You are going to want to add Instant Pot Chicken and Rice to your dinner rotation! An old fashion family favorite comfort meal enjoyed by the whole family.
There is just something about an old fashion Instant Pot Chicken and rice recipe. Somewhere in between a rice and risotto dish with chunks of chicken this comforting recipe satisfies all the senses.
The flavor, texture, aroma and the visual or chicken and rice will warm your soul deep down and satisfy your inner child. Unlike the days of old, this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe cooks in a Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and is ready to eat in under 25 minutes.
It is amazing how only a few ingredients produce such a great meal.
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Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Chicken
- Chicken Broth (or water + Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
- Carrots, Celery, Shallots, Fresh Garlic
- Jasmine Rice or other Medium Grain Rice
- Salt, Pepper, This Old Gal Seasoned Salt {House Seasoning}
- Oil and Butter
The complete ingredient list and instructions on the recipe card below can be altered to your taste. For instance, if you want more carrots than indicated below, by all means, use more carrots!
Any time you want to sauté, sear, brown or toast in a stainless steel pot, you must first heat up the pot before adding the fat. This helps make the pot non-stick.
Why Use Oil and Butter?
- Butter burns easily and quickly. Oil, like grapeseed oil and extra virgin olive oil have a high burn temperature than butter. This way, you can still toast the rice in butter, but without the worry of the butter burning.
Why Toast Rice?
- Toasting the rice in butter will bring out the nutty flavor in the grain. This is true for most grains. For instance, in my Pressure Cooker Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats recipe, the oats are first toasted to bring out the nuttiness in the grains.
Likewise in any of my risotto recipes, such as my incredible Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto (Pressure Cooker) recipe. In the case of risotto, a shell is created around each grain and helps the rice absorb water slowly, so that the rice does not burst and become mushy.
Pro Tip: Arborio rice or Basmati rice can be used in place of medium grain rice. The texture of the rice will just be a bit different. The Arborio rice will render a creamier dish, while the Basmati rice may render a dryer dish, where the rice will have more individual pieces of rice and be more fluffy instead of the rice clinging together and not being fluffy.
Another handy and quick trick is to get the veggies diced up in a food processor.
Why Use a Food Processor?
- I do a lot of cooking and while I do enjoy taking my time and cutting up ingredients, often times, I am in a hurry and just want to get dinner on the table.
- When I am cooking recipes like this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice or Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya, where it just does not matter how you chop the veggies, since they disappear in the food anyway, a good food processor is so handy.
I strongly suggest if you do not own one, to get one and I recommend this Cuisinart Large Food Processor. It chops well and has an adjustable slicer, which is really nice for getting thin, medium or thick slices of things like carrots and zucchini.
Can Onions Be Used in Place of Shallots
- Yes. The taste of shallots and onions are very similar, but also different.
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice will be a staple in your home, so just use whatever you happen to have in the fridge.
This recipe is so delicious and easy to make and it is also super forgiving. Whether you use the shallots or swap them out for yellow onions, sweet onions or red onions, it just won’t matter one bit. The flavor from each onion is different, but the end result will be equally as delicious regardless of which type of onion you use.
The shallots and celery will completely break down and add to the creaminess of the recipe.
Pro Tip: Brown rice has a much longer cooking time than white rice and is therefore not suggested in this recipe. However, you could cook the brown rice half way and then mix in the the rest of the ingredients and cook according to recipe below.
The slicer accessory of the food processor is wonderful for slicing up the carrots really fast.
Carrots cook pretty quickly and why I don’t recommend sautéing them with the onions and shallots. Adding them right before pressure cooking will allow them to stay in tact.
We love making protein and rice recipes and throwing in some broccoli at the end for a one pot meal. My Instant Pot Rojo Fiesta Chicken [Pressure Cooker] and Instant Pot Asian Chicken and Rice are both one pot recipes and cook up quickly and easily.
Chicken will shrink down and release a lot of liquid. You may feel there is not enough liquid in this recipe, but trust me, there is!
Can Chicken Thighs Be Used?
- Of course you can choose to use dark meat chicken. I only use white meat chicken in many of my recipes because Ed much prefers white meat. I prefer dark meat, but overall, I am not a huge fan of chicken and often eat around it, so for me, it doesn’t much matter. That being said, Air Fryer Hot Wings are one of my favorite recipes.
- As white meat chicken is much drier than dark meat chicken, I would suggest cutting the dark meat chicken or thighs a bit smaller than you would white meat. The dark meat takes slightly longer to cook than white meat chicken. So, cutting the chicken a bit smaller means the chicken will cook in the same amount of time a larger chunk of white meat takes to cook.
