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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!

Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl

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!
Two bowls of chicken and rice

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Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
4.90 from 749 votes

Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 40 minutes
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.
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4 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. 
    Add in chicken broth and liquid ingredients to Instant Pot
  • 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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Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

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1,324 Comments

  1. This was great! It’s always amazing how much flavor you can get from simple ingredients. We served this when our family was getting over sickness and it was nice and mild for tummies and very comforting. Thanks!5 stars

    Reply

  2. Very easy and yummy! I made this with a few alterations. I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, added 1 more clove of garlic than the recipe calls for, and I used a mixture of Romano and parmesan. The only trouble I had was my Instant Pot didn’t beep after 8 min, so I let the natural release go for quite a bit longer then I should of and the mixture stuck to the bottom of the pot. I did stir in the cheese before it could burn though and it came out so tasty. I will be making this again, esp. durring winter as it is warm and comforting like risotto or a savory porage.

    Reply

  4. This recipe is delish! Just what was needed for a last minute dinner idea. I used boneless chicken thighs, 4 cups of broth and almost 2 cups of rice because I didn’t want to leave just a bit of rice in a bag for later lol. Turned out perfect.5 stars

    Reply

  7. This was so good. Thank you! Will try to experiment with additional veggies and herbs next time because it seems so versatile.

    Reply

    1. We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Paul! Be sure to let us know what additions you try next time! 😊

      Reply

  8. Eager to try this recipe! Question before I try it…I love lemon chicken and rice so is there a way to increase the amount of lemon flavor (maybe even include zest?) without ruining the recipe? Didn’t know if I could maybe just decrease the chicken broth and increase the lemon juice by the same amount (not sure how much, just was my general thought in principle). Any advice or thoughts?

    Reply

    1. Zest would be a great addition!

      You could remove an amount of broth and add an equal amount of lemon juice to replace it, but depending on how much lemon juice you intend to add, it likely wouldn’t be necessary. For example, a teaspoon or 2 of lemon juice shouldn’t be enough to liquid to make a big difference in the overall texture, so no need to remove a teaspoon of broth. If you’re talking a quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of lemon juice, then you might want to reduce the amount of broth to compensate.

      You could also marinate the chicken in a lemony marinade before cooking it in this recipe – that would boost the flavor without needing any significant alterations.

      Let us know what you try and how it turns out!

      Reply

      1. Just finished devouring this delicious dinner! I ended up using the zest of one lemon and all the juice from that lemon which ended up being about 1/4 cup. I used 3.5 cups of the broth and it all turned out great! Great lemon flavor that solidly came through without overpowering. Definitely saving this recipe! Thanks (and thanks for responding so quickly)!

        Reply

  9. It’s good but rice is mush. I did 8 mins and quick release. I would do 5/6 next time. It’s basically porridge4 stars

    Reply

    1. We’re so sorry it wasn’t a hit! We’d love to hear how it goes if you do try it again. 😊

      Reply

  10. The chicken was dry and the rice was mushy. Followed the recipe exactly. Not the best flavor either, needed more seasoning. Sorry.

    Reply

    1. I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t a hit for you, Anita! I hope you’ll give some of our other recipes a try.

      Reply

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