Looking for quick and easy instant pot chicken recipes? This easy Instant Pot Chicken Paella is for you!
This Instant Pot Chicken Paella is definitely one of my favorites so far as it’s so easy but packed with flavor. I’ve never made a chicken and rice recipe this easy.
Paella
So, first, what is paella?
Paella is a Spanish rice dish, typically served in a large pan and topped with chicken or seafood. To make this Instant Pot Chicken Paella, I took a few shortcuts to make this quick and easy dish.
Seafood Paella isn’t actually classic. Paella was first cooked over wood fires in the fields of Spain and made with rabbit, chicken and snails. In the states, these flavors probably wouldn’t go over too well.
In the states, the most commonly used proteins are clams and mussels, as well as chicken thighs. Seafood stock or chicken broth is used for the rice regardless of the other proteins being added.
PRO TIP: Rinse you rice well to remove any sediment and prevent it from being clumpy and overly starchy.
Small amounts of saffron were used for fragrance and color, but not necessarily for flavor.
Afterall, saffron was expensive and the hue of your rice could symbolize your stature in society. The more you used, the wealthier your family!
Am I the only weirdo that smells their fingers after handling saffron? I love the smell!
Bomba rice is the traditional rice for paella, but you can use any short grained rice. I like to use arborio, which is typically used for risotto.
It is typically easier to find and cheaper than bomba.
Salsa functions as a makeshift sofrito. With a base of tomato, garlic and onion it is only missing the bell pepper, which we will add at the end. I like using a thick and chunky salsa so it has plenty of depth. You can use this quick blender salsa if you’d like! No bell peppers bit loads of flavor.
The liquid absorbs into the rice itself giving it flavor and adds to the beautiful hue along with saffron. Chicken stock also gives more flavor than water alone.
If you are so inclined, you can also add a pound of cooked and shelled shrimp at the same time as the roasted red pepper and frozen peas. All are good paella ingredients.
Really any additional cooked seafood or meat can be added at this time. Seafood is traditionally found in paella along with chicken, so I do like to add it sometimes, especially if I’m serving guests.
Traditional paella can take a while to cook but yet another reason to love my instant pot is that this easy paella recipe is ready in just minutes! Never before has flavorful paella been just a 30 minute meal.
If you do want to use an old school paella pan, check out my seafood paella recipe. Make sure to cook it on an open flame (no electric burners for this one!)
Or my super easy, stovetop Shrimp Paella!
This chicken and rice recipe is a great comfort food recipe for the cooler months too. Sometimes I just want something hearty and warming that’s not classic comfort food, which this definitely is.
Easy instant pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meatballs
- Instant Pot BBQ Brisket
- Instant Pot Bang Bang Chicken
Instant Pot Taco Meat
Instant Pot Yogurt
Questions you might have about how to make paella:
Can I make paella ahead of time? You sure can, but with such a simple and quick recipe, you might not need to.
Can I freeze chicken paella? Sure! Follow my tips for best freezing practices. Freeze in individual airtight containers for your own, healthy TV dinners.
Do I have to use chicken sausage? Use whatever type of chicken or sausage you’d like! Just make sure whatever you add to the pot is cooked before adding it.
Is this Instant Pot Paella gluten free? My version is gluten free, however, check your individual ingredients to make sure yours is as well.
What does saffron taste like? It is hard taste to describe. Doesn’t help ya, huh? I think it is floral and I love the scent and flavor. Really any additional cooked seafood or meat can be added at this time. Seafood is traditionally found in paella along with chicken, so I do like to add it sometimes, especially if I’m serving guests.
Do I have to use saffron? You can omit it, but the flavor and hue of saffron are one of the defining elements of paella.
Instant Pot Chicken Paella
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chorizo chicken sausage , thinly sliced
- 1 heaping cup arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup thick and chunky salsa
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper , chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- lemon wedges , for serving
- parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on saute function in inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Add thinly sliced chicken sausage, cooking until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.
- Transfer chicken sausage to a plate, leaving seasoned oil in the inner pot.
- Add arborio rice, saffron, fine sea salt, thick and chunky salsa and chicken stock to inner pot. Stir and lock lid in place with vent sealed.
- Set to manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Use quick release. Stir in roasted red pepper, frozen peas and chicken sausage. Replace lid and continue on “keep warm” function for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir again before serving with fresh lemon juice and parsley.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, please come back and let us know how it was!
Video
Nutrition
I needed something that gives me the taste of paella without the work. I bought a paella pan, but what I made did not match what I ate when I was stationed in Spain. I know this recipe is versatile, will give me options, and can be easily modified with turmeric and paprika rather than $affron.
