This Mexican Haystack Rice Bowls is a one-pot wonder: tender shredded chicken infused with Tex-Mex flavors, mixed with beans, tomatoes, corn, and a creamy blended sauce. Pile it high over rice or crunchy Fritos and load up with your favorite toppings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Instant Pot magic: Quick and effortless with big flavor.

• Ultra-creamy Tex-Mex sauce: Made from simple pantry staples.

• Customizable bowls: Add toppings, chips, or keep it light.

• Great for leftovers: Flavors deepen after a day or two.

Mexican Haystack Rice Bowls

Tex-Mex comfort food meets Instant Pot convenience in this satisfying, flavor-packed Mexican Haystack Rice Bowls. Think tender chicken, slow-cooked flavor, and rich creaminess—all in under an hour.

This dish takes inspiration from classic haystacks and taco bowls but makes everything easier with the help of the Instant Pot. Chicken breasts are pressure-cooked alongside black beans, sweet corn, and diced tomatoes, all bathed in a sauce that’s equal parts creamy, tangy, and boldly seasoned.

The sauce is the real game-changer here. Instead of stirring everything in by hand, we blend together cream cheese, sour cream, sweet onion, ranch seasoning, taco seasoning, green chiles, and chicken broth for a perfectly smooth and flavorful base. The result? Creamy, dreamy, taco-spiced goodness that clings to every bite.

Once cooked, the chicken shreds effortlessly, soaking up every ounce of flavor from the sauce. Stir it all together, and what you get is a filling, layered dish that can be eaten over rice, stuffed into tortillas, or scooped with crunchy Fritos chips.

This is the kind of dish that satisfies every eater at the table. It’s family-friendly, great for parties, and super easy to double if you’re meal-prepping. You can even keep it warm in the pot for self-serve situations like potlucks or casual dinners.

The toppings are where you can make it your own—think shredded lettuce, avocado, cheese, olives, or jalapeños. It’s versatile, comforting, and packed with flavor.

Let’s get that Instant Pot humming.

Servings

Serves: 6–8

Time

• Prep Time: 10 minutes

• Cook Time (Pressure Cook): 18 minutes

• Pressure Build/Release: 15 minutes

• Total Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

Main Bowl Base:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1½ cups frozen corn

Creamy Tex-Mex Sauce:

• 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

• 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

• 1 sweet onion, roughly chopped

• 4 oz cream cheese

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

• 1 packet chicken taco seasoning

For Serving:

• Cooked rice

• Fritos corn chips

• Favorite toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sliced olives

Instructions

1. Blend the sauce: In a blender, combine chicken broth, green chiles, onion, cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning. Blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Assemble in Instant Pot: Place chicken breasts in the bottom. Add corn, beans, and diced tomatoes on top. Pour blended sauce over everything. Do not stir.

3. Pressure cook: Seal the lid and set to Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 18 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release.

4. Shred the chicken: Remove chicken breasts, shred with forks, then return to pot and stir to combine.

5. Serve: Spoon over rice or chips, add toppings as desired. Keeps well on “Warm” setting.

Tips

• Want it spicier? Add a diced jalapeño or extra taco seasoning.

• Leftovers make great nacho topping or quesadilla filling.

• For a lighter version, swap sour cream with Greek yogurt.

• This also works great with boneless chicken thighs for extra juiciness.