Amazing 6-Minute Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Name: Amazing 6-Minute Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian Inspired
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small yellow onion, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1 cup diced carrots; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 2 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed well; 2 cups low sodium chicken broth; 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 green onions, thinly sliced

By anna Boncoeur On November 2, 2025

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Are you tired of ordering takeout because you think making a flavorful dinner means scrubbing three different pans? Well, stop right there! I’m Anna, and I’m obsessed with sharing simple, flavorful chicken recipes that make your everyday cooking easier and way more joyful. Today, we are diving headfirst into my absolute favorite weeknight savior: the Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice. Seriously, this recipe is magic. We get tender chicken, perfectly fluffy rice, and all those colorful veggies cooked right in one pot, start to finish, in about 30 minutes. No more standing over a sizzling wok feeling rushed! I developed this method because I believe weeknights should be for relaxing, not for complex cleanup. This one-pot wonder proves you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for speed when you’re feeding a busy family.

Table Of content

Gathering Your Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

To pull off this fantastic Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice without a hitch, you need to make sure everything is prepped before you hit that sauté button. Since we are doing this all in one pot, timing is everything! Don’t panic about a long shopping list; these are mostly pantry staples, but attention to detail on the prep makes the difference between good rice and *great* rice. Grab your sharpest knife and your cutting board because we need things cubed, diced, and minced before we start cooking. Trust me, the 15 minutes of prep time flies by when you’re excited about what’s coming!

Exact Measurements for Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

For a clear rundown of exactly what you need for this six-serving meal, please refer to the table below. Make sure you follow these descriptions precisely so your rice cooks perfectly under pressure:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed well
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

I really, really need you to use long grain white rice here—it’s the only one that handles the pressure cooking cycle without turning to glue. Basmati or Jasmine works best. If you try using short-grain rice, you’ll end up with something closer to porridge, and we don’t want that!

For the flavor base, fresh ginger and garlic are non-negotiable; dried just won’t give you that bright, aromatic lift. If you’re out of fresh ginger, you can use about 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, but you’ll miss that fresh zing. Also, I highly recommend low-sodium broth and soy sauce because we are adding the salt separately. It gives you control over the final flavor profile!

Essential Equipment for Making Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

You don’t need a massive kitchen arsenal for this, which is part of the fun of making Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice! The star, of course, is your 6-quart or larger Instant Pot—or any electric pressure cooker that has a sauté function. Beyond that, you’ll just need a sturdy cutting board, a sharp chef’s knife for all that chopping, and a wooden spoon for stirring when sautéing. That’s it! Cleanup is a breeze when your tools are so minimal.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Okay, now that we have everything chopped and ready to go, let’s get this amazing Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice made! I love how this recipe moves fast once you start. Just remember to keep an eye on that chicken temperature—safety first, always!

Sautéing Aromatics and Chicken

First things first, set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Pour in both the sesame oil and the olive oil. Once they are shimmering slightly, toss in your finely diced onion and carrots. Let those cook for a good three to four minutes until they start getting soft around the edges. You want them tender, not mushy!

Next, stir in your minced garlic and that fresh ginger. You only need about 30 seconds here—just until you can smell that incredible aroma filling your kitchen. Don’t let the garlic burn, or the whole batch will taste bitter!

Now, add in the cubed chicken, along with the salt and pepper. Cook this for about three to four minutes, stirring often. You need to cook the chicken until the outside looks opaque and it hits an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with a meat thermometer. Once it’s done, turn off the Sauté mode immediately.

Pressure Cooking the Rice Base

This is where the magic happens! Stir in your well-rinsed long grain rice, the chicken broth, and the soy sauce. Now, this is important: distribute the rice evenly across the bottom of the pot, and gently press it down into the liquid. Do not stir it around now, or the rice will get too agitated and turn mushy during the pressure cook. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is set to Sealing.

Cook this on High Pressure for exactly 4 minutes. When the timer goes off, you must let it do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for a full 10 minutes. After those ten minutes are up, carefully quick release any remaining pressure. Be careful of the steam when you open the lid!

Finishing Your Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Once the pot is depressurized, open it up and fluff that gorgeous rice gently with a fork. Turn the Sauté function back on. Push all the rice mixture over to one side of the pot, leaving an empty space on the other side. Crack your two eggs right into that empty space. Scramble them quickly until they are fully set, then stir them right into the rice mixture.

Finally, stir in your frozen peas and the thinly sliced green onions. Let this cook for just two or three more minutes until those peas are heated through and you double-check that the chicken is still at that safe 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Give it a final taste for salt and soy sauce, and you are ready to serve this incredible one pot dinner warm!

