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Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl is a quick and easy dinner recipe the whole family loves. A bright cilantro lime rice with flavorful Tex-Mex chicken, beans and lots of gooey cheese!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Toppings for Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Cooking with an Instant Pot
- Sauté Mode on the Instant Pot
- What’s the Difference Between Natural Release and Quick Release
- Which Instant Pot is Best for Me?
- Can this Dish be Made in the Crock Pot?
- Instant Pot Dinner RECIPES
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
When we’re short on time and ingredients, this is a go-to meal at our house, and yes, you can totally swap any meats, beans or add-ins that you’d like! It’s like making a delicious Chipotle burrito bowl in the comfort of your own kitchen!
I’m finding that the older my kids get the more I desperately need quick and easy dinner ideas as we pretty much live a life of errands lately. It’s soccer, piano, clothes shopping because heaven forbid anyone stay the same size for more than a month and on and on. Anyone feel me?
Ingredients for Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Chicken Breasts: You want boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then chop them into bite-size chunks
- Oil: used to sauté the chicken
- Seasonings: Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Kosher Salt and Chili Powder
- White Rice: just simple long-grain white rice works great
- Garlic: adds flavor
- Chicken Broth: cooks the rice and adds more flavor
- Green Chiles: adds flavor
- Cilantro: adds bright herby freshness and flavor
- Lime: You’ll want to use the zest and juice for maximum flavor.
- Pinto Beans: Keep it simple by using canned beans. Swap for black beans if desired.
- Colby Jack Cheese: You can’t have a burrito bowl without the melty cheese! Colby jack is our favorite, but you can also go with Monterey jack or pepper jack.
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below. Once you serve up the chicken and rice, top with all your favorite burrito toppings. See section below for ideas.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Step 1: Chicken
Start by seasoning your chicken (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder) and then cook it in a little olive oil in your Instant Pot in “sauté mode”. You won’t need to cook it long, just enough to get a little sear on the outside, about 3 minutes.
- Step 2: Everything Else
Add the rice and garlic and stir it with the chicken for about 20-30 seconds. Then you add the rest of the ingredients (broth, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and pinto beans) and change your Instant Pot to “high pressure”. Give everything a good stir and place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the valve to “seal” and cook for 7 minutes.
- Step 3: Pressure Release
This is where the pressure release comes in…don’t get scared! You got this! Allow a natural release for 2 minutes, and then you can quick release. Be sure to steer clear of the valve so you don’t a burn from the steam.
- Step 4: Toppings
Remove the lid and give everything a good stir. Top with the shredded cheese and put the lid back on for a minute or two so the cheese melts. Then you can dish everyone up, apply desired toppings and grub!
Toppings for Chicken Burrito Bowls
It is really that easy and that fast! I have found that while everything is cooking for those 7 minutes, I have plenty of time to grate the cheese and prep all the other toppings. I’m really not joking when I say you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes! Holla!! Here are some ideas for toppings:
- Tomatoes
- Diced Red Onions
- Avocados or Guacamole
- Jalapeño
- Cheese
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Corn
If you have the time, make this creamy tomatillo dressing to put on top. You’ll thank me later! It can even be made a day or two ahead of time! Or our Restaurant Style Salsa is another fantastic option!!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Crowd Pleaser: Finding a meal that is this quick and easy and loved by everyone is a rarity so it appears on the dinner table frequently. What is it about kids and Mexican food? They love it! Is it the abundance of cheese? That must be it! I totally get it! Cheese is glorious and everything in this dish is downright delish! We hope it will be a hit in your family too!
- Versatile Meal: I mentioned at the beginning that the meat can be swapped out for whatever you have in the fridge/freezer and the toppings are totally up to you. I’ve done this same recipe with ground beef, steak and pork and it has always turned out amazing. I have also changed the pinto beans to black beans…yes please! Do what your family will love!
- Entire Meal in a Bowl: Usually when I make this dish, it is all we have for dinner. You have your grains, protein, dairy and all sorts of veggies all in one bowl. There isn’t really a need for anything else. If I’m feeling especially nice, I’ll cut up some strawberries or a pineapple, but it’s not really necessary. The kids love when I pull out a bag of tortilla chips too! And can I mention that we are totally looking out for you here by eliminating the tortilla in this burrito…we cut the carbs for you! You’re welcome!
Cooking with an Instant Pot
Alright, cooking with an instant pot. How many of you were terrified of using your Instant Pot for the first time? I know people who have had their Instant Pot for months and have yet to open it. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous at first too. But now I totally love it! It saves us weekly when we need dinner in a time crunch.
Have you seen our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet? Print that baby off and it will save loads of time for cooking all the basics.
Cooking with the Instant Pot is simple, quick and straight forward.
Sauté Mode on the Instant Pot
Using the sauté mode on the instant pot is a must if there are ingredients that need to be cooked first. Cook those ingredients, and then add the rest of the ingredients that you need before the pressure cooking begins.
Follow the recipe instructions for cook time and pressure setting, and you can really set it and forget it. When your dish has finished cooking, allow the pressure to release (either naturally or with a quick release or both, again follow your recipe). You are done! That’s it! Dinner is served!
What’s the Difference Between Natural Release and Quick Release
What does it mean to do a natural release or quick release when cooking with the instant pot? You either leave it alone until the pressure is done and then open the lid or you carefully (some people use tongs) move the valve to release the pressure quickly. This will cause a lot of steam to billow out so watch out!
Which Instant Pot is Best for Me?
Which instant pot is best for me if I’ve got a few kids, or it’s just the two of us?
