Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal, made in one pot! With wholesome ingredients like brown rice, vegetables and chicken breast, it’s a comforting dinner the whole family will love.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a Delicious One Pot Dinner
This Instant Pot chicken and rice is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes and a go-to when I want a dinner recipe that’s both easy and nutritious. This dish combines chicken breasts, rice, carrots and peas, seasoned with garlic and Italian seasonings. I like to finish it with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for a touch of cheesy flavor. It’s so delicious!
I love this recipe because once the ingredients are prepped and in the pot, it’s mostly hands-off from there. While the Instant Pot cooks, you’ll be free to do whatever else you need to do… make a salad, fold a load of laundry, or just sit on the couch with your feet up!
We LOVE this recipe in my family. We also throw in extra veggies, like sautéed broccoli, and it’s super good!
Brianna
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion & Garlic: These provide a base layer of flavor to the dish.
- Carrots: Carrots are the perfect vegetable to cook in the Instant Pot because they will soften without breaking down.
- Brown Rice: Be sure to use long grain brown rice in this recipe. White rice cooks much faster in the Instant Pot and could burn with the cook time used in this recipe.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon enhances the flavor, but it does not make the finished dish taste like mustard.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper are used to season the chicken and rice.
- Chicken Broth: The broth is the liquid that allows the Instant Pot to reach pressure, and it also absorbs into the rice as it cooks. I recommend using low sodium chicken broth so that you can control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts provide lean protein. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be substituted, with no change to the recipe cook time.
- Frozen Peas: To add more veggies and a pop of color.
- Parmesan Cheese: This dish is extra delicious served with grated Parmesan!
Can You Use White Rice?
Since readers have asked over the years if they could make this dish with white rice, I decided to test it myself. I reduced the cook time to 4 minutes (the cook time for Instant Pot white rice) and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces to help it cook through in the shorter cook time. Unfortunately, I got the burn message and could not get this to cook through properly in the Instant Pot with white rice. So, brown rice is definitely best for this recipe!
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
I recommend having all of your ingredients ready before you start cooking because the prep for this recipe moves quickly once you start sautéing the vegetables. To get ready, you can chop the onion and carrots, peel the garlic, and have your seasonings ready to go. Rinse the rice and set it aside to drain.
Sauté aromatics. Sauté the onion in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Then stir in the garlic.
Add remaining ingredients. Add the carrots, brown rice, Dijon, seasonings and chicken broth. Stir well and scrape up any bits of food that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Put the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture.
Pressure cook. Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Then, let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure. Meanwhile, cook the frozen peas according to package directions.
Finish the dish. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces, then return it to the pot; stir in the peas. Serve and enjoy!
If you are new to cooking with an Instant Pot, you might find my guide about how to use an Instant Pot helpful.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Rinse the rice well before adding it to the Instant Pot.
- When you add the broth to the pot, be sure to scrape up any bits stuck to bottom of your Instant Pot with a spoon or spatula before adding the chicken. This helps to prevent the Instant Pot burn message during the pressure cooking time.
- If you want more veggies, try adding a chopped bell pepper along with the carrots. To add broccoli, stir in some steamed broccoli after pressure cooking. The broccoli will get too mushy if you pressure cook it along with everything else. Or stir a few handfuls of chopped fresh spinach into the finished dish.
- To learn more about cooking rice in the Instant Pot, see my recipes for Instant Pot Rice and Instant Pot Brown Rice.
Can You Use Frozen Chicken?
Yes! The cook time in this recipe is enough to cook chicken from frozen, no thawing required. Just be sure that your chicken is frozen as individual breasts, not one large mass of chicken.
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice
Since this recipe includes whole grain brown rice, a protein (chicken) and veggies, it can stand as a meal on its own. If you’d like to add in a side dish or two, try:
To Store and Reheat
Leftover chicken and rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers in the microwave until steaming hot. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
You can’t beat an easy Instant Pot recipe for getting dinner on the table fast! Here ae a few more of our favorites:
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 ½ cups long grain brown rice, uncooked, rinsed well and drained, do not substitute other types of rice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups low sodium chicken broth, (one 14.5 ounce can)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup frozen peas, cooked according to package directions
- fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 6 quart or larger Instant Pot using the sauté setting. Add the onion and sauté, stirring, until onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the carrots, brown rice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Stir well, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Make sure that all of the rice and vegetables are in the liquid, not on the sides of the pot. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes (by leaving it off after it finishes cooking).
- Then, carefully do a quick pressure release by moving the steam release valve to the venting position. Once all of the steam has been released and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes and then chop it into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken back into the rice mixture in the pot. Stir in the cooked frozen peas.
- Serve with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- You can use frozen chicken breasts in this recipe without making any adjustments to the cook time.
- Frozen peas: I’ve updated the recipe to call for cooking the frozen peas according to package directions before stirring them into the chicken and rice, rather than stirring them in frozen.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw (if frozen) and reheat to steaming hot before serving.
