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chicken rice and lemons
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5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf

This easy, weeknight 30 minute meal is perfect for busy families. Lemon rice, tender chicken thighs, and fresh broccoli is a healthy and fast dinner made even easier as an Instant Pot Dump Meal
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken thighs, Dump Meal, Instant Pot, lemon, one pot, pilaf, rice
Servings: 3
Author: Lisa Childs

Ingredients

  • 6 frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 3 tablespoons Italian or white balsamic citrus basil dressing (substitute with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and one tablespoon Italian seasoning, mixed together)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • juice and zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • broccoli florets optional

Instructions

  • Add butter (or oil if you're wanting dairy free) to the Instant Pot on High Saute.
  • Allow the butter to slightly brown and get fragrant. Dump in the rice and stir to coat and get toasty, 3-5 minutes.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, mix together water with Better than Bouillon (you can just use chicken broth if you have it). To the cup, add lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and salad dressing or substitution (I used White Balsamic Citrus Basil salad dressing from Costco)
  • Stir the liquid into the rice and scrape any browned bits into the liquid. Ensure there aren't any burned bits of rice to the bottom of the pot. Then, layer frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs on top of the rice. Top the chicken with garlic powder, pepper, oregano, lemon slices, and parsley. 
  • Lock the lid, turn the knob to sealing, and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes with a 5 minutes natural pressure release. I served with Instant Pot Broccoli. I thought it was really yummy topped with some more lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little fresh salt right on top.
  • Optional: After opening the lid, the first time, add uncooked small broccoli florets right on top of the chicken and rice. Replace the lid, and let steam in the residual heat for 5-10 minutes until cooked through, depending on the size of florets. Then stir and serve.

Notes

  • This recipe has been edited to include 1/2 cup more liquid. Depending on the type of chicken you use, you'll yield a different amount of liquid from the meat to help cook the rice. Since publication, we've since added 1/2 cup additional liquid to help prevent burning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams