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This chicken and rice Instant Pot recipe is 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!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Cheryl’s Note
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and have tried it with brown rice, instant rice, and minute rice, and each time it turned into a burned rice disaster or was completely overcooked with the brown rice.
This recipe requires long-grain white rice. Chicken and rice in the Instant Pot will not have the texture or consistency of fried rice or rice pilaf. It’s more similar to a risotto – but it’s not quite a risotto, either. It’s thick and creamy, so if that’s not what you’re looking for, I’d recommend a different recipe.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This hits that creamy, comforting sweet spot that makes weeknight dinners feel special. The rice gets all tender and luxurious with melty Parmesan and bright lemon—it’s like risotto without any of the babysitting or arm workout.
- One pot, minimal cleanup, maximum flavor. Everything cooks together in your Instant Pot, which means you’re not juggling multiple pans or watching a pot on the stove. Just set it and walk away!
- It’s ridiculously adaptable to what you’ve got on hand. Want it firmer? Use less broth. Craving something soupier? Add more. Throw in some frozen veggies at the end or swap chicken thighs for breasts—this recipe rolls with whatever you need.
- My kids devour this (hello, cheese and butter!), but it looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did. When it comes to Instant Pot chicken and rice recipes, this one is uber delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, and a weeknight hero!
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Don’t skip the 2-minute natural release timing. If you let the pressure release naturally for more than 2 minutes, your rice will turn into a gluey, sticky mess. Set a timer on your phone the second that cook time ends.
- A pro tip is to rinse your rice before adding it to the pot. This removes excess starch and helps prevent that gummy texture no one wants. Just a quick rinse under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer does the trick.
- To adjust the broth, use 3 cups if you want firmer rice with more distinct grains (though it still won’t be like fried rice). Use 4 cups if you want it creamier and more risotto-like. I typically go with 4 cups because I love that dreamy Instant Pot chicken-and-rice consistency.
- When you add the broth and rice, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot really well with your spoon. Those golden bits of onion and garlic are pure gold, and you don’t want a “burn” warning from your Instant Pot.
Not Wanting a Chicken and Rice Instant Pot Recipe?
If you’re looking for a risotto instead, try my Instant Pot Risotto or my Best EVER Stovetop Risotto.) I typically use 4 cups of broth when I make this recipe, and the photos in this post show the Instant Pot recipe for chicken and rice made with 4 cups of broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, unfortunately, brown rice requires a much longer cooking time (around 20 minutes at pressure), which would completely overcook your chicken. Stick with long-grain white rice for this recipe.
This usually happens when the pressure is allowed to natural release for more than 2 minutes. The residual heat continues cooking the rice, which makes it overcooked and gummy. Time that release carefully!
You can, but make sure you’re using at least an 8-quart Instant Pot. The 6-quart size works perfectly for the recipe as written, but doubling it will require more space.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of chicken broth to restore the creamy texture. You can also microwave it in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each burst, until heated through.
While you can technically freeze it, the rice texture changes quite a bit after freezing and thawing. I’d recommend making this fresh and storing leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days instead.
Fresh is really best here for that bright, tangy flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, you can use 1 ½ tablespoons of bottled lemon juice. Just be aware it won’t have quite the same pop.
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot
- Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 2–3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup chopped white onion approximately 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic approximately 4 large cloves
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice rinsed, see Notes
- 3-4 cups chicken broth see Notes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice juice from approximately 1 large lemon
- 1 cup shredded fresh parmesan or grated, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter to Instant Pot insert and let butter melt completely.
- When butter has melted, add 1 cup chopped white onion and 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic to insert. Stir to incorporate, then sauté aromatics approximately 5 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts to insert. Sauté chicken pieces, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes or until chicken pieces are opaque on all sides.
- Add 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, 3-4 cups chicken broth (3 cups for firmer rice; 4 cups for softer, soupier rice), and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to Instant Pot insert. Stir to fully incorporate ingredients, making sure to scrape bottom of insert to loosen any stuck bits of onion or garlic.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure mode and set cook time to 8 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize and then 8-minute cook time will begin.