Recipe originally published 2018, updated Nov. 2021 and Aug. 2024.
If I don’t own an instant pot yet, could I make this in a slow cooker?
Hi Hilary, I have a similar recipe for the slow cooker. You can see it here. The rice will turn out much softer in the slow cooker. If you’re on the fence about getting an Instant Pot, I highly recommend it! I use mine multiple times a week.
Made this as the first recipe with my new instapot! Ended up tweaking it to two cups of chicken broth, doubled all of the spices, and added a teaspoon or two of chili powder. SO GOOD. Best tasting brown rice I’ve ever had.
If I only have white rice, is the pressure cooking time the same? I’m guessing it is but I wanted to make sure since I’m still a newbie to IP cooking. What about the sauteed cooking time when the rice is added?
Hi Nica, this recipe will not work with white rice. White rice cooks in only 4 minutes in an instant pot, so it would be mush by the time the chicken cooked in this recipe. Please wait until you can get some long grain brown rice to make this. 🙂
I just tried it with white rice and I needed way more liquid. I’m going to try 2.5-3C liquid next time.
I made this for dinner and i used white rice. It actually worked out perfectly fine!! Burned a little on the bottle but that’s because we didn’t close the valve so that it can pressure cook for 20 minutes. Tastes great I love it
I noticed you say not to substitute the brown rice for other types of rice. I can’t eat brown rice. Why can’t you substitute for other rices?
Different types of rice need different cook times. The recipe will take some adjusting to make sure that everything (chicken, rice, etc.) cooks in the same amount of time if you use a different type of rice.
Planning on making this soon but was wondering; do you stir in the pees while frozen or follow those thaw instructions for the microwave? Sorry if this is a silly question, just don’t want to mess it up!
Amie,
You can put the peas in frozen. They are so small they thaw quickly in the hot pot.
I love your site thankyou lots for me to try.can’t wait to make this.
Thanks for your kind words. I hope you love the chicken and rice!
When do you add the frozen peas?
Hi Kristin, You add them in step 7.
But the peas are not cooked? Cooking time in done. I’m confused how the peas could be done.
Can you not add the chicken already chopped at the start, that’s what we do and it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Lovely recipe anyway, great for hot school lunches!!
You can, but the smaller pieces of chicken may dry out from overcooking.
This is calling out to me for pineapple. Do you have suggestions as to when woukd be a good time to add that?? Thanks!!
I would probably stir it in at the end, since it might turn to mush if you pressure cooked it for 20 minutes. If you try it let me know how it turns out!
Would I need to adjust the amount of water if I used frozen chicken breast?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried it, but my guess is that you can use frozen chicken breast and follow the recipe as written. The amount of liquid will be the same, and the frozen chicken should cook through in the same amount of time but check it after cooking just to be sure. Enjoy!
ooh no I stirred my rice
Do you at least thaw the frozen peas since they are not cooked at all with the other ingredients? III doesn’t seem like they would get hot just going in at the end. I haven’t use my Insta Pot very much but I have cooked with an old fashion pressure cooker.
The recipe looks really good. My husband and I love fried rice.
Thanks
Hi Susan, I don’t thaw the peas and they do get hot since it’s very hot in the Instant Pot after cooking. You can definitely put them in a bowl on the counter to thaw if you want. 🙂
Hi Kristine,
I made this recipie tonight for dinner and it was great! Thank you for the post and being so thorough in your directions! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Thank you!
Can the Dijon mustard be omitted?
Yes, definitely!
Great recipe! My family loved it!
Hi! I don’t have instant pot, but I have Multicooker so can I do it in this?
Yes, if it has a pressure cook function.
Made this tonight with Trader Joe’s quick cooking brown basmati rice and it turned out so so SO freaking delish! I only let it cook for 8 minutes because I wanted moist chicken and the brown rice was quick cooking. Worked really well. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m happy to hear you liked this! Thank you for sharing about how your modifications worked. 🙂
I really liked how light and filling this was, but gave the recipe a 4 star for being a little bland and because of the burning experience.
I was very careful to be sure to stir the rice and get up any bits from the saute function. I omitted onions – I’m not sure how much liquid that would have added, but I got a burn warning and burned the recipe. Feeling defeated, since this was my first IP recipe (because I had all the items on hand). That said, have you found burning to be an issue with the 80 series?
Hi Hannah, Thank you for your feedback. I have an 8 quart Instant Pot and the very first time I used it I got a burn warning. (I was making chili, and starchy foods like beans are prone to getting the burn warning). Since that first time, I’ve used my 8 quart many, many times with no more burn warnings. I’m sorry you had that experience – it is certainly frustrating. I don’t think leaving out the onions should have made a difference. I have heard that the 8 quart is more prone to burning than other models, but again, I haven’t had any trouble since. Keep trying – I’m guessing you will come to love your IP! 🙂
I cooked the Chicken and Rice dish for the required 20 minutes and it browned on the bottom and chicken was dry. What did I do wrong
Hmmm, I’ve never had that happen. The chicken should be ok once you stir it back into the rice mixture. Can you give me more information to help troubleshoot what happened with the rice? Did you use long grain brown rice? White rice takes much less time to cook and does not work well in this recipe. Was it browned just in one spot or was the whole bottom of the dish browned? What size Instant Pot did you use? Did you stir everything well after adding the broth? I’ve made this a few times and have never had my rice brown on the bottom.
