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 really wanted to like this….followed the recipe EXACTLY to the T, but I found it very bland and the consistency a total mush. I love risotto and can make a really good one….but this recipe didn’t do it for me. Next time 🙂
It should be full of flavor if no adjustments were made. We have always used and followed this recipe to the T and had great tasty results.
Me too. It’s so mushy. Any thoughts on how to make it less mushy?
Hello! Can you use frozen chicken for this recipe? If so, what would be the adjusted time? Thank you!
Hi Cat, I haven’t tested this with frozen chicken, but you would be missing some flavor by not doing the sauteeing part of the recipe. I recommend thawing and proceeding as instructed above. I hope you love the recipe.
I did. It was all I had. I let it sit in water (in the food saver bag) while I got things around, including dicing the onions and carrots. I cut it into small cubes and then proceeded, only adding one minute to the time. Worked fine.
My husband and I loved this dish! I used what I had left of a bag of brown jasmine rice and balanced it out with brown long grain rice. I kept the same liquid measurements which made it a little soupy the first night but the rice soaked it all up overnight so leftovers were wonderful too. I cooked for 15 minutes and did a natural release for about 5 minutes. I had coworkers ask me what that wonderful smell was when I heated up the leftovers for lunch! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe and the helpful suggestions from others in the comments.
You are very welcome, Lisa. So glad that you liked it!
I love the taste of this and I’ve made it a few times. I wish it were a little less “gummy” when done. What would happen if I rinsed the rice? (I followed the recipe exactly.)
Hi Irene, For this specific recipe, 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.
I tied the chicken and rice today and it was explosive with the garlic. Thank you!!!!
Wonderful to hear! You’re very welcome. So glad you loved it.
I’ve made this and it’s very good. But I have a “funny” for you: I’d like to see you dice a medium onion, grate 2 large carrots and trim and cut into 1-inch pieces 1.5 pounds of chicken in 5 MINUTES! You’d really have to speed that camera up!
That seems fun LOL!
Hi there! Question for you: If we wanted to substitute minced garlic, how much would we use? Thanks!
Hi Scott. Some of my readers have done this with good results but you’d have to add it to your taste preference. I do not have a specific amount.
I love all your recipes!! Question, what do you do with the garlic?
Hi Darlene! Thank you, I’m glad you love my recipes. See step 3 in the recipe card for instructions. The flavor infuses the rice and then you can remove the head of garlic if you want to, or squeeze the cloves into the rice. The garlic cloves will melt in your mouth tender and so tasty.
Do I leave the whole head of garlic in when it’s done cooking? 😅
The flavor infuses the rice and then you can remove the head of garlic if you want to, or squeeze the cloves into the rice.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It’s so awesome and tasty, I gave it 5 stars even though I had to add just a little more water / broth when it was done (most likely my fault, as maybe I measured the rice slightly over 2 cups. It’s a keeper and I will make again and again. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe, Natasha.
Hi Diane! That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you!
As a mom of two, expecting our third while dealing with morning sickness, I came here looking for something quick and simple that would please the family, and hopefully be something I could eat too! Your recipe delivered, though I made a few changes.
I left out the onion and garlic and parsley (looking forward to the day when I’m well enough to add them!), and didn’t sautée the carrots or chicken beforehand. Just threw it all in together. I also added spinach.
I reduced the amount of liquid in the recipe to a scant 3 cups because I didn’t want mushy rice.
After cooking, I added butter and shredded cheddar instead of Parmesan because that’s what I had on hand.
It came together so quickly, cooked up beautifully, and it’s truly delicious (even though I left out or swapped ingredients and skipped important steps!)
This will be a dinner we repeat… hopefully with the really flavourful ingredients soon!
Hi Caroline! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad you loved the recipe, even with the changes. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Great recipe! If using brown rice, how would you adjust the cooking time? Thanks! : )
Hi Dan, 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.
I use short grain brown rice that I purchase at Costco. I cook for 35 minutes on high pressure w a 20 minute release and it comes out great.
I made this with brown rice and pressure cooked for 15min with 5min natural release. Added a bit of onion powder and garlic powder (didn’t have the whole garlic on hand). Skipped the parm and Served with a splash of low sodium soy sauce and chow mein noodles. Turned out delish. Thanks!
Hi Ted, thanks for sharing your review and tips.
Thanks, Ted. I also used brown rice and wondered how to adjust the time for cooking.
I bought an instapot just to make this recipe and it was worth it! My family loves it and I do as well. We have company coming for dinner tonight and I’m fixing this. I use several of your recipes and love your website and videos!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Sherry!
This dish is delicious. Despite how delicious it is, my family has collectively decided that it looks like something served in a detention center. We now refer to it as prison slop. The parsley garnish definitely helps it to look a little more presentable.
Hi Val! That is funny! I’m glad your family enjoys the recipe. 🙂
I have made this recipe many times and my family absolutely loves it! We are considering trying quinoa in place of the rice for a little extra protein, but I’m a bit unsure of how it might turn out Have you ever tried it with quinoa or can you offer any tips?
Hi Moranda! I’m glad you love this recipe. I have not tried Quinoa in an instant pot to know how to make the adjustments. Let us know if you experiment with it.
We mad a FODMAP friendly version and was excellent! Used garlic infused and shallot infused olive oil, lactose free butter, and Fody chicken base. Left everything else out until after. Chopped up cilantro and lactose free sour cream and cheese. Delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sandy! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
My family just didn’t like this. I was hoping for the best but mushy rice was not a hit. I’ll stick the making them separately.
So our family LOVES this recipe but I have a question….every time I make this the InstaPot burns the rice on the bottom of the pot right at the end. I get the burn warning and I turn off the pot and open it and it’s all done an delicious except it’s burnt on the very bottom. Is it me or my InstaPot? I am following all the directions of the recipe and otherwise it turns out excellent!
Hi Cary, be sure you are using cold water in the recipe. I haven’t had a burn noticed personally to advise on what’s causing that to happen.
Natasha can I make the chicken and rice insta pot recipe with already cooked chicken?
Hi Laura, you can add the chicken when you’re adding the cheese and let it warm.