- When 8-minute cook time ends, Natural Release internal pressure 2 minutes. Note: Do not release pressure longer than 2 minutes or rice can overcook.
- After 2-minute Natural Release, carefully Quick Release any remaining pressure and remove lid. Use caution as any escaping steam will be incredibly hot.
- Stir chicken and rice mixture well. Note: If mixture contains excess standing liquid after pressure cooking, set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and stir mixture until excess liquid has fully incorporated into rice.
- Taste mixture and add 1 cup shredded fresh parmesan, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir until additions are well incorporated, then taste mixture again and add more parmesan, salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
- When satisfied with flavor of chicken and rice mixture, portion mixture into preferred servings. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese if desired and serve warm.
Video
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
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.
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This chicken and rice dish was so great! This recipe is going in my arsenal for when I’m tired and want to cook something delicious that doesn’t require a lot time and effort. I think the lemon juice really made this dish extra awesome. Can’t wait to try it with different cheeses and spice combos. Thank you!
We’re thrilled you enjoyed this creamy Chicken and Rice, JP! This is definitely the perfect meal to have at the ready when you want a satisfying meal without all the fuss. And we agree about the lemon juice! It helps cut the richness and packs a punch of bright flavor in every bite. 🙂
I am in the process of making it right now. It is pressure cooking, on high got 8 mins. per directions, but I had a “Food Burn” message pop up before it even started the count down..Nothing burned or had to be deglazed…but I did add the salt by accident..could that be why I am getting a burn notice?
The burn message typically means that the Instant Pot has detected that the inner pot has gotten too hot, so it stops heating to prevent your food from burning. Press Cancel to turn the pot off. … Stir to check if there is food stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. Scrape up and remove any burnt food from the pot.
If you continue to get this “FOOD BURN” message, it may be worth contacting the manufacturer and requesting a refund or replacement, as there could be something wrong with your Instant Pot. Hope this helps!
Really nice creamy chicken and rice. I used cheddar cheese as I didn’t have parmigiana. I think it would also work well adding broccoli. I used 4 cups of broth and would recommend cutting it back maybe 1/2 cup. I will make this again. Yummy!
I meant to add broccoli too! Instead after I took the lid off I threw frozen peas in. Perfection!
This recipe was delicious! I made it for dinner tonight. I can’t wait to cook it again since the flavors were fantastic.
Love to hear that, Imsen! Thanks so much!
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it was great! The flavors were wonderful and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for the post and being so thorough in your directions! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Thank you!
Our pleasure! Thank you for your kind review!
Seriously the comfort food I was needing. It was soooo good, my entire family loved it. Followed instructions to a T and it came out terrific. I did use cbicken bone broth, which has like zero salt/lack of bright flavor so I added “better than bouillon” and again this was terrific. Definitely on my monthly rotation. Next time I may try adding broccoli 🥦.
Great to hear. Thank you for leaving a review! Hope you enjoy the broccoli next time 🙂
I do my broccoli on the stove & it really blends so perfectly. I’ve never tried cooking it w it.
This was delicious, made it last night. Due to some of the “mushy” comments, I used 13/4 cups broth and 1/4 cup white wine, I also added 8oz uncooked button mushrooms that have a lot of water in them. I didn’t measure the seasonings, but I seasoned with”what looks right” after adding the chicken and when I added the mushrooms and rice I seasoned again. The texture was perfect. I used long grain rice. I think if I had added any more liquid with the mushrooms, it would have been too much.
Yum, your version sounds great, Bruce! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was great! Best way to reheat?
I reheat mine in microwave (covered). Tastes just the same. Even after I freeze it!
It’s hard to please the whole family in one recipe, but this one did it! We rinsed the rice well and used 4 cups of broth.
We’re so glad this was a hit with the whole fam!
The rice was not gluey because I rinsed it really well but it was esentially mush. No texture at all. More like over cooked rice soup. The flavor was ok but would not make again.
We’re sorry you had this experience, Jeannette. We strive to create recipes that are tested and perfected to be easy to follow while our readers make them in their home kitchens. Regardless, we’re sorry you had this experience and appreciate your honest review.