Make this delicious Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice (Pressure Cooker Portuguese Chicken and Rice) Galinha à portuguesa 焗葡國雞飯! Imagine a spoonful of tender chicken & veggies, soaked in aromatic coconut turmeric sauce, paired with perfectly cooked fried rice, topped with creamy melted cheese. Comforting Macanese dish that you’ll gobble one bite after another!
If you’re Portuguese and are scratching your head wondering why you have never heard of this dish, I won’t blame you!
This Baked Portuguese Chicken and Rice dish (Galinha à portuguesa 焗葡國雞飯) did not come from Portugal, but Portuguese Macau (Macao).
Macau was once administered by the Portuguese Empire from mid-16th century to 1999, being the last European colony in Asia!
At the time, Portuguese traders and sailors attempted to replicate dishes back home with aromatic spices and flavors they can get their hands on.
This was how many unique Macanese dishes were born blending Cantonese and Portuguese cuisines, along with some Indian, African, and Southeast Asian influences.
We were thrilled to be able to visit Macau last year. As we were strolling down the streets and sights, we were amazed by the Portuguese influenced Macanese culture, rustic historic buildings, and FOOD! 😀
As avid foodies, their annual extravagant food festival was a must.
So many authentic Macanese food and snacks!! Pork chop bun, Portuguese-style egg tart, Ginger milk, Fresh Coconut, Baked Portuguese Chicken and Rice…
I wish I had 2..or maybe 3 stomachs. hehe~
We stayed at the festival until the very last minute. We almost missed the last ferry-ride home.. Luckily we were still able to run with two full bellies. 😛
Readers have been loving our Cha Chaan Teng Series – such as our Instant Pot Pork Chops in HK Onion Sauce Recipe. We’re excited to share this third Cha Chaan Teng 港式茶餐廳 (Hong Kong style cafes) classic favorites – Baked Portuguese Chicken and Rice 焗葡國雞飯 with you.
This Portuguese Chicken and Rice dish is not spicy with strong aromas from the turmeric and coconut milk. You’ll love this flavorful yet mild & creamy sauce!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice
- Chicken quarters
- Carrot
- Potato
- Onion
- Shallot
- Garlic cloves
- Green bell pepper
- Bay leaves
- 100% unsweetened coconut milk – this is the best tasting one out of the 4 we tried in creating this recipe. It’s not diluted, no additives, stabilizers, thickeners, gums, or preservatives.
- Regular soy sauce
- Peanut oil
- Turmeric powder
- Ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cornstarch + Water
Chicken Marinade:
Rice: Jasmine rice, Water
Optional Flavor Enhancing Ingredients: Egg, Grated cheese
Tools for Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
- 5″ Stainless Steel Steamer Rack
- Oven-safe bowl
- Optional: Multi-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel 13-Inch Wok – This high quality 18/10 stainless steel wok heats up evenly and quickly. Perfect for stir-frying. Definitely a keeper!
Tips for Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice
1. Coconut Milk
High quality coconut milk will really make this dish shine. We tested this recipe with 4 different brands of coconut milk and found it makes a big difference in flavorful and taste of the final dish! This 100% Pure coconut milk is creamy and is the best out of the 4 we tried. In fact, the best we have used so far!
2. Oven-Safe Container
We tested the optional oven step using 2 different types of oven-safe containers and had different final results. So, find containers that will suit your preference!
- Pre-heated cast iron: the fried rice turned out drier
- Glazed Terracotta earthenware: the fried rice turned out more moist
3. Do you need to use overnight leftover rice to make fried rice?
It’s a very common practice for Chinese to use overnight leftover rice to make fried rice in order to achieve the dry and perfect texture.
However, if you’re able to cook rice with the right dry texture, there’s no need to use leftover rice. So, be sure to use the exact measurements for cooking the rice, or else the fried rice will turn out wet and mushy.
4. Can I use other chicken parts other than chicken quarters?
Yes! If you don’t want to debone the chicken raw, you can use 5 bone-in chicken thighs (6 minutes + Natural Release) or 6 bone-in chicken legs (8 minutes + Natural Release) for this recipe.
