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
Well, my first mistake was not watching your video before picking up that head of garlic. 🙄 The first thing I did was start rubbing the outer skin off and then twisted off the center stalk out of habit, almost without thinking. As I’m sure you can imagine, when I cut it in half, the top half just fell apart😂. But, I tossed it on top anyway.
I used a diced red pepper instead of carrots to be more appealing to my youngest. I got the idea in the comments.
I did not have jasmine rice. I used long grain brown rice. It wasn’t quite done after ten minutes and the quick release, so I put it back in for three minutes. It was done after that, but I think maybe opening it after the first ten let out too much steam?? It ended up sticking pretty bad, almost burned. So I’ll just add about 3-5 minutes from the get go next time if I use the same rice.
It was delicious. My family really liked it. It was super easy and a quick meal. I’m definitely adding this one to my menu list!
I do have one question …..why do you use a whole head of garlic and not leave it all in the recipe. ( I mean, I understand NOT leaving ALL of it in the recipe!) But why not put some whole cloves in and stir them in when it’s done? ……I’m truly wondering the reason, not picking at your amazing recipe♥️. I agree, it’s definitely risotto like…….and it was our whole meal!😁
Hi Jennifer, I’m glad you loved the flavor for a quick meal. I’m glad to hear the red pepper worked well too. Long grain rice requires more water & more cook time than jasmine rice. That could be why it was sticking. Garlic head, not everyone loves it, but I do like to squeeze out the garlic cloves back into the rice.
I have an 8 qt and usually cook mine only 5 minutes because it takes so long to come to pressure.
This is my favorite last minute meal or when I’m in a pinch. I always have the ingredients on hand and my fam loves it!!
Great recipe. Fool-proof. My family and I love it! Thank you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Loved the addition of a garlic head in this recipe. We didn’t have any carrots, but added a few small chopped peppers for color and flavor. I used regular rice as that was all that I had as well. Turned out perfectly. Can’t wait to try it with the carrots! De-lish!
Always a hit in my house. The kids call it chicken mush. 😜
I’m so happy to this was a hit in your home, Karen! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
It is basically mush! I made it as written but my son seasoned the chicken and he loves spice. It was on fire! But definitely mush.
HI Kacy, did you use a different type of rice (different grains of rice cook at different rates) or change the water to rice proportions or cooking timings?
We love this recipe! It’s fantastic. Give it a try. Thanks Natasha
Husband and child both said they could have this everyday! Thank you for this wonderful recipe Natasha!
Hi Natasha. Can you please recommend a good brand for jasmine rice? Thank you 🌻
Hi Yulia, I don’t recall the exact brand I used here your favorite brand or what your grocery store carries will work well.
This is my family’s favorite. Leftovers are fought over!
You may need a double batch the next time around, Ashley!
Instant Pot chicken and rice. Looks really good. I assume you used regular long grain rice. Could you also use parboiled rice and if so what adjustments to the recipe would have to be made? Thank you.
Hi Tom! I haven’t tested par boiled rice. You’ll likely need to tweak the cooking time and liquid a bit since parboiled rice cooks differently than regular long-grain rice.
This is one of our family’s favorite recipes!
So glad to hear your family is enjoying the recipe!
SOMETHING MY PICKY HUSBAND CHILD WIILL EAT
I ALSO WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE RICE BEING TOO THIN. THEREFORE, I GOT THE SIGNAL THAT FOOD WAS BURNING…..FOOD WAS NOT BURNING.
I ADDED ABOUT 3/4 MORE CUP CHICKEN BROTH
THE PICKEY EATER IS CHOWING IT DOWN
It turned out perfect thanks . Everyone likes their differently but for us it was perfect . Thanks.
was definitely too mushy. I used Jasmine rice. I will most likely reduce liquid by 1/2 next time. Usually it’s 1:1 for rice in an instant pot. Should’ve gone with my gut on that one. Oh well, next time! Flavor was good. I added lots of extra garlic, and a little extra other seasonings.
Hi there, mushy rice is usually due to overcooking – make sure to use the same rice I recommend since different types cooke at different times.
I follow the recipe to the tea in my rice. Also always turns out on the mushy side but honestly, I love that and my kids love that and we love mixing in some sour cream and Korean barbecue sauce. 😍
Ooh barbecue sauce. Fun idea! My kids lovvve barbecue sauce.
HahaI should have checked the comments. Rice and carrots were mushy and chicken didn’t cook
HI Mallori, did you change anything in the recipe and what type of rice did you use? I’m surprised the chicken didn’t cook – did you cut it very large?
Way too mushy for my liking. Next time will try to use half the broth.
Hi Marvin, mushy rice is usually due to overcooking – make sure to use the same rice I recommend since different types cooke at different times.
This is soooo good. It is probably one of my most favorite meals. Would love some tips on reheating the next day as the chicken always tastes strange and is rubbery.
I made this for a party and it was a hit!
So glad to hear that!
Thanks for sharing. It turned out really mushy for my liking. I would try it again but with less water next time. I would do 1:1 next time instead of 1:2 rice to water ratio. 🙂
Hi Jam, thanks for sharing your feedback – did you use a different kind of rice?
Really easy and simply delicious, I had been under the weather and found this recipe to try and boy did it do the job. Great dish thank u so much
Hi Tom! I’m so glad you found this recipe. I’m happy to know it brought you comfort when you weren’t feeling well.