I’m going to make this for the first time tonight. Can I saute the ingredients on a pan then add it to the instant pot in order to avoid a burn warning?
Hi Sabrina, you could do that but it shouldn’t be necessary. One of my favorite benefits to the Instant Pot is that you can saute and cook, all in one pot. Just stir well and you shouldn’t have a problem. 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Hi there, the power is out where I live but we have a generator just for lights and heat, and my instant pot for dinner tonight! Was wondering if I could use short grain brown rice and be okay? I know it says no substitutes but I believe they have the same cooking time normally. Thank you in advance!!
Hi Emily,
I haven’t tested short grain brown rice. If you do and it works, let me know the brand and cook time you used.
Got a Gourmia insant pot for Christmas and made this tonight. YUM!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi tried this as my first IP meal! Turned out great. Curious if this meal is freezable for leftovers? Again thanks for a great and easy recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it! You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
This is the recipe that was my maiden voyage for my instapot, and we all loved the way it taste. The flavors were wonderful and I can’t wait to make it again, as well as, additional meals.
The only issue I had was my brown rice didn’t cook all the way and was still crunchy! Any suggestions?
I’m sorry to hear that about the brown rice. I’ve never had that happen, but different varieties of rice can have different cook times. Your rice might need a few extra minutes to cook- I would try just 2 more minutes. You might add a little bit more liquid for it to absorb as well- about 1/4 cup.
Thank you for your suggestions and you are right, i had a brown rice grain my husband picked up and I didn’t check. I am trying it again with the right rice, I will let you know how it turns out
It was very tasty but my rice was crunchy too. I think it was the right rice but it got browned and crispy in places when I fried it for a minute or two during the saute part. Did I do that wrong? Next time I will add the rice after I finish the sauteing.
That’s so interesting because I’ve never had that happen! You could be correct in thinking that it sauteed a bit too much.
I had my first Insta Pot dinner party last night and I used this recipe. Fabulous. The recipe is well written and easy to follow. The tips are helpful- thanks Kristine. I had no burn warning and the rice was a perfect consistency. In addition to the chicken stock, I added 3 oz of canned petite roasted tomatoes and 3 oz of light coconut milk. I also added some red pepper flakes while sauteing the vegetables. I doubled the dijon mustard and added some Aleppo pepper at the end. It’s cold in Boston; I wanted a bit more spice and creaminess. Delicious. A fun recipe to follow exactly or to play with.
Your additions to the recipe sound delicious! I love the idea of adding a bit of heat to this recipe.
If I want to double the recipe (large family) what should I do with cooking times?
Hi Michelle, The cook time should be the same for a double recipe.
I tried this recipe tonight and ended up being without and subbing a few of the ingredients, including the rice. I only had a 1/2 cup of brown left and had to use a whole cup of white long grain and prayed for the best. It actually turned out pretty darn good and the family even went back for seconds.
Thanks for the recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
I was wondering if I could sub chicken thighs instead of chicken breast and maybe reduce the cook time to 15min?
Hi Angela, you can substitute chicken thighs, but keep the cook time the same. The cook time in this recipe is determined by how long it will take the long grain brown rice to cook.
Great recipe! Followed it pretty much exactly and food was delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this exactly as the recipe states and it turned out perfectly! While I shredded the chicken I added the peas to the rice and let it sit on the “Keep Warm” feature for a minute or two. Thank you for an InstaPot recipe that works AND is delicious!
Yay! I’m so happy that you loved this recipe! It’s one of my favorites!!
Yummy! I used red quinoa, looked like meat.
I’m glad you enjoyed this!
We don’t have carrots — could zucchini or frozen vegetables (brocolli, spinach…) be used instead?
You could use zucchini or frozen veggies, but I would wait and add them at the end. Since they cook faster than carrots, they would probably turn to mush if they pressure cooked with the rest of the dish. Depending on what veggie you choose, you might want to pre-cook it a little and then just stir in at the end.
I used zucchini, bell pepper, and jalapeno since I had none of the veggies on the list but it sounded so good! Ended up adding some frozen corn at the end for a splash of color… Totally amazing! I’m still learning the instant pot thing so all the advice, comments and recipes are so helpful! Thank you!
I’m glad that you enjoyed this recipe and that you were able to make it your own with what you had in your kitchen!
I made this recipe tonight and it was good. However, the carrots were mush. I omitted sautéing because I knew that would be way too much for the carrots. Also I thought the Italian seasoning was a little too strong.
