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
The rice with cheese is really good. But the cubed chicken Is a little dry. Next time I’ll just cook whole, laying it on top of rice
Thank you for sharing that with us Virginia. Did you use chicken thighs or chicken breast?
My kid absolutely loved this! Super easy to make too 🙂
Wonderful to hear that, Erin. Thank you for your great review!
Sorry but my family was not pleased with this recipe. Very bland even with a full head of garlic. Not sure your reasoning for cutting the whole head of garlic in 1/2 and placing on top instead of peeling and chopping it to add to the chicken. It might have actually made it a little more flavorful if it was sautéed with the chicken. I have tried many a recipe from you Natasha, but sorry this did not hit a home run in my house.
Hi Sue, did you make sure to season it – this normally has ample flavor and is a very popular recipe among our readers. I’m happy to help troubleshoot but without being there or having more details, it’s impossible to know if anything was changed.
We also found it to be bland, and I followed the recipe to a T. The parsley helped a lot. I like the suggestions to add fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, thyme, mushrooms.
Thank you so much for sharing that suggestion with me Kelly!
We always double the garlic. It should slide right out of the skins if you cook it in the instant pot on top of the rice like Natasha suggests. It will be mushy, but I suggest chopping it up and mixing it with the rice. Never too much garlic in our house!
I made the chicken and rice for a late lunch. It was delicious!
I’m happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Super easy recipe, love the hidden veg with the shredded carrots for my picky eater. But I found it a little bland. I wanted some more flavors going on, will try adding more herbs next time as I think thyme would be yummy, and it needed more salt.
Thank you for sharing that feedback with us Jeralyn!
I tried this recipe today with my Instant Pot. I modified some ingredients because I don’t have them at the moment. I used canned carrots and peas in lieu of shredded carrots and plain white long grain rice instead of jasmine rice. It still turned out great. I love the recipe. I love it. Thank you very much for sharing this.
You’re welcome Janne! So happy you enjoyed that!
The Instant Pot Chicken and Rice looks excellent. It it possible to replace the white rice with brown rice? I know brown rice takes longer to cool.
Hi Bill, I haven’t made this one with brown rice but one of my readers wrote: “I made it with brown rice since that was all I had on hand — and increased pressure cook time to 20 minutes.” I hope that helps!
How much minced garlic should I use in place of a head of garlic?
It depends on the size but a typical garlic would have 10-12 cloves I think.
My first real entree in my Instant pit, and it was a huge hit with my rice loving husband!😀. I used brown rice and cooked for 20 minutes. Also cut the chicken bigger since it was cooking longer. Fork tender chicken! Been following you for a while, and very glad I finally tried your recipe! Thanks!
I am so happy that you and your husband both enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for giving it a try and for sharing your experience with us!
Natasha, I have an 8 quart instant pot..will the timing be the same? Cant wait to try! Thank you
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t tested this in an 8 qt but according to the manufacturer, no matter the size of your instant pot, whether it is 8qt or 6 qt, the cooking time will remain the same.
I made this recipe tonight and love it!! I used wings since that’s what I had on hand. I also used chopped garlic and fresh grated ginger. I also used chicken stock. This will be a staple in my kitchen now.
I enjoy watching your videos! Thank you so much!
Yum! That sounds so good right now! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!
Hi Natasha,
My family loved this recipe. We want to make it again and share some with a friends family. If I were to double or 1.5x the recipe, do I need to adjust the cook time?
Hi Tessa, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You will need to cook the chicken for a little while longer and you can add a minute or two more to the pressure cook.
Love love love this recipes but my husband is a diabetic so his blood sugar spikes after eating it. Can cauliflower rice be used instead of regularly rice?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tested this with cauliflower rice so I’m not sure what to advise for the cooking time since cauliflower would cook faster.
Too much liquid in the recipe. I think maybe 2.5-3 cups should be enough. My rice is really mushy like porridge.
Thank you for sharing that feedback with us Shirley. It should not be like porridge. Was anything altered in this recipe?
2x liquid/rice ratio is standard. Mine came out fine.
I tried this the first time, my whole family loved it, it’s so creamy, just like Natasha, the texture resembles risotto. Love this and all your videos, thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for that great review.
Instead of chicken can shrimp be used.
I haven’t tested that with shrimp to advise, if you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I tried to follow this recipe but the rice burned to the bottom with most not even cooking. Tech and me apparently do not mix well.
Hi Joseph, That seems odd that you got the burn notice – 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?
I have made this a few times and the flavor is greay but my chicken is a bit dry. Any tips?? Thanks!
Hi Amanda, if using a different kind of rice, you may need a little more water since some types of rice absorb more water and the chicken, in that case, may seem a little dry. With rice, a splash of hot water at the very end can make all the difference in a fluffy texture and to correct any dryness.
I do not own an Instant Pot, could this be cooked in the oven instead? Or would it change the consistency and flavor too much?
Thank you
Hi Brad, the original version of this recipe is actually stovetop! You can find that recipe here.
White chicken meat tends to be dryer than dark in an IP/general. You may want to use dark meat if you used white.
How can you adapt this to skillet?
Hi Darlene, I haven’t tested this in a skillet since they tend to be too short to hold all the ingredients. But we do have this exact recipe made in a pot. You can find it HERE. I hope that helps.
How long does this stay good for??
Hi Laurel, this recipe will stay good for a few days. I hope you love this recipe.
Made this for supper tonight. Family enjoyed it. I did make mine with minute rice and used cheddar cheese. Still turned out very good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!