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This Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe has tender, juicy chicken and the most amazingly soft and flavorful rice. You can even add carrots to make it a complete meal!
This lemon chicken and rice recipe came about because I keep seeing Crockpot recipes for chicken and rice that are cooked in there at the same time. Naturally, since I’m slightly obsessed with my Instant Pot (hello instant gratification), I wondered if it was possible to cook rice and chicken in an electric pressure cooker at the same time without anything going wrong. We’ll figure out a Crockpot version later. 😛
There’s just something tempting about throwing it all in there and it turning into a delicious dish with no extra work. I’m notorious for messing up stove-top rice, and I wanted to get this right!
Turns out it is possible to make rice and chicken in the Instant Pot at the same time, and the results are great. It’s also really hands-off once you close that lid, which to me is a bonus. 🙂
It saves time, dishes, and it’s just really tasty. And that rice turns out sooo creamy without using cream or any type of condensed soup. There isn’t a “sauce” per se, but the rice soaks up most of the liquid and becomes perfectly seasoned and almost has a risotto quality to it.
And, this is actually a fairly healthy meal. I like the rice so much that I have posted a separate recipe for just the rice sans the chicken.
If you want a veggie in there, add some carrots… so good.
How to make chicken and rice in the Instant Pot
It’s easy to make chicken and rice in the Instant Pot, but I do recommend following the tips below to ensure your recipe is successful. I have done a lot of research (and experimentation… this is probably my most tested recipe to date on the blog) to make sure it works. I’m going to put it out there that there’s a pretty good chance this recipe can go wrong if you don’t follow the cooking instructions exactly.
- Don’t guess on liquid measurements.
- Rinse the rice (I just measure it out, put it in a sieve, and then rinse and quickly let the water drain out).
- Stick to using white rice (I’ve tested jasmine and basmati). Brown rice is a different beast.
- Don’t make substitutions unless you’ve made the recipe first and you’re confident they will work… or you don’t mind if it goes wrong in the name of experimentation. 😉
- I usually make this recipe with larger chicken breasts. I don’t look for a particular weight, but you know sometimes the ones at the grocery store are just tinier than you’re used to. If you do end up with smaller ones, I’d reduce cooking time by a minute or so. You could definitely also try chicken thighs – they’re typically more forgiving when it comes to overcooking them.
I really think this is the best chicken and rice. It’s crazy easy and just so comforting.
Try my chicken and rice soup if you love these flavors!
Love Instant Pot chicken recipes? Try my Instant Pot teriyaki chicken, this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, or my Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe.
I hope you love this easy chicken and rice recipe!
Want to make just the rice? Check out the best Instant Pot rice recipe.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask. Leave me a comment below. 🙂
Update (5/7/2019): After reading the comments and doing further testing, I’ve slightly altered the recipe. Originally, the recipe called for 18 minutes on high pressure with a quick release. I’ve changed it to 12 minutes on high pressure with a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release for the remaining pressure. My logic behind this is two-fold: the 12 minutes leads to more tender chicken (as does a partial natural release). I also am learning that newer Instant Pots get the burn warning much easier than my older Instant Pot, and hopefully these changes will address that issue.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup white jasmine rice (or basmati) rinsed
- 4 dashes Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 medium carrots peeled & sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Season both sides of each piece of chicken with salt & pepper.
- Press the sauté button on your Instant Pot. Add the oil and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the chicken broth, lemon juice, rice (rinse it first), Italian seasoning, and butter. If you want to add carrots, add those in at this point too. Leave the sauté button pressed so it heats up as you're adding the ingredients.
- Give the ingedients in the Instant Pot a good stir (make sure nothing is sticking), and then immediately add the chicken pieces on top. Close the lid, set the valve to "sealing", and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- Once the countdown has completed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure. Give the rice a stir prior to serving (it will absorb a little more liquid as it rests for a few minutes). The rice will have a consistency that's soft, creamy, and a little sticky. If needed, season with salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe multiple times in my 6-quart Instant Pot, and it has worked every time without a burn warning (I've heard this can happen in some of the larger and newer Instant Pots when cooking certain recipes - such as ones with rice). I suggest following my instructions exactly as written for best results.