I just realized I accidentally bought chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts! I know the 20 minutes was also due to make sure the rice cooks. Any recommendations on if this won’t work or if I can adjust the time slightly so the chicken doesn’t get super dried out?? Thanks so much!
Great, thanks for the advice! If the brown rice (all I have) isn’t quite done, can I take the chicken out and then put the lid back on set to warm for a little to help cook it a little longer?
I don’t think the rice will cook on the warm setting. You could do two pressure cooking cycles. It will come to pressure faster the second time since the pot will be hot.
This was great! Even my picky eaters will eat this! Thanks so much for such a great recipe and that it’s so easy.
Yay! It’s the best when we find a dinner that our picky eaters will eat!
Hello Kristine,
I just made this for the first time.
The chicken turned out great but the rice was in the mushy side. I would like the dish to be a little more dry. Is there any way to do that?
Instant Pot rice can turn out a little sticky, but I’ve never had it turn out mushy. You could try reducing the liquid a bit.
Great! I used frozen chicken breasts and Trader Joes Brown Jasmine rice. After returning the chicken to the pot, I let it sit on warm for about 20 minutes to let the rice soften a little more to perfection.
I’m so glad this worked for you!
Did you keep the cooking time the same for frozen chicken??
Yes, for this recipe the cook time should be plenty to cook frozen chicken. Enjoy!
I’m trying this tonight using white rice (since that’s what we have on hand) and decreasing the cooking time a little. We’ll see what happens! Have had good luck in the past altering IP recipes slightly for our taste.
I hope it worked out. White rice has a much shorter cook time than brown rice. I’m always adapting recipes to my tastes, too. 🙂
I really want to try this recipe but the only rice I have is Minute brown rice… will this work???
Hi Mandy, Unfortunately minute brown rice won’t work in this recipe. The cook time for minute rice is much too short and the rice would turn to mush. This One Pot Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole is a similar (non-Instant Pot) skillet recipe that you can use that Minute brown rice in, though! 🙂
Thank you ☺️
I cannot get this recipe to pressurize. At the end of the 20 minutes, i flip the vent, nothing happens, top comes off right away and the chicken is not cooked. Instant Pot is working just fine as I use it with other recipes. Going to try again but with more liquid maybe?
Hmmm I’ve never had that problem with this recipe. The 1 1/2 cups of broth should be enough liquid to allow the pot to pressurize. You are saying that the cook time display counted down from 20 and then there was no steam to release when you turned the valve? It’s strange that the cook time would start if the pot had not reached pressure. It sounds like you are making sure to turn the valve to the sealing position, so that shouldn’t be the problem. Sometimes I find that removing the steam valve and then replacing it can help (especially if a little bit of steam was escaping while the pot was trying to pressurize). Other things to try are to be sure to scrape up any food that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot, make sure the silicone sealing ring is fitted properly and clean, and make sure that all of the parts inside the lid are fitted on well. I hope you are able to figure out the problem!
I use short grain brown rice due to it’s stickiness and suitability to make risotto. Difficult to find however, I get the 365 brand from Whole Foods. I did add about a cup of Greek yogurt -fat free- to make a creamy texture. Great recipe! Thank you
I add Greek yogurt to my slow cooker chicken and rice. Great idea to do that here, too!
I made this recipe tonight for my family and it was good, however we all decided that the italian seasoning was overwhelming. I will make it again although it will be without the italian seasoning. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for your honest review and for trying the recipe! You could definitely switch up the flavors of this dish with different seasonings, or no seasoning at all. 🙂
We tried this recipe a couple weeks ago with short-grain brown rice. It was a little more soupy than in your pictures but tasted great!
Due to some digestive issues, we are avoiding brown rice for the time being. Any thoughts on how to adapt this recipe with quinoa?
It might have been more soupy due to the short grain rice. Quinoa cooks much more quickly than brown rice, so to sub quinoa I would cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and reduce the pressure cook time to 4 minutes. I would use 1 cup of quinoa (rinsed) and 1 cup of broth. Be sure to do a natural release after the cook time ends. Let me know how it turns out if you try it with the quinoa!
I made this for dinner and we all loved it, Thanks for the recipe, it will be something I make frequently!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Please post more Instant Pot recipes! All of yours are delicious and come out perfectly!!!
I will! I have lots of Instant Pot recipes planned for the coming months. 🙂
I made this for dinner and we loved it! My only question is that the recipe says it serves 6 with a serving being 1 cup. I only yielded 7 cups rather than 12. ?????????
I’m glad you enjoyed this! There could be a typo in the serving size, or it could be a difference of how much you pack it into the measuring cup when measuring.
I meant the serving size says 2 cups…..
Hi there! I’m new to my IP. Do you think doubling this recipe in an 8 qt pot would work?
I think that should work. Just don’t exceed the 1/2 fill line because the rice will expand as it cooks.
Looks delish, curious… if I omit the chicken breast would I need to adjust the cook time?
You would keep the cook time the same without the chicken, since the brown rice will take the full 20 minutes to cook.
