Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms
This Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms is a quick and easy Instant Pot recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. This delicious one pot meal has flavorful chicken thighs, mushrooms and orzo pasta.
Instant Pot meals are a convenient way to get dinner on your table, especially when everything cooks together and you end up with a one pot meal that’s ready to serve. My Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff and Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage are other favorite Instant Pot meals.
This Instant Pot chicken and mushrooms is adapted from my crockpot chicken and mushrooms recipe, a reader favorite! A couple of readers asked if that recipe could be adapted for the Instant Pot. I started recipe testing and I am so happy with the way this Instant Pot version turned out.
This recipe has a relatively short ingredient list and it takes just 30 minutes to make, start to finish. It has loads of flavor from onion, garlic and mushrooms, plus dried herbs and seasonings. Chicken thighs are my favorite in this recipe because they are juicy and flavorful. If you’re looking for a basic pressure cooker chicken thighs recipe, try this Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe.
You can serve your Instant Pot mushroom chicken as a complete meal, since it has protein, veggies and pasta. Or, round out the meal with a side salad, some roasted green beans or slices of crusty bread.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms
To make these Instant Pot chicken thighs with mushrooms and orzo pasta, you’ll start by browning your chicken thighs. You can brown the chicken right in the Instant Pot using sauté mode.
Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pot and add the chopped onion and mushrooms to the pot. Once these vegetables have softened a bit, you’ll sauté the garlic and then press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the seasonings and chicken broth to the pot, scraping up any browned bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the orzo and then place the chicken on top of everything else.
You’ll pressure cook everything together for just 4 minutes on high pressure, followed by a quick release. Then dinner is ready! This dish is especially delicious with some grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Can you substitute rice for the orzo?
I haven’t tested this recipe with rice, but it may work well with long grain white rice. I recommend reducing the amount of chicken broth to 1 1/4 cups, and allow the pot to naturally release for 10 to 15 minutes after the cook time ends. Brown rice will not work in this recipe, as the cook time for brown rice is much longer.
Can you leave out the orzo?
If you wish to make this without the orzo for a gluten-free meal, you should reduce the amount of chicken broth to 1 cup. There will be some liquid left after pressure cooking. You can thicken this using a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch combined with 1 tablespoon water) and simmering on sauté mode to make a simple gravy.
What kind of mushrooms are best in this recipe?
I prefer to use crimini mushrooms, which are baby portobellos. You can also use white button mushrooms if you prefer.
Can you use bone-in chicken thighs? Can you make this with boneless skinless chicken breasts?
You can use bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. I would recommend browning them for an extra minute or two per side, because bone-in thighs take a bit longer to cook through.
To make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces, brown it for about 4 minutes total (step 2 of the recipe) and then continue with the recipe as written.
Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 6 thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced (see note)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dried orzo pasta
- chopped fresh parsley and/or grated Parmesan cheese optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and heat on saute mode until hot. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Put the chicken thighs in the hot Instant Pot, in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side and then remove it to a clean plate.
- Add the onion and mushrooms to the Instant Pot. Saute until they start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt and chicken broth to the pot. Stir, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot or your Instant Pot. (If you don't scrape it well, bits stuck to the bottom of the pot can trigger a burn warning.)
- Stir in the orzo. Place the chicken thighs on top of everything else and close the Instant Pot lid. Turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- Set the cook time to 4 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down. When the cook time ends, quick release the pressure by carefully turning the steam release valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon.
- Once all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid. Check that the chicken has cooked through to at least 165° F using an instant read thermometer. Serve, sprinkled with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- If you really love mushrooms, you can increase the amount of mushrooms to 12 to 16 ounces.
- You can use bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. I would recommend browning them for an extra minute or two per side, because bone-in thighs take a bit longer to cook through.
- To make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces, brown it for about 4 minutes total (step 2 of the recipe) and then continue with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
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First of all, how in the world can I be the very 1st person EVER to comment about this amazing recipe? Do people just make it move, on and not want to share how it can possibly change their lives❓
I mean seriously, 🙅 I think this recipe is flawless! The only thing I did was used smoked paprika, because I have it on hand and it is an expensive spice, and I want to use it up! I also definitely used a full 16 oz of baby bella mushrooms as you can never have too many ‘shooms.
