This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a complete meal made entirely in the instant pot! It’s loaded with rice, veggies, tender chicken, and so much flavor—and it’s ready in just 30 minutes!
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If you couldn’t tell from my Caprese Chicken and Rice, Mango Salsa Chicken and Rice, Chicken and Rice Bake, Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice, and Stovetop Chicken and Rice, I’m a big fan of the chicken and rice combination. 😉
This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is one of my favorites! It’s an easy, healthy 30-minute dinner made with white rice, tender chicken, veggies, and the perfect combination of herbs and spices.
Bonus: it’s made entirely in the instant pot. No extra dishes to wash!
Ingredients needed for Chicken and Rice:
This recipe is packed with healthy ingredients that come together to make the best dinner!
- Oil: used to sauté the veggies and to brown the chicken before pressure cooking.
- Onion and Carrot: sautéed to create a flavor base for the chicken and rice and to kick the nutrition up a notch.
- Chicken Breast: cut into 1/2-1″ chunks.
- Garlic: use freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Seasonings: you’ll use a simple blend of garlic, salt, dried parsley, oregano, thyme, and black pepper.
- Chicken Broth: I usually use low sodium chicken broth so I can control the saltiness of the dish.
- White Rice: you can use any kind of long grain white rice.
- Frozen Peas: add a pop of color and texture.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a complete meal made in just one pot!
- Sauté the veggies: Turn the instant pot to sauté, add the oil, then cook the onions and carrots until softened.
- Cook the chicken and herbs: Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. Mix in the garlic and seasonings, then cook for 1 minute.
- Combine and cook: Add the broth to the pot, then stir in rice and peas. Cover and cook on Manual or Pressure Cook for 3 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then open the lid, fluff, and serve.
Chicken and rice FAQs
I recommend using long-grain white rice for this recipe. It holds up nicely in the instant pot and doesn’t become too mushy.
Absolutely! If you’d prefer to use brown rice, you totally can, it will just take longer to cook. Instead of setting the timer for 3 minutes, set it for 22 minutes! If using long grain brown rice, leave the chicken breasts whole and uncooked, adding them on top of the rice.
Yes! This instant pot chicken and rice recipe allows you to cook the rice and the chicken at the same time for a super easy, one pot meal.
You can, but I like to brown the chicken on the SAUTE setting before I add in the other ingredients. This gives the exterior of the chicken pieces that delicious browned color and gives it a head start so it is cooked in the same time as the rice.
Although you can put frozen chicken in the instant pot, I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Since the chicken and rice are cooked at the same time, the cook time is designed for them to be done at the same time. Frozen chicken will take much longer to cook. If all you have is frozen, you should thaw it first.
Leftover chicken and rice will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge then microwave or warm on the stove with a splash of chicken broth until heated through.
Tips and tricks
- Rinse the rice. Rinsing the rice helps rid it of excess starch so it’s less gummy when it cooks. It also helps prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Scrape the bottom. As you add the broth, make sure you scrape the bottom of the instant pot with a wooden spoon to get rid of any food pieces stuck to the pot. If you don’t you may get a “burn” notice.
- Add more veggies. Add veggies like celery or red pepper, or mushroom right along with the carrot and onion. You can also throw in frozen mixed veggies when you add the peas! Veggies that can become mushy in the instant pot like broccoli or green beans can be added, but I like to cook them first and add them at the end!
Serving suggestions
With veggies, carbs, and protein, this chicken and rice recipe is a pretty darn complete meal all on its own.
However, if you want to fill your meal out even more, serve it next to garlic bread, dinner rolls, roasted veggies, broccoli salad, or roasted green beans!
More instant pot chicken recipes
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into ½ to 1 inch pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice (any kind, see post notes for brown rice)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute and add the oil.
- When the Instant Pot reads "hot", add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened.
- Add the chicken breast pieces, cooking and stirring until just cooked on the outside, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt, parsley, oregano, thyme and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any stuck on bits as well as possible (this will prevent a burn message). Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir in rice and peas, and smooth out the top so that all of the rice is covered by the liquid.
- Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook on high for 3 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for pressure to build and the cook time to start.
- When the cook time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then open the valve and remove the lid. Stir to fluff and serve.
Notes
- Rinse the rice. Rinsing the rice helps rid it of excess starch so it’s less gummy when it cooks. It also helps prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Scrape the bottom. As you add the broth, make sure you scrape the bottom of the instant pot with a wooden spoon to get rid of any food pieces stuck to the pot. If you don’t you may get a “burn” notice.
Nutrition Information
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Veronica Hayes says
With the instant pot being sealed shut how are you supposed to determine when “until it’s done” is????
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Veronica, that is a very brief description on the caption of the photo. It doesn’t actually say that in the full directions of the recipe, which is what is best to follow.