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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 Recipe 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.
Chef’s Tips
- 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, along the lines of my best ever risotto 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
Inspired by risotto (but without all the hard work), this rich, creamy, and totally dreamy chicken and rice one-pot meal is sure to be a family favorite.
servings
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 see Notes
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice juice from approximately 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice rinsed, see Notes
- 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoons black pepper 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.
- 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.
Video
- 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.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 676calProtein: 54gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1957mgPotassium: 912mgTotal Carbs: 61gFiber: 1gNet Carbs: 60gVitamin A: 598IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 347mgIron: 2mg
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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My husband was feeling under the weather – this was a perfect last minute dinner for us. Being in a hurry, I forgot to rinse the rice but the end result was still perfect! Not gummy at all, just nicely cooked rice with a flavorful, creamy sauce – did not even need to add parmesan, though we did sprinkle some on top. I’ll keep this handy – might add sauteed mushrooms next time too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Joyce, and I hope your husband is feeling better!
I’m a DSP and do cooking for 5 guys. I’m always looking for easy recipes that are good and pass the test with my guys. The guys loved this recipe and I didn’t have any leftovers, which is a compliment. I will definitely be making this again. I also added fresh mushrooms.
Thank you so much, Laree! That’s a compliment indeed!
This was so good and easy! The texture came out just how I wanted. I was afraid the rice wouldn’t cook because I’ve ran into the problem a lot with a lot of other recipes but it was perfect!
So glad you loved it, Allyson! 😊
I’ve made this recipe (Instant Pot) numerous times. Each time it is absolutely DELICIOUS and always turns out spectacular! Thanks for such an amazing and quick dinner recipe!
So glad you love it, Dawn! Thanks for sharing! 😊
My family loved this, made it twice in two weeks. I was wondering if I could use beef instead of chicken. I also added some veggies to the chicken. It was so good. I’m sure it will be a regular dinner. Thanks
We haven’t tried this using ground beef, so we can’t say what or if there should be any adjustments made for it. Be sure to let us know if you try it, though!
I never have chicken broth in stock so I always use water and chicken bouillon. This with pre seasoned lemon pepper chicken and a little garlic powder and onion powder (to fuel my obsession) made for a great dinner to share with my friends and kiddos. It was quick and easy. Will be making again.
Ooh, using pre-seasoned lemon pepper chicken, garlic powder, and onion powder sound like delicious additions! So glad the whole family loves it! Thanks for sharing, Lisset. 😊
We love this! Make it quite often.
It’s such a great one to keep in rotation! Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Haven’t made the recipe yet, so cannot offer a rating.
Can you freeze leftovers of the crockpot version?
You absolutely can freeze the leftovers for either version, but cooked rice doesn’t always freeze/defrost/reheat well, so it may turn out mushy.
I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. It’s the catchy name that got me to try it. I used 3.5 cups of chicken broth and my rice was a lot closer to rice texture than risotto. I didnt want risotto but I didn’t want rice. It wasn’t what I ended up wanting. It also turned out pretty tasteless. Even with salt and pepper. Maybe it needed something more. Regardless I gave it 3 stars because it’s edible and it was easy to make.
I’m so sorry this one wasn’t a hit for you, Anne, but I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughtful feedback with us! Hopefully one of our other recipes will work out much better next time!
Based on the ingredients I couldn’t believe it was creamy chicken and rice, but it was and was fabulous. Use 4 cups of broth, next time add broccoli
Thanks for sharing, Le!
This came out soon good! I did 4 cups of broth, and also added a bag of cooked broccoli florets at the end with the cheese! YUM! Quick family meal that everyone enjoyed.
Thank you, Ali!