This Instant Pot chicken and rice is a quick, budget-friendly dinner made with tender chicken breasts or thighs. Everything cooks together in one pot for easy prep and cleanup!

Instant Pot chicken and rice garnished with parsley and being served with a wooden spoon.

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Quick and Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

If you’re craving an easy, flavorful meal, this Instant Pot chicken and rice is a must-try. Tender chicken, fluffy rice, and savory vegetables cook together in one pot for a creamy, cheesy dinner that’s ready in about 40 minutes.

If you love one-pot chicken and rice or chicken and rice casserole or Instant Pot chicken and dumplings, this version will become your new favorite for quick, hands-off cooking. With cozy flavors like my Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, a touch of Parmesan, and lemon pepper seasoning, it’s pure comfort in a bowl.

Ingredient Notes

Overhead view of Instant Pot chicken and rice ingredients including diced chicken, rice, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, olive oil, and chicken stock on a marble surface.

Find the full printable recipe below.

  • Jasmine rice: This long-grain rice will hold its shape and provide a nutty flavor against the chicken.
  • Chicken: You can use thighs or breasts for this recipe, but I think the thighs impart a bit more flavor.
  • Onion, carrots, celery: Just the smell of these cooking is enough to make someone hungry, and this traditional mix makes the perfect backdrop for a hearty meal.
  • Chicken broth: The broth adds additional flavor to the rice, as it is absorbed into every grain.
  • Parmesan: A hit of salty and creamy to finish the dish just makes everything better.

Best Rice to Use

Here’s the scoop! There is no precooking the rice for this dish. It goes in uncooked, all at once and then the magic of the pressure cooker does the rest. It is because of this, that white rice works best because of its much shorter cook time than brown rice.

If you were to make this dish with brown rice, based on the timing of this recipe you would have undercooked rice. Either that or, if you decided to cook the brown rice long enough, you’d have overcooked everything else. Stick with white rice for this one!

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

The process of making Instant Pot Chicken and Rice in a 4 step collage.
  1. Sauté. Cook the vegetables in the heated virgin olive oil using the Instant Pot sauté mode.
  2. Cooking chicken. Keep the sauté mode on and add chicken pieces into the heated oil over top the vegetables. No need to cook them all the way through here.
  3. Add Rice. Next you’ll add in the rice and chicken stock. Don’t mix it around here.
  4. Cover and cook. Cover with the lid. Turn the valve to seal and cook for 8 minutes on high pressure.
Grated Parmesan cheese added to warm Instant Pot chicken and rice for a creamy, cheesy finish.

Recipe Tips

  • Be ready: Once the sauté button comes on, it is helpful to be ready to add your mirepoix (celery, onions, carrots) as well as the pieces of chicken. Having everything chopped beforehand will help to streamline everything and make it even easier than it already is.
  • Rinse rice: White rice comes with a lot of starch, so rinsing off any residual starch will help keep it from clumping together.
  • Do not stir: Once you have added your rice over the chicken and the broth on top of that, it’s important you do not stir. This is to avoid the burn notice. Once the rice absorbs all of the broth it can start to dry out, so keeping it above the chicken will help to avoid it burning on the bottom of the pot.
  • Quick release: Remember to avoid a natural release otherwise everything will be cooking much longer than it needs to.
Fluffy Instant Pot chicken and rice mixed with carrots, celery, and herbs inside the pot, stirred with a wooden spoon.

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Instant Pot chicken and rice garnished with parsley and being served with a wood spoon.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

5 from 22 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 people
This Instant Pot chicken and rice is a quick, budget-friendly dinner made with tender chicken breasts or thighs. Everything cooks together in one pot for easy prep and cleanup!
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Video

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion , diced
  • 3 large carrots , peeled and shredded
  • 3 celery stalks , chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt , plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon lemon pepper or ground black pepper , plus more to taste
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts , cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ cups jasmine rice , rinsed
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1/4-1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Heat 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil. Add in 1 medium diced onion, 3 large shredded carrots, and 3 pieces chopped celery. Sprinkle with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.
  • Sear chicken. Turn the Sauté mode back on if it turns off. Place 1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces into the heated oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Add the 1 Tablespoon garlic the last minute of cooking.
  • Add the 1 1/2 cups rice. Pour 2 1/2 cups chicken broth over the top (do not stir). Cover with the lid and turn the valve to seal. Cook 5 minutes on high pressure. Then do a natural release for 5 minutes.
  • Carefully remove the lid with a towel. Stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan and 1/4 cup fresh parsley.
  • Taste and add more salt, pepper, or seasonings, if desired. Serve while warm.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variations: This recipe is easy to add in more vegetables. Feel free to add in 1/2 cup bell peppers or mushrooms with the onions. Add in extra garlic cloves if you’d like to infuse with more garlic flavor. 
Rice: Make sure to use a long grain white rice for this recipe. Brown rice will not cook as well with the recipe. 
Fresh herbs: If you do not have parsley, substitute fresh basil or oregano. 

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 535mg, Potassium: 441mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 4721IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Variations

  • More veggies: Add 1/2 cup of bell peppers or mushrooms with the onions.
  • Savory flavor: Add up to 3 extra garlic cloves.
  • Fresh herbs: Swap the parsley with basil or oregano.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use brown rice to make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice?

Technically, yes, but I find that the brown rice takes longer to cook and doesn’t mesh as well as the long-grain white rice.

Why do I need to rinse my rice before cooking?

Rinsing rice in cold water until the water runs clear removes excess starches, which leads to fluffier, individual grains. Trust me, it is worth the extra minute to avoid clumpy rice.

What chicken is best to use?

When Instant Pot chicken breast and rice is popular, I prefer chicken thighs for the flavor. Either can be used though!

How do I store leftovers?

This recipe makes plenty, so if you’re not feeding a crowd, you’ll likely have leftovers. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze chicken and rice?

Yes! Transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

How do I reheat it?

Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen it up and cover with a lid so the steam helps bring it back to life.