Instant Pot Nashville Hot Chicken with Spiced Rice

Nashville hot chicken is famous for being intensely spicy and flavor-forward. If you’ve tried it, you know the heat pairs perfectly with a cold soda. Inspired by Arroz con Pollo, this recipe blends that comforting one-pot rice-and-chicken idea with a bold Nashville-style hot sauce to create Instant Pot Nashville Hot Chicken & Rice. The result is a quick, satisfying meal loaded with heat and deep flavor. If you prefer milder heat, follow the notes in Jeffrey’s Tips below to adjust the spice level.

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Instant Pot Nashville Hot Chicken & Rice

Vegetable oil and butter — Add butter and oil to the Instant Pot and warm them to begin.

Melted butter and heated oil in Instant Pot — Once heated…

Diced onion — …add a diced Vidalia or Spanish onion.

Onion sautéed in Instant Pot — Sauté the onion until slightly softened.

Adding bite-size pieces of chicken to pot — Add bite-sized pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts.

Adding garlic to pot — Add minced or pressed garlic for depth.

Sautéing chicken until it's pinkish-white in color. — Sauté until the chicken is just turning pinkish-white; it will finish cooking under pressure.

Adding broth to pot — Pour in broth to deglaze and add flavor.

Adding rinsed jasmine or long-grain rice to pot — Add rinsed jasmine or long-grain rice to the pot.

Stirring the pot — Stir well so the rice is evenly distributed and submerged.

Making sure rice is submerged in broth in the pot — Once the rice is covered by broth, secure the lid and pressure cook.

Combining hot sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, and chili powder to make Nashville Hot Sauce — While the rice cooks, whisk together the Nashville hot sauce ingredients: hot sauce, oil, brown sugar, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder. Adjust cayenne to control heat.

Whisking sauce — Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Cooked chicken and rice in pot — When the Instant Pot finishes, you’ll have tender chicken and perfectly cooked rice.

Adding Nashville sauce to pot — Pour the Nashville hot sauce over the chicken and rice.

Stirring sauce into chicken and rice — Stir until the sauce is evenly incorporated and the rice takes on a vibrant color.

Fully incorporated rice to form Nashville Chicken & Hot Rice — In moments you’ll have a full pot of Nashville Hot Chicken & Rice ready to serve.

Plated bowl with sliced scallions on top — Garnish with sliced scallions if desired for brightness and color.

Man holding bowl of Nashville Hot Chicken & Rice — Ready to eat—this dish delivers bold spice and satisfying comfort.

Man eating a forkful of the food — Serve generous portions and enjoy with a cold drink.

Man making a face to show its spicy. — This is meant to be spicy—that’s the point of Nashville-style sauce. Pair with a cold soda or creamy side to balance the heat.

Yield: 6

Instant Pot Nashville Hot Chicken & Rice

Nashville hot chicken is intense and vibrant. This one-pot Instant Pot version merges that heat with a comforting arroz-con-pollo-style rice for a fast, flavorful dinner. Adjust the hot sauce and cayenne to suit your tolerance.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
3 minutes

Additional Time
17 minutes

Total Time
30 minutes

Ingredients

The Chicken & Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter
1 Vidalia (sweet) or Spanish onion, diced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 cloves (2 tablespoons) garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups jasmine or long-grain rice, rinsed and drained for 90 seconds
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)

The Nashville Hot Sauce

2/3 cup hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot recommended for a milder flavor)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (reduce to taste)
2 teaspoons paprika (regular or smoked)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (More/High). Add oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the diced onion and sauté about 3 minutes until softened.
Add the chicken and garlic, and sauté another 3 minutes until the chicken begins to turn pinkish-white.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, then add the rinsed rice and stir, ensuring the rice is submerged.
Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cancel Sauté, then Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 3 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural release, then perform a quick release. (If the pin drops early, still wait the full 10 minutes before opening.)
While the rice cooks or during the natural release, whisk together the Nashville Hot Sauce ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust the cayenne or hot sauce to control heat.
When the pot is finished, pour the hot sauce into the pot and stir until the sauce is fully incorporated. Let the dish rest 3–5 minutes, then serve topped with scallions if desired.

Jeffrey’s Tips

Hot sauces vary widely. Frank’s RedHot offers a milder, tangy base; if you use a much hotter sauce, reduce or omit the cayenne to suit your taste. One tablespoon of cayenne will make the sauce quite spicy—start with one teaspoon if you prefer less heat, then increase as you taste while whisking the sauce.