- If desired, use low-sodium chicken broth. I found this recipe to be perfectly seasoned with regular chicken broth, though.
- Makes 4 generous servings. If I was eating this by myself, it would be more like 6+ servings.
- Inactive time indicates the time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to pressure and the time for natural pressure release.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This has been on my list to try for weeks, finally made it tonight! It was another super easy recipe for the IP. Followed directions exactly and success! My husband had 2 full servings, we both loved it.
I’m so happy you both enjoyed it!! 🙂
Actually really good. I say that because my wife has several intestinal issues and because of that her list of can haves is short. Tried this because it had the least amount of stuff. All i did was use chicken broth with thyme, cummin and salt heated up till steaming then added rice and frozen chicken boobs. 12 minutes was perfect. After 10 years in the Navy, im not a big fan of rice but this was good. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Michael! That’s so good your wife could enjoy it as well.
Only thing that I did different is sear (saute) the chicken 1st & set aside and then went to the onion/garlic saute step…
Glad you enjoyed it, Phil!
Can I use vegetable broth? I ran out of chicken broth. Can I make this for one person in a 6 quart?
Yes, veg broth is fine. Not sure what you mean about making this for one person. I don’t know if the recipe will work if you change the measurements. It seems to be quite finicky to begin with for some people (lots of the newer Instant Pots tend to get burn warnings it seems).
Unfortunately I’m cooking just for me. I got the 6 quart thinking I’ll have leftovers…which I do…but too much leftovers. I end up wasting food and money. I’ll be getting the 3 quart one as soon as I save money. So I was wondering if I can make it with one piece of chicken and rice enough for 2 servings…since one piece of chicken will be enough for two meals.
I think you could give it a try, I would just divide the ingredients equally and hope for the best. I’ve never had an issue with this recipe in my IP, but others have unfortunately, so I’d just hate for you to waste ingredients. Let me know if you do try!
It came out tasty in the end…I ended up over cooking the chicken since it was still frozen and some rice was not cooked so I added my vegetable broth and did it again…if I would have set it for 5 mins it probably would have been perfect! It is a very tasty recipe..I like how it comes out to be a creamy consistency. I shredded the chicken to mix it in. Which helped moisten the chicken a bit.
Sounds like with a few tweaks the single portion will work great. I’m glad you liked the creamy consistency. Thanks for reporting back! 🙂
It’s even better the next day! Had it for dinner with a side of salad! Tomorrow night I may just have it in a taco flat with homemade broccoli slaw. Thank you again for the recipe! I bought carrots to make it again with the carrots!
That’s fantastic!! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe, Natasha!! Very quick and easy. Added celery and extra garlic, came out perfect!
So happy to hear that, Ellise! 🙂
One of my go to instant pot recipes. Love the creaminess of the rice and the flavor is amazing!!
So happy to hear that!!
This is VERY soupy. Next time I will try doubling the rice.
WOW!! This was amazing!! It’s the first meal I make in my Instant Pot that actually lives up to the hype. My whole family loved it … even the picky little short ones that eat nothing. I made it in my 3qt with only two chicken breasts, but followed the rest of the recipe exactly, and it was perfection!! I must try more of your recipes!! Yummmm!!
That’s awesome!! So glad to hear it!
This recipe needed a lot of salt when it was done, and the rice got mushy. The chicken wasn’t very tender and juicy either. It was edible, but not a make again.
This recipe is one of the best I’ve tried! I even used 2 average bone in chicken breasts, same amount of water and rice, and tweaked my own spices. I also used parboiled white rice. Time and amounts were perfect. Rice had creamy texture, if you don’t mind that. This is a keeper. 👍
Forgot to mention I used 3 qt. Pot.
That’s awesome!! so happy it was a hit! 🙂