Instant Pot Chicken, Black Bean, and Quinoa Burrito Bowls
Instant Pot Quinoa Burrito Bowls are a great recipe for Instant Pot newbies because you can throw all of the ingredients in the pot and walk away!
This is a protein packed Instant Pot dinner that even the pickiest eater is sure to love! You don’t even have to do step 1, if you’re in a hurry just throw everything in and skip right to step 2! These Instant Pot burrito bowls are fast, delicious, and easy to make. As a busy mom, I love that this recipe is something that comes together quickly and something everyone will enjoy! It is a versatile little gem that everyone will be on board with!
You more than likely have most, if not all of the ingredients for this Instant Pot burrito bowl recipe on hand. Which makes this an easy recipe to throw together. In conclusion, a tasty dinner does not have to be time consuming and this delicious recipe proves that.
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Brittany Williams has taken the weight loss world by storm with her best-selling Instant Loss Cookbook. After reaching a peak weight of 260 pounds and spending a lifetime struggling with obesity, yo-yo dieting, autoimmune diseases, and chronic fatigue, Brittany changed her relationship with food and lost an astonishing 125 pounds in a year through diet alone.
Brittany’s latest book, Instant Loss Eat Real, Lose Weight shows how to make this a sustainable lifestyle with kid and family-friendly meals—from Strawberry Shortcake Oatmeal to Cowboy Chili to Easy 2-Minute Pork Chops. Members of her growing community have reported losing 50 and even 100 pounds themselves! This cookbook will help others achieve similar success with simple, delicious meals, nearly all ready in 30 minutes or less.
Instant Pot Burrito Bowls
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup sugar-free salsa
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat an electric pressure cooker using the SAUTE function. When the cooker display reads HOT, add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Stir until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic, chicken, vegetable broth, black beans, quinoa, salsa, cumin, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. Stir until combined.
- Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the vent valve is in the SEALING position. Using the display panel, select the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK function and HIGH PRESSURE, and use the +/- buttons until the display reads 10 minutes.
- When the cooker beeps to let you know it's finished, switch the vent valve from the SEALING to the VENTING position, administering a quick release. Use caution while the steam escapes- it's hot.
- Serve warm with a leafy green side salad or your favorite corn tortilla chips.
How spicy is this? My daughter has acid reflux and is very careful with what she eats.
It has a little spice but it isn’t hot, if that makes sense. It’s mild.
If you’re from the south it’s mild. If you’re from the north it’s hot.
So leave out the jalapenos, use mild salsa…
Do you shred the chicken breasts after they are cooked?
I do! Thank you, I’ll edit.
How long do you soak your beans first?
4hrs-overnight
Ok – so the beans are dry, uncooked beans that have been soaked? Not pre-cooked beans? That’s good to know!
This looks really good. Could canned black beans substitute for soaked beans?
Sure! 🙂
Is this done with high pressure?
It is. 🙂
If you left out the beans would it still work with the same liquid amounts?
If you leave out the beans I’d leave out one of the cups of vegetable broth. 🙂
I found this to be a bit watery. Would it work if we decreased broth by half a cup. I prefer my quinoa to be more dry. All the other flavors were great.
You can totally reduce the amount of liquid, especially if you’re using canned beans, or precooked.
About how many cups before soaking? Can I just cook some black beans separately and use those?
Sure! 3/4-1 cup dry beans.
Do i need to soak the beans? I have fresh black beans from the farmers market.
I alway soak my beans fresh or dried to help remove some of those indigestible sugars that cause flatulence.
Can I use ground chicken in this recipe and does that alter the cooking time?
I’ve never tried it that way but it should be fine. I would sauté the ground chicken first and then follow the directions.
I just made this tonight. Very good but a little you hot for me. Next time I would use 1/2 of a jalapeño. Thanks for sharing this Recipe!
Made this tonight. I used 2 19oz cans of black beans. Rinsed and drained. Used 2 lbs of skinless boneless thighs. Added about 2 TBL spoons of cilantro.
