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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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I have an 8qt IP- can I double this recipe by simply doubling up the ingredients? It looks delicious, but I’d like to make at least 2-3 cups of rice instead of just one…Thanks!
Hi Angie! I think that could work for sure. Let me know how it goes!
This was amazing! My rice was super creamy, like a risotto. The chicken was good, but the rice is definitely the best part. Even better leftover the next day. I did swap out the Italian seasoning with lemon pepper, because my family loves lemon pepper. Otherwise I made as instructed. I will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Wonderful! I am so happy you liked it.
Im new to the IP world. I have the Max. I cant figure out how to convert recipes to the Max. For example, the recipe listed here…Would i still cook for the same amount of time your recipe calls for?
Hi Kathy! Hmm… I have never cooked with the max before. According to the IP FAQs, it says this: “To convert a 12 psi recipe for use in a 15 psi pressure cooker such as the Max, simply remove 10-20% from the cook time, depending on what you’re preparing—denser foods may take longer to cook. If your percentage outcome results in a decimal point, round to the nearest 1.” I copy/pasted this from: https://instantpot.com/portfolio-item/max-faq/ – you may want to read it because it seems like there’s lots of good info in there. Some people have had issues with this recipe (not sure why), so I’m going to do some more testing. I can’t say I’m super confident that I’ll be able to guide you the correct way to do this in an IP Max since I don’t own one, but I’d follow their suggestion and see what happens. I definitely wouldn’t give it more than 15 minutes.
I followed the recioe exactly, using basmati white rice and it did not turn out. The chicken was cooked but there was a lot of liquid left in the rice. Plus, the bottom of the rice was burned onto the IP. It was loke eating oatmeal. It had that consistency, the rice turned to mush. Very frustrating, I am still fairly new to IP cooking. My IP does not say high pressure. I am assuming that means To use the Manual setting?
Hi Jackie! Hmm. I’m wondering if you were cooking it on low pressure since you had some liquid left. Yes, the manual button is high pressure (on my IP anyway, but as far as I can tell, I can only do high pressure on the model I own). I have never had anything scorch on the bottom, but I know others do in some cases. It’s perplexing.
I don’t know. It is very perplexing. That’s what I thought. I did use manual. I’ll have to try it again, maybe using a different white rice. The chicken turned out quite good, though.
I’m going to do more tests with timing. Yesterday I did a test with just the rice (jasmine) and it was good with 10 minutes.
Turned out perfectly. Exactly as described. Followed the recipe exactly. The rice is amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay!!! I am so happy to hear that, Lori!!
That looks delicious! Comfort food recipes will always find a way to me eventually, I love trying new things. [linked edited out by blog author]
Out of curiosity, how long do you cook rice if you are just cooking it plain? And what about if you cook just chicken breasts? I want to make this later this week but the 18 minutes seems wayyyy too long. I usually cook white rice for 1 minute on high pressure and chicken breasts (4 medium sized) for 6 minutes.
Hi! I’ve been doing just the rice for 15. And I don’t usually do just chicken breasts. But like in soup I’ve cooked them for a lot less, definitely. I’m going to see about testing some more to decrease timing in this recipe.
Thank you for responding! Since my Pot seems to cook plain rice a lot faster, I think I will try less time when I make this. I can always cook longer if needed.
You’re welcome! Let me know how it turns out. I’m so curious since everyone’s IP seems to vary and it’s so perplexing haha.
I made this tonight and cooked it for 10 minutes on Max pressure (15 psi, I have an Instant Pot Max) and it turned out perfect!
Thanks for the details!! I’m going to see what pressure mine is.
Chicken and rice were over cooked. I had read the reviews prior and cut the time to 10 mins. I used basmati rice. Overall good flavor topped with some shredded cheese.
Interested in trying this soon! How would you adjust for chicken thighs?
Hi! I’d cook them for the same amount of time assuming they’re not super gigantic ones. Just ensure you check they’re fully cooked before serving. I will test the recipe with chicken thighs at some point. Let me know how it goes!
I have a surplus of asparagus and would like to incorporate it into this recipe along with the carrots. Do you think I can just add them in or should i try and adjust the amount of cooking liquid or time. Thanks!
I’d just add it in as-is and leave the other factors the same. The asparagus will end up really soft and may flavor everything, though.
Are you able to use frozen chicken breasts with this recipe? Or will the added time cause the rice to over cook? Thanks!
Good question. I think it’ll make the rice overcook. If you do try, please let me know how it went. 🙂
Just made this tonight, chicken breasts were HUGE so I used three … and they were frozen because that’s how I roll. Rice came out overcooked, so I’m just going to pretend it’s risotto. 😉 So, either the frozen chicken or accidentally letting the IP do a natural release for a few minutes (or a combo of the two) will get you that overcooked rice. Still tastes good though!
Nothing wrong with pretending it’s risotto haha. I’m glad it still tasted good at least! 🙂
Do you think this recipe could be halved? I also wanted to ask why you say to rinse the rice? I realize that rinsing rice is to get rid of the starch and I guess that would make sense for this recipe. But I do notice a huge taste difference and find I prefer not to rinse the rice anymore as ithe starch is flavor too. Rinsing is something I always did because you always see recipes saying to do so. I just was curious to know the reason.
This looks amazing and I’m planning to make it but my kids just will not eat it. They are weird and hate anything “casserole” like. So I’d make this just for myself and the husband.
Hi Tilly! In this case, I rinse the rice because Instant Pot recommends it in their “how to cook rice” guide. Rice can sometimes burn in the IP (it’s notoriously tricky), so that’s why I follow the best practice they suggest. Regarding halving the recipe, I haven’t tried that myself, and I am a bit wary because then there will be less liquid and I would say the likelihood of the burn warning goes up. I would make the same amount of rice but half the chicken if you’re thinking of doing that. The rice always goes really quickly in our house.
My husband hates casserole type things too but for some reason chicken and rice in instant pot he loves. If you cut up raw chicken into cubes and saute it in instant pot first you don’t have to cook rice as long. I did a recipe where you did that and only put rice in on pressure for 5 minutes and quick release. I was leery but it worked. The i liked the chicken better cubed first and sauted because it didn’t get all mushy or shredded.
Good to know! Thanks