Instant Pot Cafe Rio style chicken

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I love Cafe Rio.  There is one just about 1 mile from my house, which is awesome.  But I also like cooking at home and having leftovers.  And I love my Instant Pot.  There are lots of recipes out and about for Cafe Rio.  I make no claims to this being exactly like theirs-but its close enough for me for a substitute for when I don't want to stand in line or circle the parking lot looking for a space.

Chicken
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (I use thighs because they cook up better than white meat in the instant pot)
1 C. chicken broth
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried onion pieces
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp dried chili flakes/red pepper flakes

Put all ingredients in the Instant Pot.  Set for 6 minutes then let it natural release for 7 minutes. Shred the chicken (I take the steaming hot chicken and a couple tablespoons of the liquid and put it in my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment on low--watch it carefully and it will shred.  Don't walk away, you'll end up with mush). 

My dressing recipe is still on target for Cafe Rio--but everytime it seems to get better. 

In the Magic Bullet blender
1/4 C. milk
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp mayonaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
2 tsp ranch dressing powder (Winco sells in in the bulk section, so I keep a jar handy)
small chunk of onion (like 1 tsp or so)
small chunk of jalepeno (like 1/2" slice off the end)
handful of cilantro, stems and leaves--about 1/4 c
juice from 1/2 a lime

Make up your salad or burrito with lettuce, guac, sour cream, tortilla chip strips, rice, beans, cheese.  I buy the foil pans at the Dollar Tree when I'm feeling fancy...but most of the time I just make it up on a plate (or pie pan).

Orange Chicken in the Instant Pot

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I've been using my Instant Pot plenty this year.  It helps me get dinner done in under 30 minutes, which is important when you work all day and are hungry once you get home.

The recipe I found on SweetandSavoryMeals was a good start...but I took a look at the ingredient list and knew there was way more garlic and ginger than I would like and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of orange flavor, and a trick I learned from America's Test Kitchen is to use frozen orange juice concentrate.  No breading on this chicken; but with orange juice concentrate, no one can say this is "healthy" but it has less carbs and calories than a fried and sauced version. Chicken thighs cook up really nicely in the Instant Pot (more fat, less likely to dry out and get rubbery than chicken breasts).


Meat
2 lbs  boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons  vegetable oil

1 tsp ginger, minced (I used the kind in a jar/bottle)

2 tsp garlic, minced (again from the jar)

Sauce:

3/4 C. water

4 oz of frozen orange juice concentrate

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 C. soy sauce

1-3 tsp sriracha sauce (I use 1)

zest from one orange

Cornstarch slurry 

1Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

In a bowl, mix up all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Turn the Instant Pot to saute and cook the chicken with the oil for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is lightly browned.   Add the ginger and garlic and stir for about a minute.  Pour the sauce ingredients in and scrape up the bottom of the pot of any brown bits (flavor!) Set the pot for 3 minutes--yup just 3 minutes.  (If you've cut your chicken into small bites and browned the outside, it will be close to being fully cooked before you set the Instant Pot).  After it has cooked at pressure for 3 minutes, let the chicken natural release for 3-5 minutes.  Open it up and stir in the cornstarch slurry and turn pot back to saute and cook until bubbly and slightly thicker.  Serve over rice or with veggies. 

Sweet and Sour version:  Try pineapple juice instead of water/oj concentrate.  Increase the vinegar to 2 tablespoons.  After you've cooked it and are adding in the cornstarch slurry, toss in a can of pineapple chunks. 

Korean Beef Tacos or Bowls in the Instant Pot

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I made this as a rice bowl and served it to my brother, who claimed it was the best thing I'd ever made for him. It is very tasty. Its a great combination of sweet, spicy, savory, crunchy and creamy. I made it as a taco bar for a family holiday party (with the small street taco corn tortillas) and even the picky kids ate it up! The recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, Your Home Based Mom, which always has recipes that use "regular" ingredients and taste good!

I make up a batch of meat and then freeze half to use for another night (I am usually planning for 4 servings, so if you want to freeze half, you might need to double the recipe first).


Ingredients for the meat
2 lbs sirloin steak sliced thin, 1/4" thick (easy to do if meat is still partially frozen)
1/2 c soy sauce
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c water
2-4 tsp minced garlic (I use the bottled kind, and usually go for about 2 tsp, but you can use more)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp ginger minced (again, the bottled kind is super convenient)
1 tsp sesame oil (I think a little goes a LONG way)
1-2 tsp sriracha sauce (I'm probably closer to 2 than the 1)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

Measure everything (except the meat, cornstarch and 1 Tbs of water) and put it in the Instant Pot and bring to a boil. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and 1 Tbs of water and add to boiling liquid. Add the raw meat. Put the lid on the pot and set for 15 minutes. Natural release for about 10 minutes.

Make the Yum Yum sauce. I never have tomato paste on hand (or don't want to open a can...maybe I should buy that tube that looks like a toothpaste tube). I digress. I just use ketchup. Seems great to me. I also leave out the butter. Still tastes great to me.
2 tsp ketchup
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp sriracha
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp water

 Rice Bowl Version: Make some rice while the meat cooks, top with the meat and veggies. I like Nappa cabbage, red cabbage, green onions, shredded carrots, cilantro, jalapeno, sesame seeds, fresh lime. Top with the Yum Yum sauce.

Taco Version: Fry/heat corn tortillas and fill with meat and veggies along with Yum Yum sauce and fresh lime.

Vegan/Vegetarian version:  Make the sauce on the stove and then add your favorite substitute meat product.   For the Yum Yum sauce, leave out the butter and use Vegan mayo.