Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas | Cheesy Chicken and Rice Enchilada Recipe

This Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas recipe is a quick and easy way to get a family favorite on the table in a fraction of the time it takes to make them on your stovetop. Cook everything at the same time–all in your pressure cooker!

Why You’re Going To Love This Instant Pot Recipe

• Fast. These Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas are ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
• Easy. Prepare the enchilada filling in the Instant Pot, roll the filled tortillas, cover with cheese sauce, and bake. Just a few simple steps that you can easily squeeze into a busy weeknight.
• Family-friendly. Replacing a traditional red enchilada sauce which can be spicy for the younger members of the family with a creamy cheese sauce makes this a hit for all ages.
• Inexpensive. Use just a few pantry staples for a cheap meal that can be enjoyed the next day for meal prep or leftovers.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Long Grain White Rice-It’s important to use this type of rice for the pressure cooker cooking time to be correct. Different types of rice will have different cooking times.
• Chicken Breasts– You can also use chicken thighs if that is what you have in your kitchen.
• Chicken Broth This is the liquid you will use to bring the Instant Pot to pressure and add additional flavor to the rice while cooking.
• Sour Cream– Helps to make the filling bright and delicious.
• Oil– This prevents the chicken from sticking to the Instant Pot liner while it cooks.
• Cream Of Chicken Soup– Makes the filling creamy and flavorful.
• Rotel– My children prefer the Rotel to be blended to create a smooth texture before cooking.
• Tortillas– I use full-sized flour tortillas for these Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas.
• Salt
• Velveeta– This will be used to create the cheesy sauce that is baked on top of the enchiladas.
• Pepper
• Milk– Thins the Velveeta so it isn’t too thick and pours nicely.

How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas

Step 1: Dice your chicken. Cut the chicken breasts into small, bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Rinse the rice. In a large bowl, rinse your rice THREE times, or until the water runs clear. This will improve the flavor of your rice and prevent it from clumping and sticking to the inside of your Instant Pot.

Step 3: Add oil and saute the chicken. Add a small amount of oil to the Instant Pot liner and heat it with the saute function. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir frequently until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

Step 4: Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth. Add the chicken broth and use the end of your spatula to scrape any bits of chicken off of the bottom of the pan.

Step 5: Cook the Instant Pot Enchilada filling. Add the rinsed rice to the cooked chicken and broth and cook under high pressure. When the cooking time is complete, allow the pot to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.

Step 6: Finish the filling and roll the enchiladas. Remove the chicken and rice from the Instant Pot and mix them with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and Rotel in a large bowl. Place 2/3 cup of filling in a burrito-sized tortilla and roll. Place the rolled enchiladas in a baking dish. For step-by-step help on rolling an enchilada, see my steps below.

Step 7: Create the melty cheese sauce. After you remove the rice and chicken from the Instant Pot liner, add the milk and Velveeta. Turn on the pot back to saute and allow to warm up for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir the milk and cheese mixture. Pour the cheese over the top. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese.

Step 8: Broil, garnish, and enjoy! Bake the enchiladas long enough to bubble, garnish with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro and enjoy!

How To Roll A Chicken Enchilada

Step 1: Spread the enchilada filling in a long, thin line along the middle of the tortilla shell, stopping about 1 inch from the edges of the tortilla.

Step 2: Bring the edges of the tortilla 1/4 of the way toward the center.

Step 3: While holding the two tucked sides toward the middle, take the third side (facing your navel) and fold it over 3/4 of the length of the tortilla.

Step 4: Continue rolling the third side of the tortilla until you have created a cylinder. Place the enchilada seam side down to prevent it from unrolling.

What Is The Best Melting Cheese For Enchiladas?

Not everyone will agree with me on this one, but I grew up eating Velveeta. Not only is it inexpensive and shelf-stable to keep in your pantry for dinner in a pinch. It melts like a dream, and it has that rich, gooey cheese flavor that kids love.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, you can always create a roux and use white American cheese in your Instant Pot liner to make a tasty melting cheese. In my opinion, however, the fewer steps and ingredients you can put into a quick weeknight dinner, the better.

How Do Restaurants Keep Enchiladas From Getting Soggy?

In many restaurants, they will use corn tortillas, instead of flour tortillas. Before they roll the enchiladas in the corn tortillas, they will briefly fry each side of the tortilla in oil to keep it from absorbing the cheese sauce and becoming soggy.

If you prefer corn tortillas or happen to have them in your pantry instead of flour tortillas, try this method before rolling and baking yours.

What To Serve With Chicken Enchiladas

A lot of the fun in this recipe is how you can customize it with the addition of a few simple garnishes. These are a few of my favorites to serve alongside the Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas.

• Black beans
• Lettuce
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Tortilla Chips

More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
• Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

If you love these Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas as much as we do, make sure you share them on Facebook and Instagram so your friends can try them too! Don’t forget to Pin the recipe so you can make it again soon.