We get a lot of questions about which Instant Pot is best. We aren’t really much help here. The 6qt Instant Pot DUO is what we have, and it is perfect for our family of five. If you have a bigger family, you might want to go with the 8qt. If you are an empty nester, then the mini will probably be plenty big.
There are other brands of course, and you want to buy something that is within your budget. My suggestion is to do your research and make a purchase that best fits the needs of your family situation. I told you we aren’t much help!
Can this Dish be Made in the Crock Pot?
Yes, absolutely! Combine all the ingredients except the cheese in the crock pot and give it a good stir. Then cook it on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. When it is completely cooked, add the cheese and then put the lid back on for about 20 minutes so the cheese melts. Then you can dish it up and add all your favorite toppings.
So if you’re living the taxi life like I am, then add this Instant Pot cilantro lime chicken burrito bowl recipe to your dinner rotation! We usually have all the ingredients on hand, so it is the perfect go-to meal when life is crazy! And it’s always crazy!!
Instant Pot Dinner RECIPES
- Better Than Your Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Award Winning Instant Pot Turkey
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Mexican Poblano Instant Pot Chicken
- BBQ Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Smoky BBQ Instant Pot Ribs
- Award Winning Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Taco Soup
- You can find all our Instant Pot Recipes here!
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
Bowls
- 2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Cup White Rice, uncooked
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- 2 ¼ Cups Chicken Broth
- 4 ounce Green Chiles, diced
- 1/3 Cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Lime, zested and juiced
- 1 Can Pinto Beans, drained
- 1 Cup Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
Toppings
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Avocados, chopped
- Jalapeño, sliced
- Cheese
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- Heat an instant pot to the sauté high mode. Add the oil.1 Tablespoon Oil
- Mix all of the seasonings together and toss with the chopped chicken until well coated.2 Chicken Breasts, 1 ½ teaspoons Cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1/4 teaspoon Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- Add the chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and garlic and stir for 20-30 seconds. Add the broth, chiles, cilantro, lime zest and juice. Stir and add the beans, stirring again.1 Cup White Rice, 1 Clove Garlic, 2 ¼ Cups Chicken Broth, 4 ounce Green Chiles, 1/3 Cup Cilantro, 1 Lime, 1 Can Pinto Beans
- Add the lid and set the valve to “seal”. Turn the pot to high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Allow a natural release for 2 minutes then quick release.
- Stir the rice well and top with cheese. Add the lid back on for a minute to melt the cheese.1 Cup Colby Jack Cheese
- Serve with toppings and enjoy!Tomatoes, Avocados, Jalapeño, Cheese, Salsa, Sour Cream
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great recipe! We loved if! Topped with sliced olives, chopped jarred jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, diced white onions, chopped cilantro, limes for squeezing and Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch Copycat dressing.
I would recommend updating the recipe to include what size pinto bean can to use, and also “uncooked” in the white rice listing on the ingredient list.
Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you for the feedback Kerri! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! The pinto beans can be any size you want. And I will go add “uncooked” for the rice. Thanks for the suggestion!
Could we substitute cauliflower rice for rice?
Yes absolutely!
Awesome! Switched out the beans for a cup of canned drained diced tomatoes with green chilies which gave a nice little amount of heat. Then I left out the green chilies, diced, but I could have added them for more heat for those who like it spicier. What a crowd pleaser!
Thank you so much for the feedback Lynn! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe!
Mine turned out soupy 🙁 what did I do wrong?
Oh no! Did you drain the beans? Did you use regular white rice? I’m so sorry for the disappointment!
Same here. I did drain the beans too. Not sure how to fix this 🙁
I make this recipe almost every week and it tastes amazing! I don’t add any beans and switch to sauté mode if there is a little extra broth after pressure cooking. It is delicious! 🤤
If you were to double or triple the recipe to feed more people, would you just up the amount of ingredients and keep the pressure cook time the same? Thanks!
Yes exactly! You can double or triple the ingredients and leave the cooking time the same.
Such a easy, delicious any night of the week dinner!! Have already made it twice. Can you tell me how much chicken broth to use if I cut down to only 1/2 cup of rice? It’s only my husband and I and the first time we made this, we had leftovers for days!! Made it the second time with 1/2 cup of rice but totally forgot to cut down the broth and it was very soupy but still delicious. Thank you!
Hi Kristina! If you cut the rice in half, then cut the broth in half too. So glad that you enjoyed it! It is a regular in our dinner rotation too.
This was fantastic!! My whole family cleaned their bowls and asked for more! Any suggestions for making it a little spicier? This is a winner and is definitely going into our regular meal rotation! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the feedback! Try using the hot green chiles, or you could even substitute them with diced jalapenos or just add both green chiles and jalapenos. You could also use pepperjack cheese rather than the colby jack. Garnishing with diced fresh jalapenos would add some heat too. Let us know how it goes!
Could you substitute Quinoa for the rice?
Yes, absolutely!
I made this with brown rice and added 5 minutes to the time. When it was done, it still had a ton of liquid in it. Suggestions?
Hi Corrie! Did you drain the beans? I’m so sorry it didn’t absorb all the liquid. I’m not sure what would have caused that besides extra liquid from the beans.
This recipe sounds delicious but I don’t have a Instant Pot. Anyone have any ideas on how to make this using a crock pot?
Hey Anna Marie! There is a section in the post titled “Can this Dish be Made in the Crock Pot?” that gives all the instruction for making this in the crock pot. Enjoy!
Thanks for the info.
You’re welcome!