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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.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
How long can I leave the cooked chicken n rice in the pot before opening it. Can I leave for errands or a few hours and return without fear of a health risk?
Hi! I am not a food safety expert, but in good conscience I can’t advise you that it would be ok to leave it. Just use your best judgement… like if you’ve done similar before.
Your pot should have “keep warm” activated at all times. When the contents drop to 140 degrees, the keep warm setting will kick in and keep the contents at 140 degrees. This is perfectly safe to leave for as long as you need to without dropping into the “danger zone”. As long as the light is on, that mode is activated.
Turned out perfect. Creamy. Flavorful. Thank you.
You’re welcome!! So happy you liked it.
This was my first time using my Instant Pot and it was wonderful. The chicken was cooked perfectly and not over seasoned for young tastebuds. I did add baby carrots, again, cooked to perfection, not mushy and not crunchy. The rice was a mix between risotto and rice, very creamy. There was a little extra juice, I might add an additional 1/4 cup of rice next time, or I let it sit for a little bit before serving like I did this time, the juice soaked into the rice fairly well. Honestly, I couldn’t be more pleased with how this turned out; flavor, consistency, easiness to make, and easiness to clean up! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I will be trying another of your Instant pot recipes tomorrow!
Yay this made my day!! Thanks for letting me know!! 🙂
Turned out creamy and delicious. Thanks for a great simple and tasty recipe. I used an 8qrt pot and had no issues
So happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment, Kimberly!
This was my first time even using my instant pot, and it turned out beautifully! The rice was creamy and the chicken perfectly cooked. Thank you for sharing!
I am SO happy to hear that!! 🙂
I just reheated the leftovers…still so delicious!
Awesome!! ❤️
This is chicken and rice soup! I questioned it a bit as I was adding the ingredients but I’m new to the instant pot cooking so I didn’t think much of it. Rice should be cooked 1:1 right? So why 1 cup of rice to 2.5 cups liquid? I’m not sure what to do to make this edible.
Hi Sarah. As you can see from my photos, it definitely wasn’t soupy for me. I’ve made this tons of times. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I don’t know why it seems to work in some models of the Instant Pot and not work in others. I’ve never encountered a product that has such variations. With less liquid I then get complains that it burns on. The rice is definitely more of a wetter risotto consistency, but it’s definitely not meant to be soupy. ☹️
It happened to me too. Very soupy.
Same. Soup with crunchy rice.
So bizarre. I wish Instant Pots didn’t vary so much from model to model. My rice has never come close to crunchy and I’ve made this many times. 🙁
Tried this recipe last week and my whole family loved it (even my picky teenager). My husband said it was better than his mom’s chicken and rice dish (and she is a great cook). I’m a vegetarian, so I didn’t actually eat it — but it was requested again tonight, so this recipe is definitely a keeper.
I used frozen chicken breasts and just browned them for a couple of minutes on each side during the sautee part of the recipe. Then I cooked for the 12 minutes but left it about 15 minutes for the natural release. Checked with a meat thermometer and they were cooked through. They were so tender, that I just pulled them apart with a fork and mixed the chicken with the rice. (My mother in law does the same with hers made the traditional way, so I opted to go that route with this recipe).
I did accidentally mess up the recipe as I used 2 cups of stock and 2 cups of rice (which is my normal ratio for making rice in the instant pot), but it turned out great — so I plan to keep doing it this way because the rice came out the consistency that my family likes.
Thanks for a great recipe. I plan on playing around with different spices in the future — but my family loves the original, so I’m sure it will be in regular rotation — especially since it is so easy and is a great last minute “mom forget to defrost the chicken again” option.
That’s awesome – I am so pleased it worked out, Heather! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 😀
Can the chicken breasts be frozen or should they be thawed?
Hi Bri! I haven’t tested it with frozen chicken breasts yet, but I think it’s worth trying. I’d add on extra minute or two, but to be sure you might want to check the temperature is 165F when done.
I think the recipe is delicious and so easy! However, my instant pot burned 3 times. I followed everything as instructed. I eventually had to take everything out and finish on the stove top.
Will try again another time for sure!
I am glad you liked the flavors! Very unfortunate about the burning… like I’ve mentioned in previous comments, it’s sad how Instant Pots seem to vary so much model-to-model 🙁
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Although I did put my own twist on it using what I had on hand. First, I doubled the rice and broth. I didn’t have lemon but used cilantro salsa and lemon pepper seasoning. It was cooked perfectly with just enough juice/liquid.
Thank you for sharing!
So pleased you liked it, Haley!! I am glad the liquid ratios worked out. It seems like Instant Pots tend to vary, which is really annoying when it comes to recipes working for some and not for others!
Made this today and it turned out great! I have an 8 qt instant pot and did 5 chicken breasts and used the same amount of everything else. So easy and flavourful! Will definitely make again.
I am SO glad to hear it, Jo! Thanks for taking the time to write me a comment! ♥️