This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a one pot complete meal! Tender chicken is cooked with rice in a flavorful broth with tons of veggies and two types of cheese!
I love a good one pot meal and today’s instant pot chicken and rice is no exception. It’s quick, easy, delicious, and has everything you need in one dish: carbs, veggies, and protein!
Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in an instant pot?
Yes! We’re cooking the chicken AND the rice in the instant pot at the same time for this recipe. Convenient, I know!
Their cook times are slightly different, so make sure you cook the chicken a bit first before adding the rice. This ensures that the chicken cooks all the way through and the rice is perfectly al denté.
Ingredients
Veggies, chicken, rice, and TONS of flavor? What more could you want in a dinner!
- Unsalted Butter – used for cooking the veggies. Veggies need fat for flavor and texture!
- Onion, Carrots, Celery – a simple veggie blend aka a mirepoix, that adds texture, flavor, and tons of nutrients.
- Garlic – gives that subtle nuttiness.
- Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Dried Basil, Salt, and Pepper – our seasoning blend. It’s earthy, sweet, with just a touch of spice.
- Chicken Breast – boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cubed into 1/2 – 1 inch cubes for perfectly juicy chicken.
- Chicken Broth – used to cook the rice! Using chicken broth instead of water adds so much more flavor.
- White Wine – adds a little sweetness and tanginess. Feel free to replace with more chicken broth, if desired.
- Rice – use long-grain white rice. I don’t recommend substituting with another variety, because cook time and liquid amounts would vary.
- Broccoli Florets – because we all need more veggies! Added at the end of cook time, so it’s perfectly crisp tender.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Cheese – the cheddar adds a sharp flavor and gooey texture and the parmesan adds a nice, salty finish!
How to make
This well rounded dinner takes 30 minutes to prep!
- Set your instant pot to sauté then add in butter, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Cook. Once the veggies are cooked, add in chicken and continue to cook.
- Deglaze with white wine then stir in broth and rice. Cook for 5 minutes then let the pot do a natural release.
- Remove the lid then stir in broccoli and cheeses. Place the lid back on and let it sit for 5 minutes so the broccoli can cook.
- Turn off the pot then serve and enjoy!
What chicken to use
I use boneless and skinless chicken breast for this recipe, because that’s what I always have on hand, but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, if preferred. You’ll need about 1.5 pounds either way!
What rice to use
Use long-grain white rice for this recipe. It’s light and fluffy but doesn’t become too mushy when cooked with the other ingredients.
Why did my rice burn?
If your rice burned, the most likely reason is that you didn’t have enough liquid. You want enough to create steam inside the instant pot to cook everything fully without burning it. Check that you measured your broth and white wine properly!
Can you use frozen chicken?
Although frozen chicken can be made in the instant pot, I don’t recommend it for this recipe.
The cook time would be affected too much to be done at the same time as the veggies and rice. Plus, the added moisture from the frozen chicken would likely make the dish soupy instead of thick and creamy.
What to serve with chicken and rice
This is a super easy, healthy-ish, and delicious dinner with carbs, veggies, and lean protein! If you want to bulk up the meal even more with a couple of sides, here are some ideas.
How to store
This is best served immediately, but store leftover chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then microwave or heat on the stovetop.
– Jennifer

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and finely diced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup white wine can replace with white grape juice or more chicken broth
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups broccoli florets chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Set a 6 quart Instant Pot to sauté.
- Once it reads “HOT”, add in butter and let melt.
- Add in onion, carrots, celery, garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in cubed chicken, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze with white wine, making sure to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom to avoid a “BURN” notice.
- Stir in broth and rice.
- Close and lock the lid. Make sure the pressure valve is pointing to SEALING.
- Cook on manual, HIGH pressure, for 5 minutes.
- Once the cook time is up, allow the pot to do a natural release for 5 minutes.
- Flip the valve to quick release the pressure.
- Remove the lid, then stir in broccoli, cheddar, and parmesan.
- Place the lid back on and allow to sit for 5 minutes (this cooks the broccoli).
- Turn off the pot, then taste and re-season, if necessary.
- Remove from the pot immediately to a serving dish - this avoids mushy rice on the bottom.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.