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Instant Pot burrito bowls are one of my favorite meal prep recipes to make, and this recipe could not be any easier! Use frozen chicken breasts, dry black beans, and uncooked rice for a budget-friendly, pressure cooked meal the whole family will enjoy.
I love a good chicken burrito bowl. Burrito bowls combine all the deliciousness of a burrito but in a convenient, customizable bowl that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
This Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl is excellent for the nights that I forgot to thaw my chicken or soak my black beans. It’s such an easy recipe and can be customized to the whole family’s taste preference.
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 meal prep tips and 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 these Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Frozen Chicken Breast: Chicken breast is a versatile source of protein that works great for this recipe. I use frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts for these burrito bowls.
- Brown Rice: This recipe won’t work with other kinds of rice – it specifically works with dry brown rice.
- Black Beans: Because of their fiber content, black beans help to keep a healthy digestive tract. This recipe uses dry black beans.
- Diced Tomatoes: Be sure and grab a can of low-sodium diced tomatoes.
- Garlic, Cumin, and Onion Powder
- Chili Powder: If you’re sensitive to spice, adjust the amount you add.
- Chicken Broth: I love using homemade chicken broth. If using store bought chicken broth, be sure and get the low sodium chicken broth kind. You can always add salt after cooking is complete, if needed.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
Step 1: Place frozen chicken breasts (not stacked), uncooked rice, dry black beans, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, and chicken broth into the Instant Pot.
Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the cooking time for 25 minutes.
Step 2: When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. For softer beans, let the pressure release naturally.
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.
Step 3: Add the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir well to mix evenly.
Step 4: Serve your finished burrito bowls warm and top with your favorite burrito additions such as: lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or salsa.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe uses frozen chicken, dry brown rice, and dry black beans since they all have similar cooking times. It just doesn’t cook the same in the Instant Pot when you change the ingredients.
- For softer beans, naturally release the pressure when the cooking time is done on the Instant Pot.
- A stand mixer works great for perfectly shredded chicken. Just move your chicken to the mixing bowl, and use your mixer on medium for about 30 seconds.
- If you see a burn notice on your Instant Pot, release the pressure, add more chicken broth, and make sure to separate your chicken breasts.
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 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.
Instant Pot Burrito Bowl
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Sealing Rings
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken breast 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 ground cumin
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1½ cups chicken broth 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 breast, ½ cups brown rice, ½ cups black beans, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1½ cups chicken broth
- 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.
Notes
- This recipe uses frozen chicken, dry brown rice, and dry black beans since they all have similar cooking times. It just doesn’t cook the same in the Instant Pot when you change the ingredients.
- For softer beans, naturally release the pressure when the cooking time is done on the Instant Pot.
- A stand mixer works great for perfectly shredded chicken. Just move your chicken to the mixing bowl, and use your mixer on medium for about 30 seconds.
- If you see a burn notice on your Instant Pot, release the pressure, add more chicken broth, and make sure to separate your chicken breasts.
- 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.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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We made this tonight, everyone loved it! Enough that when I make it again I want to double it. Anyone tried that or know how to figure the cook time?
I’ve doubled it and as long as you double the liquid you’re good! Usually the cook time should stay the same, but with the dry beans and rice I’d add maybe 5 minutes to the cook time :)
Good, but I thought a little too much cumin flavor. I will be making this again but changing up the seasoning.
Made this tonight and my family loved it! Love the flavor. Mine turned out little watery so wondering if I added enough rice and beans, is a half cup each right?
Thanks!
The recipe is correct :) Extra liquid can be the age of your beans, your elevation, or the size of your pot :)
This is a winner and a new, fun, quick and easy go-to dinner! Thank you for sharing! This recipe is so convenient and delicious, yet healthy. Everyone in my household loved it – even my picky junk-food eaters. 😀 Although it was my first time trying it, I really needed to have enough for leftovers; so I doubled the recipe. It yielded so much, my family of four could eat off it for probably 4 days, including dinner, lunch for me, and afterschool meals for the kids, lol! It is so filling, large portions are not necessary, and I stay full longer. I love this recipe! 😀 I think I’ll go have more leftovers now!
Hi, I’m new to your site (and I’m also a speech pathologist, hehe ;) ) and also new to Instant Pot! This recipe sounds fantastic and so simple!!! I was wondering if soaked beans in this recipe would just turn out very soft or totally disintegrate into a soup-like texture? We love black beans but have noticed much less bloating and discomfort when soaked overnight so I’m a little weary of cooking them from dry and not soaking. Thank you!! Will be checking out some more of your recipes! :)
Hi Susie! I haven’t soaked beans for this recipe, I’ve only used dry. Canned beans will absolutely be too mushy–how long do you usually cook the soaked beans in the pot? If it’s close to 20 minutes I think you could add them in the recipe.
If your beans are almost cooked, you could also cook the dry rice and frozen chicken for 20 minutes. Release the pressure and add your beans (again, assuming they’re almost cooked) and close the lid, set the cook time for 0 (zero) minutes. Allow it to naturally release.
Hi!
I want to make recipe tonight but all i have is instant brown rice, will that be ok?
Hey Kate! Since instant rice is already cooked a bit, it will be overcooked if you use it in this recipe. :) If you try it, I’d love to know how it works out!
Hi there!! This recipe looks really good. Do you know what adjustments would have to be made to make this in a slow cooker. I don’t have an instant pot.
Hi Sam! I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but I highly recommend searching for a similar recipe (dry rice, dry beans) and going off of those times!
I already made rice that I froze so without the rice, what would the instructions be?
I’d still do 25 minutes, but I haven’t tested it this way so I’m not sure about the amount of liquid to use :)
Just tried this (new to the whole instant pot thing) and it turned out delicious, thanks for the recipe!! One question…how do you suggest reheating after individual servings have been frozen?
Hi Marissa! I’m so glad you liked it! I always like to thaw my frozen portions overnight and then microwave for 1:30-2minutes to reheat!
Hi! I’m planning to add this to our meals this week. I have a Ninja Foodi not an Instant Pot, do you know if the cook time would be the same?
Thanks, I am looking forward to trying more recipes
Hi Dana! Cook time is exactly the same for Foodi and Instant Pot recipes :) I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!