, boneless breasts or thighs diced into ½ inch cubes.
  • 1 cup long grain white rice **rinsed very well.
  • 1 cup onion **yellow onion roughly chopped.
  • 1 tbsp garlic **minced
  • ½ cup red bell pepper **roughly chopped
  • ½ cup green bell pepper **roughly chopped
  • 15.25 ounce Black Beans **432 g. Drained. Used 1 can.
  • 1 cup corn **frozen or thawed or from the can drained. Read NOTES below.
  • 14.5 ounce canned fire roasted tomatoes **411 g. Used 1 can.
  • 1.5 cups Mexican Cheese **shredded or grated. We used store bought shredded cheese.
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice **or lemon juice.
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil **or any neutral oil. Check Notes below.
  • 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • Salt (to taste) **use according to your own personal preference.

Liquid (you can also use chicken stock)

Seasonings for chicken

Seasonings for Rice

Optional Toppings

  • 2 avocado
  • ½ cup Cilantro **roughly chopped.
  • ½ cup sour cream **whisked well.
  • 1 Lime **sliced into wedges.

Instructions

  • Marinate Chicken: Add all the ingredients in a bowl mentioned above in the "seasonings for chicken" along with the diced chicken cubes. Mix well until all the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade. Rest for 30 mins.
  • Sear Chicken: Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function & set it on HIGH heat. Add oil, when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the marinated chicken pieces and sear until they become golden around the edges. Set the seared chicken pieces aside.
    searing chicken in instant pot
  • Saute Aromatics: Now, add butter and allow it to melt. Than. throw in the chopped onion and bell peppers. Saute for 1 min. Add salt and mix well. Add the garlic and saute another 30 secs. Next, add the cumin, chili powder & paprika mentioned in the "seasonings for rice" above (do not add the fajita seasoning now). Saute another 30 seconds.
    sauteing aromatics in instant pot
  • De-glaze pot: Pour the chicken stock and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides & the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. There should not be any food particles stuck at the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the burn. Turn off the SAUTE function.
    pouring chicken stock in instant pot
  • Layer ingredients: Add the corn and black bean, give a quick stir. Rinse the long grain white rice very well under running tap water until clear water runs through. Drain the rice very well in a colander and than add it to the pot. Gently spread the rice with the help of a spatula and push it down. DO NOT stir or mix. It's ok if the rice is not below the liquid. Next, pour the diced fire roasted tomatoes and spread them out on top of the rice. DO NOT mix or stir. Add the fajita seasoning now. Transfer the seared chicken pieces into the pot and spread them out on top of the tomatoes. DO NOT stir or mix.
    layered ingredients in instant pot
  • Pressure Cook: Secure the lid of the instant pot, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 6 mins. Once, the cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep. Wait for 5 mins Natural Release and than release the rest of the pressure manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position. Open the lid when the metal pin drops. Gently fluff the fajita rice with the help of a pair of fork. The rice will look moist at this super hot stage but it'll retain a perfect texture as it cools down.
    pressure cooking chicken fajita rice in instant pot
  • Add Cheese: Now, add the lemon juice and ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese and mix gently. Add the rest of the 1 cup Mexican Cheese, DO NOT mix or stir. Cover the Instant pot with a temporary glass lid or the instant pot lid and rest for 5 mins. This will allow the cheese to melt. Serve hot with your favorite toppings like - diced avocados, cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!
    pressure cooked fajita rice with chicken ready in instant pot with a melted cheese top

Video

Notes

  1. Neutral Oil: Oils that doesn't have any strong smell or taste are known as neutral oils. The best example are extra light or light olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil & sunflower oil.
  2. Fajita Seasoning: DO NOT add the store bought fajita seasoning along with all other seasonings because it contains cornstarch and will stick at the bottom of the pot resulting in BURN error. Add the fajita seasoning on top of the tomatoes as suggested and shown in the recipe and DO NOT mix stir before the pressure cooking cycle. 
  3. Spicy Fajita Rice: If you prefer spicy food you can add a few diced jalapenos along with the onion and bell peppers. If you prefer mild heat go ahead and add a few dashes of red pepper flakes instead or jalapenos. Add the red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings.
  4. Is the Chicken Fajita rice spicy? No, today's recipe is not spicy at all!
  5. Can I double the recipe? Yes, you can double the recipe. The cook time would be 6 mins on high pressure followed by 10 mins natural release.
  6. Frozen Corn: Frozen corns will add some extra moisture to the dish. If you add frozen corn just like this recipe you'll get moist rice that'll remain slightly on the moist side. 
  7. Regular thawed corns or drained from the can: If you prefer Fajita chicken rice slightly on the drier side add regular thawed corns or drained from the can. 
 
Calorific details are provided by a third party application & are to be used as indicative figures only.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1579IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 4mg