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
I have a 3 quart instant pot — just the 2 of us. If I half the recipe would it still be the same time?
Hi Linda, it’s hard to say since I’ve only tried it in a 6-quart pot but I imagine that should work.
I have an 8 quart is the liquid measurements the same?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tested this in an 8 quart but I assume they would be the same. If you try it out in your 8 qt pot, I would love to hear how it goes.
HI Natasha! I just got a Instapot Duo Nova and this creamy chicken rice will be the first recipe I try tonight (can’t wait). I bought Jasmine and brown Jasmine and thought I would do 1 cup of each…. Will cooking time change. Thank you! Love your recipes and videos. 🙂
Hi Rena, I would not recommend mixing white and brown rice because brown can take twice as long. I would suggest white jasmine rice.
Thank you Natasha for this AMAZING recipe!!! My baby girl whos almost 1 will gobble this up too! So tasty and really easy! That’s my kind of recipe!! Please make more recipes for the instant pot!!
Hi Jacquelyn! Thank you for stopping by! This is one of our go-to recipes, especially for the kids!
Hi Natasha. thank you for letting me join your blog.your recipe are so good .but I was just wondering do I need an instant pot .I don’t have one ,can I just use an ordinary pan or slow cooker .I would love to try your recipe.or is there something else l can use .or were can I buy one .
Hi Margaret, here is the full tutorial for the stovetop chicken and rice.
I Made this chicken and rice recipe the other day, and literally the whole family devoured and loved it!! Even hubby approved! Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe, and please keep more instant pot recipes coming! We love them! ❤
Hi Lily, I am so happy to hear that! I think you’ll absolutely love the next instant pot recipe we have planned. It should air on the first Friday of January. Thank you for sharing your amazing review.
Question…..I don’t ha e a instant pot…..could I make this in a Dutch oven?
Hi Alida, make sure you check out our original chicken and rice recipe that is cooked in a dutch oven on the stovetop.
This recipe sounds wonderful except for the garlic. My husband and I both have digestive problems with garlic. Do you have suggestions for other herbs or seasonings?
Hi Evelyn, I have not tested a substitution for garlic. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
I followed directions exactly. Ended up having to cook 5 extra minutes. Got the burn warning despite stirring. I thought the flavor was somewhat bland overall. It was a nice simple meal to ale though!
That seems odd that you got the burn notice with stirring – there is a significant amount of water in the recipe where the burn notice shouldn’t appear. I wonder if it was a fluke with the machine?
This was so delicious! Really kids approved!
Wondering if I can double the recipe? Will it be safe for instant pot?
Thank you a lot !
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tested it that way but I think it would overwhelm a 6 Qt instant pot to double the recipe. If you experiment in a larger pot, please let me know how it goes.
I am making this tonight, do I double the liquid but not the time?
Hi Kristi, I haven’t tested doubling this, but if you are doubling the recipe and using a larger instant pot than 6qt, that should work fine to double the ingredients and not the time. Let me know how it goes doubling it.
YUM! This was delicious and oh so quick to make! I am a slow cook, and plov usually takes me hours! I was surprised that this was really a 30 minute meal! I used water instead of broth and didn’t feel like the recipe was lacking. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Yana!
Made this tonight! SOOOO yummy, I am keto so I only had a small bowl. My hubby loved it though! I substituted yellow peppers for carrots because that’s what I had on hand. In the future I will probably use 4 chicken breast instead of 3. I really like my instapot, this will be a staple. I think this recipe would be great for first time instapot people
I agree, Brittni! Thank you for sharing that great feedback with us.
Thank you for a great recipe! Looking forward to more Instant Pot recipes.!
With the Instant Pot you don’t really need other pots in yor kitchen.
Isn’t it the best! Thank you for that great review.
Loved this! Made it this weekend!
If I made a double batch in a 6qt, would that have an effects on the cooking time?
Hi Adam, I don’t think it would fit to double it in a 6 qt instant pot – it would probably go above the max fill line.
I am making this right now used a little more chicken and a little less oil
I hope you love the recipe!
It came out great. Do you think you could do it with Shrimp?
Hi Anthony, I haven’t tested that with shrimp to advise, if you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I don’t have a pressure cooker can this recipe be done in a Crock-Pot or regular pot?
Hi Sandra, 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
No way!!!! You took my favorite recipe on ur blog and made it easier ♡ ive legit been waiting for this!! Thanks Natasha !
Yay!! If you love this, wait until we share our next instant pot chicken recipe. You will love it!
I have an InstaPot and am scared to use it. It sits in my kitchen waiting for me to gather up the courage to use it. I’ve always been petrified of pressure cookers. Help!
I hope this gives you the courage to try it! I hope you love this recipe!
I made this recipe as my first in my new Instant Pot. It was very easy and pretty much did all the work for me. The one thing I learned was to be patient. There’s quite a wait for the pot to warm up before the cooking time starts. I think I had to wait about 10 minutes before it started actually cooking. We really enjoyed this meal.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! What I found helps to get it to pressure faster is if you heat the broth before adding it.
Thank you for the tip!
My third time using Instant pot, Great recipe for the beginners, not hard, quick and so delicious!
Thank you for that awesome feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
This recipe is super easy, fast to make and delicious!! I have 5 children, so I love quick recipes. I hope to see more recipes in the instant pot soon.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
How much extra time will need to be added if using brown rice ?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t experimented with brown rice, but it would be closer to the timing on our instant pot beef with brown rice.
Hey Natasha,
I m preparing this recipe with ground meat and it s easy, tasty and fast.
You r great and I like to watch the videos.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Hey Natasha,
I m preparing this recipe with minced meat, half and half and it s easy and fast.
You are great and very funny
You’re so nice! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!