Get dinner on the table fast with this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice that features tender chicken, fluffy rice, and a medley of vegetables flavored to perfection!

When it comes to quick and easy family meals, I love turning one-pot Instant Pot Dinner Recipes.
With recipes like Instant Pot Hamburger Helper, Instant Pot Spaghetti, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole, and this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, I can deliver a filling, wholesome meal with minimal effort.
Inspired by my famous Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a healthy 30-minute dinner recipe that was LONG overdue on my site. It has quickly become a family and reader favorite for many reasons.
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Chicken & Rice
- One-Pot Meal. Rice, chicken, and vegetables all cook together perfectly in the Instant Pot for a simple, one-pot dinner. No extra dishes for dinner when you make this recipe!
- Affordable. The most expensive ingredient in this recipe is chicken. But because the dish is bulked up with inexpensive ingredients, like rice, carrots, and peas, you can feed a large family without breaking the bank.
- Fast. From the time you start this recipe to the time you are eating is just under 30 minutes, making Instant Pot Chicken and Rice a recipe perfect for any night of the week. Even the busy nights!
- Picky-Eater Approved. Instant Pot Chicken and Rice has been given the thumbs up by all of my picky-eaters. The flavors and vegetables are familiar and comforting. And of course, you can omit the carrots and peas for the really picky eaters!
Notes On Ingredients

- Chicken: You can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. And while the recipe calls for using a full pound of chicken, you can cut that amount in half and still have a delicious, hearty meal, and lessen the cost per serving.
- Rice: As much as I love whole grains and Instant Pot Brown Rice, this is one recipe that it is crucial to use long-grain white or jasmine rice. NOT brown rice. The chicken would be overcooked and become dried out in the time it takes brown rice to cook.
- White Wine: Adding in a bit of dry white wine, such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, adds an incredible depth of flavor to this simple recipe. However, if you don't care to cook with alcohol, replace the wine with additional chicken broth.
- Vegetables: This recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice calls for adding in onions, carrots, and peas. You certainly can omit one or all three of the vegetables to please your family's likes.
- Cheese: To give this chicken and rice additional flavor, I love to finish it with freshly grated parmesan cheese. For a really cheesy version, feel free to also add shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. The trick to flavorful one-pot meals is to season as we go.

- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute, add the oil and butter to the inner pot, and let heat until the butter is melted. The butter will give the dish richness, and the olive oil will help prevent the butter from burning.
- Add the seasoned chicken, onions, and carrots to the inner pot. Saute this mixture, stirring often, until the chicken is browned and the onion has softened.
- Once the chicken is looking browned, add in the minced garlic and dried thyme leaves and saute for 30 seconds, just to toast the garlic and thyme. This will help develop the herbs, but we don’t want to saute this mixture any longer, as that can burn the garlic.

- And you know the drill, any time we use the saute function, we must deglaze our pan. To do this, add the wine, or chicken broth in place of the wine. Then use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will prevent a burn notice.
- Let the wine cook off for 1-2 minutes and then hit cancel on the Instant Pot to turn off the saute function.

- Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the inner pot and stir to combine.
- For the rice, add rinsed long-grain white rice. It is crucial to always rinse your rice in a fine-mesh strainer so that it cooks properly. Gently push the rice down to fully submerge it into the liquid.

- Place the lid on the instant pot, be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed, and set to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 3 minutes, just like you were making white rice in the Instant Pot.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. That is crucial when cooking meat or grains.
- Once the pressure has been released naturally, open up the inner pot. At this point, you can stop and deliver a delicious meal. But to take the flavor up a bit add in frozen peas and parmesan cheese.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, as you gently stir in the peas and cheese. It is always best to use a fork, not a spoon, to fluff rice to keep the texture intact.
- Cover the instant pot and let sit for 2-3 minutes, or until the peas have warmed through.

- Garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

Tips for Storage and Reheating
Any dish with cooked rice should only be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, as any longer can cause bacteria to grow. However, Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is also suitable for freezing and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To Refrigerate: Allow the chicken and rice to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Allow the chicken and rice to cool fully. Transfer the cooled mixture to a freezer-safe airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: If needed, allow the chicken and rice to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer the mixture to a heat-safe container and cover it with a damp paper towel. Heat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until warmed through, fluffing with a fork after each minute. If you find the rice to be dried out, add 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth before reheating.
More Instant Pot Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Burrito Bowl
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloved garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth/stock
- 2 cups long-grain white rice or jasmine rice
- 1 cup frozen peas optional
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced (optional)
Instructions
- Dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes, trimming off any fat. Season evenly with a ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add the oil and butter to the inner pot, and let heat until butter is melted.
- Add the seasoned chicken, onion, and carrots to the inner pot and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the chicken is just lightly browned.
- Add in the garlic and thyme leaves and saute for 30 seconds, just to toast the garlic and thyme.
- To the inner pot, add the wine (or ½ cup of additional chicken broth) and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Let the wine cook off for 1-2 minutes and then hit cancel on the Instant Pot to turn off the saute function.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper to the inner pot and stir to combine.
- Place the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse well. Add the rinsed rice to the inner pot and gently push it down to fully submerge it into the liquid.
- Place the lid on the instant pot, be sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed, and set to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 3 minutes. (Hit manual or pressure cook and then use the +/- buttons to adjust the time to read 3.)
- Once the cooking time has elapsed let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- Open the lid, and add the frozen peas, and parmesan cheese. Fluff the rice with a fork, as you gently stir in the peas and cheese. Cover the instant pot and let sit for 2-3 minutes, or until the peas have warmed through.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired, and serve.
Christina GIbbons
I am making this chicken no rice dish today. I have had a blank brain spot on the ratio of liquid to rice. Bearing in mind that I am in the uk. So I’ve got just under 500mls of stock/wine and measured half of that of rice. It works out at about 12.5oz. I always struggle with US terms.
Love your recipes. I have saved them all and will work my way through them in time.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christina! I am thrilled you are enjoying my recipes! For this recipe, you will need 13.05 ounces or 370 grams of dried rice. For the liquid, you will need 473ml of broth and 118ml of wine. Hope that helps!
JLR
Tried this several times already and can't still get enough of this chicken and rice. It simple and convenient, making it my new go-to recipe. Thanks for sharing Kristen!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this has already become a favorite! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Eden
Turned out wonderful! We all loved it and can't wait to make it for dinner again!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! I love hearing you enjoyed this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, Eden.
Merri
I’m a nervous newbie to the Instant Pot,lol; but this was easy and delicious! My husband is an avid hunter, so I used grouse breast. He had seconds, in spite of not liking peas and carrots! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! So happy to hear this was an easy recipe for you to follow. And it is always a good sign when your husband gets seconds 🙂
Sandra
Hi Kristen -
I made this the other night and very much enjoyed the combination of flavors! However, for my family's tastes, I would like to have less rice in the dish. The next time I make it, I'm thinking of reducing the rice and the broth to 1 cup each. I used 1 pound of boneless chicken thighs.
Would I need to make any adjustments to the cooking time? All other ingredients would be as you've written.
Thanks!
Sandra
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sandra! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed. You can cut the rice to and broth to 1 cup and leave the cooking time of 3 minutes on high pressure the same.
Jessica
I love using my Instant Pot but I needed new ideas for dinner and when I saw this one I knew it would be a hit! Thank you so much for sharing this.