Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl {Quick + Easy}

This Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl is the easiest dump dinner made with lots of healthy veggies, black beans, shredded cheese and rice.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Everything cooks in one pot for a quick and easy dinner idea (with less dishes to do afterwards).
• Family-friendly: Even the picky eaters will love this one! Plus, everyone can add whatever toppings they’d like to customize their bowl.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
• Onion – yellow onion, white onion or even red onion can be used for this recipe.
• Chicken breasts – you can make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs or leave the chicken out altogether.
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best. Jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
• Chili powder ­– make your own chili powder using a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne.
• Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.
• Canned diced tomatoes – you could also dice up some fresh tomatoes or use a can of chopped tomatoes.
• Frozen corn – fresh or canned corn would also work. If you’re not a fan of corn, swap out for another veggie of your choice.
• Black beans – pinto beans or kidney beans would also be yummy in these burrito bowls.
• White rice – you can try using another kind of rice but the cooking time and amount of liquid may vary.
• Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best alternative for chicken broth.
• Shredded cheddar cheese – swap out for another shredded cheese of your choice like a Tex Mex blend or Monterey Jack.

Topping ideas

• Pico de gallo – use your favourite fresh or jarred salsa instead.
• Sour cream – lime crema would also be yummy on these burrito bowls.
• Sliced avocado – if you don’t have any avocado, add on some guacamole.
• Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you’re not a fan of cilantro.
• Green onions – diced red onions would also be a good topping.
• Lime wedges – leave these out altogether if you don’t have any lime.

How to make a burrito bowl in the Instant Pot

1. Add everything but the cheese and toppings to the Instant Pot in order.
2. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
3. Prepare your toppings.
4. Do a quick release of the pressure.
5. Mix in the cheese and stir well.
6. Serve with your fave toppings and enjoy!

Different burrito bowl variations

This Instant Pot burrito bowl recipe is super customizable! Make it your own with these different variations:

• Beef: Swap out the chicken for ground beef by sautéing the ground beef in the pot first then following the instructions as normal.
• Vegetarian: Leave out the chicken, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and add some more beans like pinto or kidney beans.
• Dairy-free: Leave out the shredded cheddar cheese or use a dairy-free cheese of your choice.
• Toppings: Add on some cowboy caviar, refried beans, Mexican street corn and any other toppings of your choice!
• Rice: Swap out the white rice for brown rice and adjust the cooking time to 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use brown rice instead of white rice?

I haven’t tried making these burrito bowls with brown rice, but you can definitely try it! I’d suggest cooking on high pressure for 15 minutes instead of 5 minutes, as brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.

Can you double this recipe?

Yes! As long as you don’t go over your Instant Pot’s maximum line, you should be able to double this recipe. The cooking time will stay the same.

What do you serve with burrito bowls?

These burrito bowls are a full meal on their own, but you can add on your favourite toppings like salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, refried beans, cowboy caviar, guacamole and more. If you really want to serve something on the side, you can’t go wrong with chips and guac or chips and salsa.

Storing and reheating

These burrito bowls are great for meal prep – they only take about 15 minutes to cook and then you can store the burrito bowls and toppings separately in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Sprinkle some water over top then microwave for 1-2 mins. Add on your fresh toppings and enjoy!

You can also freeze your burrito bowls for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal, or microwave for 7-8 mins from frozen, stirring halfway through.

More Mexican Instant Pot recipes

• Mexican Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
• Instant Pot Carnitas

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these burrito bowls into your weekly lunches.
• I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
• Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.