Got a picky eater on your hand? This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is just as easy as making nuggets and Mac n Cheese, but its much more nutritious and a hearty meal everyone will love! Let show you how to make this easy Instant Pot dinner!

Sometimes simple is best! That’s how most of my house feels about this easy chicken and rice recipe. It’s a quick dinner with common ingredients that everyone loves. I normally double the recipe just so we can have leftovers.

What is Chicken and Rice?

The name speaks for itself. This recipe is simply chicken, rice, and some delicious cheesy and savory seasoning. It uses mostly pantry basics to make one easy dinner. It’s a very versatile dish that you can totally customize to your liking.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds diced, cooked, chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ·1/4 teaspoons black pepper

Chicken – You can use any kind of chicken here that you prefer. You can even use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken! We have made this with chicken breasts and thighs and it comes out great every time.

Rice – Again, you can use any rice you prefer in this recipe. I used white rice. If you use any other rice, you will need to adjust your cooking time a bit. You can find rice cook times here.

Chicken broth – You can use chicken broth or water. Chicken broth will give the dish more flavor but is not required.

Parmesan – Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese gives this chicken and rice the right amount of cheesiness. You can also use a bit of Mozzarella or similar cheese.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

• Turn your Instant Pot on to sauté mode. Once it become Hot, add in the garlic and margarine.

• Once the butter melts, add in your cooked chicken. (If using raw chicken, add to the melted butter and garlic. Stir occasionally to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.)

• Add in your lemon juice, chicken broth, and white rice. Stir well to make sure everything is incorporated.
• Turn off the sauté mode by choosing cancel. Turn your Instant Pot on High Pressure for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for it to come to pressure.

• After the timer is done, allow it to release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release by turning the valve toward you with a hot pad or towel.
• Open your instant pot by twisting. Add in your Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well. You can also add in cooked vegetables to this dish. Just make sure you add it at the end.
• Serve this cheesy and delicious dish in a bowl or plate! Enjoy

Can You Cook Rice and Meat at the Same Time?

For this recipe, you can cook your chicken and your rice at the same time. This is because you will sauté your meat before pressure cooking it. However, cooking rice with your meat does not always work.

Typically, jasmine rice only takes about 3-5 minutes to cook. This recipe calls for pressure cook of 10-minutes. So, the rice may not be the consistency you like it to be. In my experience, I like the way the rice comes out with this recipe, but if you are particular with the texture of your rice, you may not like it.

If you prefer your rice to be perfectly cooked, not crunchy, and not mushy, you may want to consider cooking it separately with out Instant Pot Rice Recipe!

Can I Use Frozen Chicken?

You can use frozen chicken in the Instant Pot with this recipe and any recipe. However, chicken especially ALWAYS needs to cook longer. Instead of cooking your chicken for 10-minutes, you will want to cook it for 12-minutes. Additionally, the increase in time may not cook your rice just right. So, if you are doing frozen chicken, I would cook the meat and rice separately.

Side Dish Ideas

Although this dish is super hearty and delicious, I always like to have side items to go with my main dishes. Here are a few sides you could have with it:

• Loaded Broccoli Salad
• Creamy Pea Salad
• Homemade French Bread
• Instant Pot Carrots
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

How to Store Leftover Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

One thing that is important to know about rice is that it gets dried out in the fridge or freezer when it’s by itself. But, since this recipe has broth and chicken in it, it will keep well in the fridge or freezer.

Store your rice and chicken in a sealed Ziplock bag or in a Tupperware container with a lid. You can keep it in the fridge for about 3 days.

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze your chicken and rice. In fact, it can last up to a month in the freezer and when it’s thawed, it is just as good as it was cooked fresh. I like to make enough Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot to have a meal that night and freeze the rest for another meal. This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a great freezer meal option!

Other Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Chicken is so versatile and you can do so much with it! Here are some other amazing Instant Pot Chicken Recipes to try:

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Taquitos in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Italian Chicken
• Instant Pot Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
• Mexican Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes

Tell me what you thought about this chicken and rice recipe in the comments below! Remember, sharing is caring!