Instant Pot Chicken Souvlaki Rice With Greek Salad & Tzatziki (2024)

4.64 from 49 votes

• 2 chicken breasts skinless, diced into cubes (about 1 lb. of meat)

Chicken souvlaki marinade

• 5 garlic cloves peeled and minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or mild
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• A pinch of pepper

For the rice

• 1.3 cups long-grain rice rinsed 4-5 times with cold water cup long-grain rice
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
• Zest of 1 lemon
• To finish the chicken and rice: A drizzle of olive oil & extra lemon juice

Greek Salad With Herbs

• 2 tomatoes sliced into wedges
• ½ bell pepper sliced
• 1 medium cucumber sliced
• ½ red onion sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• A generous pinch of salt and pepper
• ⅓ cup Kalamata olives
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Tzatziki Sauce

• ½ cup Greek yoghurt or plain unsweetened
• ½ medium cucumber grated
• 2 small cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• A pinch of pepper
• A little olive oil drizzle optional
• To finish the chicken and rice: A drizzle of olive oil & extra lemon juice

• Place the diced chicken in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Combine well and set aside for 5-10 minutes while you get other ingredients ready.

• Rinse the rice under cold water 4-5 times and set aside. Prepare the chicken or vegetable stock (you can use ready-made or dissolve a stock cube). Grate a teaspoon or so of lemon rind. We’re ready to cook.

• Turn the Instant Pot. Add the rice, vegetable stock, and lemon zest. Stir through. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top of the rice, pour in any remaining juices to get all those flavors in. Dicing the chicken in cubes allows it to cook quickly so you can use the same time for both rice and the meat. Plus, the marinade in the chicken will also flavor the rice beneath.

• Pop the lid on top, lock and make sure the top valve is positioned to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set to 5 minutes at HIGH pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and the timer will begin. Note that cooking starts during the pressure build-up.

• Prepare the salad and tzatziki. While the chicken and rice are cooking, move on to your sides. Grate the cucumber and squeeze some of the juice out with your hands. Transfer the flesh to a small bowl. Add ½ cup of Greek yogurt, minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, drizzle of lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon), and olive oil. Mix and set aside.

• Cut up the salad vegetables, red onion and herbs and add to a large bowl. Dress with red wine vinegar (or lemon juice), olive oil, salt and pepper, and combine. Top with a sprinkle of dried oregano and Kalamata olives. Set aside.

• Once the timer is up, allow 5 minutes for natural pressure release and then point the top valve to Venting (press it down on newer models) to let off the remaining pressure. Open the lid, the rice should have absorbed all the liquid. Drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice over the top.

• Serve the chicken and rice in bowls or plates with a side of Greek salad and a tablespoon or two of Tzatziki on top. Enjoy!

Rice: you can use regular long-grain rice such as Basmati or Jasmine but medium-grain will also work. Make sure to rinse the rice really well under cold water (4-5 times), which will keep it nice and fluffy (not stodgy).

Chicken: We use diced chicken breast but you could use turkey, chicken thighs, diced pork, lamb or beef for this recipe.

Greek salad: While it's lovely to keep with the whole Greek theme here, you can make any kind of salad you like. No time to cut up the vegetables and herbs? Pick up a pre-made salad in a bag!

Tzatziki sauce: As with the salad above, if you're short on time or energy, feel free to pick up ready-made tzatziki sauce or dip from the supermarket.

Stock: If using low-sodium stock, add a little salt to the rice when cooking.