Amazing 5-Min Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is my absolute go-to when the weeknight schedule feels like a runaway train! Hi there, I’m Anna, and I’m passionate about sharing simple and flavorful chicken recipes designed to make everyday cooking easier and, honestly, way more joyful. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours testing appliances and tweaking methods just to shave minutes off dinner prep without sacrificing that “wow” factor.

This creamy, savory dish is the result of streamlining those busy evenings. We’re talking tender chicken pieces and fluffy rice cooked together in one pot, totally infused with garlic butter and herbs. Trust me, once you see how quickly this comes together—and how little you have to clean up afterwards—it’ll become a staple in your rotation too. It’s comfort food that doesn’t demand all evening!

Why You Will Love This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

When dinner needs to be fast, delicious, and easy on the cleanup crew, this recipe is your superhero. I promise you’ll look forward to making this one-pot wonder again and again. It really takes the stress out of getting a full, flavorful meal on the table.

• It’s lightning fast—ready in about 30 minutes total!
• Cleanup is a dream because everything cooks right in the liner.
• The flavor is incredible—full of garlic butter and savory herbs.
• The texture is perfect: fluffy rice alongside tender, juicy chicken.

Quick Prep and Cook Times

Seriously, this is a weeknight miracle. With only 15 minutes of active prep time and a quick 15 minutes of cooking and release time, you are looking at a complete meal in about half an hour. That means more time for relaxing after work instead of scrubbing pans!

Creamy, Savory Flavor Profile

This isn’t your standard bland pressure cooker meal, oh no! We use garlic butter right at the start to build flavor. Then you get that lovely warmth from the thyme and oregano, and the Parmesan cheese melts right in at the end to give you that rich, creamy texture everyone craves. It tastes like you spent hours on it!

Equipment Needed for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Because this is a one-pot meal, the equipment list stays refreshingly short! You don’t need fancy gadgets, just the basics for prepping your ingredients and, of course, the star appliance. This minimal setup is what makes making this creamy chicken and rice so approachable for busy cooks.

Key Appliance Requirement

You absolutely need your electric pressure cooker. I use my 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe, and it handles the 4 servings perfectly. If you have an 8-quart, that works just fine too—it just gives you a little extra space!

Basic Prep Tools

Make sure you have a sharp knife and a sturdy cutting board ready for dicing the carrots and onions and cubing the chicken. Also, have a fine-mesh strainer ready because rinsing that rice properly is an important step for fluffy results!

Gathering Your Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

When you’re cooking something this simple, the quality of what goes into the pot really shines through! It’s not a long list of complicated things, but focusing on fresh aromatics and good stock makes a huge difference in that final savory flavor. We want this one-pot wonder to taste homemade, not rushed. Don’t stress about finding obscure items; most of this is probably already in your pantry!

Chicken and Base Components

For the protein, we need about a pound and a half of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into nice, manageable 1-inch pieces. We’ll use a mix of butter and olive oil to start building our flavor base, along with a diced yellow onion and a couple of carrots for sweetness and body. Three cloves of fresh garlic, minced finely, go in here to make everything smell amazing!

Rice, Seasoning, and Finishing Touches

The rice is crucial—you must use long-grain white rice, like Jasmine or Basmati, and make sure you rinse it really well until the water is clear. For seasonings, we are keeping it classic with salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano. The magic happens at the end when we stir in the thawed peas, grated Parmesan cheese, and that little bit of heavy cream for ultimate creaminess!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Okay, let’s get this show on the road! The beauty of using the Instant Pot is that we build all the flavor right in the liner before we ever seal the lid. Make sure you have everything chopped and measured before you hit that Sauté button because once you start, things move quickly!

Preparation Before Pressure Cooking

First things first: the rice needs attention. Grab your fine-mesh strainer and rinse that 1.5 cups of long-grain white rice under cold running water. You have to keep rinsing it until the water that drains out is totally clear, not cloudy at all. This washes away the extra starch that makes rice gummy, which is super important for fluffy results later. Drain it really well after you’re done.

While the rice is draining, make sure your 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts are cut into uniform 1-inch pieces. Dice up that yellow onion and those two medium carrots. Mince those three cloves of garlic too. You’re basically ready to go!

Sautéing Aromatics and Searing Chicken

Now, press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot. Wait until it reads “Hot,” which means the base is ready for fat. Add your 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let that butter melt and get a little bubbly!

Toss in the diced onion and carrots. Sauté those for about 3 to 4 minutes. You just want the onion to start looking soft and translucent, not browned. Next, add your chicken pieces right on top. Sprinkle everything generously with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and oregano. Stir this mixture constantly for just 2 minutes. We aren’t trying to cook the chicken all the way through—just get the outside opaque so it seals in the flavor.

Pressure Cooking the Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Time to deglaze! Pour in the 1.75 cups of chicken broth. Take your wooden spoon and scrape up every little brown bit stuck to the bottom of the pot. Seriously, get them all! This step is vital to keep the dreaded “Burn” notice away.