Served with chopped lettuce, tomatos and wraps. Didn’t have cheese or sour cream but adding either would be great.
Did you reduce the amount of broth since you used canned beans?
Nope, it still requires the same amount. 🙂
I’m vegetarian so I would omit the chicken. Is there anything else I should modify for the recipe? An excited to make this!!
Made this for dinner tonight, it was a hit with the hubby and my 8 year old triplet girls. Thank you
I made this for lunch n it was fantastic. I did make several changes though so I didn’t have to go to the store. Instead of red bell pepper, I used a fire roasted red pepper from trader joes. I also used a can of rotels in place of the salsa. And I omitted the jalapenos and chicken, and I topped it with a spoonful of sour cream. It was awesome, thank you for the recipe inspiration.
I’m allergic to tomatoes and would need to skip the salsa. Would you recommend Changing the liquid required?
Nope, you can just leave it out. 🙂
I accidently picked up chicken broth instead of vegetable broth at the store today. Would it be ok to use chicken broth instead? Thank you!
Hi Brooke! Totally. That will taste AWESOME!
Thanks so much! 🙂
I made this exactly as instructed and it is seriously so delicious!! I add chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and shredded pepper jack cheese. It smells and tastes like Taco Bell Mexican Pizza!
My kiddos are big fans of chipotle and they said this is better. Another winner in our house.
By request of my oldest we made this recipe again last night. I love when a recipe is versatile because unlike many people, I LOVE leftovers. Leftovers are a gourmet meal that I don’t have to make and if I can do many things with it I won’t get bored. I can use the recipe as is, dressed up with yogurt, guacamole, cilantro, and/or homemade hot sauces, or I can turn it into a taco or add some broth to make it a soup. Love experimenting with recipes.
I was a bit skeptical about this recipe, especially since we rarely ever eat quinoa (or healthy meals, for that matter😳). I have to say, this turned out perfectly! It’s so flavorful, and the prep is easy. I will definitely be making this again soon and trying more instant loss recipes!
My hubby loved this one because “too hot” is not in his vocabulary! It was a little too spicy for me so I might have to turn that down a notch or two but I would definitely make it again!
This recipe is fantastic! I have made this several times and it’s become my picky husband’s favorite. We love how all the flavor is absorbed by the quinoa. Very tasty! Thank you Brittany!
LOVE this recipe! It’s become a staple in my house. My 17 yr old son is eating me out of the house. He like’s to eat a lot of healthy food so I try to make up extra food that he can grab. He eats every couple of hours. He loves this too. It’s got the protein and carbs he’s looking for.
It’s so easy to make and it is delicious!
This was absolutely delicious!
I was skeptical of this recipe too. (I also made the lentil chili this week and was skeptical.) They were both wonderful. I have started a list of recipes to rotate, and both of these recipes will be regulars for me. I’m single and usually cook once or twice a week and eat leftovers for lunch or dinner. Both this recipe and the lentil chili make a good amount and are great reheated. I appreciate when you include the number of servings, so I know if I need to double a recipe to have lots of leftovers or to share with friends. Thanks!
This was delicious! All 6 family members were raving about dinner tonight. Which simply does not happen very often!
I followed the instructions exactly but Unfortunately this did not work for me. It looks like soup and the chicken is raw in the center. My first IP fail. I guess it was bound to happen
Oh no! I’m so sorry about that Anyelea. Do you live in a higher altitude by any chance? Depending on your altitude you may need to increase the cooking time by 40%.
i should have waited to comment! Thank you for the quick reply. I’m thinking the chicken and broth might have been to cold as I had just defrosted them. I put it on for five more minutes and it was much better! had to drain a bit of liquid out but other than that it is DELICIOUS! Will definitely make again. I just bought your plans and now following you on Facebook. Excited to try more recipes! Thank you!!
Could you use rice instead of quinoa?
Absolutely. You’d need to increase the time depending on the kind of rice you use though. 🙂
My toddler loves this meal. A win in our house!
