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Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice

Published: Jul 24, 2022 · Modified: Feb 26, 2024 by Scott · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice recipe features tender, juicy chunks of chicken breast with rice, topped off with parmesan cheese and peas, for a tasty one-pot meal in under 30 minutes!

Chicken and rice served on a plate set next to an Instant Pot.
Jump to:
  • Why this Recipe Works
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • What to Serve with Chicken and Rice
  • Recipe Variations
  • Recipe Tips and FAQs
  • More Instant Pot Recipes to try
  • 📖 Recipe
  • More Weeknight Dinner Ideas

Why this Recipe Works

Cooking chicken and rice in a pressure cooker is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It's a hearty meal with classic flavors that even picky kids will love. And this one-pot chicken dinner requires just 10 minutes of hands on time and just under 30 minutes total!

While it's short on time and effort, this chicken and rice is still packed with flavor. The tender juicy bites of chicken breast are seasoned and browned. The salty parmesan cheese that melts into the rice for a creamy, risotto like consistency, and the green peas to top it off and add color and sweetness to the dish.

If all of that wasn't enough to sell you, there's just one pot to clean up at the end, and if you're like me, it doesn't get much better than that!

For another tasty chicken and rice dinner checkout my Chicken and Rice Casserole without Soup. It's one of the most popular recipes on my site!

Ingredient Notes

  • Chicken - For this recipe I use chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks. You can also substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins if you prefer.
  • Parmesan Cheese - The cheese adds a saltiness to the dish and it also melts into the rice to give it a creamier texture. If you're not a fan of Parmesan, sharp cheddar will also work, with a little different flavor.
  • Peas - The peas add color and some sweetness to the dish but these can be substituted with other veggies if you prefer. Depending on what you use you may need to cook them separately. I've done this with broccoli as well and just steamed it before adding it to the finished chicken and rice.

Instructions

  1. Set your Instant Pot to saute mode and preheat. While it heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper and rinse your rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
  2. Add olive oil to the pot , then add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until lightly browned on all sides. Turn off the pot then add ½ cup of chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
  3. Add in the remaining chicken broth, rice, garlic powder, and onion powder, then stir. The chicken should rise to the top and the rice will sink to the bottom of the pot.
  4. Secure the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes.
Chunks of chicken being browned in an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot filled with chicken broth, chicken, and rice before pressure cooking.
  1. After cooking, allow pressure to release naturally for 2-3 minutes, then vent the remaining pressure until the pin drops.
  2. Remove the lid and stir in the parmesan cheese and peas. Let sit for a few minutes until the peas are warmed through, then serve. Note, for a creamier texture you can stir in around ¼ to ½ cup of additional chicken broth prior to serving.
Instant pot chicken and rice shown after pressure cooking and adding the peas and cheese.
The finished chicken and rice is shown in the Instant Pot.

What to Serve with Chicken and Rice

This is a complete one-pot chicken and rice dinner and doesn't need much else in terms of side dishes. But you can never go wrong with side salad to get some more greens into your life! Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Chick-fil-a Kale Salad (Copycat Recipe)
  • Fall Apple Walnut Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
  • Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
A serving of chicken and rice set beside an Instant Pot.

Recipe Variations

  • Dairy Free - You can simply omit the Parmesan cheese to make this dish dairy free
  • Brown Rice - For added nutrition you can swap the white rice for brown rice. Increase the cook time to 10 minutes and allow an extra two minutes of natural release if using brown rice. The texture will be firmer and not as creamy as white rice.
  • Veggies - Broccoli, carrots, corn, and other vegetables can be added in as well. For larger, firmer vegetables like carrots and broccoli, you will want to cook them separately before adding to the dish. Steam in the bag veggies work great for this!

Recipe Tips and FAQs

How to store leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days

How to reheat chicken and rice

To reheat, add leftovers to a square baking dish and stir in a splash of water or chicken broth to add a little moisture and loosen up the rice. Then heat in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Can I use frozen chicken?

I don't reccomend using frozen chicken in this recipe. You would need to increase the cook time too much and the rice would be overcooked and mushy.

Do I need to rinse the rice?

Rinsing the rice before cooking removes some of the starch and helps avoid a burn warning from sticking rice. I've made this successfully both with and without rinsing the rice, but rinsing it is more reliable.

Can I use fresh onion and garlic?

To keep this recipe quick and easy I used onion powder and garlic powder for a bit of extra flavor, but you can totally use fresh if you prefer.

If using fresh, add a ½ cup of diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic and saute in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes after browning the chicken. Then proceed as directed by deglazing the pot with chicken broth.

More Instant Pot Recipes to try

  • Easy Instant Pot Chicken Stew
  • Instant Pot London Broil
  • Instant Pot Pork Roast and Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Pork Chops and Gravy

If you try this recipe, don't forget to leave a RATING or COMMENT below. I would love to hear from you!!! And FOLLOW me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest recipes!

📖 Recipe

Chicken and rice served on a plate set next to an Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice

This Instant Pot Chicken and rice recipe is a hearty one-pot meal that's perfect for a busy weeknight.
Author: Scott
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 485kcal

Equipment

  • 6 Qt Instant Pot
  • Cutting board
  • Chefs Knife
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3½ cups chicken broth
  • 1½ cups white rice, rinsed to remove excess starch
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  • Set your Instant Pot to saute mode and preheat. While it heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper and rinse your rice in a mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
  • Add olive oil to the pot , then add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until lightly browned on all sides. Turn off the pot then add ½ cup of chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Add in the remaining chicken broth, rice, garlic powder, and onion powder, then stir. The chicken should rise to the top and the rice will sink to the bottom of the pot.
  • Secure the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes.
  • After cooking, allow pressure to release naturally for 2-3 minutes, then vent the remaining pressure until the pin drops.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the parmesan cheese and peas. Let sit for a few minutes until the peas are warmed through, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 43gFat: 15gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1072mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2g

* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating above and mention @disheswithdad or tag #disheswithdad on social media!

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Hello, I'm Scott! I'm a former professional cook and an experienced home cook. I created this space to share my favorite quick and easy, family-friendly recipes and hopefully inspire you to try some of them for yourself!

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