My Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is creamy and cheesy with tender morsels of juicy chicken in less time than the classic dish. You will fall in love with the flavors, especially with my secret tip for adding garlic. This is a fan-favorite recipe, so watch the video tutorial below to see how easy this is.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Follow the recipe exactly and Comes out perfect every time! Amazing flavor.” – Amber ★★★★★
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Video
This Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe will transform dinner for you. It’s one of the easiest and tastiest dinners you’ll make, and there’s minimal cleanup because it all comes together in the Instant Pot!
Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
The texture of this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is almost like a Risotto, but it doesn’t require the tedious stirring for 30 minutes. The flavor is truly memorable, and yet this recipe calls for simple ingredients.
The secret to great Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot is in infusing the rice with an entire head of garlic. I add the whole head while cooking, so then the garlic will melt in your mouth. (We used the same trick to make Instant Pot Beef and Rice (Plov).)
We love our Instant Pot because it produces the same great results in a fraction of the time, so you can enjoy dinner fast! Some of our favorites include Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, Bone Broth, Corn on the Cob, and Tender Ribs.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Simple ingredients really shine in this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe! Grab a pack of chicken and a few pantry staples.
- Vegetables – onion, grated/julienned carrots, and parsley
- Garlic – I use a whole head of garlic, halved lengthwise and leave this unpeeled.
- Chicken – boneless breasts, thighs, or tenders cut into bite-sized pieces (1″). *We prefer chicken tenders because they require less prep and reheat well. They are also the most tender.
- Chicken broth – use Homemade Chicken Stock or a low-sodium version from the grocery store
- Jasmine rice – unrinsed. You could also use Basmati or Texmati without adjusting the cooking time. Brown rice would require a longer cooking time.
- Parmesan cheese – Salty and nutty flavor that permeates the whole dish
How to Make Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot
We used a 6 Quart Instant Pot to make chicken and rice. This recipe moves fast, so have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you turn on your Instant Pot.
- Set your Instant Pot to sautee on high heat, add oil, butter, onion, carrots, and 1 tsp salt, cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and salt, and saute for another 5 min.
- Add in broth and rice and stir. Place the halved garlic head cut-side-down on top. Cook for 1 minute on manual high pressure, and then quick release.
- Open the lid to add the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir and serve with more cheese to sprinkle over the top.
Tips for Using an Instant Pot to Make Chicken and Rice
Always read the user’s manual for your specific machine because it may operate differently.
- Make sure the rim and rubber seal on your Instant Pot are clean for the seal to form properly.
- Stir the rice together before turning on the heat to avoid the burn notice.
- For safety, wear an oven mitt when manually releasing pressure, and keep your face away from the hot steam vent. Also, keep a paper towel ready to shield the vent while venting/releasing pressure.
- Check the pressure indicator to ensure that the pressure has fully released prior to opening the lid.
- Follow timing instructions precisely and set timers. With pressure cooking, it’s easy to overcook something if you forget about your pot.
Helpful Reader Review
“Delicious and so easy. I used long-grain white rice and added about a cup of frozen spinach. Came out like a risotto and everyone loved it!” – Snk ★★★★★
Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice makes for the perfect go-to or first Instant Pot recipe! It’s simple and will impress you right out of the pot! It’s freezer-friendly and keeps in the fridge, so you can easily use this recipe for meal planning for the week. Let me know how you love it in the comments!
PS. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can still enjoy this recipe, because it is the quicker and easier version of our wildly popular Stovetop Chicken and Rice Recipe.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, thickly grated or julienned
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs, or tenders (trimmed and cut into 1" pieces)
- 2 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups Jasmine rice, un-rinsed
- 1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
- 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
Instructions
- Set a 6 Qt Instant Pot to saute on high heat and add butter, oil, chopped onion, grated or julienned carrots, and 1 tsp salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soft and golden.
