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These Instant Pot Burrito Bowls with frozen chicken could not be easier to prepare. They work great for meal prep, cook in one pot, and taste delicious.

This Instant Pot Burrito Bowl is also excellent for the nights that I forgot to thaw my chicken, or soak my black beans.  Only having one pot to clean is an added bonus.

images of IP burrito bowls with text for pinterest

Where’s the recipe?

I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.

To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.

If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, swapping ingredients, and diet information like 21 Day Fix container counts, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find this delicious and easy to print Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe.

ingredients for instant pot burrito bowls

Ingredients for these Chicken Burrito Bowls

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I love to learn about food and share my knowledge with you. These are the ingredients I used in this recipe and a little about why I used each one.

  • Frozen Chicken: A versatile source of protein, that works great for this recipe because it absorbs all the spices.
  • Brown Rice: Brown rice is a whole grain. That means it contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ and the carb-rich endosperm.
  • Black Beans: Because of their fiber content, black beans help to keep a healthy digestive tract. They also provide fuel for the healthy bacteria in the colon.
  • Diced Tomatoes: Be sure and grab low-sodium.  If you want an extra kick grab a can with green chiles added.
  • Garlic: In addition to making almost any meal taste better, garlic also has several health benefits, including reduced blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and even lessoning the symptoms of the common cold.
  • Cumin: Cumin is used world wide and is especially popular in Indian, Mexican, and Asian cooking. 
  • Onion Powder: Every spice cabinet should be equipped with onion powder. Toss it in for extra flavor without the watery eyes from chopping fresh onions. 
  • Chili Powder: Chili powder is dried fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices. It is used to add a spicy kick and flavor to culinary dishes.
  • Chicken Broth: I love using homemade chicken broth. But, if using store bought broth, be sure and get the low-sodium kind.  You can always add salt after cooking is complete, if needed.
  • Optional: Shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, tortilla chips

Tips

  • This recipe is one that is important to make exactly as written. It just doesn’t cook the same when you change the ingredients. 
  • Use frozen chicken, dry brown rice, and dry black beans since they all have similar cooking times.
  • Brown rice is best with this recipe.  White rice changes the or quinoa won’t cook the same.
  • If you prefer your beans to be softer, naturally pressure the release from the Instant Pot.
  • A hand mixer works great for perfectly shredded chicken.  Just move your chicken to a mixing bowl, and use your mixer on medium for about 30 seconds.
  • If you see a Burn Notice on your pressure cooker, release the pressure and add more liquid, and make sure to separate your chicken breasts.
  • I always spray the bottom of the pot with a nonstick cooking spray–usually a healthy oil such as olive oil.
image of recipe in white bowl with blue and white napkin

How to make Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls:

Time needed: 30 minutes

Add time for a natural pressure release if you’d like your beans cooked a bit more.

  1. Combine Ingredients

    Place frozen chicken breast, brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, and chicken broth into the Instant Pot.

  2. Pressure Cook

    Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 25 minutes.

  3. Quick Release

    When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. For softer beans, let the pressure release naturally.

  4. Shred your chicken

    Remove the chicken from the pot and shred.  You can use two forks to shred it by hand, or you can shred using a hand mixer or stand mixer.

  5. Return Chicken to the pot

    Add the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir well to mix evenly. 

  6. Serve

    Serve warm and top with your favorite burrito additions such as: lettuce, cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro, or salsa.

collage of images for how to make instant pot burrito bowls

Alternate Flavor Profile:

  • For a different taste to this recipe, use the seasonings from this Cilantro Lime Drumstick recipe:
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 4 cloves of minced garlic
    • 1 tsp crushed red peppers
    • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
    • juice from one lime
    • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Healthy Eating Plans

  • Weight Watchers: See this post.
  • These 21 Day Fix Burrito Bowls fit perfectly within Portion Fix rules. Counts for the entire recipe, minus toppings: 6 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, and 2 Green Containers. I give you these counts so you can easily recalculate the containers if you change anything.
    • Per serving: 1 Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, and 1/3 Green Container. Make sure to count any additional toppings you add.
  • 2B Mindset: This is a great lunch when you add 50% vegetables to your plate. This could be in the form of toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, or steamed vegetables.
burrito bowl in a white bowl with avocado, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes

If you’re looking for healthy Instant Pot recipes that can be made with thawed chicken check these out:

More Recipes Like These Instant Pot Burrito Bowls:

Eating healthy doesn't have to be time consuming or tasteless. Use these delicious Healthy Instant Pot recipes to save time and calories!
4.37 from 107 ratings
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Instant Pot Burrito Bowl with Frozen Chicken

Created by: Becca Ludlum
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Approximate Serving Size: 2/3 cups plus toppings
Servings 6
This easy Instant Pot Burrito Bowl with frozen chicken is delicious Mexican recipe! Cooked with dry brown rice and dry black beans, these healthy bowls come together perfectly in the electric pressure cooker.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot 6 qt
  • Sealing Rings

Ingredients 

  • lbs chicken breasts frozen
  • ½ cups brown rice uncooked
  • ½ cups black beans dry (not soaked)
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes low sodium and no sugar added
  • 2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • cups chicken stock low sodium

Optional toppings for Burrito Bowls: Romaine lettuce, Cheddar cheese and Avocado, Salsa or pico de gallo.