Why am I tell you this you ask? Because if you want to use both thighs and breasts (dark and white meat) chicken, make sure to cut the thighs smaller than the breasts.
Trick to Cooking Garlic
- A little trick to cooking with garlic is to take a sharp knife and just cut the whole bulb of garlic in half and drop it into your pot last. Choose to use the whole bulb or just half. I like to use this J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife. [Would you believe that it is the same knife I have been using since 1985? My dad bought it for me, along with the rest of the set.]
- The bulb will remain on top and can be fished out later. The garlic will be nice and soft and can be squeezed out and mixed into the chicken and rice. Of course if you don’t want to do that, no need.
Pro Tip: Try squeezing the garlic and rub it on some toast and make a delicious Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
Can You Freeze Instant Pot Chicken and Rice?
- Yes. I recommend using a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System for freezing the chicken and rice.
- But I wonder if you mean raw, not leftover. The answer is still yes.
This makes a really good plan a head freezer meal. I suggest cutting the celery and scallions very, very small, so that you can just add it all in to the pressure cooker and push the start button. This way, the veggies won’t be hard and you can turn this recipe into a dump and push start freezer meal recipe.
How to Reheat Chicken and Rice
- Add a cup of water to the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker cooking pot and add a trivet. Place leftover Instant Pot Chicken and Rice into a pan such as this Stainless Steel Pans and set the timer for 5 minutes.
Watch the video below as I walk you through every step and detail of this recipe. I’ve given you a ton of information above, but sometimes a live visual of the process helps so you can follow along. I have my own cooking show on my YouTube Channel, so be sure to check it out and subscribe!
Watch my video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Tips and Tricks to Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Hit the Saute button on the pressure cooker and then gather your ingredients. The pot will be nice and hot when you are ready to start.
- Use a food processor to speed up the chopping.
- Chop the shallots and celery very fine and package them up with the other raw ingredients for a freezer meal. Then just dump it all into the pressure cooker for a dump and push start recipe.
I know you are going to love this recipe as much as Ed and I do. Make sure you always have chicken in the freezer, so you can throw this recipe together at a moments thought.
Pro Tip: Cut up chicken into chunks and freeze into two pound packages.
More Old Fashion Comfort Food Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [Instant Pot]
- Instant Pot Sloppy Joes (Pressure Cooker)
- Instant Pot Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy [Homemade]
- Instant Pot Classic Pot Roast
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Cuisinart Large Food Processor
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Salbree 3 quart, 6 quart or 8 quart Steamer/Strainer Basket
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Grapeseed Oil (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 2.5 "rice" cups Jasmine Rice rinsed well
- 2 teaspoons TOG House Seasoning (or Lawry's Seasoned Salt)
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 large Shallots diced (or 1 medium Yellow/Brown Onion)
- 1 stalk Celery diced
- 2 large Carrots sliced
- 1.5 pounds Chicken Breast boneless/skinless, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 2.5 cups Chicken Stock/Broth (or 2.5 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base + 2.5 cups water)
- 1 bulb Fresh Garlic cut in half horizontally and remove outside paper
- 1 handful Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Select Sauté/Browning on Instant Pot or pressure cooker and allow pot to fully heat.
- Add oil and butter.
- Add rice, seasoned salt, salt and pepper and toast for one minute.
- Use a food processor to chop/dice the shallots and onions (or take the long way and use a sharp knife).
- Add the diced shallots/onions and diced celery to cooking pot.
- Saute, for 1-2 minutes, just enough time for the onions to release water. If it goes more while you are slicing carrots, no worries!
- Use food processor to slice carrots about 1/4 inch thick.
- Add carrots and chicken to the pot and give it a quick stir through, just to coat.
- Pour in chicken broth and mix through. Scrape bottom of pot to release any stuck on bits.
- Take bulb of garlic and cut it in half horizontally. Pull off any loose pieces of the skin. Place each half of the bulb, cut side down into the pot.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
- When beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove lid and fish out both pieces of garlic. Squeeze out garlic into the pot
- Add chopped parsley and mix through.
Video
Notes
Dried Substitutions
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Onions
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
What is Rice Cup?
- A "rice" cup is the little plastic cup which comes with multi-cookers, pressure cookers and rice cookers. It is simply a cup (not a unit of measurement) used to measure raw rice. It is not a proper dry measuring cup. A "rice" cup measures similarly to a 3/4 dry measuring cup.
Food Processor
- Using a food processor makes the preparation very easy. The shallots and celery will cook down to nothing, so they don't need to be chopped uniformly and why using a food processor cuts down on the prep time.
Dark Meat Chicken
- If using dark meat chicken, cut the pieces of chicken into 1 inch size pieces. If using white meat, cut into 1.5 inch pieces. If using both dark and white meat, cut the chicken as just stated. As the dark meat chicken takes slightly longer to cook, the dark meat thighs are cut into smaller pieces than the white. This keeps the cooking time the same no matter if you use breasts or thighs.
