Since having a baby we have learned the importance of a quick and easy meal. We used to think we made quick weeknight recipes until we found ourselves with an infant who only took 30 minute catnaps for the first 6 months of his life. We had half an hour to cook, clean up, eat, shower, get snippets of work done, wash bottles, pump, and on and on. This Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken recipe is in regular rotation now. It is super easy and mostly hands off. It also makes great leftovers which means less time in the kitchen.
To make this Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken recipe we use frozen vegetables. No chopping, dicing, or slicing required. We find frozen roasted corn and frozen bell peppers at Trader Joes. If you do not shop at Trader Joes then we recommend you replace the corn and bell peppers with 2 bags of a frozen Southwest medley, which we’ve found at almost every major grocery store. This typically contains corn, bell peppers, onions, and black beans. The sauce is what makes this dish. We don’t use all of the peppers from the can but instead of tossing them we make an extra batch of the sauce and freeze it. The next time we just thaw it out while the chicken marinates.
If you like cooking in the Instant Pot take a look at this or this recipe.
Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Marinade
- 1 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 2 limes
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
Chipotle Sauce
- 1 can chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 2 limes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 TBSP granulated garlic
Other Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 bag frozen corn roasted is ideal but we've only been able to find it at Trader Joes
- 1 bag frozen bell peppers see notes for substitution
Instructions
To make marinade
- roughly tear the leaves of the cilantro apart and place in a large sealable ziplock bag or airtight container. Add the juice of two limes, avocado oil, salt, garlic, and chicken to the bag and give it a good shake. Place in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours
To make the sauce
- Add 4 chilis and 4 tsp of adobo sauce from the can to a wide mouth mason jar. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
To make the dish
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the Instant Pot. Discard the marinade. Add roughly 1/3 of the chipotle sauce to the pot and stir to coat the chicken. Place the lid securely on pot and make sure the release valve is set to sealed. Turn on to manual mode and set timer for 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, add water, rice, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork
- Once timer is finished on the Instant Pot, manually release the pressure by turning the valve to vent. When all pressure has released and it is safe to do so, remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Pull out the chicken and set pot to saute.
- Add frozen vegetables and remaining chipotle sauce to the pot and saute until they are warmed through, roughly 2-4 minutes
- While the veggies cook, shred your chicken thighs with two forks. Add chicken back to the pot and stir to combine.
- Serve over rice and garnish with additional cilantro
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
