Chicken and Rice Instant Pot Recipe
64 Comments
Posted: 03/08/21
Updated: 09/06/22
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If you need a quick and easy dinner the whole family will enjoy look no further than this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice! It’s creamy and cheesy with pieces of tender chicken, carrots and rice. A one-pot meal that will quickly become a staple dinner recipe at your house.
This Instant Pot chicken and rice is the ultimate one-pot dinner! It’s a cozy, comforting dinner that is perfect for weeknights.
I love easy pressure cooker recipes, and this one is a favorite – you can cook the chicken and rice at the same time. No extra pots and pans required! Add a vegetable like roasted veggies or glazed carrots on the side for a dinner your family will love.
Why This Chicken and Rice Instant Pot Recipe Works
- I’m showing you how to make chicken and rice from scratch with simple ingredients.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. The choice is yours!
- You can cook everything in the Instant Pot – you can sauté the veggies and chicken, and then pressure cook them with the rice. Add some grated Parmesan at the end to make it a cheesy, comforting meal!
This recipe is so easy and so good you’ll want to add it to your dinner rotation. My family loves it!
Chicken Rice Instant Pot Ingredients
Chicken: You will need to cut the boneless chicken breasts (or thighs) into 1” pieces
Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and garlic add so much flavor – just finely dice them!
The rest of the ingredients are simple pantry and fridge ingredients that only need to be measured.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Saute: Turn on the saute setting to high heat. Melt the butter with olive oil in the pot and then add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook them for about five minutes. Add the meat, salt, and pepper and cook it with the veggies for another five minutes. The chicken won’t be cooked through at this point.
- Deglaze: Add some of the broth. It will simmer, making it easy to scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the broth and the rice. Stir to combine and then secure the lid.
- Pressure Cook: Once the lid is secured, close the steam vent. Turn off the saute feature and set the manual button for 10 minutes on high pressure. Once the time is up, do a quick release, so all of the steam is released.
- Garnish and Serve! Open the lid and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until it’s combined and then garnish with chopped parsley.
Tips for Chicken Rice Instant Pot Leftovers
I think it tastes best served right away, but the leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge. If it’s thickened or dry, just add a splash of broth when yo warm it up and it will be delicious!
FAQ for Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot
Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in Instant Pot?
Yes, you can cook both rice and meat at the same time the Instant Pot. The key to getting this to turn out perfectly is making sure they cook at similar lengths of time. If they don’t, you will end of with mushy rice or over cooked meat.
Sometimes it is necessary to precook one of the ingredients for a few minutes to avoid this happening.
What happens if you put raw chicken in the Instant Pot?
You can put any type of raw chicken in your Instant Pot and cook it. Usually, you place the chicken on the trivet, add water and cook the chicken.
Make Instant Pot Chicken Rice a Complete Meal!
This is a hearty meal on it’s on, but sometimes I add a side dish! Here are some ideas:
- Add some soft dinner rolls or a batch of my easy Breadsticks!
- Air Fryer Asparagus or Broccoli is a healthy and easy side dish that goes great with it.
- Use your crockpot to make Ranch Carrots!
- Don’t forget dessert – we love some Blonde Brownies or Monster Cookies for a special treat!
This is a creamy, cheesy, and satisfying dinner! It’s great for busy nights when you need something to fill up your hungry family! It’s just another reason to love your pressure cooker – want some more ideas? Be sure to check out some more favorite recipes!
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Here are more chicken recipes you can make in your IP!
- Chicken Alfredo is another comforting dinner that is so easy to make!
- For taco Tuesday, you have to try my easy pressure cooker Chicken Tacos.
- Crack Chicken Sandwiches get their name for a reason – they are so good! Make the chicken in your IP for a quick and easy dinner.
Looking for even more ideas? Be sure to check out all of my Instant Pot Recipes!
MORE MUST-TRY RECIPES!
Have you tried this chicken and rice recipe? I’d love if you would rate it!! A five-star rating will make my day!
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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Cheesy, delicious chicken and rice with carrots that's a one pot meal in your Instant Pot!
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 large carrots finely diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs trimmed and cut into 1’’ pieces
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 c. low sodium chicken broth
- 2 c. white rice
- ½ c. shredded parmesan cheese plus more to serve if desired
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Set a 6 quart Instant Pot to saute on high heat. Add the butter and oil and let the butter melt. Then add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden.
- Add the trimmed and cut chicken, salt and pepper to Instant Pot. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes (chicken will not be cooked through).
- Add ¼ c. chicken broth and deglaze but scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any burnt pieces.