This turned out perfect. I will be making this again.
I’m so glad!
Can the chicken be frozen to start?
Yes, this recipe pressure cooks for enough time to cook the chicken from frozen.
I’m so glad!
Made this super quick and easy weekday dinner today. I added a cup of shredded cheddar cheese following my go-to (but much more labor intensive) chicken and rice dinner, as well as about 1/4 cup of heavy cream when the peas went in at the end. Frozen chicken breasts made this dinner even easier. Thanks!
I cooked this in a good old fashioned pressure cooker using frozen chicken tenders instead of breasts but otherwise exactly as written. It came out perfectly and was delicious. My boys (11 and 13) loved it. They haven’t raced for seconds in a long time but they did on this. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m happy that this turned out so well for you! It’s the best when the kids go back for seconds! 🙂
HI KRISTINE,
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU MY POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS RECIPE. IT WAS VERY TASTY, MOIST AND FLAVORFUL. MY PICKY HUBBY AND KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT AND SAID HOW YUMMY IT WAS. I HAVE TO THANK REVIEWER TILLY FOR HER ADVICE ABOUT QUICK BROWN LONG GRAIN RICE, SHE WAS COMPLETELY CORRECT! 8 MINUTES WAS PERFECT, THE RICE WAS TENDER WITHOUT BEING MUSHY AND THE CHICKEN WAS COOKED TO PERFECTION. I FOLLOWING ALL YOUR INSTRUCTIONS WITH EASE AND I DIDN’T HAVE ANY BURN ISSUES LIKE OTHER REVIEWERS MENTIONED. THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE I DID WAS ADD 1 CUP OF FROZEN MIXED VEGGIES AS I DIDN’T HAVE THE PEAS ON HAND AND CHOPPED UP 16 BABY CARROTS INSTEAD OF THE 4 CARROTS IN YOUR RECIPE. I FIGURED IT WOULD HAVE TOO MUCH CARROTS IN IT IF I DID IT EXACTLY AS YOUR RECIPE AS THERE WERE CARROTS IN THE MIXED VEGGIES. I THREW IN THE FROZEN MIXED VEGGIES WHEN I TOOK THE CHICKEN OUT TO CUT IT UP AND MIXED IT IN. IT GOT WARM WHEN THE CHICKEN WAS BEING CUT UP. I ALSO TOOK OUT THE FROZEN VEGGIES FROM THE FREEZER WHEN THE COOKER WAS COUNTING DOWN THE 12 NATURAL RELEASE MONUTES. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR RECIPE. IT WAS DELICIOUS, SUCCESSFUL AND EASY! THANK YOU TILLY FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE QUICK BROWN RICE TIME ADJUSTMENT.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment! I’m happy that this recipe worked so well for you. Thanks for sharing your modifications and for sharing that the quick long grain brown rice worked well with an 8 minute cook time.
If I was to use Cauliflower rice in place of the brown rice how would that change the cooking time? Is it even possible? thanks!
I would recommend cooking the cauliflower rice separately and using my instant pot chicken thighs recipe instead of this recipe if you want to use cauliflower rice.
ok sounds good, so still use chicken breasts but just follow the instructions for the chicken thighs recipe? I don’t care for chicken thighs so trying to find a good recipe for chicken breasts.
And thanks for all your helpful info regarding the Insta Pot. I just got one and I’m a bit scared of it but just read your detailed “Insta Pot beginners guide” and it’s great!! so tonight I’m trying my first recipe!
thanks again, Crissy
Oops – I got mixed up for a minute when I suggested the chicken thighs recipe. You could use the IP chicken thighs recipe with chicken breasts, but may have to adjust the cook time, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. You could also try my instant pot chicken breasts recipe. Unfortunately, without doing some recipe testing I can’t say how to adapt this chicken and rice recipe for cauliflower rice.
Hi Kristine!
I’ve just ordered my first IP and it’s arriving tomorrow. This is the recipe i’m planning to follow for my first use of the IP. I wanted to ask if the pressure cooking time needs to be adjusted if I want to add some more chicken breasts to the recipe?
Also, does the size/thickness of each breast matter? Because where I live, the chicken breasts tend to be pretty big and thick so should I be cutting them horizontally before placing them in the IP?
Thanks in advance for your response!
Krunal
Hi Krunal, You can add more chicken breasts to the recipe and keep the cook time the same. The size/thickness of each breast does matter regarding the pressure cook time, but 20 minutes of pressure cooking time plus 12 minutes natural release should be plenty to cook even very large chicken breasts. I hope you enjoy the recipe and your new Instant Pot!
I just tried this recipe. My instant pot gave me a burn warning and therefore I could not finish it in the pot. I have read this is a common problem. What can I do to correct this?
The burn warning can be caused by a number of factors. I’ve only gotten the burn message once in all of the many, many times I’ve used my Instant Pots, so it’s definitely avoidable. Some of the most common reasons why you may get a burn warning are:
There’s not enough liquid in the pot (especially common if you’re cooking starchy foods like beans and rice). This may have been the issue for you, so I would try adding a little more liquid next time if you try this recipe again.