    Instructions

    • Place frozen chicken, dry brown rice, dry black beans, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, and chicken stock into the Instant Pot. 1½ lbs chicken breasts, ½ cups brown rice, ½ cups black beans, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1½ cups chicken stock
    • Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 25 minutes.
    • When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
    • Remove your chicken from the pot and shred. You can use two forks to shred it by hand, or use a hand or stand mixer.
    • Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir well to evenly mix.  Serve warm, with your favorite burrito toppings such as: lettuce, cheddar cheese, avocado, or salsa. For meal prep, place in individual serving containers and refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.

    Video

    Notes

    Healthy Eating Plans
    • Weight Watchers Blue Plan Points: See this post for the Weight Watchers version.   
    • 21 Day Fix: (entire recipe) 6 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, and 2 Green Containers. (per serving, which is about 2/3 cups): 1 Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, and 1/3 Green Container.
    • 2B Mindset: This is a perfect lunch when you add 50% vegetables on your plate.
    Tips:
    • This method works best with frozen chicken, dry brown rice, and dry black beans since they all have similar cooking times.
    • You will not get the same results with thawed chicken, minute rice, or canned beans since they all have different cooking times.
    • Brown rice is best with this recipe.  White rice changes the flavor and texture, and quinoa doesn’t absorb enough liquid.
    • If you prefer your beans softer use a natural pressure release.
    • This recipe is one that is important to make exactly as written. It just doesn’t taste the same when you substitute ingredients. 
    • A hand mixer works great for perfectly shredded chicken.  Just move your cooked chicken to a mixing bowl, and use your mixer on medium for about 30 seconds.
    If you’re looking for Instant Pot recipes that can be made with thawed chicken check these delicious recipes out: 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 777mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg

    Make This Recipe?

    Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum

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    Did you love this recipe?

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    163 Comments

    1. Katerina Bright says:

      Hello!

      The recipe doesnt specify if the canned tomatoes need to be drained or not? Please help! Lol

    2. 5 stars
      Used bone in/skin on breasts STRAIGHT from the freezer. Added broth, 1 cup rice, Rotel (with liquid), can of pinto (drained), frozen bell peppers from my summer stash, all kinds of seasoning. Pressure for 25 and NR for 56 minutes (hubby didn’t turn it off -go figure!)
      Most impressed with the chicken! Super tender, easy to shred and let me tell you, frozen is where it’s at! Not sure dinner would be a hit or miss but I am highly, highly impressed!

    3. Can I use a crockpot instead?

      1. You absolutely can, but I haven’t tested the CrockPot cooking method :)

    4. Hi,

      Can you please confirm the nutritional information? It looks like 2/3 of a cup is 250 calories? Can you please confirm

      1. Hi Katie! I recalculated and it changed a little bit, but it’s definitely not a low calorie recipe because of the black beans and brown rice. :)

        1. So what is the serving size and how many calories, carbs, fat, and sugar per serving? I track my food in a food tracker which is whg I need to know

        2. Hi Katie, the nutrition information is as accurate as I can possibly get it. It’s all at the bottom of the printable recipe. For the most accurate information, I recommend adding all of your specific brands and ingredients into your calculator.

    5. If canned black beans is all you have, how do you adjust the recipe??

      1. You’d have to reduce the liquid but I haven’t figured out by how much, as I don’t normally make it with canned :) Also, I’d add the beans at the end if they’re canned.

    6. Anonymous says:

      4 stars
      Quite good overall! Very quick and pretty tasty! I followed the directions exactly, and I think the finished product could have used a fair amount more seasoning though, the taste was very light. I added some taco seasoning at the end and stirred it in and it was much better. Some of the brown rice was not quite cooked all the way through, just a tiny bit crunchy, but not bad. Maybe add that and the beans at the bottom of the pot to make sure they are submerged the entire time? I will definitely make this again.

    7. Anonymous says:

      Our attempt came out soupy consistency and hard beans after 25 min pressure cook and full natural release -1/2 cup rice seemed to little – we attempted to pressure cook again and got the burn notice – its more like chili after additional cook time

      1. Hi there! Hmmm. A few thoughts – if your beans were stale or old (sometimes they even sit on the grocery shelf for a while), this could happen. The 1/2 cup of brown rice should have been plenty -it doubles or triples in size, so should be plenty of the recipe. Did you use brown rice? Or make any other changes to the recipe?

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