Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Posted: 03/26/20
Updated: 01/10/22
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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!
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
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!
servings
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
Equipment
- Instant Pot
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.
- Secure lid on pot and set valve to Sealing. Set to Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- When cook time is completed, let naturally release for 2 minutes, then carefully Quick Release remaining 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.
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.
- To Clean Instant Pot: If any rice sticks to your Instant Pot, use my easy trick to clean it. Fill the Instant Pot up ¼-⅓ of the way with water and dish soap. Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode on High/Extra High heat and let liquid simmer. After a few minutes, the rice will loosen and clean up easily.
Video
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 676kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 156mg, Sodium: 1957mg, Potassium: 912mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 598IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 347mg, Iron: 2mg, Net Carbs: 60g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
My Dad, step mom and myself loved it! We also added broccoli on top and mmm!
Yum! So glad y’all enjoyed it. 🙂
I made this recipe tonight. I’m not feeling well and was saving it for a night just like tonight when I needed something quick and wholesome. This did not disappoint! I can’t wait to make it again and try some mushrooms or another vegetable in it. Or as is!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
The ratios all worked but I agree with the others that it’s missing something. I think using risotto in the description led me to think it would be richer and more flavorful.
We’re so sorry you had this experience, Renee, but thank you for sharing your honest feedback.
Easy, creamy, yummy and a crowd pleaser – thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Would this recipe work well for a large group? Like 20 servings? Will it fit in an 8 quart instapot? The recipe adjusts to 7.5 lbs of chicken. How long under pressure to cook that much meat? Thanks!
We have not tried making this recipe to serve that many people, but you could make it in batches ahead of time to freeze and serve later, or you could make it in an extra-large pot on the stovetop instead of the Instant Pot.
Made this tonight with high hopes. It lacks flavor, and the texture in my opinion was not great. We added seasoning but I agree with a previous comment that the flavor of Parmesan and lemon was lost.
We’re so sorry you had this experience, JL. While we did not have this experience during the testing and execution of this recipe, we appreciate your honest feedback.