This Instant Pot dinner combines simple ingredients for a nourishing, no fuss meal. The dried herbs, onions, and mushrooms infuse so much flavor into the rice as it cooks. You end up with a risotto-like creamy rice consistency that is oh-so-comforting! Enjoy it with plenty of lemon and herbs to serve.
I love using bone-in chicken because it infuses a ton of flavor and when you pressure cook it, you get that extra collagen and gelatin that gets extracted from the connective tissue. However, you can easily use boneless skinless if you’d like.
Ingredient Highlight
Mushrooms! Are one of my favorite ingredients to add to vegetarian dishes because they have a meaty texture and an umami-rich flavor. They’re a great source of minerals like selenium, potassium and zinc and are also high in B vitamins.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 40 minutes Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, excess fat or skin trimmed off (about 4 thighs)*
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- Black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 8-10 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2-3 cups)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3-4 cups loosely packed spinach (optional)
- 1 cup jasmine white rice, rinsed**
- 2 cups water
- Fresh chopped herbs (parsley or cilantro)
- Lemon wedges
- Parmesan (optional, for topping)
- *You could also use 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Just add an extra tablespoon of oil when you brown them.
- **Add rice to a fine mesh sieve and rinse well to remove the excess starch coating the rice (use your hands to agitate the rice as you rinse it). You’ll know it’s done once the water runs clear.
- Picky eaters? ~ You can also just shred the chicken off of the bone rather than serving it whole for those who can’t eat or don’t like eating bone-in meat.
Instructions
- Sprinkle the skinless side of each chicken thigh with about 1 teaspoon salt (about ¼ teaspoon per thigh) and some black pepper. Use your hands to rub it all around the chicken meat and skin.
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button and set to “normal” or “medium”. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to help release it from the pot and transfer to a plate.
- Add onion, mushrooms, thyme, oregano, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Make sure to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the spinach (if using), and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the rice and water. Place the chicken thighs on top (skin-side-up). Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 10 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing. It’s best to let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving so all of the juices can settle in.
- Serve topped with a generous squeeze of lemon and plenty of fresh herbs. Sprinkle some parmesan on top of the rice, if you’d like.
Stovetop instructions:
- In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the onion, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the spinach (if using), and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the rice and water until everything is evenly mixed and distributed. Place the chicken thighs back into the skillet, skin-side-up. Make sure the rice and veggies are evenly distributed (giving the pan a little shake can help). Cover with a lid (or use a baking sheet with something heavy on top) and bring the water to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low/medium-low to maintain a simmer for 30 minutes, or until the rice and chicken are cooked through (don’t remove the lid until your timer goes off).
- Serve topped with a generous squeeze of lemon and plenty of fresh herbs. Sprinkle some parmesan on top of the rice, if you’d like.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Trim your chicken if using bone-in, skin-on
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Thinly slice 8-10 oz mushrooms (about 2-3 cups)
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the chicken and just make the rice. If doing so, reduce the water to 1 ½ cups. Serve it alongside your desired protein of choice (fried egg, baked tofu, crispy beans, etc…).
- If you don’t like mushrooms, sub any veggie in their place (broccoli, fennel, brussels sprouts, bell pepper, etc…)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- I like to shred up leftover chicken and store it on top of the rice. Warm up leftover chicken and rice in the microwave until warmed through. Top with lots of lemon juice, herbs, and black pepper.
- Top the hot rice with parmesan, feta, or any cheese for a cheesy rice.
- Put a fried egg on it!
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