Chicken Yellow Rice
One-pot arroz con pollo energy: golden turmeric rice and tender chicken thighs, all in the Instant Pot.
The Cook
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Pat the chicken dry and season all over with turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (normal). Add the olive oil. Cook the onion and bell pepper 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Push the veggies to the side and add the chicken thighs. Sear about 2 minutes per side. Hit Cancel.
Pour in a splash of broth and scrape up the browned bits. Add the tomato sauce, then the rest of the broth. Do NOT stir after this point. Pour the rinsed rice on top and gently press it down so it's just submerged.
Seal the lid, valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully vent the rest.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred or chop it. Fluff the rice with a fork. If you're using peas, stir them in now. Return the chicken and fold it all together. Adjust salt.
Serg's Notes
Spices and aromatics are at my 1.5x bold profile. The rice, broth, and tomato sauce stay at the original ratio on purpose: that balance is physics, not flavor, and changing it makes mush. The serving control up top scales everything evenly if you need more or less.
Rinsing the rice matters, it's what prevents gumminess. The deglaze step is what prevents the burn warning. Don't add extra liquid.
No turmeric? Substitute 1 packet of Sazón (Goya) and keep it moving.
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