Mississippi Chicken in the Pressure Cooker

Serves 5 in about 23 minutes. Pepperoncinis leave whole goes in first, and long grain rice finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs chicken thighs or breasts* (boneless/skinless. fresh or frozen. cut breasts in half, if possible)
• ½ cup water (or low sodium chicken broth)
• ½ (16 oz) jar pepperoncinis (with juice) leave whole or slice as desired
• 1 (1 oz) packet au jus or brown gravy mix**
• 1 (1 oz) packet ranch dressing/seasoning mix** (low sodium, if possible)
• ½ stick unsalted butter (4 tbsp) or more to taste
• 1 ½ cups white long grain rice (rinsed well)
• 1 ½ cups water

Method

1. Put chicken in the bottom of the inner pot of the pressure cooker. (If using chicken breasts, cut them in half, if possible).
2. Stir in all of the other ingredients (don't stir) and close the lid and lock it in place. Turn the steam release knob to the sealing position.
3. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual Button (or use dial) and use the +/- button to select 8 minutes (if using frozen breasts that you can't cut in half, set time to 15 minutes).
4. When the cook time is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 instant Natural Release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the remaining steam/pressure.
5. After adding all ingredients, set the tall trivet in the pot and make sure it touches the bottom of the pot.
6. Put the rinsed rice and water in the pan and set it on the trivet (A Topolo pan gripper helps with this). Close lid and proceed with cooking directions (takes the same time to cook as the chicken.
7. When the cooking cycle finishes, let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 instant natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the remaining steam/pressure.
8. When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and use a pan gripper or silicone mitts to remove the pan of rice (if making rice)
9. Use tongs to remove the chicken and shred it.
10. If you want to thicken the cooking liquid, turn on the Sauté function and stir in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with some of the hot liquid. Tip in into the pot and stir until thickened.
11. Stir the chicken back into the cooking liquid.
12. Plate over rice, or potatoes, on tortillas, etc.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.