Pressure-cooker lemon chicken and rice
45 min · 49 g protein · 454 cals / serving
A one-pot dinner that cooks itself in 6 minutes under pressure: golden seared chicken, fluffy rice that has drunk up garlicky broth, carrots, peas, quick-steamed broccoli and a last-minute fold of spinach, all brightened with lemon and a little parmesan. Comforting, clean-tasting and just as good from a lunchbox the next day.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 lb chicken breast, in 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/3 lb chicken thigh, in 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup long-grain rice white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- scant 1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 lemon's worth lemon zest
- 1 cup frozen cooked frozen green peas
- 1 lb small florets broccoli
- 6 packed cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
To serve
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Steps
- Toss the chicken with the paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Set an electric pressure cooker to SAUTÉ (high), heat the oil and brown the chicken in two batches, 2–3 minutes a side; it does not need to cook through. Lift onto a plate.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits with a splash of the broth. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Turn off SAUTÉ. Pour in the rest of the broth and scrape the bottom completely clean (this is what prevents the burn warning). Scatter the rice on top in an even layer, sprinkle on the lemon zest and lay the chicken over it with its juices. Do not stir.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook at HIGH pressure for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
- Check the chicken is at least 165°F. While the pressure releases, steam the broccoli florets over boiling water, or microwave them covered with 2 tbsp water, for 3–4 minutes until bright green and just tender. Fold the broccoli, peas, spinach, lemon juice and parmesan into the pot gently and close the lid for 2 minutes so the spinach wilts.
- Fluff, taste for salt and lemon and serve scattered with parsley.
Good to know
Slow cooker instead?
Rice turns mushy over hours, so cook it separately: put the browned chicken, vegetables, garlic, zest and only 1/2 cup of broth in the slow cooker on LOW 4 hours, then stir in freshly cooked rice, the peas, spinach, lemon juice and parmesan.
How long does it keep?
4 days in the fridge in sealed containers; cool it quickly (spread it on a tray) and refrigerate within an hour, as with any cooked rice. Reheat with 1 tbsp water sprinkled over, covered, until steaming hot all the way through. Freezes for 2 months.
Brown rice?
Brown rice needs longer than the chicken can take, so cook in two stages. Use the same amount of brown rice with 1 1/4 cups broth: cook the rice alone at HIGH pressure 16 minutes and quick-release. Lay the browned chicken on top without stirring, lock the lid again and cook 6 minutes more at HIGH, then 10 minutes natural release. It comes out at about the same score.
Per
- Calories
- 89
- Protein
- (45%)
- 10 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (34%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 204 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2271 kcal goes into the pot and 2625 g of ingredients comes out as about 2540 g of food: 89 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.