There are bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pot – always be sure to scrape up any bits of food stuck to the bottom using a spatula or wooden spoon.
If you forget to turn the valve to the sealing position, you may get a burn warning.
Make sure the sealing ring is fitted in properly.
The burn warning is more common in the 8 quart pot, for some reason.
I travel for work and basically live in hotels. I get tired of eating out and buying premise salads. So….I bought the pot and checked it like luggage. I found this recipe since it sounded like it would be easy enough to make in my hotel room. I took the pot out of the box for the first time tonight and started to make this dish. Since it’s just me I only use a 3 quart pot and cut the recipe down a bit. I cheated and bought precut veggies, can’t really bring a knife on the plane It worked great! I could hear people in the hotel hall saying where is the restaurant here? I can smell it but can’t find it! Haha. I added some celery and topped it with slivered almonds. Looking forward to trying something new next week as this is my lunch and dinner for the week.
That is great Rose!
I just made this and ….IT WAS SO SO SO SO GOOD!! THANK YOU!!!
I only have a 3 qt instant pot. Will cutting the ingredients in half work and would cook time be the same?
I don’t have a 3 quart Instant Pot, but as long as you don’t exceed the max fill line you can halve the ingredients for this recipe and cook in your 3 quart. The cook time will be the same.
This was very easy and so good! My rice was not crunchy and everything was perfectly cooked. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and I added 1/2 cup peas and 1/2 cup corn at the end. Delicious!
Is whole grain brown rice the same as long grain brown rice? I want to try this recipe but can’t find a package that says long grain.
All brown rice is whole grain, so whole grain brown rice may be long or short. I would decide if it’s long grain based on how it looks – the grains of rice should be long and thin. This post has an image that will help.
2nd recipe after receiving the Instant Pot for Christmas. It was delicious and only cost about $2.50 per serving.
If I double the servings do I have to double the cooking time ?
The cooking time stays the same for a double recipe.
Best directions and results of any Instant Pot recipies that I’ve tried. Turned out perfect!! Thanks!!!!
Wow! I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Just made this and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! Any recommendations on reheating the leftovers?
I usually reheat the leftovers in the microwave.
I usually reheat food in the IP using the ekovana stackable steamer Insert Pans with sling that you can buy or any heatproof dish or pan that would fit in the inner pot would work I’m sure – I put it on Steam setting for 5-10 minutes then quick release – food gets good and hot and doesn’t dry out. It does take longer than microwave but food is so much better in my opinion and stays hotter longer too. I thought you might like to try this if you haven’t already or good for folks with no microwave.
Thank you for the suggestion PJ.
Can you switch the mustard from dijon to spicy brown?
That should work fine, or you can omit the mustard. 🙂
This was only the second recipe I have tried in my Instant Pot. I liked it a lot. I’m new to cooking and wonder if leftovers can be refrigerated and then reheated? I hear very different opinions on re-heating rice, but there’s only two of us and this recipe makes more than my wife and I can eat at a single sitting. What is the best and safest way to re-heat leftovers?
You can safely reheat rice, so long as you heat it until it is steaming hot. Also, be sure to refrigerate the leftovers promptly. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I just found your blog and want to try this recipe tonight. You mention adding red bell peppers as an option, would asparagus also work to add? Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
You could, but I would saute or steam it separately and add it after cooking. It will get pretty mushy if you pressure cook it along with the chicken and rice.
can you add canned great northern beans in place of the peas if you don’t have any
Yes, that will work fine.
Wow! Such an easy healthy weeknight dinner. Great flavor, we all loved it. Thank you!
Taste was very, very good. However, I would recommend increasing the broth if you have anything more than a 6 quart Instant Pot. Mine is an 8 quart, I changed nothing, and my rice was just a tad past a bit crunchy (I used the Texmati brown rice that comes in a plastic tub.) Will definitely make this again, but with 2 cups of broth instead of 1-1/2. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just cook it 25 minutes instead of 20. 🙂 Thanks!
Didn’t care for this recipe. My family found it terribly bland and the rice was mushy. Won’t be making it again.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. We didn’t find the rice to be mushy but I’ve found that everyone has different tastes and opinions when it comes to rice.
Very good!
I doubled this. There was plenty for everyone (family of 6) to have seconds. The kids loved it. I used the sliced match stick carrots (bc ya know, convenience ?) in a 10 oz bag. I also used frozen chicken with the same cook times. I tossed in the frozen peas (I left them out to thaw a bit during cooking) when I diced up the chicken. They were perfectly hot even though they never technically “cooked” with the food. I never got the burn warning and chicken was still cooked through perfectly! I also threw in a table spoon or 2 of some homemade Italian dressing seasoning. Perfect cheap and easy meal.
I also did not find the rice to be mushy whatsoever. In fact it could have went another minute or so. But no complaints bc my husband will have to reheat it after his shift anyway and it was still delish.
