This Instant Pot chicken and rice is just absolutely dreamy. It’s rich and creamy but SO quick and easy to make. The whole family will love it, and it’s a true one-pot meal! With Parmesan cheese and a splash of lemon, this weeknight family dinner recipe is inspired by my favorite risotto recipe but with none of the hard work required!
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Why This Chicken and Rice Is So Good
- Thick and creamy with melty Parmesan, a tang of lemon juice, and perfectly cooked chicken and rice, this recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
- This chicken and rice is so rich and delicious, but so easy to make! With just a few steps in the Instant Pot, this is the perfect easy but filling meal. It’s absolutely one of my favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes!
- This recipe only takes a handful of ingredients that you may already have in your house! We love how simple the ingredients are but how amazingly rich and cheesy this chicken and rice is.
How To Make Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the butter and let it melt before adding onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken and stir. Cook until the chicken is no longer translucent. Add in the rice, broth, and lemon juice and stir well. Make sure nothing is sticking to the sides, and scoop the chicken pieces to the top.
- Close the lid and set valve to Sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, let naturally release for 2 minutes, then Quick Release the rest of the pressure. Stir everything well and season with Parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste.
Top Tips For Making Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Parmesan cheese is optional for this recipe, but we definitely recommend it! Fresh Parm will make this taste more like risotto, but if you are out, you can use a shredded cheese, like cheddar.
- We used plain white rice for this recipe. Brown rice is not recommended since it would take about 10 minutes longer, which would overcook the chicken.
- You must follow the directions exactly for releasing the pressure. Leaving it too long will result in overcooked rice and a potentially gluey texture. Make sure you manually release pressure after 2 minutes of natural pressure release!
- This recipe does not make a soupy or stewy chicken and rice, but a thick and creamy risotto-like recipe. If you’re looking for something that isn’t thick and creamy, this isn’t the recipe for you!
You’ll Love These Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes, Too
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
- The Best Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Burrito Bowls in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken and “Rice” Soup (Whole30, Low Carb)
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (Paleo)
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (Gluten Free Option)
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
More Instant Pot Recipes You Have to Try
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
- The Best EVER Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Dal
- 50 Low Carb Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Whole30 Chili with Butternut Squash (Paleo, Low Carb)
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
- Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- 45 Incredible Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings
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Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
This Instant Pot chicken and rice is just absolutely dreamy. It's rich and creamy but SO quick and easy to make. The whole family will love it, and it's a true one-pot meal! With Parmesan cheese and a splash of lemon, this weeknight family dinner recipe is inspired by my favorite risotto recipe but with none of the hard work required!
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts about 2-3 breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 cups chicken broth 3 cups for a firmer rice, 4 cups for a more risotto-inspired, soupier version. We personally prefer 4 cups.
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice from one lemon
- 1 ½ cups white rice rinsed, see Notes
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt plus more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoons black pepper plus more or less to taste
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add butter and let melt, then add garlic and onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add chicken and stir. Cook until no longer translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in rice, broth, and lemon juice. Stir well, bringing chicken pieces to top.
- Close lid and set valve to Sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- When cooking is completed, let naturally release for 2 minutes, then Quick Release rest of pressure. Stir well and season with Parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a little more chicken broth, if desired, to reach desired consistency – optional.
- If you find liquid still remaining on the top of your Instant Pot chicken and rice after cooking, stir well and turn on Sauté mode to fully incorporate.
Video
Notes
- Chicken broth: Use 3 cups of chicken broth if you prefer a firmer rice with a more separate grain. Use 4 cups for a more risotto-inspired chicken and rice, with a soupier, more stew-like texture. The rice will still have a clear grain but will be nice and soft. My family and I prefer 4 cups; we like the risotto texture more than when made with 3 cups. However, if you want your version to have clear grains of rice and be less creamy, use 3 cups.
- Rice: Be sure to use white rice for this recipe! Brown rice is not recommended since it would take about 10 minutes longer, which would overcook the chicken. Do not use instant or minute rice.
- Cheese: Fresh Parmesan is ideal, but can sub shredded cheese.
- If you end up with a “gluey” texture to your chicken and rice, it’s likely you’ve overcooked the recipe by leaving it to release pressure naturally for too long. This part is important! Give it just 2 minutes after the Instant pot beeps, then manually release pressure.
- This recipe will be more like a risotto than a fried rice texture or rice pilaf.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 673kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 52gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 2435mgPotassium: 969mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 596IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 352mgIron: 2mgNet Carbs: 60g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Karen says
Can this be frozen after preparing?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Absolutely!
Andrea says
My entire family loves this recipe. It is perfect without any changes. Thank you!!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
What a compliment! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Shannon says
What if my chicken is frozen? How long can I cook it & will it matter if the chicken isn’t cut up before cooking?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi Shannon, you can check out these recipes for cooking chicken breasts or thighs in the Instant Pot from frozen. To incorporate that method into this recipe, you’ll want to just cook it through, then follow the instructions for cooking the rice forward. (So, from the second half of Step 2 on.)
https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-frozen-chicken-breast/
https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-frozen-chicken-thighs/
Sonia says
Just finished dinner with my family. They ABSOLUTELY LOVED this chicken and rice recipe. Very similar to risotto in texture. I added chopped carrots and yellow peppers after the onion saute. This will be my go to quick and delish meal. Thanks for sharing.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you all loved it, Sonia! 🙂
Kelly Howell says
This is one of the 1st recipes I tried in the IP & It’s the reason I got both my daughter & step an Ip (& taped this recipe to the box! No matter how many recipes I try, this is still my favorite (family’s too) & I’m not a big chicken fan. I always make sure I have the ingredients to make a batch. So delicious & satisfying (not to mention quick & easy). Thank you so much!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Kelly, what a compliment! Thank you so much. We’re thrilled you and your daughter enjoyed this recipe so much and have embraced the Instant Pot!
Keara says
I plan to meal prep this for my father in law before we leave this visit. Does it freeze well one cooked? It sounds delicious amd I know he’ll love it but I want to make sure I can freeze and reheat it!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
It absolutely freezes well! Hope you and your family enjoy!
Marie says
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Absolutely!
Lydia says
Have you ever tried this with dairy free cheese? If so, what would you recommend?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Dairy-free cheese will definitely work here! Grated cashew cheese is a great dairy-free substitute for Parmesan.