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
This instant pot chicken and rice dish is to die for! It is extremely rare that when I cook something it is eaten in its entirety! My husband is very picky and I was concerned he would not like the parmesan cheese but he did! Thank you for providing recipes for people who are not experts in the kitchen!
Yay, that is fantastic! Thank you so much for your awesome review, Sandra. I hope you and your family will love every recipe that you will try.
you did not add the rice in these instructions see below
How to Cook Chicken and Rice in an 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. Chop your onion, grate or julienne your carrots (here’s the julienne slicer we love), half your garlic head.
Set your instant pot to sautee on high heat, add 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter.
Add onion, carrots, and salt and saute 5 min.
Add chicken and salt and saute 5 min.
Pour in broth and stir. Place halved garlic head cut-side-down.
Cover with lid and set the lever to sealing position. Cook on manual high pressure 10 minutes with manual pressure release.
Hi Deanna, I apologize, it was in the print-friendly recipe but not in the summary above. I add it with the chicken broth. I have updated the summary above.
What is that special glove called? Where can it be purchased?
Hi Donna, it’s a regular oven mitt. You can find oven mitts in our Amazon Shop HERE under the Kitchen Tools category.
Made this again tonight and added some frozen peas after Parmesan and parsley just to “mix it up” haha. Love this meal and it’s my kids’ favorite ❤️
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
The recipe says it serves 8 as a side dish. How many for a main dish? Maybe 6? I am going to make this for a large group in my instant pot as well as the stovetop version (so I have enough) and just wondering how many it will actually feed as a main dish. Thanks!
Hi Kim, something around that number I imagine.
I made the instant pot chicken and rice. It was super good and easy! I wasn’t sure about the whole garlic cut in half and put on top but I tried it and squeezed out all the cloves and I never new they were there. It just made it more delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this tonight and it came out like mushy soup. Any idea what I did wrong? I followed the directions and ingredients list.
Hi Christin, was anything possibly altered in the recipe? If using a different type of rice or letting it sit too long before releasing pressure, you run the risk of it becoming mushy. I hope that helps for next time.
Made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly. Like all of your recipes, this was excellent. Adding the cooked garlic back into the dish is essential for that extra layer of flavor. Your beef stew and beef stroganoff are some of our other favs.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi hi!
I love your recipes, thank you for coming up with new dishes all the time.
I have a question about using unrinsed rice…I thought we MUST rinse the rice, bucket,quinoa etc. Isnt it “dirty”?
Thank you
Hi Katherine, the result wouldn’t be the same consistency after rinsing. We do not rinse the rice so that extra starch helps with the creamier texture. I would have to run a test to tell you for sure, but I think you might add a couple of tablespoons less water if rinsing.
Thank you for this recipe! We have been looking for different chicken dishes. This was so good, we were fighting over who got the leftovers for lunch. Thank goodness there was enough for us to split. Even our picky eater liked it! It is a keeper.
Awesome! You’re very welcome, thanks for sharing your great comments and review with us. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe. I’ve made it without the instant pot and tonight with it and can honestly say I think I may love it more. The chicken just seems to be so much more tender.
That’s just awesome, Jordan! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
We cooked this recipe to the letter and it was great. We ate it as the main course with garlic bread. Fantastic.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Love your recipes!!! I just got a 3 quart mini Insta pot. I wanted to make the chicken and jasmine rice recipe. Do you think a three quart mini pot would work or should I half the recipe???
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried this in a 3 quart but I suspect it would overfill that size. I would probably cut the recipe in half.
I can confirm that it does overflow a 3qt. It’s all good until you have to vent it. You might find yourself scrubbing liquid butter off your walls. It’s a really great recipe, though!
This dish was rather bland. We didn’t think it had much garlic taste even though we squeezed out the whole bulb of garlic.Today we are going to eat the left overs i am going to add a little chicken broth to keep it moist and spinkle it with garlic salt.
Would I be able to make this I. A slow cooker, because I don’t have a instant pot! Love ALL your recipes! Thank you!
Hi Wilma, I don’t have a slow cooker version, but here is the full tutorial for the stovetop chicken and rice. I’m not sure this would work in a slow cooker; I haven’t tested it that way, so I’m not sure if the consistency would be right in a slow cooker
Can I make this without carrot and garlic and use mozzarella for cheese?
Or cheddar cheese?
Hi Elizabeth, it will be missing some flavor and color but I think that will work.
I’ve made this twice now. The first time, the biggest change I made was using cooked chicken that I had tossed in the freezer. I also added mushrooms and put about half the cheese as cheddar instead. So good!
The second time I made it, I traded pot barley for rice and added about 2 cups extra stock mix to account for the extra liquid barley needs, and cooked it for about 32 minutes (22minutes, then 10 more when it wasn’t ready yet). I also added mushrooms and cheddar, and used cooked chicken again. So good! Can’t wait to have more for lunch and dinner this week!🤤
Thank you for such a fab and easy recipe!
Hello there, you are very welcome! It’s my pleasure to be able to to share this great recipe with you all and I’m happy to know that you loved it!
Chicken rice for lunch thank you
So easy
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Martha!
Can I use a different type of rice? Like Camilla?
Hi Delia, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. The best rice for this recipe is jasmine rice (white, long-grain rice). You could also use Basmati or Texmati without adjusting the cooking time. Brown rice like we used in our Instant Pot Rice with Beef (Plov) recipe, would require a longer cooking time.
Phenomenal recipe! I made this last night for dinner, and both of us went back for seconds. He even heated up a third serving later on that night! We are garlic lovers, so I did squeeze all of the cloves back into the dish after cooking. I think next time, I’ll just peel it and add the loose cloves in before cooking, as I had a little trouble handling them to squeeze out while they were hot. Plus one half of the garlic head completely fell apart when I cut it in half, so that half got peeled and thrown in before cooking anyway. Overall, a truly delicious and easy meal that will be added into our regular dinner rotation. I can’t wait to experiment with adding more veggies!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Thank you! This came out perfect.. I cut the rice and water in half. I was very good.
I use Better Then Bouillon as my broth.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this today and it was amaaaziiiing