- Add trimmed, chopped chicken, another 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of rice and stir to combine. Cut the whole garlic head in half through the cloves and parallel to the base. Place garlic halves on top, cut-side down. Cover and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick-release remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan with 1/3 cup chopped parsley. Serve with more cheese and garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- To refrigerate – pack in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze – place airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To reheat – place leftovers in a casserole dish covered in a 350°F oven or in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until heated through to 165°F.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Easy 30-Minute Meals You Will Love
Just like Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, these are go-to 30-minute meals that our family loves (our kids go back for seconds), and they require minimal prep. Perfect for a weeknight!
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Beef and Broccoli
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Zuppa Toscana
- Lettuce Wraps
Hi Natasha Is it possible to convert this recipe to a slow cooker recipe Just wondering for my patents they only have a slow cooker
Hi Kim! I don’t have slow cooker instructions, but you can use this stove top recipe: Creamy Chicken and Rice Recipe (a one-pot meal).
Our family loves this recipe. We add a grated zucchini in too. The kids don’t even know.
That’s an excellent way to make it a bit healthy for the kids! I’m glad it was a huge hit.
Quick question, can I replace the rice with orzo pasta? And can I do these same steps but in a pot on the stove? I don’t have a pressure cooker 🙁
Hi Masha! I haven’t tested it with orzo but I think it could work with a few adjustments. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
Also- I have a stovetop chicken and rice recipe here.
What do I do with the cut garlic halves after everything is cooked?
Hi Andy, not everyone loves it, but I do like to squeeze out the garlic cloves back into the rice.
We love this dish! I am wondering if you can freeze the left overs ?
Hi Tanya! Yes, you can freeze it.
Can I use cooked chicken instead of raw? And if I can how much?
Yes, that will work, but you need to adjust how and when you add it so it doesn’t turn out dry or overcooked. You may cook the rice and other ingredients first, then stir in the cooked chicken at the end and let it warm through in the hot rice before serving.
I love this recipe! A staple in our house. I would like to try it with shrimp. Any idea how long to cook it with shrimp? Or should I cook the shrimp separately?
Hi Mandie! Shrimp cooks very quickly, I would cook it and add it in at the end.
I must have missed something, the rice was mushy and I wanted more spices. Tasted bland. Will try again with less water and more garlic.
Hi Holly, did you use a different type of rice? Make sure to avoid parboiled or any quick-cooking types of rice.
Grated some beets and added to water and better then bouillon. Better than bouillon is way better than broth and the grated beets turn it pink. My daughter’s are obsessed with it because it’s pink
Thank you for sharing that with me, Gary.
This is my Go to recipe for chicken and rice! Even my kids love it! Great way to slip in carrots! Forever screen shot in my photos!!
I’m glad this has become your go-to recipe! Thank you for the amazing feedback.
Phenomenal! Easy too. I diff add more veggies and it turned out wonderful. Thank you
Love this recipe! So easy & so delicious! Was wondering if it’s freezable? Wondering if it would work as a good postpartum meal to prep ahead of time.
Hi Larissa! Yes, you could freeze it.
This is a family favorite! We’re wanting to try it with brown rice. How would this change the recipe?
Hi Jace, brown rice like we used in our Instant Pot Rice with Beef (Plov) recipe, would require a longer cooking time.
Delicious and super easy and fast. I only used half the amount of rice because me and hubby like a higher meat ratio. I did one cup of broth and one cup of chardonnay. I also used basmati rice. I added about a cup of broccoli florettes.
We really enjoyed this. Happy bellies over here!
That’s great, Claudia! I love the addition of broccoli!
Oh my gosh this is so good! I made it tonight. I followed the recipe except that I added sliced baby bella mushrooms and I used RiceSelect Royal Blend Rice, Texmati Rice Blend. Almost like a gourmet meal. I’ve made this exact recipe many times but tonight’s changes made it my favorite.
I made this recipe exactly according to the instructions and there was so much liquid left, way too much. I have no idea what went wrong here but it’s basically ruined the meal.
Hi Steven! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected. Did it overcook and become mushy? What type of rice did you use?