Peek A Boo Chicken–a fresh spin on the classic no-peek chicken made with your Instant Pot. This recipe uses arborio rice for natural creaminess, no canned soups, and just a pop of color from spinach, but still just as easy to make!
Peek A Boo Chicken
Tradtional no peek chicken is an easy 3 ingredient recipe with chicken and cream soup. I wanted to make something with that same vibe but tasted fresher and more homemade. Peek a Boo Chicken was born! Instead of relying on canned soup to get the creamy factor, I used arborio rice. Arborio rice gets creamy because it’s naturally high in starch, and as it cooks, that starch releases and thickens the liquid, giving the dish a risotto-like, creamy texture. The spinach adds a little pop of color. It’s not even much harder than the dump-and-go version, but the flavor and texture feel like such an upgrade. If you’ve been wanting to give your no peek chicken a glow-up, this is the one to try!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Butter–or olive oil
- Onion–or shallot
- Mushrooms
- Water
- Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Dijon mustard
- Arborio rice
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or breasts
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Spinach–frozen or fresh
- Parmesan cheese–or gruyere
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onion and mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes.
Pour in the water and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Stir in the bouillon and dijon. Turn off Instant Pot.
Sprinkle in the rice. Add chicken pieces into the pot. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Don’t stir.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir in the spinach and parmesan.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with roasted carrots.
- Arborio rice is important to use because it gives this dish the creamy texture. I find it in the bulk section at Winco. It can also be called risotto rice.
- This recipe is gluten free.
- I buy a big bag of spinach at Costco and throw it in the freezer. I have it at the ready for recipes like this one and green smoothies.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with spinach are Instant Pot Spinach and Ravioli Lasagna and Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Peek A Boo Chicken
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A fresh spin on the classic no-peek chicken made with your Instant Pot. This recipe uses arborio rice for natural creaminess, no canned soups, and just a pop of color from spinach, but still just as easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 20 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onion and mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes.
- Pour in the water and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Stir in the bouillon and dijon. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the rice. Add chicken pieces into the pot. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Don’t stir.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the spinach and parmesan.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot recipes with arborio rice…
Avgolemono Soup
A creamy dreamy chicken, rice and lemon soup made in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Instant Pot Parmesan Risotto
There are many amazing things about an Instant Pot®, and one of them is this delicious Parmesan Risotto. No longer do you have to stand over a skillet stirring constantly. Now you can get dinner on the table and get done whatever it is that you need to get done, all
without breaking a sweat.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Risotto
Creamy no fuss and no stir pesto risotto with tender bites of chicken made quickly in your electric pressure cooker.
Luscious Casserole
A creamy and tangy Instant Pot chicken and rice dish made with arborio rice, lemon juice, capers, and parmesan for a fun twist on chicken piccata.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Can you omit the mushrooms?
yes!
Haven’t made this yet. Question: After sautéing, when you add the chicken, then the rice, do you just layer those and NOT stir together?
right, don’t stir