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Instant Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Coconut Rice

jerk chicken in a bowl topped with tomatoes, yogurt, and avocados
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4.3 from 3 reviews

This Instant Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken is the perfect blend of intense jerk spices balanced out with creamy coconut rice and sweet pineapple, then topped with a creamy cilantro lime yogurt sauce to really make it special.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Jerk Chicken Marinade

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 habanero, membrane and seeds removed (or jalapeno for less heat)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 green onions
  • 1-inch hunk of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ÂĽ teaspoon clove
  • ÂĽ teaspoon coriander

For the Veggies and Rice

  • 1 cup brown basmati rice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup lite coconut milk (from a can)
  • Âľ cup chicken broth
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into large bite-size chunks
  • 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (mango would also be amazing)
  • â…“ cup diced green onions

Optional toppings: black beans, chopped avocado, minced cilantro, lime wedges, sriracha, shredded pepper jack cheese

For the Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce (can be prepared up to 3 days in advance)

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Place chicken thighs in a gallon size ziplock bag.  
  2. Place marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth.
  3. Pour over chicken, seal the bag, then move the chicken around in the bag until all of the chicken is covered in the marinade.  
  4. Place bag inside a container (in case the bag leaks) and allow it to marinate 6 -18 hours.  In a pinch, you can cook it after 30 minutes of marinating.
  5. Once the chicken has marinated, add a teaspoon of oil to the pressure cooker pot.  Using the brown or saute function, heat the oil until hot.
  6. Add chicken and brown 4 minutes on one side.  Remove chicken from the pot and set on a plate.  Turn off pressure cooker.
  7. While the pot is still hot, add rice and stir to coat it with the leftover oil and seasonings from the pot.  
  8. Add coconut milk, chicken broth, and salt; stir, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.  
  9. Place chicken on top, do not stir.  
  10. Scatter red bell pepper, pineapple, and green onions over the chicken.
  11. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
  12. While chicken cooks, prepare the Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce by adding all of the ingredients into a medium-size bowl; stir to combine well.  Store in the fridge until ready to serve (this could be done 4-5 days in advance)
  13. When pressure cooking is complete, use a natural release (or release remaining pressure after 10-minutes if in a hurry).
  14. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred or cut into bite-size pieces.
  15. Stir the rice.
  16. Note: If rice is a bit runny, hit saute and let it reduce while you shred the chicken. 
  17. To serve, spoon rice into a bowl, top with chicken, add desired toppings, and a big scoop of Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce.

Freezer Meal Directions:  I have not experimented with this yet, but this is how I would do it –

  1. Place chicken and marinade in a freezer safe ziploc bag.  Set bag in pressure cooker pot liner and press into a single layer.  Place pot in freezer. Once frozen, remove ziplock from pot and place in freezer.
  2. When ready to cook, add rice ingredients to the pot and top with the frozen chicken.  Cook for 30 minutes at high pressure with a 10-minute natural pressure release.

Notes

  • Do not use regular coconut milk.  It is thicker than lite coconut milk and may result in a BURN signal.
  • The rice might be a bit runny when you remove the lid.  This can vary depending on the type of brown rice you use and how much liquid comes from your chicken.  If there is extra liquid, simply select saute and let it simmer a few minutes to thicken.
  • The marinating time really boosts the flavor of the dish, but in a pinch, 30 minutes will suffice
  • Browning the chicken on only one side is a quick way to add extra flavor to the dish.  In a pinch, you can also skip the browning step.

Find it online: https://instafreshmeals.com/instant-pot-caribbean-jerk-chicken/