This quick and easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe is deliciously cheesy and packed with tender, flavorful chunks of chicken. A soul-satisfying one-pot meal that you and your whole family will love.
If you're craving something tasty and comforting AND love the convenience of a one-pot meal, this Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe is right for you!
It's great for picky eaters if you have any in your house. Family-friendly Instant Pot recipes are our thing!
Bonus! In about 25 minutes, a healthy, complete meal is on the table. If you want to set it and forget it on busy weeknights, try our Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe.
Make sure to Bookmark our Instant Pot recipes page. We add new ones all the time!
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Ingredient Notes
With its natural simple ingredients, this is a healthy alternative to takeout. No canned soup here! Plus, it is gluten-free.
- olive oil & butter - both butter and olive oil help carry the flavors of the food, and together they enhance the overall dish.
- onion & garlic - together, these create the base flavor for your dish. Fresh minced garlic produces the best flavor. However, you can use garlic powder if you don't have any on hand.
- carrots - cut into small cubes, carrots cook perfectly in the instant pot.
- boneless skinless chicken breasts - boneless, skinless chicken breasts provide lean protein. You'll love the juicy chicken cooked in the instant pot.
- salt and pepper - add more or less to your taste preference.
- rice - we recommend long grain white rice. Jasmine rice or Basmati rice is a great choice.
- low sodium chicken broth - so you can control the amount of salt in the finished dish
- frozen peas - to add extra veggies and a pop of color.
- chopped parsley
- grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving) - the parmesan cheese adds a nice cheesy, salty element.
- fresh lemon juice - a slight drizzle of lemon juice brings the flavors together when it's done cooking.
Substitutions & Variations
- CHICKEN: Yes, you can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
- VEGGIES: For a different spin, add chopped mushrooms or broccoli in place of the peas or combine all three. Bell Peppers would also be great cooked with the onions.
- DAIRY FREE: To make your chicken and rice in the instant pot dairy-free, omit the parmesan cheese.
- CHEESE: If you prefer a more cheesy casserole, add a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese in step four of the instructions.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and White Rice
With minimal effort, you can dig into this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (aka family-friendly comfort food). Let's get started.
STEP 1 - PREP. Place the inner pot in the pressure cooker. Set the instant pot on the SAUTE function and let it heat up. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
STEP 2 - SAUTE VEGGIES AND CHICKEN. Add onion, garlic, and carrots; sauté until the carrots start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add Chicken cubes along with salt and black pepper. Cook until the chicken changes color to light brown.
STEP 3 - ADD RICE AND BROTH AND PRESSURE COOK. Add the rice and chicken stock. Give it all a nice mix. Close the lid and pressure valve. Select the PRESSURE COOK button on HIGH PRESSURE and cook for 7 minutes.
Once the pressure-cooking cycle is over, do a quick release of pressure for 5 minutes. Open the lid and press CANCEL.
PRO TIP: Use a dish towel over the value to prevent the steam from spitting all over.
STEP 4 - ADD PEAS, PARSLEY, AND PARM. Add peas, chopped parsley, lemon juice if using, and grated parmesan. Mix everything. Cover with the lid and let the peas cook in the steam for 5 minutes.
Serve hot and garnished with more chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Jasmine or Basmati rice for best results. We don't recommend using brown rice as it requires a longer cooking time, which will overcook the chicken.
- We recommend cutting your chicken into small pieces so it cooks at the same rate as the rice.
- To avoid a burn notice, make sure to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot after sautéing but before adding the rice and broth.
- Don't worry if you don't have lemon juice. It's an optional ingredient. However, it does add to the finished dish.
- We use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Electric Pressure Cooker.
What to serve with chicken and rice
Since this Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken has protein, carbs, and veggies, it's a meal in and of itself. However, if you want to round it out, you can add a green salad or roasted vegetables.
Storing and Freezing
REFRIGERATOR: If stored in an airtight container, this recipe keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave.
FREEZER: Once cooled, transfer the chicken and rice recipe to individual freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave. Follow our tips for Freezing Chicken and Rice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use pork. Plan to use the same amount of pork as chicken and follow the recipe instructions listed in the recipe card.
We recommend using white Jasmine or Basmati rice for the best results in the recipe. Brown rice has a longer cooking time and will overcook the chicken if used.
Yes, you can substitute pulled rotisserie chicken if you’d like, just keep the cooking time the same.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken - one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes. The sauce on this chicken is incredible!
Instant Pot Tortelli Soup - an easy way to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken - a flavorful twist on regular chicken that will become your new Instant Pot favorite.
Best Instant Pot Rice - the best recipe for perfect brown rice every time!
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Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Spatula or cooking spoon
- knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 2 carrots (cut into small cubes)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size cubes)
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups rice (white Jasmine or Basmati)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup frozen peas
- juice from half a lemon (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more to serve)
Instructions
- Set the instant pot on the SAUTE function, and let it heat up. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add onion, garlic, and carrots; sauté until the carrots start to soften about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Chicken cubes along with salt and black pepper. Cook until the chicken changes color to light brown.
- Add rice and chicken broth. Give all a nice mix.
- Close the lid and pressure valve. Select the PRESSURE COOK button on HIGH PRESSURE and cook for 7 minutes.
- Once the pressure-cooking cycle is over, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Let out any remaining steam manually and then open the lid and select the CANCEL button.
- Add peas, chopped parsley, lemon juice, and grated parmesan. Mix everything.
- Cover with the lid and let the peas cook in the steam for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot garnished with more parsley and parmesan.
Notes
- MAKE AHEAD: You can cut your veggies and chicken up to a day ahead of time and cook when ready.
- RICE: Use white Jasmine or Basmati rice for best results. We don't recommend using brown rice as it requires a longer cooking time, which will overcook the chicken.
- PRO TIP: We recommend cutting your chicken into small pieces so it cooks at the same rate as the rice.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour with dairy and when the temperature is above 90 °F).
- Always wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
- See more food preparation and food safety guidelines at USDA.gov.
James Bullard Jr says
Can I put cooked brown rice in when I ad the parsley?
Erin Henry says
The recipe was designed to cook with all the ingredients together. If you cooked only the chicken and added the rice later, I think the cook time may be different.
Eden says
Beyond easy to make!! So flavorful and the perfect dinner for my family, thanks for sharing!
eileene says
chicken and rice in the instant pot is an amazing recipe! thank you so much for sharing!
Erin Henry says
Yes! One of our favorites. Easy and satisfying!
Samantha says
YUM!!! This was like childhood comfort food, but SO quick and easy thanks to the instant pot. Thanks for a keeper recipe!
Erin Henry says
Yes, quick, easy, and oh, so tasty! Enjoy!