Now, sprinkle that well-rinsed, drained rice evenly over the top of the chicken and broth. This next part is the most important: DO NOT STIR IT. Just gently pat the rice down so it’s sitting below the liquid level. Secure the lid, make sure the valve is set to “Sealing,” and select “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on High Pressure for exactly 5 minutes.

When that 5-minute cycle finishes, walk away! Let it do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for a full 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully switch that valve to “Venting” to let out any last wisps of steam. Be careful of the steam escaping!

Finishing and Creating Creaminess

Remove the lid away from your face. Gently fluff the rice with a fork—just fluff, don’t mix hard. You need to check that chicken now! Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest piece; it *must* read 165°F for safety. Once it’s done, stir in that half-cup of thawed frozen peas, the half-cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Stir everything gently until that Parmesan melts and the whole dish looks wonderfully creamy.

Turn the Instant Pot off and just let it sit for about 2 or 3 minutes. This little rest time lets the sauce thicken up perfectly. Finally, stir in the fresh chopped parsley and serve this creamy chicken and rice hot!

Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Results

Pressure cooking is fast, but it’s also smart cooking! Since we aren’t stirring the ingredients during the high-pressure phase, we have to be mindful of how we layer everything. Don’t worry if you’ve gotten a burn notice before; it’s usually an easy fix once you know the trick. Following these tips ensures you get that fluffy rice and perfectly cooked chicken every single time you make this one pot chicken and rice.

Avoiding the Burn Notice

This is the biggest pitfall for new pressure cooker users! When you add the broth and rice, you must scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom—that’s called deglazing, and it stops the sensor from complaining. Crucially, after you add the rinsed rice, you cannot stir it into the liquid. If the dry rice sits directly on the bottom of the liner, it scorches before the liquid comes to pressure, causing that dreaded “Burn” message. Keep that rice layer separate on top!

Confirming Chicken Safety

I know we are busy, but we never skip the thermometer check! Since the chicken pieces are cut small, they cook fast, but you must confirm they hit 165°F internally. This is non-negotiable for food safety. Just stick a digital thermometer into the thickest piece of chicken after the pressure release; it tells you instantly if it’s safe to eat or needs another minute on Sauté.

Rice Rinsing Technique

Remember how I told you to rinse the rice until the water ran clear? That little step makes a huge difference in the final texture of your creamy chicken and rice. When you rinse away that surface starch, the grains cook up separate and fluffy instead of sticking together in a gluey mass. It’s a tiny bit of extra work that pays off massively!

Storing and Reheating Your Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

This dish is great for meal prep because it reheats so well, provided you store it correctly! Since we’ve added cream and Parmesan cheese, we need to be a little thoughtful about how we put leftovers away so they don’t dry out in the fridge. I usually make a double batch just so I have easy lunches for the next couple of days.

Best Storage Methods

Once the chicken and rice has cooled down slightly after you finish cooking, divide the leftovers into individual, airtight containers. You want them sealed tightly to keep out fridge smells and moisture. I find that glass containers work best, but any good, sturdy container will do the job. This keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days, no problem.

Storage Item	Duration
Refrigerator (Airtight)	3-4 days
Freezer (Freezer-safe container)	Up to 2 months

Reheating for Best Texture

When you reheat this creamy chicken and rice, the rice can sometimes get a little stiff or dry because the cheese absorbs moisture as it chills. To fix this, always add a splash of liquid before microwaving. I usually add about a tablespoon of low-sodium chicken broth or even just plain water per serving. Heat it in short bursts, stirring in between, until it’s steaming hot all the way through. It comes right back to that creamy texture!

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

I get so many great questions about tweaking this recipe, and that’s fantastic! It means you all are getting comfortable using your Instant Pot for easy weeknight dinners. Here are a few things people ask me most often about making this creamy chicken and rice dish.

Can I use brown rice instead?

You certainly can! Brown rice is a healthier swap, but you have to adjust the liquid and the cooking time quite a bit. Since brown rice takes longer to cook under pressure, I usually increase the High Pressure time to about 15 minutes, and you might need a little extra broth. Keep in mind, the texture won’t be quite as soft as white rice, but it’s a great substitution!

Why is my rice mushy in the Instant Pot?

Mushy rice almost always comes down to two things we talked about! If you skipped rinsing the rice, too much surface starch was released, turning your dish gummy. The other big culprit is stirring the rice after you layer it on top of the broth. That stirring causes the grains to break down unevenly during the pressure cycle. Stick to rinsing and no stirring for fluffy grains!

Can I add mushrooms to this creamy chicken and rice?

Yes, please add more veggies! Mushrooms would be wonderful. I recommend adding them during the Sauté step along with your onions and carrots. They release a lot of water, so let them cook down for about 5 minutes until they start to brown slightly before you add the seasoned chicken. They blend perfectly into the final creamy chicken and rice!

Sharing Your Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Experience

I truly hope this recipe saves you some time and brings some easy joy to your kitchen this week! If you made this one pot chicken and rice, please take a moment to leave a star rating right below. I love hearing how it turned out for you and what adjustments you made to fit your family’s needs! You can also see more great recipe ideas on my Pinterest page.

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