I also did not have any fresh parsley on hand because I did not know when I was going to be able to make this recipe and there was none in the store when I went to secure everything else I needed. Plenty of freshly grated romano cheese did the trick though, and bon appetite!
My instant pot (duo crisp) is new to me this past January and I absolutely love it, but this is the first time I have taken the time to actually thank someone for putting their time and effort out there, for sharing these wonderful recipes! Kristine, thank you, it is amazing and I can’t wait to try more of your wonderful recipes!!! I will post my pics on Instagram. Kind regards, Mary
Hi Mary, Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and review! I’m so glad you enjoyed this meal and your modifications sound perfect. I hope you keep finding more delicious Instant Pot recipes to enjoy! 🙂
Kristine, your recipes are amazing like you are. Congratulations for all your efforts and love of what you do.
Hope your Family is doing well.
Best wishes,
Jasmine
What would you add for frozen thighs?? 2-3 minutes?? More??? Thank you!!!
You don’t want to add to the cook time for this recipe because the orzo will cook too long and may burn to the bottom of the pot. I recommend quickly thawing your chicken thighs in a zip-top baggie in a bowl of cool water.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Can the orzo be substituted with macaroni? Or longer shapes like fusilli or penne? Those are the only pastas I have in the pantry at the moment! Thanks!
I’m not sure about the ratio of cooking liquid to pasta for using other pasta shapes in this recipe. I’d have to test it myself to be sure. My advice would be to leave the orzo out of the recipe and cook your pasta separately on the stove. Not ideal, but it will work. 🙂 If you leave out the orzo, reduce the broth to 1 cup.
Would doubling the recipe increase the cooking time?
The cook time stays the same for a double recipe.
Hi Kristin,
The instant pot hasn’t been used much in our house but saw the recipe for chicken and mushrooms and decided to give it a try OMG absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes and now our instant pot will be used more often. Stay safe and thanks again. Julie T.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Please help me with problems during the saute phase. After the oil heated up and I placed the thighs into the bottom of the pot, they immediately stuck and I couldn’t turn them over without the thighs breaking apart. I added more oil and the thighs turned whitish but never browned. I couldn’t scrape off the thick brown stuff in the bottom of the pot. Fortunately I had another inner pot so that I could finish the dinner. It turned out very good but would have tasted even better if the thighs had browned.
The thighs will stick at first, but after a few minutes they will release more easily. I usually wait until they release fairly easily from the bottom of the pot before trying to move or turn them. In my experience, the Instant Pot is not as good at browning food as a regular saute pan would be. For me, the convenience is worth not having to dirty another pan, but your experience might be different. 🙂
Thank you Kristine 😊 I will try it again or else brown the meat on the stove first.
Hi Kristine, it is Mary (again, from above), I just wanted to let you know the frozen single serving was just as delightful as the first around on this recipe! So much that I am going to break down and go to the store again after not shopping a few weeks (plus a few days), to get the ingredients. I know it stores well if you are a single person and you need to do so! Thanks again for all you do, your recipes are amazing! Kind Regards, Mary
I’m so happy to hear that this tasted great after freezing! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Mine came out looking like soup!
I added x2 mushrooms and used Israeli couscous instead of orzo. My grocery store didn’t have it and I read online this would be a good substitute. I’m thinking the excess liquid came from the extra mushrooms.
What should I do?
The extra liquid could come from the extra mushrooms, and possibly the couscous absorbed less liquid than orzo would? If you try it again with these same ingredients, you could try reducing the liquid.
I have a kg of chicken thighs I’d like to use. How much chicken broth and orzo would you recommend and would this also change the cook time?
Hi Marcia, I would recommend keeping everything else the same.
I have an 8 quart and a 3 quart Instant Pot and my question is what one would be best for this recipe?
Hi Stephen,
You should use your 8 quart pot, I think the 3 quart will be too small.