I’ve never rinsed rice before cooking it, is there a reason for rinsing it? Also, when you do the natural release for 12 minutes, do you turn the Instant Pot off (but not move the steam release valve), or do you let it stay on the “keep warm” setting?
Rinsing rice removes surface starch, so that you end up with rice that has a better fluffy texture. Without rinsing, it’s more likely that rice could turn out gummy or clumped together. Rinsing rice also removes debris that may be on the rice. During the natural release time, it doesn’t matter if the Instant Pot is off or on the keep warm setting. Mine always switches to keep warm once the cooking cycle ends and I just leave it that way. 🙂
Outstanding dinner. Made this tonight added two extra ingredients. Had one chicken breast and 2 bone in thighs on hand to get to the weight needed according to the recipe. Took the skin off one of the thighs and left the skin on the other just to enhance the chicken flavor. Removed the skin before cutting it off the bone. Finally I added three strands of saffron.
This turned out to be one of the best chicken and rice recipes I’ve tried. Definitely a keeper and I’d officially in the once a month rotation. Served 5 people easily with no leftovers. Thank you for posting this recipe.
I made this recipe with a few modifications. I used my own chicken broth and I uses white rice. I used 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 water otherwise my picky teen would say “it just takes like chicken soup”. I still wanted the nutrients from the broth and she still complained about the “soup” taste. I make home made broth each week, so she is kind of over it with having soup flavor. Anyhow…..this worked just fine with white rice. The package of chicken breasts I had on hand was closer to 1.5 pounds. It was 4 chicken breasts. I just went with that. And I just hit the RICE button on the Instant Pot. I let it natural release for about 15 minutes. The chicken breasts were thoroughly cooked. The rice was a bit mushy from all the extra liquid from the veggies and meat, but I took the chicken out to slice/shred and left it on warm and a lot of the extra liquid evaporated out. But this is a very soft rice dish. If somebody wanted to make it with just white rice and didn’t want the rice quite as soft, they could experiment with cutting back a little bit on the liquid since the chicken and veggies will add their juices as everything cooks.
Do not recommend this recipe. Burn food warning after burn food warning. Added four extra cups of water and still, burn food warning. Had to through it all away and order pizza. So disappointing.
Hi Lynee,
If you needed to add 4 extra cups of water, something went wrong with your Instant Pot. This can happen if the steam release valve isn’t set to the sealing position or the pot doesn’t seal properly. My Instant Pot burn message post may help. I just made this recipe again two nights ago and it turned out delicious as usual.
I was wondering if you could use Spicy Brown Mustard in place of Dijon. I love the recipe with the Dijon, but was wondering if different mustards would work. Thanks!
Yes, that should work fine.
This was the VERY FIRST meal I cooked in my Instant Pot and I’ve made it several times over the last year because, let’s face it, it’s delicious and simple. (THANK YOU!!!)
I am wondering, however, if it works (and/or difference in cooking time) if I double the recipe.
Thank you for your time, Kristine!
Hi Shannon,
I think the 6 quart pot is too small for doubling this recipe. You might try it in an 8 quart Instant Pot as long as it doesn’t exceed the lower max fill line because the rice will expand.
I can’t have rice…. Allergy. Could I use Quinoe instead? I’m very new to my IP… 8 qt. and want to try it out more. A blogger shared about getting recipes from you so I enjoy getting your emails.
Hi Kathy, I am happy to hear that you are enjoying my emails! Instant Pot quinoa cooks really quickly (only 1 minute cook time), so it won’t work as a substitute here, unfortunately.
Why does it need so long to cook? I’ve not come across something so long. I have a similar recipe that is done in 8 mins & 8 min NR. Is it the brown rice?
Yes, the longer cook time is needed to cook the brown rice.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes, the cook time should be plenty of time to cook frozen chicken. Just make sure that it’s reached 165 degrees F after cooking.
If I am using Minute Rice and Quinoa, how long would I let it cook? Having it tonight and looking forward to it!
I would not advise using minute rice or quinoa in this recipe. Both cook far too quickly to cook the chicken through. You would also need to adjust the amount of liquid. It is best to follow this recipe as written, or look for a recipe that calls for the ingredients you have on hand. You might try this One Pot Chicken and Rice recipe, if your rice package says that it cooks in 10 minutes.
This was a perfect recipe! Also a great meal for the whole family! I altered just a bit because I didn’t have any whole carrots. I added a small bag of frozen mixed vegetables with the rice and also added some extra green peas after the chicken was cooked as the recipe calls for. Thank you for having such a thorough, accurate and yummy recipe!
Can we substitute Dijon Mustard with regular Mustard?
Thank you for the great healthy recipe!
Yes, or you can leave out the mustard entirely.
I’m sure it’s somewhere in your blog, but I don’t have time like many to read through all of it. So, what are the best most affordable insta pots that will work for a family of 4. My teen and his dad are big eaters too. Thanks for any information!!
