Pressure Cooker Hawaiian Chicken and Rice

Serves 6 in about 48 minutes. The pot starts with tsp ginger, then onions.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 3-4) cut slightly larger than bite sized pieces
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 ½ tbsp cooking oil, divided
• 1 red or green bell pepper, large dice
• 1 sm sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tsp ginger, grated (or 1 tsp powdered)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice
• ¾ cup barbecue sauce, (something smoky and just a little sweet, not honey)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 4 tbsp cold water
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups white long grain rice, well rinsed
• 2 cups water

Method

1. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces, saving 1 tsp of the salt for later. keep it nearby.
2. Rinse the rice and add to a 7"x2.5" pan (like the ekovana stackable stainless), and add the water to the pan. keep it nearby.
3. Turn on the Sauté setting. When it is hot, add half of the oil, then add the bell pepper. Simmer just until softened, then remove to a plate and keep it nearby.
4. Tip in the remaining oil, then add the chicken. Cook, turning every couple of minutes, just to get a little color on the outside.
5. Stir in the onion, stir and sauté for a couple of minutes.
6. Stir in the ginger, garlic, remaining 1 tsp salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, while stirring often, for a instant.
7. Tip in the can of pineapple chunks, along with the juice. Don't stir.
8. Tip in over the BBQ sauce, but don't stir.
9. Set a long legged trivet in the pan right on the chicken and pineapple. Make sure the legs of the trivet are about 3" tall.
10. Set the pan of rice on the trivet.
11. Cancel the Sauté setting. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
12. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
13. When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
14. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid. Lift out the pan of rice to a heat safe surface (be careful!). Take out the trivet.
15. Stir in the brown sugar and the apple cider vinegar to the chicken in the pot. Stir. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
16. Turn on the Sauté setting and add the corn starch slurry. Stir. When thickened, turn off the pot.
17. Stir in the bell peppers back in and stir.
18. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the Hawaiian chicken over the rice. Garnish with green onion.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.