Tips for Achieving Superior Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Even though this is an easy chicken recipe, there are a couple of little tricks that elevate this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice from good to restaurant-worthy. These aren’t complicated steps, but they make a huge difference in the final texture and safety of the dish. Listen to me on these, and you’ll never go back to takeout!

Rice Texture Management

I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: do not stir the rice after you add the broth and before you seal the lid! When you’re making stovetop fried rice, stirring constantly is the goal. But in the Instant Pot, that stirring agitates the starch in the rice grains before they can cook properly under pressure. When you press the rinsed rice down gently, it settles into the liquid evenly, allowing it to absorb the broth perfectly without breaking apart. That’s how you get that fluffy texture instead of a sticky clump.

Maintaining Food Safety Temperature

Food safety is super important, especially when you’re cooking meat in a pressure cooker where you can’t see it easily. Make sure you pull out that instant-read thermometer when you finish sautéing the chicken in Step 3. It must read 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, when you add the frozen peas at the very end, give everything one last stir and check the temperature again. We want the entire dish piping hot before serving!

Storing and Reheating Your Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

One of the best things about making this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is that it tastes even better the next day! It’s such a fantastic meal prep option, too. When you have leftovers, you need to make sure you store them correctly so that rice stays firm and safe to eat. Once the dish has cooled down slightly—but not for too long, maybe 30 minutes after it comes out of the pot—transfer the rice into shallow, airtight containers. This helps it cool quickly and prevents it from steaming itself into mush in the container.

When it’s time to reheat, you have a couple of good options depending on how much you are eating. If you’re just warming up a single serving, the microwave is your best friend. Add just a tiny splash of water—maybe a teaspoon—over the rice before covering it loosely with a paper towel. This steam helps re-moisten the rice without making it soggy. Heat in 30-second bursts until it’s steaming hot all the way through. For bigger batches, use a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until everything is warmed up evenly.

For all the specifics on how long this lasts in the fridge, please check the handy storage guide below:

Storage Method	Duration
Refrigerator (Airtight Container)	3 to 4 days
Freezer (Freezer-Safe Container)	Up to 2 months

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

I get so many questions about making this work perfectly, so here are the answers to the most common things people ask when they try this easy chicken recipe for the first time!

Q1. Can I use pre-cooked or leftover rice instead of cooking it fresh in the pot?
You absolutely can use leftover rice! This is a great way to speed things up, but you’ll skip the pressure cooking step entirely. If you use leftover rice, just sauté your veggies and chicken as directed. Then, turn off the heat, stir in the cold rice, broth, and soy sauce, and let it sit covered off the heat for about five minutes to warm through before scrambling the eggs. It still makes for a fantastic one pot dinner!

Q2. My chicken didn’t seem fully cooked after sautéing. What went wrong?
That’s usually just a timing issue, or maybe your chicken cubes were a little too big. Remember, we need a clear 165°F internal temperature. If your pot cooks fast, you might need an extra minute or two of sautéing time, especially if you didn’t cut the chicken into true 1-inch pieces. Always trust the thermometer over the clock when it comes to chicken safety!

Q3. Can I add different vegetables, like broccoli or mushrooms?
Yes, of course! That’s the beauty of making your own dinner. If you add heartier vegetables like broccoli florets, toss them in with the carrots and onions during the initial sautéing step. If you’re adding quick-cooking veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers, add them right at the end with the peas, just to warm them through, so they don’t get too soft during the pressure cooking phase.

Q4. Why is rinsing the rice so important for this recipe?
Rinsing the rice removes excess surface starch. If you skip this step, that starch mixes with the liquid during pressure cooking and turns into a gummy, sticky layer stuck to the bottom of your pot. A quick rinse under cold water until the water runs mostly clear is all you need to ensure your rice grains stay separate and fluffy.

Sharing Your Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice Experience

I truly hope this recipe has made your weeknights a little bit easier and a lot more delicious! I put so much love into making sure this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice works perfectly for busy cooks like you.

If you made this and loved how fast and flavorful it turned out, please do me a huge favor and come back here to leave a star rating! It really helps other people find this easy chicken recipe. You can also check out my Pinterest page for more inspiration!

I’d also love to hear what you thought! Did you add any fun substitutions? Did your family devour it? Drop a comment below and tell me all about your success. Happy cooking! If you are looking for another great chicken dish, check out this one-skillet fiesta chicken and rice.