Instant Pot pork chops and rice is a flavorful, easy one pot meal that you can prepare in your pressure cooker in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners and meal prep.
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One pot pork chops and rice is such a great, easy dinner recipe. The pork chops are well seasoned, seared, and then steamed on top of flavorful rice. Cooking rice and meat in one pot makes the job really easy, with minimal washing up after.
I like to make Instant Pot pork chops and rice with tomatoes and plenty of seasoning. This adds more flavor than just cooking plain pork chops with rice.
Pressure cooking pork chops is a great way to prepare them. The meat is juicy and tender, and if you sauté them beforehand, they taste amazing.
Why you'll love it
- Simple one pot dinner
- Juicy pork chops, and perfectly cooked rice
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences
- Effortless recipe
- Flavorful dish, and you can choose if you want it spicy or not
- Made in less than 30 minutes
- Affordable and inexpensive ingredients
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Ingredients
Pork chops: Use thick cut bone-in pork chops for this recipe. Boneless pork chops are too thin, and will usually be overcooked by the time the rice is done.
Rice: Any long grain white rice is suitable for this recipe, like Basmati or Jasmine rice. Avoid using short grain rice.
Chicken stock: Liquid is added to the dish to help the rice cook. I like to use chicken stock, beef stock or bone broth, as they add a little more flavor to the dish. You can also use water.
Onion + garlic: Add flavor to the dish.
Seasoning: Add flavor. I use a combination of paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Other seasoning variations can be found below.
Vegetable oil: Used to sear the meat. Substitute with any cooking oil, like olive oil or canola oil.
Canned diced tomatoes: These add flavor and texture to the rice. You can also use fire roasted tomatoes or rotel if you prefer.
Instructions
This recipe is really straight forward, but it's important to layer the ingredients correctly.
First, start by coating the pork chops in seasoning on either side. You can use the seasoning suggested in the recipe, or your favorite dry rub. I love to use my Sugar Free Pork Seasoning!
Heat up some oil in your Instant Pot on Saute setting, and sear the pork chops for about a minute on each side. Cook them one at a time. The pork chops should not be cooked through completely, but lightly browned on the surface.
Then, set the pork chops to the side, and sauté diced onion and garlic for about a minute. Add rinsed rice and your stock, broth or water, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape off any pieces that are stuck to the Instant Pot, or it could struggle to get to pressure.
Add canned diced tomatoes on top of the rice and water, and DON'T STIR. Gently place the pork chops on top, cover the Instant Pot with the lid, and turn the valvue to sealing.
Cook on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK setting on high pressure for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release to remove any steam from the pot.
Remove the pork chops from the pot, and stir to combine the rice and tomatoes. Serve immediately while the dish is hot.
Top tips
- Make sure to add the chopped tomatoes on top of the rice and water, and DON'T stir to combine. If the liquid is mixed, the Instant Pot might not come to pressure, and will instead display the burn message.
- I like to use thick sliced bone-in pork chops for this recipe. You could use pork loin steaks, or boneless pork chops, but as they are thinner, they will be overcooked and dry by the time the rice has finished cooking.
Serving suggestions
This one pot dinner is perfect to serve for lunch or dinner. Pork chops and rice is a complete on its own, but I like to serve it with a tasty sauce, or a lovely side dish. Here are my favorite recipes to pair it with:
- Sauces: Honey BBQ Sauce, Sriracha Aioli, Sour Cream Sauce
- Side dishes: Sauteed Red Cabbage, Mediterranean Roast Vegetables, Spicy Roasted Carrots, Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Salads: Black Bean Corn Salad, Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Variations
Taco seasoned pork chops and rice: Season the pork chops with taco seasoning, or Fajita Seasoning. You can also add some seasoning to the rice.
Greek or Mediterranean style: Replace the seasoning with lemon juice and mixed dried herbs like dill, thyme and parsley.
With vegetables: Feel free to add diced vegetables to the rice. Cherry tomatoes, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini or eggplant are great additions.
Spicy pork chops: For a spicy version, double the chili powder, and add some chili powder or hot sauce to the rice as well. You can also serve the pork chops with hot sauce or sriracha on top.
Brown rice: Brown rice require longer time to cook than white rice. If using brown rice, increase the cooking time to 15 minutes, and allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes before you do a quick release. This also means that the pork chops will cook for longer than expected, which means that they could become dry. I recommend using extra thick pork chops if you want to cook them with brown rice.
Leftovers
Store leftover Instant Pot pork chops and rice in sealed containers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave, and serve the leftovers warm with other meals.
I don't recommend freezing any leftovers, as the pork chops and rice will most likely be very dry after defrosting.
You can also dice the pork chops, and use the meat and rice in other dishes, such as casseroles or stews. This is one of my favorite ways to use up any leftovers!
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Frequently asked questions
No, you don't have to sear the pork chops first, but it really improves the texture and flavor, and is highly recommended.
Absolutely. Combine the water and rice, and place the meat on top to cook them at the same time.
Pork chops can become tough when overcooked. To get the best results, I recommend using thick bone-in pork chops with all fat attached. The fat helps the pork chops stay juicy, and any excess fat can be removed after cooking.
Yes. Lean cuts of pork can easily overcook in the Instant Pot. Avoid cooking it for too long, and avoid using very lean cuts of meat.
You might also like these recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Honey Mustard Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops (thick cut, bone-in)
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup chicken stock (or beef broth or water)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Dice the onion, and finely dice or grate the garlic cloves.
- Season the pork chops with paprika, oregano, salt, pepper and chili powder on both sides. You can also use other seasoning if you prefer.
- Heat up the vegetable oil in your Instant Pot on SAUTE setting. Add one pork chop, and sear on each side for about a minute until it's slightly browned. Remove it from the pot, and set it to the side. Repeat for all 4 pork chops.
- Add diced onion and garlic to the Instant Pot. Sauté for about a minute.
- Add water and rice to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any pieces of seasoning or onions that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot. It's important to scrape them all off, or the Instant Pot might not be able to come to pressure.
- Add canned diced tomatoes to the top of the rice. DO NOT STIR. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Then, gently place the pork chops over the canned tomatoes. Again, DO NOT STIR.
- Cover the Instant Pot with a lid, and turn the valve to sealing. Turn on the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK setting, and set the timer to 10 minutes. The pot will take about 5 minutes to get to pressure, before the timer starts counting down.
- After the Instant Pot has finished cooking, perform a quick release according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Remove the pork chops from the pot, and stir the rice to combine the flavors. Serve pork chops and rice immediately while they are warm.
Video
Notes
- This recipe has only been tested in a 6 qt Instant Pot.
- Store leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days, and reheat in a microwave.
- Burn message: If your Instant Pot is displaying the burn message, it was unable to get to pressure, and your food is burning at the bottom of the Instant Pot. This can happen if there are burnt pieces stuck to the bottom of the pot, or if the canned diced tomatoes were mixed into the water and rice.
Maya
Great recipe, the rice is amazing
Marilynn
Great recipe l took your thoughts on adding vegetables and added pea pods, green beans and mushrooms. I also added red pepper flakes. Very good