Love this recipe, it is a regular meal in our house now. You can never go wrong with any type of Mexican dish. Very easy to make and it is so good!
This recipe is delicious! I wasn’t home when my hubby ate it. He sent me a text saying, “this stuff is yummy!” I simply topped mine with tomato and avocado. In addition to that, hubby ate his in a tortilla with cheese. I did made a couple changes based on ingredients I had on hand. I used canned beans and chicken stock. Will definitely be making this again.
I was hesitant because my family doesn’t love quinoa but man was it delicious! Husband and 5 kids all agreed! Since we are a large family i added 2 cans of black beans and 5 chicken breasts. We have enough for him and I to have lunch tomorrow! I also cut back a bit on the salsa because of little kids. We will definitely be making this again! It was so easy! I’m looking forward to trying your other recipes as this was my first of yours!
Melisa, I am so glad ya’ll liked it! <3 Thank you for sharing with me, your sweet review means so much!
I couldn’t make this exactly as written (missing the bell pepper and a clove of garlic) and it still came out great! My first time using an Instant Pot as well. We’re going to try the left-overs in a taco 🙂
Fabulous, I’m so glad that it was still great and that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi, can I use frozen chicken, or do I have to defrost it first? Thanks…I’m excited to try it!
This is delicious! My kids that always say they don’t like quinoa, which I LOVE, gobbled this up with guacamole, fresh salsa, and shredded lettuce. Thank you for your healthy recipe.
Any adjustment on time for Frozen Chicken Breasts?
That’s what I wondered too, no answer?
It depends on the size of your chicken breast and altitude. If they are 6oz they should cook through from frozen no problem! 🙂
How many servings does this make. I’m trying to break it down into weight watchers points
Made this today for lunch and it was awesome! This will be on our menu! Thank you!
Made this tonight. Wonderful flavor. Not hot at all. Even my picky husband loved it. Thanks a million.
I love this recipe and make it regularly. I make my own black beans in the Instant Pot. I’m curious as to how much I should use in this recipe and should I drain the liquid. Thanks!
My husband hates quinoa. He’s really tried to like what I make, but I think it’s a mental block at this point. I have tried substituting brown rice in recipes, but then the veggies are complete mush because you need to cook it for 30+ minutes. Would you have any suggestions for modifying the recipes to support this? I was tempted to make the brown rice separate, then make the rest of the recipe without the quinoa and add the rice at the end.
I subbed white rice for the quinoa and cooked it 12 minutes. It was perfect.
I made this with rice instead of quinoa and this is my favorite Instant Pot recipe I’ve tried so far! It is delicious!
Way too much liquid if using canned beans.
I made this tonight. I used chicken breasts that were pretty tick so I left the IP on for 15 min and slow release. Everything was perfectly cooked and great flavor. Delicious!!! Amazing with some lime juice and cheese on top. I wish my avocados were ready to eat!!
Can you please tell me what “lettuce” is used in that salad? I can’t seem to find it!
Thanks
The lettuce in this picture is arugula 🙂
Hi – I’ve made this several times but hadn’t made it in a while. I thought the recipe called for whole chicken breasts and then shredding them after cooking was done but now it says to cut the chicken before cooking. Did you change the recipe or is there a different one? If I wanted to cook them whole and then shred, what would the cooking time be?
Hi Barbara, it’s the exactly the same thing, whether you cube the chicken before or cook it and shred it after it will yield the exact same result. Hope that helps answer your question. Thanks so much for reaching out.
I made this earlier this week for meal prep, and I actually think it’s tasting better after the spices have had some time to rest and open up while in the refrigerator. I swapped in chicken bone broth (more protein) for the vegetable broth, canned organic black beans for the raw beans, and a single Serrano pepper for the jalapeños. I served it with shredded pepper jack cheese and Greek yogurt as a topping, and warm corn tortillas on the side.
I was thinking of making 1/2 of this recipe. Is it ok if I cut all the ingredients used in half? Or do I need to adjust the liquid?