- Add the rest of the chicken broth (3 ½ c.) to the pan along with rice and stir to combine.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot making sure the steam release knob is in the sealing position. Cancel the saute setting and then press the Manual button setting it to 10 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cooking cycle is finished do a quick release of the pressure.
- Open the lid and stir in ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and more Parmesan cheese if desired.
Tips
I think it tastes best served right away, but the leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge. If it’s thickened or dry, just add a splash of broth when yo warm it up and it will be delicious!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 337kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 29g (10%), Protein: 19g (38%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Cholesterol: 46mg (15%), Sodium: 1206mg (52%), Potassium: 384mg (11%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 3694IU (74%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 245mg (25%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Emily says
Delicious! I followed the recipe as is!
Julie Evink says
So glad you enjoyed it Emily! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
Alisa says
Love this recipe. My husband is badgering me to make it with brown rice though. Do you know how long I would need to cook it and how much broth I’d use if I did it with brown rice instead? I thought brown rice takes longer to cook.
Julie Evink says
I would double the cooking time. I think liquid will be the same.
Crystal says
Ok, I was hesitant but I trusted the process and wasn’t disappointed. Added 2 breasts and more cheese. I messed and used instant rice so it was mushy like mentioned in the comment but still so good! Added some crackers to taste. Whole family smashed it!
Julie Evink says
Glad you enjoyed it Crystal!
Beth says
Can I use Instant rice in this recipe?
Julie Evink says
I wouldn’t recommend instant rice as it cooks faster and tends to get mushy when cooking for long periods of time.
Keira L Kagay says
Can I use frozen Peas and Diced carrots?
Julie Evink says
Yes I think you could, but I would add them with the rice not right away with the onions.
Keira says
I accidently put 6 cups!!! Is this going to mess it up..oh man..)): I used a 48oz container and didn’t think about ot…
Julie Evink says
It will just be more like Chicken and Rice Soup 🙂
Dan says
I’m not trying to be mean, but this is like the start of a recipe more than it is a finished product. To make it a real meal, add some spices – I used a little basil, oregano, thyme, chili powder, and crushed red pepper – to give it some flavor. You could also go with southwest flavors and maybe use cheddar instead of parmesan.
Could also benefit from adding some more vegetables to make it healthier and more colorful. I am going to make some broccoli tonight and mix in with the leftover chicken & rice – although I’m not sure how broccoli does in an instant pot so might be tough to cook it all together. Black beans could be another good addition, combined with the rice they give you a nutritionally complete meal.
Alex says
Not to be mean, but that would make it a completely different recipe.I look forward to trying this recipe!
Kim says
Really good. I added some cayenne and a tsp of “Better Than Bouillon” to give it a little more flavor.
Julie Evink says
Great additions! So glad you enjoyed it Kim!
Myra Johnson says
This was absolutely delicious….I tweaked it and added peas at the end. Love it, love it, love it‼️
Will be making this again. Thanks
Julie Evink says
Great to hear Myra!!
Barbara Gustafson says
Julie, on my instant pot, I don’t see a manual button, what other setting can I use?
Julie Evink says
Does it have a Pressure Cook button? Just use that if it does on high pressure.
Eri says
If I want to cut the rice and broth in half, is the cook time the same?
Julie Evink says
I’ve never attempted this but I would think it would be.
Cheryl Newton says
Hi, Julie,
I didn’t notice this the first time I read the recipe, but now I’m wondering: is it 1.5 chicken breasts, or 1.5 lbs.?
Thanks,
Cheryl
Julie Evink says
1 1/2 chicken breasts, but honestly you can adjust it to what you’d like!
Ashley says
One of my favorite recipes. So delicious!
Michelle Sperr says
I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe Ashley!
Sam says
This was delicious!! I love bringing out my instant pot to try new recipes. Loved it
Michelle Sperr says
Way to go Sam! Glad you found a recipe to try and that you loved it!
Karen says
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! My hubby isn’t usually a big fan of chicken/rice dishes but he loved this so much we’re having the leftovers for dinner tonight! I didn’t change anything but made a half recipe. I also used my own homemade chicken stock which was full of flavor. Was a little concerned about using parmesan (instead of typical cheddar) but it was perfect! I did all my prep earlier in the day and then just threw it together. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Michelle Sperr says
You’re welcome Karen! I’m so glad that you loved this recipe!
helen banman says
hi. could you tell me what a instant pot is. i dont have on or can a person use a regular pot. my email address is;hbanman @yahoo.ca. thank you very much. helen banman.
Michelle Sperr says
Hi Helen – the best way I could describe an instant pot is that it is a pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow-cooker, rice cooker…..all in one package. Hope this helps!