• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Easy Recipes for Busy Parents

  • All Recipes
  • Air Fryer
  • Asian
  • Dinner
  • Instant Pot
  • Dessert
  • About Us
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Instant Pot / Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

    Published: Jun 6, 2020 · Modified: Sep 13, 2020 by Anna 5 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    344 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is an easy dinner recipe with pantry ingredients that cooks in 5 minutes in your pressure cooker. Made all in one pot, this dish is perfect for busy weekdays!

    This is a very simple recipe, just like my Instant Pot Risotto and Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa. A perfect quick and easy meal your whole family will love!

    Chicken and rice in a bowl next to Instant Pot.

    When you need a break from pasta dinners but you still need a quick and easy recipe, rice to the rescue! All you need is a handful of pantry staples and you are minutes away from the most delicious Instant Pot Chicken and Rice. I like to make it, portion out into freezer-safe bags and freeze or refrigerate and serve for lunch during the week. This dish calls for a basic veggie trio: onion, celery and carrots; but can be easily adapted by adding mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, beans, etc. You can even use ground chicken in place of cubed chicken breasts.

    Ingredients:

    • rice: I used long-grain white rice
    • chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast but thighs work too
    • olive oil
    • garlic
    • onion
    • celery
    • carrots and peas: I used a frozen mix but you can use fresh carrots and saute them with onion and celery
    • Italian seasoning
    • salt and pepper
    • water or chicken stock: I recommend low-sodium stock; you can also use a bouillon cube and water
    • butter: optional, but it adds a little bit of creaminess to the dish
    Ingredients on a white board.

    How to make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice?

    • Start by heating up oil in the Instant Pot.
    • Add onion, celery and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add Italian seasoning and rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring often.
    Sauteed veggies and rice in Instant Pot.
    • Add 1/2 cup of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping any cooked-on bits with a wooden spoon.
    • Add remaining water, seasoned chicken, frozen veggies and butter. Stir in.
    • Close the lid, press "manual" or "pressure cook" button. Set timer to 5 minutes.
    • Once the cooking cycle is done, press "cancel/off" button and let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally.
    • Open the lid and stir in the rice. You can add cheese and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
    Chicken, rice, veggies and water in Instant Pot.

    Expert tips:

    • chicken: I used chicken breast but thighs work even better since they are more juicy and flavorful. To save time on prep, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces as soon as you get home from shopping and keep it in the freezer already cubed.
    • rice: I always toast the rice before cooking (it makes for the fluffies rice, and you can read all about it on my Instant Pot Rice recipe post) but you can skip this step and just stir it in with sauteed veggies;
    • deglaze the pot: after sauteeing the veggies, it is very important to deglaze the pot. Add 1/2 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This will prevent the burn message.

    Can I use brown rice to make this dish?

    Brown rice takes longer to cook. To prevent the chicken from overcooking, place whole breasts or thighs on top of rice and cook for 18 minutes on high pressure. Shred the chicken and stir in with cooker rice before serving.

    Can I use frozen chicken?

    If you want to use frozen chicken, I recommend as above: cut the chicken into cubes, then freeze. Let it sit on the counter while you prep the veggies and saute them. Then place chicken on top of rice and veggies and pressure cook. The Instant Pot will take longer to build up pressure but the chicken will still be cooked.

    Storing leftovers:

    Any leftovers should be stored in a container with lid for up to 5 days, in the fridge. It's easy to reheat this dish in the microwave. You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months.

    Chicken and rice in the Instant Pot.

    More easy Instant Pot dinners:

    • Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
    • Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
    • Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
    • Instant Pot French Onion Soup

    For more recipes using the digital pressure cooker, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category.
    Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.

    If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

    Chicken and rice in the Instant Pot.

    Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

    Author: Anna
    This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is an easy dinner recipe with pantry ingredients and cooks in 5 minutes. Made all in one pot, this dish is perfect for busy weekdays!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    coming to pressure 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 682 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 small yellow onion chopped
    • 2 celery ribs chopped
    • 2 cups frozen carrots and peas mix see notes
    • 2 cups white long-grain rice
    • 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 3 cups chicken stock or water
    • cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese optional
    • 2 tbsp butter

    Instructions
     

    • Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
    • Press the "saute" setting and wait until the display shows HOT.
    • Cut chicken into 1" pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Add oil to the pot and heat up.
    • Add onion, celery and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add Italian seasoning and rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring often.
    • Add ½ cup of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping any cooked-on bits with a wooden spoon. This is important as it will prevent the burn.
    • Add remaining water, seasoned chicken, frozen veggies and butter. Stir in.
    • Close the lid and turn the valve to "sealing" position (the newer IP models do it on their own). Press “manual” or “pressure cook” button. Set timer to 5 minutes. Make sure the IP is set to high pressure.
    • The IP will beep and start building up pressure. This can take 10 to 12 minutes.
    • Once the cooking cycle is done, press “cancel/off” button and let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally.
    • Open the lid and stir the rice. You can add cheese and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

    Notes

    • Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
    • I recommend low-sodium stock; you can also use a bouillon cube and water.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 968mg | Potassium: 1153mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6789IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

    More Instant Pot Recipes

    • Instant Pot Applesauce
    • Best Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
    • Instant Pot Corned Beef
    • Instant Pot Turkey Stock

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Giselle says

      May 14, 2021 at 7:56 am

      Hey, great recipes for this beginner. I’m riding your coat tails while I learn and you have me excited about this journey. One question, is the rice that you add at the beginning cooked? Forgive me, 😀I did say I was a beginner😄.

      Reply
    2. Barry says

      September 05, 2020 at 1:51 pm

      It says stir in the rice after the veggies have cooked. How long do you cook the rice?

      Reply
      • Anna says

        September 05, 2020 at 3:06 pm

        Hi Barry! The recipe does not say to "stir the rice after the veggies have cooked". Step 11 says: Open the lid and stir the rice. You can add cheese and season with more salt and pepper if needed. The whole dish cooks together (rice and veggies). Hope this clarifies it!

        Reply
    3. Penny Brown says

      June 07, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      On step #7 you mentioned butter, but it wan't in the ingredients list. How much butter?

      Reply
      • Anna says

        June 07, 2020 at 6:06 pm

        Hi Penny! It should be 2 tablespoons of butter.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Crunchy Creamy Sweet Anna

    Hi, I'm Anna! Thank you for stopping by! Here you will find easy and delicious recipes for busy people. My recipes are made with everyday ingredients and all of them are family approved!

    More about me →

    Easy Dinners

    • Quick Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls Recipe
    • Easy Sesame Chicken Recipe
    • Creamy Garlic Chicken
    • Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe
    • Creamy Mushroom Garlic Chicken
    • Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole

    Popular Recipes

    • Air Fryer Shrimp
    • Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
    • Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe
    • Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe
    • BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
    • KFC Coleslaw Copycat Recipe

    Featured in

    Logos of publications like yahoo, Parade magazine, MSN.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Crunchy Creamy Sweet All rights reserved.

    © Copyright 2023 - Crunchy Creamy Sweet - Privacy Policy