It smells delicious, I am prepping it with your notes about boneless chicken breasts and rice substitutions. I was careful to follow them exactly, and my instant pot now says “burn” and when I opened it to check the rice is burnt to the bottom. I added more chicken stock and restarting the cook time. I have a large family (6) and because of the shopping restrictions in place right now I need to salvage the meal to feed my kids so I can’t afford to toss it. It may need more liquid, I’m not sure, just bummed it isn’t working out. I got the”burn” message again.
Hi Gabriela, I’m sorry that this didn’t work well for you. It’s difficult to know what might have gone wrong without being there with you in your kitchen. Are you using an 8 quart Instant Pot? The 8 quart seems to be much more prone to burning than the 6 quart.
I loved this recipe…except I’m not a fan of oregano…. what spice would you recommend as a potential replacement. I covered up the flavor with Parmesan lol. But I doubled the mushrooms and used the chicken breast cut small and it was amazing. I also added broccoli to steam at the end because I felt I needed something green. I’ll be making this again. Maybe cut the oregano in half …
Thyme would be a good substitute for the oregano. I’m glad you otherwise enjoyed this meal!
Unfortunately, I kept getting a “Burn” notice on my Instant Pot (6 qt) after multiple tries — even tried swapping to a new instant pot bowl. The orzo kept burning at the bottom of the pan. It smelled super great when putting it in though!
I’m sorry that happened. Pasta can be prone to giving a burn warning. You might find this post about the Instant Pot burn message helpful.
Excellent recipe! I could not find orzo at several grocery stores, so I tried small shells, per a website that listed possible substitutes. Did not change the quantity of liquid, so it was a bit on the soupy side, but it didn’t matter to our group at all. It was delicious! This is another wonderful recipe that is being added to the dinner rotation!
Please can you tell me if I can use a tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup instead of fresh mushrooms, please? I made this receipt last week exactly how you have it and it was amazing! Tonight, however, I am out of mushrooms. I’m sure it will work with the soup but not sure about changing liquid ratio. Would you have any idea?
Thanks so much!
That’s hard to say without trying it myself. My concern would be that the creamy soup could make it more likely that you would get a burn warning.
Hi – I’m going to be trying this recipe out tomorrow. This seems like a silly question but figured I’d ask. If I’m doubling the orzo to 16 oz (full box) would you double the liquid to 4C as well?
I haven’t tried doubling the orzo in this recipe, so can’t say for sure how it would turn out. You would definitely want to double the liquid. I might suggest using even a little more than 4 cups because the mushrooms also release some liquid and those won’t be doubled.
My kids loved it! It was easy as fast to put together and I threw in some chopped carrots!
Thank you!!
I just made this recipe tonight.
It was great, my husband said it’s a keeper! And he’s picky with new recipes.
I substituted the orzo (didn’t have any on hand) with basmati rice and used 1 1/4 cup of broth. And I also bumped up the time from 4 minutes to 6 minutes (because I used bone-in chicken thighs) and it came out fabulous!!
Thank you so much for this great recipe Kristine!
The recipe was really good – thank you! I used the skinless and boneless 1 inch cubed chicken. Was I suppose to reduce the broth to one cup? I found it a little bit watery. Thank you again!!
Saw the recipe and brought the ingredients and did not realise I did not have a crock pot only a slow cooker. Anyway I still make the recipe as a one pot meal. Loved it, really tasty, it was quick and easy to make even without the crock pot. Good thing came out of it, hubby is going to buy me a crockpot. Then I can try it again as recommended.
Very good and easy. I did saute everything in a separate cast iron skillet and poured the whole thing into the instant pot. Not crazy about the way the instant pot browns skinless chicken and I don’t mind cleaning another pan.
I added a splash of soy sauce and Frank’s RedHot with the broth. Added some 1/2 inch cubes of mozzarella and squeezed in a little lemon juice after it finished cooking. The cheese was a hit with everyone. Next time I will add some spinach on top of the chicken before pressure cooking. Seems like it would be a good addition for color and nutrition.
All in all a winner. Definitely will make again.
I used to have a recipe similar to this and I loved it, but alas, I lost it. So happy to have this one which is even easier since I can use my instant pot. My old one had spinach and chunks of mozzarella cheese, which I will add next time I make this. Thanks for a easy, delicious recipe.