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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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Yum! New to Instant Pot cooking. Never thought that something so effortless could be so yummy! I was doubtful about the lemon juice, but am glad that I added it. It isn’t overpowering and gives this dish a subtle lemon flavor.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for the first time tonight with just a few minor tweaks (added a packet of chicken stock base and a few teaspoons of a couple other seasonings for added flavor) and the entire family gobbled it up — this included picky 4 and 6 year olds! Was so happy with how easy this was to throw together on a night I didn’t really feel like cooking. It was the perfect supper for a chilly winter evening and one I’ll definitely be keeping in rotation.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the most delicious recipe I’ve found so far. Does anyone know if (or how) you would transfer to a stove or oven? I want to double the recipe but my IP isn’t big enough & none of the other recipes online look as good.
You can cook this in a Dutch oven, but you will need to adjust the cooking times. You can also make two batches of this back to back, or make one the day before or even earlier and freeze it until it’s time to serve.
This was one of the 1st IP recipes I’ve tried. Still my favorite & I’m not big on chicken or rice but comes together beautifully & tastes amazing! My dad never eats chicken (at all, bad experience during childhood) & he even likes it. I like to add a touch more lemon juice & garlic (& broccoli of course). Quick, easy & tasty!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing! I made this for the first time tonight and it turned out great! Added paprika to the chicken and some Italian seasoning. Used about 3 1/2 cups broth. I didn’t have Parmesan cheese so I used cheddar. Also added broccoli, it was tasty!
Yum! Glad you could make it work with what you had.
Can you add mushrooms to this dish ? New to instant pot world
Sure!
have you ever used Risotto?
Not for this recipe, but we do have a few delicious risotto recipes you can find here: https://40aprons.com/#search/q=risotto.
If I use whole boneless skinless chicken thighs, would I have to adjust any of the cooking times?
You shouldn’t need to, but always check that the chicken is cooked through before serving when making a swap like this.
So easy and tasty – made this tonight. Thanks for the great recipe
Thrilled to hear this!
Way more delicious than I thought it would be. Not bland, very chickeny. Great comfort food. Next time I will add some frozen peas at the end with the parm. Thanks for this super easy, delicious and warm comfort food.
So glad to hear it!