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Hawaiian Chicken and Rice on a white plate

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken and Rice is a delicious one-pot meal with sweet pineapple chunks, tender chicken, and a sweet & tangy sauce. The rice cooks at the same time as the chicken!

Course Dinner
Cuisine Hawaiian
Keyword pressure cooker hawaiian chicken recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 556 kcal
Author Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts (about 3-4) cut slightly larger than bite sized pieces
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt, divided
  • ½ tsp Pepper
  • 2 ½ Tbsp Cooking Oil, divided
  • 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, large dice
  • 1 sm Sweet Onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp Ginger, grated (or 1 tsp powdered)
  • 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes, or more to taste
  • 1 (20 oz) can Pineapple Chunks in Juice
  • ¾ cup Barbecue Sauce, (something smoky and just a little sweet, not honey)

To Finish

  • cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

To Thicken (Mix these together while chicken is cooking)

  • 3 Tbsp Corn Starch
  • 4 Tbsp Cold Water

Garnish

  • 2 Green Onions, sliced

For The Rice

  • 2 cups White Long Grain Rice, well rinsed
  • 2 cups Water

Instructions

  1. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces, saving 1 tsp of the salt for later. Set aside.

  2. Rinse the rice and add to a 7"x2.5" pan (like the ekovana stackable stainless), and add the water to the pan. Set aside.

  3. Turn on the Sauté setting. When it is hot, add half of the oil, then add the bell pepper. Cook just until softened, then remove to a plate and set aside.

  4. Add the remaining oil, then add the chicken. Cook, turning every couple of minutes, just to get a little color on the outside.

  5. Add the onion, stir and sauté for a couple of minutes.

  6. Add the ginger, garlic, remaining 1 tsp salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for a minute.

  7. Add the can of pineapple chunks, along with the juice. Don't stir.

  8. Pour over the BBQ sauce, but don't stir.

Add Rice

  1. Place a long legged trivet in the pan right on the chicken and pineapple. Make sure the legs of the trivet are about 3" tall. 

  2. Set the pan of rice on the trivet.

  3. Cancel the Sauté setting. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

Pressure Cook

  1. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.

  2. When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.

  3. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid. Remove the pan of rice to a heat safe surface (be careful!). Take out the trivet.

Finish

  1. Add the brown sugar and the apple cider vinegar to the chicken in the pot. Stir. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

Thicken

  1. Turn on the Sauté setting and add the corn starch slurry. Stir. When thickened, turn off the pot.

  2. Add the bell peppers back in and stir.

Serve

  1. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the Hawaiian chicken over the rice. Garnish with green onion.