Or, you can easily remove the bones and cut them into pieces after they have fully cooked in the pressure cooker. This way, the sauce will be even more flavorful!
Now it’s YOUR turn to take out your pressure cooker and make some Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice!
Instant Pot Portuguese Chicken and Rice 焗葡國雞飯
Ingredients
- 3 chicken quarters See Notes - divided into drumsticks and thighs, deboned and cut into ~ 1 inch thick pieces
- 1 medium carrot or 2 small carrots , cut into chunks
- 2 small potatoes , quartered
- 1 small onion , sliced
- 1 small shallot , sliced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 (230g) green bell pepper , cubed
- 2 small bay leaves
- 3/4 cup (188ml) high quality coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Chicken Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- A dash ground white pepper
Rice:
- 1 cup minus 1 ½ tablespoon (230ml) water
- 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoon (250g) jasmine rice
Optional Flavor Enhancing Ingredients - Fried Rice:
- 1 extra large egg , beaten
- 250 grams pressure cooked jasmine rice
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- Salt to taste
Optional Flavor Enhancing Ingredients - Oven:
- Grated cheese (we used a mixture of cheddar cheese + mozzarella cheese + parmesan cheese)
Equipment
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Instructions
- Marinate Chicken Thighs: Marinate chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, a dash of ground white pepper, 1 tbsp regular soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine for 20 minutes.
- Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click adjust button to go to Sauté More function). Make sure the pot is as hot as it can be when you place the onions in (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).
- Sauté Onion, Shallot, and Garlic: Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil into the pressure cooker. Add sliced onion & shallot, sauté until brown & fragrant. Add minced garlic, sauté until fragrant. Season layering with kosher salt & ground black pepper if desired.
- Sauté Chicken Thighs: Pour in the chicken, sauté until slightly browned (let the chicken caramelize on one side first before stirring, you don’t have to stir continuously). Add in 1 ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder & 1 teaspoon cumin powder. Sauté & mix well to let the spices release their aroma. Add quartered potatoes, carrots, & 2 small bay leaves. Mix well.
- Deglaze: Pour in 200 ml of coconut milk & 1 tablespoon of regular soy sauce, completely deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Pressure Cook Portuguese Chicken and Rice: Place a steamer rack into the pressure cooker and carefully place a bowl with (250g OR 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoon) of Jasmine rice onto the rack. Pour (230 ml OR 1 cup minus 1 ½ tablespoon) of water into the bowl of rice. Make sure all the rice are soaked with water.
Immediately close lid and cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and Full Natural Release. Manually release the remaining pressure by carefully turning the venting knob to the venting position. Open lid carefully. - Optional Flavor Enhancing Step - Preheat Oven: While the Portuguese chicken and rice is cooking in the pressure cooker, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Thicken Coconut Sauce: Fluff rice and set aside to allow it to cool down. If you are making the optional fried rice, preheat a wok or skillet on high heat with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Turn heat to medium (Instant Pot: Press sauté button). Add green pepper, cook for one minute, taste the seasoning. Add more regular soy sauce, coconut milk, or salt if desired. Mix the cornstarch with water and mix it into the coconut sauce one third at a time until desired thickness. Turn off the heat.
- Optional Flavor Enhancing Steps - Fried Rice: When the oil starts to smoke, add in the fluffed rice and press them against the wok with a wok chuan (wok spatula) to separate the rice from each other. Repeat for roughly 20 - 30 seconds. Add 1 beaten extra-large egg on top of the rice and quickly stir-fry the rice to allow the beaten egg to coat the rice evenly. Stir-fry for another minute until fragrant, then season with sea salt. Mix well and turn off the heat.
- Optional Oven Step: Fill an oven-safe container half-way full with fried rice. Fill up the container with Portuguese chicken and vegetables. Add grated cheese (as much as you like!) over the top and place into oven for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately (piping hot!)
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Notes
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