Pollo Loco Casserole

Pollo Loco Casserole–this Instant Pot chicken and black bean rice recipe is a creamy, flavor-packed one pot dinner made with tender chicken thighs, seasoned rice, black beans, cheddar cheese and a citrus punch from lime and orange.

Pin this recipe for later!

Pollo Loco Casserole

This fun and bright chicken and rice Instant Pot recipe is fast to put together. There are no sautéing steps…just dump and go! The lime juice and orange juice concentrate give the rice a subtle citrus flavor. And the black beans add extra texture, protein and fiber. The leftovers taste great rolled up in a warm flour tortilla or with some diced avocado and fresh diced tomatoes on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Water
• Lime juice–fresh lime juice works best
• Orange juice concentrate–or pineapple juice concentrate for a different citrus flavor
• Better than Bouillon chicken base
• Turmeric
• Parboiled/converted rice–or long grain white
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Chili powder
• Smoked paprika–or regular paprika
• Onion powder
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• Black beans–or pinto beans
• Sour cream–or plain Greek yogurt
• Shredded cheddar cheese–or Monterey Jack, pepper jack or Colby jack
• Cilantro–or green onions

Steps

Pour water and lime juice into Instant Pot. Stir in the orange juice concentrate, Better than Bouillon and turmeric. Sprinkle in the rice. Place chicken pieces on top of the rice. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and salt. Dump in the beans. 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 sour cream and cheddar. 

Scoop onto plates and top with cilantro.

Notes/Tips

• Serve with tortilla chips, diced avocado, diced tomatoes, flour tortillas or shredded lettuce.
• Try adding in a little lime zest to make it even more lime-y. Do this when you add in the lime juice.
• This recipe makes great leftovers and reheats well for lunches during the week.
• If the mixture seems a little thick after cooking, stir in a splash of half and half before serving.
• What is converted/parboiled rice? Don’t confuse converted rice (or sometimes it is called parboiled rice) with pre-cooked or minute rice. Parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. Sometimes I buy it at Winco in the bulk section. I have also found it in the orange box (Ben’s brand) next to other rices.
• Chicken thighs work especially well because they stay tender and juicy under pressure cooking.
• You can swap the cheddar for pepper jack cheese if you want a spicier version.
• Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother than pre-shredded cheese.
• This recipe is gluten free.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 4 or 8 quart pot.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze portions in freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Other recipes you can make with Instant Pot Key West Chicken and Instant Pot Fish Tacos.

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. 

Pin this recipe for later!

Print

More Instant Pot chicken and rice recipes…

*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.