PERFECT Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice

Why emphasize the perfectness of this recipe?  Because pressure cooking these two ingredients together and getting them both right is impossible!

Pressure cooking rice is an exacting task – too much liquid or time and the grains burst at the seams or turn into an unappetizing runny, starchy, gummy, gluey slosh. Too little liquid and the rice carbonizes and bonds to the base of the pressure cooker to be chiseled off. Rice needs just 3 minutes at high pressure (with natural release).

Instead, pressure cooking chicken is more of a gamble – there are great variations in the liquid that is released during cooking based on the meat’s age and preservation.  Most American supermarket chickens, for example, are already brined in (and sometimes injected with)  salt water to make them last longer and weigh more.  The liquid released between a supermarket chicken and a free-range, locally-raised freshly butchered one can vary by a cup of liquid or more. Yes, I measured it so you don’t have to.

If trying to wing it with liquid ratios doesn’t result in gummy rice, bone-in chicken’s 10 minute pressure cooking time will!  This seven-minute difference is almost an additional half hour of conventional cooking time.

This method guarantees PERFECT results regardless of your meat’s origins and processing.

The solution to getting both of these ingredients perfectly cooked is to cook them sequentially, one after the other, and not together.  This method guarantees PERFECT results regardless of your meat’s origins and processing. First the chicken is boiled, then the cooking liquid is measured to the rice’s exacting needs and cooked in the chicken’s tasty broth.  Don’t worry – the chicken won’t get cold.  It’s wrapped-up tight and then beautifully caramelized under the broiler (or on the grill) while the rice is cooking.

4.9 from 30 reviews

Pressure Cooked Chicken and Rice

 

Author: hip pressure cooking

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

• Serves: 6 to 8

• Serving size: 1 piece of chicken 1 cup of rice with toppings
• Calories: 244.3

• TOTAL Fat: 10.2
• TOTAL Carbs: 28.6
• Sugar Carbs: 6.8
• Sodium: 1375
• Fiber Carbs: 3.3
• Protein: 11.4
• Cholesterol: 31.3

Recipe type: Pressure Cooker

Cuisine: American

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  25 mins

Leave the chicken skin on for more flavor and crunch.

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup (250ml) water (or your pressure cooker's minimum required liquid amount)
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (4 drumsticks & 4 thighs)

Spices:

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons salt (decrease if using salt-brined chicken)

For the rice:

• about 1 cup water (see instructions)
• 2 cups (500ml) Basmati rice, rinsed

For the garnish:

• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1-2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 wedge white onion, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the pre-heated pressure cooker add oil and onion, saute until soft. Add the garlic and spices, and swoosh everything around for about 30 seconds. Then, add the water tomato paste and salt. Finally, add chicken pieces and coat in cooking liquid.
2. For electric pressure cookers: Cook for 14 minutes at high pressure.
   For stove top pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 12 minutes pressure cooking time.
3. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
4. Strain out chicken pieces and place in heat-proof serving platter, and cover with foil.
5. Pour the cooking liquids from the pressure cooker into a heat-proof 4-cup measuring cup ( 1L measuring pitcher) to reach 3½ cups (875ml) . If the cooking liquid does not reach 3½ cup mark add water. If you have more cooking liquid than 3½ cups reserve it for another use.
6. Pour the measured liquid back into the pressure cooker and add the rice. Mix.
7. For electric pressure cookers: Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure.
   For stove top pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 3 minutes pressure cooking time.
8. When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the Natural release method - move the cooker off the burner and wait for the pressure to come down on its own (about 10 minutes). For electric pressure cookers, when cooking time is up count 10 minutes of natural open time. Then, release the rest of the pressure using the valve.
9. While the rice is cooking, slide the un-covered serving platter with chicken pieces skin-side up under broiler until the skin is brown and bubbly.
10. Temporarily transfer chicken and cooking liquid, if any, into the foil that was used to cover it and tumble the freshly pressure cooked rice onto the platter. Now add the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with pine nuts, raisins, fresh tomato, and onion before serving. Pour any remaining cooking liquid on top.
    NOTE: When you pour out the meat cooking liquid in the measuring cup, you can optionally de-fat the liquid at this point. If you do, add only enough cooking liquid and water to reach 3 cups (not 3½ as directed).

Notes

This recipe provides 45% of the recommended daily values of Manganase, 28% of Vitamin A, 24% of Vitamin C and 13% of Vitamin C and 20% of Niacine per serving - based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

3.5.3217