42 min
Instant Pot Mild Curry Chicken and Rice with Sweet Peppers
One pot turns chicken thighs, basmati rice, sweet peppers and peas into a gently spiced family dinner with fluffy grains instead of mush.
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Filipino-Style Chicken Arroz Caldo with Ginger & Calamansi
Chicken thighs, jasmine rice and fresh ginger pressure-cook into a soothing savory porridge finished with calamansi, scallions and crisp garlic.
Directions
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Keep it refrigerated while you prepare the garlic and aromatics.
Make the crisp garlic
Select Sauté on Low on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the sliced garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until pale golden. Immediately transfer the garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate; it will darken as it cools.
Sauté and deglaze
Add the remaining tablespoon oil, onion and ginger to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Cancel Sauté, pour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base until no browned garlic or onion remains.
Layer the porridge
Add the remaining 5 cups broth, fish sauce and rinsed rice and stir once to distribute the grains. Arrange the chicken in an even layer and press it below the liquid. Do not exceed the half-full line because rice expands and can foam; reduce the batch if your model requires it.
Pressure cook and release
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes; allow about 12 minutes for the cooker to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses with hands and face away from steam. Pause if starchy liquid sputters and open only after the float valve drops.
Shred and adjust
Check several chicken pieces: they must reach 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it and return it to the pot. Stir vigorously to break up some rice, then add the sesame oil. If the porridge is thicker than you like, stir in hot broth 1/2 cup at a time; it will continue to thicken as it stands.
Finish the bowls
Taste and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt or more fish sauce only as needed. Divide among bowls and top with scallions, crisp garlic and optional egg. Squeeze calamansi over each bowl and let diners add chile oil at the table.
Why this works
Why it worksSix cups of thin broth sit against a completely deglazed base, giving the expanding rice enough liquid and reducing burn-warning risk.
Why it worksA full 10-minute natural release settles foamy starch before controlled venting, while vigorous stirring creates the creamy body without dairy.
Why it worksCooking the garlic first leaves aromatic oil in the pot and preserves a crisp topping that would otherwise soften under pressure.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe six-cup thin-broth base, half-full grain limit and staged release are written for this common family capacity.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck several chicken pieces for 165°F before shredding instead of relying on pressure time alone.See current options →
Compare on AmazonFine-mesh strainerFine mesh keeps jasmine rice contained while you rinse away excess surface starch before pressure cooking.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use bone-in chicken thighs totaling about 2 pounds; keep the same pressure time, remove the bones after cooking and verify 165°F away from bone.
- Calamansi is traditional and floral, but lime provides the necessary bright acidity when calamansi is unavailable.
- For a gluten-free bowl, confirm the fish sauce and chile oil are certified gluten-free; the remaining core ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Cook notes
- Total time includes crisping garlic, approximately 12 minutes to pressurize, the 10-minute programmed cycle, a 10-minute natural release and final shredding.
- The base is deliberately mild. Chile oil, sliced fresh chiles and extra black pepper belong at the table.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Follow your exact model manual's minimum-liquid, half-full limit for grains and venting procedure; never force the lid.
- Rinse the rice well, but do not soak it. Soaked grains can break down too far during the pressure cycle.
- Do not use only chicken breast at this timing; thighs tolerate pressure better and keep the porridge moist.
Storage
Cool in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with enough broth or water to loosen it, stirring frequently, until the chicken and porridge reach 165°F. Freeze without egg, scallions or crisp garlic for up to 2 months; thaw overnight and expect to add extra broth.
Questions
Why is my arroz caldo much thicker after resting?
Rice keeps absorbing broth as it cools. Stir in hot broth or water a little at a time until the porridge flows slowly from a spoon, then recheck the seasoning.
Can I use brown rice?
Not as a direct swap. Brown rice needs a longer pressure cycle that can overcook the chicken, so it should be tested as a separate formula rather than substituted here.
What if starchy liquid sputters from the valve?
Immediately close the valve, wait 1 to 2 minutes and resume with very short pulses. Never cover the valve with a towel, and wait for the float valve to drop before opening.
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Instant Pot Filipino-Style Chicken Arroz Caldo with Ginger & Calamansi
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1. Season the chickenPat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Keep it refrigerated while you prepare the garlic and aromatics.
2. Make the crisp garlicSelect Sauté on Low on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the sliced garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until pale golden. Immediately transfer the garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate; it will darken as it cools.
3. Sauté and deglazeAdd the remaining tablespoon oil, onion and ginger to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Cancel Sauté, pour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base until no browned garlic or onion remains.
4. Layer the porridgeAdd the remaining 5 cups broth, fish sauce and rinsed rice and stir once to distribute the grains. Arrange the chicken in an even layer and press it below the liquid. Do not exceed the half-full line because rice expands and can foam; reduce the batch if your model requires it.
5. Pressure cook and releaseLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes; allow about 12 minutes for the cooker to reach pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses with hands and face away from steam. Pause if starchy liquid sputters and open only after the float valve drops.
6. Shred and adjustCheck several chicken pieces: they must reach 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it and return it to the pot. Stir vigorously to break up some rice, then add the sesame oil. If the porridge is thicker than you like, stir in hot broth 1/2 cup at a time; it will continue to thicken as it stands.
7. Finish the bowlsTaste and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt or more fish sauce only as needed. Divide among bowls and top with scallions, crisp garlic and optional egg. Squeeze calamansi over each bowl and let diners add chile oil at the table.