About Rice
- For more a risotto or wetter texture, pressure cook for 2 minutes, rather than for just 1 minute.
- Arborio rice or Basmati rice can be used. The texture of the rice will just be a bit different. The Arborio rice will render a creamier dish, while the Basmati rice may render a dryer dish, where the rice will be more fluffy, rather than clumping.
- If wanting to use brown rice for this recipe, I suggest partially cooking the brown rice in the pot. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients and cook according to the recipe. Brown rice takes almost 3 times as long to cook as white rice and if you simply increase the cook time to accommodate the brown rice, the chicken would be very tough and rubbery.
Sandy says
How much rice if measured in cups?
Karen says
Threw this together after a day of babysitting the grandkids! Just what we were craving….easy, comfort food. Love that it is made with simple ingredients that I always have in the house. Delicious, and without any “cream of” soups!
Jill Selkowitz says
Thank you so much, Karen. I am thrilled you and the grandkids enjoyed your meal! Jill
Diane says
Is 1 minute long enough time for the chicken and rice to cook?
Pam c says
I love, love ur recipes, tutorials, and equipment suggestions. I am on a renal diet and have to b careful with sodium. How could i keep the taste of this dish and get as close to no sodium as possible?
Jill Selkowitz says
Omit the salt and use a salt substitute. Jill
Constance Rompelman says
I made this . I added sliced mushrooms. Tasty!
Jill Selkowitz says
Thanks, Constance! Glad you enjoyed my recipe. Jill
Tracy Gau says
Made this tonight on a blustery winter day in the Midwest. Loved it! So easy and so flavorful. My husband told me to put it in the rotation. I did add some shredded Parmesan after taking the lid off and it gave it some zing. Thanks Jill!
Jill Selkowitz says
Thanks, Tracy. Jill
SO says
Jill-I just found this recipe and will be trying it soon. Do you have any suggestions for subbing in brown rice?
Jill Selkowitz says
The brown rice would need to be partially cooked as it takes more than double the cook time of white rice. Jill
Pam says
I fondly remember my mom’s chicken and rice casserole, but I also remember it had some sort of toxic cream of something soup. I love how Jill’s recipes make things tasty and creamy without them, and this recipe is no exception. Tonight I cut the recipe in half for my 3-quart IP. I prepped it ahead of time, and it took no time to put it together. I followed the recipe including her comments, meaning I used the dry ingredients, arborio rice, and added cheese at the end. So good! When I told my husband we had enough for dinner tomorrow, he said, “YAY!”
Jill Selkowitz says
Awww, thanks so much, Pam. Jill
Lark says
Hey Jill, any suggestions on cook time if I use red or black rice? TIA!
Jill Selkowitz says
Black rice takes much longer, so I would not make it with the chicken as the chicken will be very over cooked. What you can do however, is cook everything, but the chicken and then after opening add in the raw chicken (cut is very small) and simmer until the pink disappears. You will need to add about 1/2 cup more liquid to start. Jill
LaNell German says
Jill I am LOVING your recipes and singing your praises to all who will listen. I esp love that most of your recipes are good old fashioned dinner foods, where I usually have most of the ingredients on hand! Thank you, thank you.
Jill Selkowitz says
Thank you, LaNell. Enjoy. Jill
LaNell German says
Tried this yesterday and was very good. The rice was perfect. However, my husband and I would like to add a little “kick” of flavor to it. We tried topping it with salsa, ok, but now what I want. Perhaps something more “chickeny” like the flavor of Chicken Rice-a-Roni, or something spicy. Any ideas?
Jill Selkowitz says
Add a teaspoon of Sambal Oelek. Jill
Claudia T. says
Hi Jill, Just tried this Instant Pot Chicken & Rice, all I can say is WOW, this is delish and hubby loved it too. He actually said I could make this for him several nights a week!!! The rice and chicken are cooked to perfection, I used jasmine. I cannot have fresh garlic or onion anymore so used your optional garlic powder and dried minced onion. Still so very good. You are the best, you explain everything and have alternatives too. I will do the chicken thighs with this next time and cut smaller as you suggest. I just may add a bit of frozen corn one day too. A huge thank you dear heart. We loved it…….Claudia
Jill Selkowitz says
Hi Claudia. Thank you so much for the kind words. I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe. I agree, it is one that can be enjoyed often. Thank you so much. Jill
Dorrie Berkowitz says
Looking forward to making this, but I have a question re the rice cup: Is it 6 ounces in volume or 6 ounces in weight?
Love your site!
Thanks!