Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Jerk Chicken and Rice will make you feel like you're vacationing in the Caribbean. It's full of authentic Jamaican flavor, thanks to scotch bonnet powder and a fantastic jerk chicken marinade.

Chicken drumsticks are marinated in Jamaican jerk sauce, then pressure cooked with Caribbean seasoned rice until they are fall apart tender. Toss the entire meal with fresh diced mango and you've got a spicy, sweet and mouth watering dinner!

Instant Pot jerk chicken and rice is ready to serve in about 45 minutes. It requires making the delicious marinade, then using the saute mode to prepare the chicken and rice for cooking, then pressure cooking everything together for a few minutes.

The ingredient list might look long, but don't let that deter to! Most are easy ingredients to find and are pantry staples.

This recipe will work in 6 quart, 8 quart, and 10 quart Instant Pots. I mostly use my 8 quart Duo Crisp pressure cooker. Just make sure to have a silicone sling, trivet, and round pan that fit your pot. For 3 quart pressure cookers, you'll need to reduce the recipe by half or more.

More One Pot Instant Pot Dinners

• Instant Pot Salmon and Rice
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Pasta
• Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Jalapeño Cheddar Chicken
• Instant Pot Kielbasa

Ingredients

For the marinade you need:

• Allspice
• Scotch bonnet powder: if you can't find it in store, Amazon sells it.
• Dried thyme
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Scallions
• Garlic cloves

For the rest of the recipe you need:

• Bone-in chicken: small cuts such as drumsticks, thighs or legs.
• White rice: do no substitute with brown rice as the cook time is different.
• Sweet or white onion
• Garlic
• Chicken broth
• Coconut oil
• Jerk seasoning: most stores sell this, but if not this brand on Amazon is great.
• Scotch bonnet powder
• Thyme
• Paprika
• Bay leaf
• Mango: or pineapple

Easy Variations

• Add a can of kidney beans or black beans to the rice after cooking. They will only need to be warmed through, not pressure cooked.
• Add vegetables to the rice. Canned peas, carrots, and cut green beans are good options.
• Saute a diced red bell pepper with onions and garlic.
• Use chicken legs or thighs rather than drumsticks. You may need to extend the searing time, until the chicken has an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix the rice with pineapple instead of mango.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the marinade. Blend the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. It will be a dark brown, thick paste when done. Place the chicken drumsticks in a large pan and baste with the jerk paste, covering thoroughly. Reserve a little marinade for step 4, and if possible, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or overnight.

Step 2: Sear the chicken. Set the Instant Pot to saute on normal or high, depending on your model. Add the olive oil and chicken. Brown on both sides for 5 minutes each. Check the internal temperature to ensure it is at least 135 degrees F. Remove chicken and set aside while preparing the rice.

Step 3: Prepare the rice. Add the coconut oil to the inner pot and scrape any bits of stuck chicken off the bottom, but don't discard. These add lots of flavor to the rice! Next add the onions, thyme, bay leaf and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring often. Put the white rice in a pan that fits your Instant Pot. Add chicken broth to the rice pan, pour the onion and garlic mixture on top, and add the paprika, jerk seasoning, and scotch bonnet powder. Discard the bay leaf.

Before pressure cooking, clean out the inner pot with soap and water. This is important to ensure you don't get the burn notice. Because the jerk marinade contains sugar, it should not be left on the bottom of the pot while pressure cooking.

Step 4: Pressure cook. Pour 1-2 cups of water into the cleaned inner pot, depending on the size of your Instant Pot. Place a silicone sling on the bottom with the pan of rice on top of it. Put a trivet or egg rack on top of the pan and place the seared chicken on top of it. Baste with the remaining marinade. Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Let complete a 15 minute natural release, then quickly release remaining pressure.

Step 5: Serve. Open the lid and carefully lift out the silicone sling wearing oven mitts. If it's too heavy, remove the chicken with tongs first, then lift the pan of rice out with the silicone sling. Mix the rice well. Serve chicken over the rice and mango, off the bone or shredded. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

*While the chicken should be cooked through, always check that the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees F. If it's not, put in the broiler or air fryer in 5 minute increments until cooked.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish Instant Pot jerk chicken and rice with fresh mango, green onions, fresh cilantro, or red pepper flakes. If you want an extra kick, chop up a few habañero or scotch bonnet peppers and add them to the rice before it cooks or as a garnish when serving.

This meal is also delicious served with fresh mango salsa or pineapple pico de gallo mixed into the rice.

Complete your dinner with a sweet island cocktail- a frozen piña colada. And for the kids' dessert, a piña colada popsicle!

Recipe Tips

• Clean the inner pot with soap and water after cooking the onions and garlic. The chicken marinade has brown sugar in it, so if left on the bottom of the pot it will burn while pressurizing.
• Do not attempt to pressure cook the chicken directly in the inner pot or on a trivet at the bottom. The brown sugar in the marinade will fall to the bottom and cause a burn notice. The pan of rice should always be placed on a trivet at the bottom, with the chicken on top of the rice so the marinade falls into the rice, not the inner pot.
• A silicone sling placed at the bottom of the inner pot with the food on top of it makes removal so easy! Use it for this recipe and if you don't have one, make sure to get one for next time.
• If time allows or you've planned ahead, let the chicken marinate in the jerk sauce for at least 1 hour. It can be marinated the night before as well, or up to 24 hours. This will give the chicken the best flavor, but it's not a must.
• Scotch bonnet powder gives jerk seasoning it's authentic flavor. This is a pretty hot seasoning, especially if you're not used to it. As written, this recipe yields a medium-hot dinner on the heat scale. If you love a hot and spicy meal, increase the amount used. To make it mild, decrease the amount used by ⅛ teaspoon.
• Use good quality and unexpired jerk seasoning and scotch bonnet powder for exceptional flavor.