Hi Wendy,
I have the 6 quart Instant Pot Duo Plus and would recommend it for a family of 4.
I liked the dish, but it seems so bland. I added some cayenne but it still feels like it’s missing something. More garlic? Any ideas to kick up the flavor a little bit without adding too many calories? (The biggest conundrum of our lives, right? lol)
Hi Julie, You could add more garlic or increase the seasonings. Sometimes just adding a bit more salt can help, as everyone’s tastes are different. Adding cheese would also be delicious!
I thought the same thing. I’m giving it another try tonight and adding some lemon pepper to spruce it up a bit.
I recommend adding a tsp of rice vinegar and a tsp of sesame oil!!!
Can you double this recipe
Hi Helen, I’m not sure that a double recipe will fit in a 6 quart Instant Pot. If you have an 8 quart, you should be able to make a double recipe. Double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. 🙂
What is the portion size for the calories? Per cup?
Since the recipe makes 6 servings, the nutrition information is for 1/6 of the total recipe. The nutrition info is an estimate and will vary based on exact ingredients used, etc.
I was SO happy with how this turned out! I added red bell peppers per your suggestion, they softened up and disappeared lol but I was sti glad to have an extra veggie in there. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect, topped with some extra salt and Parmesan at the end. This reminds me of a healthy risotto, it has the same texture without all the dairy. New fav in our house! Next time I’ll try mixing in some steamed broccoli at the very end.
Could you use long grain white rice or jasmine rice?
Hi Beth, I tested this recipe with white rice, reducing the cook time to 4 minutes, but I got the burn message. This has never happened in all of the times I’ve made this with brown rice, so I advise waiting to make this when you have brown rice.
How can I cook this without an insta pot?
Hi Holly,
I don’t have directions for this particular recipe without the Instant Pot. You might enjoy my Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe, which is made on the stove/oven.
Perfect easy, healthy meal! I added a packet of onion soup mix and 1 T tomato paste, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Definitely will make again 🙂
I make the chicken and rice with mixed veggies and broth with some seasoning for my puppies. They love it. But I always take a few tablespoons to make sure it’s right. It’s so good for everyone.
We LOVE this recipe in my family. We also throw in extra veggies, like sautéed broccoli, and it’s super good!
Super easy, super healthy and my husband and kids loved it! I added the steamed broccoli at the end and it was delicious. And, it actually came together faster than the recipe said AND I had time to set the table and load the dishwasher! Amazing things the almost never happen. Wonderful!
I just got my first Instant pot and haven’t used it yet. I also have a larger family. It’s it possible to double this recipe for a 6 qt instant pot? Or is it not big enough?
Hi Kendra,
I have not tried doubling this recipe in a 6 quart pot. It may fit but I can’t say for sure without trying it.
My first meal in my new instant pot. So good! I’m new at this.
This one’s going in the rotation! I am new to using the pressure cooker feature on my Ninja Foodi and wanted to try a recipe with chicken and rice. This worked out really well! I used frozen boneless chicken breasts, a 14 oz can of chicken broth and threw in some chopped celery. I also used a mix of brown and wild rice. At the end, I added some teriyaki sauce and a can of water chestnuts for a more asian inspired version and it was delicious! Thanks for giving me confidence to use this recipe as a template for chicken and rice in my Ninja!
This was a perfect dinner to prep before leaving for my daughter’s field hockey game. I turned it on just before we left (prep was easy btw) and then made sure that the “keep warm” setting was on. It was ready to go when we walked in the door. The chicken was so tender I just shredded it in the pot as I stirred in the peas. Great meal and will make again- and probably try some variations on it now that I know how easy it is. Thanks!
Hi, I have made this recipe a bunch and I really like it. However, tonight when I tried to make it, I got the burn warning several times and finally had to scrap it. It was indeed burning and food was caked at the bottom. This is the first time this has happened to me. Any idea what could’ve caused that? I don’t think I did anything differently this time. Thank you!
Hi Matt,
I’m glad to know that you enjoy this recipe! This post about the Instant Pot Burn Message has lots of helpful tips for troubleshooting the burn warning.
Hi Kristine, I actually referenced that article that night but unfortunately none of the tips worked. Do you have any other suggestions for me to avoid this in the future? Maybe add more chicken broth next time?
It’s strange that you got the burn warning last time when you’ve successfully made the recipe before. That makes me wonder if something went different this time. If you didn’t change anything else about the recipe, then I agree that adding a little more broth next time might help. Good luck!
This is an easy and flavorful main dish! I love that it uses brown rice. This is a favorite at our house.
This was so simple yet so very good. Thank you.
*LOVED THIS*
Even my teenager loved this.
Followed the recipe to a T. I had some pre-cooked chicken thighs in the freezer (I try to have some in there for just this kind of this).
Put the chicken on top (still frozen) and it warmed through just fine with everything…
Served with some shredded cheese on the side and it was delicious. This recipe is a keeper!