Do you guys have a recipe that immediately reminds you of family memories? Well, that’s what chicken and yellow rice is for me. This recipe puts a new spin on a family dish that my mom and grandma used to make for us while we were growing up. Honestly, making this was so special to me and instantly brought me back to being in my grandma’s kitchen. I’m excited to share it with you all and hope you all enjoy!
Chicken and Yellow Rice with a New Spin?
When I was growing up, in order to make this dish, I remember my mom and grandma used one of the big double boilers to boil a whole chicken. It would boil to make the base for the broth that goes over the rice and I remember it took quite a while. Well, a couple months ago, I wasn’t feeling that great. I was looking for comfort food, but I needed to make something quick and easy. That’s where my spin on the this chicken and yellow rice comes in. This is a super homey, filling comfort dish. But, I needed it to be quick.
So, instead of boiling a whole chicken, I used chicken breasts with pre-made chicken stock. I also added my own vegetables and seasonings to give a bit of oomph to the broth I was using. I put these in the instant pot so that within about 20 minutes, the chicken was completely ready aside from needing to be shredded. Then, I make the rice using the super flavorful broth from the chicken in a separate pot. I shred the chicken while the rice cooks and everything worked out really nicely! If you find a way to make the rice in the instant pot with the chicken, I’d love to hear about it!
Special Ingredients or Equipment Needed?
There aren’t really any special ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, but if you aren’t someone who keeps turmeric on hand, you’ll need some for the yellow rice. Aside from that, the rest of the ingredients are pretty common household finds!
In terms of special equipment, you’ll need an electric multi-function pressure cooker of some sort. My personal favorite is my Ninja Foodi 8 Qt. Deluxe. I literally cannot say enough good things about it. It’s seriously my favorite kitchen appliance. It is a bit pricy though, so another option is just a regular Instant Pot, though, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is going to be the closest in terms of functionality to the Foodi.
Pictures of Chicken and Yellow Rice:
Here’s a step by step in pictures of how I make this delicious family recipe.
Recipe:
Chicken and Yellow Rice in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts, cut in half
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp pepper, divided
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
- 2 stalks of celery, cut in half
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- Season chicken all over with garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp of each the salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In the bottom of the IP, arrange onion, carrots, celery, whole cloves of garlic, thyme and rosemary. Pour in broth and water. Season the broth and water mixture with remaining pepper and 1 tsp salt. Arrange seasoned chicken on top.
- Place pressure cooker lid on the IP and switch the valve to the sealing position. Set the pressure cooker to the high pressure setting for 15 minutes. After the cooking time is done, allow the IP to naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken to a bowl and discard all vegetables. Set chicken aside.
- In a pot on the stove, combine 4 cups of the remaining stock in the instant pot with the uncooked rice, minced garlic, remaining salt and onion powder, and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, shred the chicken and return to any remaining broth to prevent from drying out.
- After the rice has finished cooking, remove the rice from the heat and let sit covered an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir rice to make sure all seasonings and spices are well distributed throughout. Serve shredded chicken over a bed of the yellow rice. Enjoy!
This chicken and yellow rice is such a comforting, hearty dish that reminds me of my childhood. It was so easy and flavorful. I really hope you all enjoy and that you give it a try!
What meals remind you of your childhood? Let me know in the comments below as well as what you think of this recipe! If you want to see more like this, make sure you subscribe to get notified of my new recipes every week. You can also check out my recipes page or the recipes posted below. Thanks everyone for your support and feedback!
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