Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe Easy

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is creamy and cheesy with tender morsels of chicken. You will fall in love with the flavors and our garlic secret. This is the quicker and easier version of our wildly popular stovetop chicken and rice recipe. Watch the video tutorial below and you'll see how easy this is.

We love our instant pot because it produces the same great results in a fraction of the time so you can enjoy dinner fast! Some of our favorites include Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, Instant Pot Bone Broth, IP Corn on the Cob and the quickest Tender Ribs.

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The Secret to the Best Instant Pot Chicken and Rice:

The texture of this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is almost like a risotto but doesn't require the tedious stirring for 30 minutes. The flavor is truly memorable and yet this recipe calls for simple ingredients. How? The secret is in using an entire head of garlic.

This Will Transform Your Rice: The garlic head is cut in half so the garlic cloves are exposed. The flavor infuses the rice and then you can remove the head of garlic if you want to, or squeeze the cloves into the rice. The garlic cloves will be melt in your mouth tender and so tasty. We used the same trick to make Instant Pot Beef and Rice (Plov).

Ingredients for Chicken and Rice:

You can use any kind of chicken here: chicken breast, thigh meat or chicken tenders. We prefer chicken tenders because they require very little prep (minimal trimming of fat), and reheat really well. They are also the most tender. We often use the chicken we have on hand.

The best rice for this recipe is jasmine rice (white, long-grain rice). You could also use Basmati or Texmati without adjusting the cooking time. Brown rice like we used in our Instant Pot Rice with Beef (Plov) recipe, would require a longer cooking time.

How to Cook Chicken and Rice in an Instant Pot:

We used a 6 Quart Instant Pot to make chicken and rice. This recipe moves fast so have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you turn on your instant pot. Chop your onion, grate or julienne your carrots (here's the julienne slicer we love), half your garlic head.

1. Set your instant pot to sautee on high heat, add 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter.
2. Add onion, carrots, and salt and saute 5 min.
3. Add chicken and salt and saute 5 min.
4. Pour in broth and rice and stir. Place halved garlic head cut-side-down.
5. Cover with lid and set the lever to sealing position. Cook on manual high pressure 10 minutes with manual pressure release.

Tips for Using an Instant Pot:

First-time users: always read the users manual for your specific instant pot prior to starting since your machine may not operate or look exactly like ours.

• Make sure the rim and rubber seal on your instant pot are clean for the seal to form properly.
• Stir the rice together before turning on to avoid the "burn" notice.
• Remember to set your lever to the stealing position for pressure to build.
• When manually releasing pressure, wear an oven mitt and keep your face away from the hot steam vent.
• I keep a paper towel ready to shield the vent in case it sputters liquid while venting/releasing pressure.
• Always check the pressure indicator on your machine to ensure that the pressure has fully released prior to opening the lid.
• Follow timing instructions precisely and set timers. With pressure cooking it easy to over-cook something if you forget about your pot.

Easy 30-Minute Meals You Will Love:

These are our go-to 30-minute meals that our family-friendly (our kids go back for seconds), and they require minimal prep. These are our favorite, easy chicken dinners for busy weeknights!

• Chicken Pesto Pasta – easy 1-pan dinner
• Beef and Broccoli – with the best sauce
• Philly Cheesesteak – the authentic way
• Chicken Fried Rice – a great way to use leftovers
• Zuppa Toscana – famous restaurant copycat

Watch Natasha Make Chicken and Rice (Instant Pot Style):

This Instant pot chicken and rice recipe will transform dinner for you. It's one of the easiest and tastiest dinners you'll make and there's minimal cleanup because it all comes together in the instant pot!

If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Video tutorial, be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you can be the first to know when a new video tutorial is posted. THANK YOU for subscribing!

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Coming to Pressure Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is creamy and cheesy with tender morsels of chicken. You will love the flavors and how quick it is to make Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot! Watch the video tutorial to see how easy this is.

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $8-$10

Keyword: instant pot chicken and rice

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Calories: 375

Servings: 8 people as a side dish

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, thickly grated or julienned
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs, or tenders (trimmed and cut into 1" pieces)
• 2 tsp sea salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups Jasmine rice, un-rinsed
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
• 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more to serve

1. Set a 6 Qt Instant Pot to saute on high heat and add butter, oil, chopped onion, grated or julienned carrots, and 1 tsp salt. Sautee, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soft and golden.

2. Add trimmed, chopped chicken, another 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sautee, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

3. Add 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups rice and stir to combine. Cut whole garlic head in half through the cloves and parallel to the base. Place garlic halves on top, cut-side down. Cover and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes then quick release remaining pressure.

4. Open the lid and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan with 1/3 cup chopped parsley. Serve with more cheese and garnish with parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 375 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g 17%

Saturated Fat 4g 25%

Cholesterol 67mg 22%

Sodium 827mg 36%

Potassium 574mg 16%

Carbohydrates 43g 14%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 2g 2%

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 2909IU 58%

Vitamin C 7mg 8%

Calcium 109mg 11%

Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you make this recipe, I'd love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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