Hi John- nothing beats a real flame and a paella pan… and being in Spain. I once had the opportunity for the famous Spanish Chef Jose Andres to prepare me 4 types of paella on a beach. It was magical. This recipe is really good- it’s solid, but it will never live up to the real deal. And I can honestly say it is one of my top 5 IP recipes and people are always amazed I get such bold flavors. I Hope you enjoy it.
Thank you for this Great Recipe!!
I had to improvise with the ingredients I had and this recipe was a great outline to use! I had Polish Kielbasa. I only had 1 cup of white long grain rice and a lot of Brown Rice, so I used a cup of each. Washed and drained in a strainer. I had a store bought container of watery Salsa. I drained the juice in a measuring cup and just added water for two cups. I added a finely chopped green bell pepper. Added Himalayany. 1/2 t. 1/2 t garlic powder. 1 cup of mixed frozen veggies.
I was worried about needing more time for the brown rice, but nope! It came out absolutely Perfect!!! It tastes amazing!! I will make it again and again! Cannot believe how Fast it is to make this.
Thanks again!!❤🙋
Awesome- and thanks for coming back to let us know! This is honestly one of my favorite quick recipes. We just love it!
I have been CRAVING Spanish food! I’m not a fan of seafood though (yeah, I’m not really sure, Tapas are my jam though!) and we haven’t had the chance to visit our local Spanish restaurant, so I started searching for recipes to make at home. I work in healthcare, so days are long. I am ECSTATIC to find this recipe! I made it tonight, and it is definitely going to curb my craving! I will say, in my IP Duo Plus, my rice was a little crunchy after 8 minutes, so I would recommend 9-10 for this device, as I know they all cook differently. I actually added my meat, peppers, and peas, and added 3 more minutes and it was just a little gummy. I will definitely make this again!
Thanks so much- good to know. All of the different electric pressure cookers vary so much and not just by brand, but by size. I’m sure our readers will appriciate your feedback. This is honestly one of my favorite recipes. So glad you loved it 🙂
The paella looks delicious. In addition to the chicken sausage, I’d like to add chicken breasts, maybe about 3. How would that change the amount of time the rice cooks? I’m assuming it would be added with the rice, sofrito, etc, correct? My family is Cuban and my mom used to make paella and arroz con pollo all the time. This recipe looks similar, but so much easier and faster using the instant Pot. Love the instantpot!!
Marlu
Hi Marlu! This is one of my favorite recipes. So you’d actually cook the chicken on the saute function, like you would the sausage. Then remove it and cook the rice and add the chicken back in after the rice has cooked. It won’t change the cook time at all. You might need to do 3 full breasts and sausage in batches since the pot isn’t that big.
Delicious
The whole family enjoyed it, it was my first time using an IP and the total time was more than listed but other than that experience which may have been more on me the meal was amazing!
Yay! We love to hear that! Was it the prep time that was off or the actual cook time? The cook time/pressure building time can vary based on model and altitude. I just want to make sure I can revise based on your experience.
This was a really yummy and easy to make paella. I used Cajun Style Andouille smoked pork sausage to give it a little spice. I also didn’t have any arborio or short grained rice, so I used Lotus Pink Rice. After I added the additional ingredients (sausage, peas, roasted red peppers) I added about 1 more cup of chicken broth and pressure cooked it for 5 more minutes. It was perfect!!
That sounds fantastic! And thanks for coming back to let us know!
Outstanding! Definitely my favorite Insta pot recipe that I make. I always add whatever I have in the house as far as veggies go and meat go but the combination of the saffron and salsa make everything taste good. “Paella” for the win!
Awesome, Amanda! So glad you loved it. It is honestly my favorite IP recipe too. Then pulled pork, then pot roast.
If I double the recipe, would I use exactly double the rice, salsa, and water? And, would all the cooking times stI’ll remain the same?
Hi Danelle, use the same amount of ingredients, but since VOLUME is higher, I would increase the cooking time by 2 minutes.
I made this last night. It was so freakin’ good. Definitely going to make this every night now!
I know you used chicken chorizo, but I’d like to use separate chicken and sausage. How much would I need of both you think? 1/2lb or 1lb each? I’d also lime to add shrimp to it, would 1/2lb or 1lb be enough? Thanks in advance!
Hi Pelin! Honestly, since the meat (and/or seafood) cooks ahead of time, you can add as much as you want! You’ll just have a much meatier dish. Make sure it is all cooked before you add it back in. With that much (more than a pound) you might want to cook it in batches instead of all together. It will be great with chicken, sausage and shrimp!