Easy Instant Pot Chicken And Rice
Traditional chicken and rice is good in its own right, but I looooove that this Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken and Rice is full of unexpected Hawaiian flavors. Bonus that this one pot meal is so easy you can make it for dinner tonight with the guarantee the whole family will love it.
The apricot and pineapple in this savory dish really evoke the flavor of a tropical island and make you feel like you could be beachside enjoying this dish. Guys, if your kiddos are anything like mine, this is one of those rice recipes that will quickly become a favorite family meal.
Drop everything and make this recipe tonight. And youll also want to check out Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings and really easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
- The chicken and rice dish cooks tender and fluffy.
- Thigh meat is inexpensive and flavorful.
- This recipe is loaded with veggies for a balanced meal.
- are a sweet nod to Hawaii.
- Cook this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice in under an hour.
Ready to make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice? Gather your ingredients and Ill show you how.
Pressure Cooker Chicken And Rice Recipe
Since I purchased my pressure cooker I have made all sorts of recipes in it and I cant wait to share them with you all. I know I sound like a broken record already with the mention of pressure cooker recipes here and there and why I love using it. One of the best things I have made in my intelligent gadget is rice.
Pressure cooker rice is life or Instant pot rice if that is what you have. This pressure cooker recipe is the one to keep at heart, trust me, you will find yourself making it over and over again.
If you have ever thought cooking rice in a pressure cooker or an instant pot is hard, then think again. Follow this easy recipe and you are guaranteed fluffy rice at all times. No mushy and sticky mess here, you are promised tender and fluffy rice with separate grains every time.
Whilst I seasoned the boneless skinless chicken thighs with everyday spices such as paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper and salt.
The rice was cooked with chicken broth/stock I stored from the last time I made pressure cooker shredded chicken. You should check it out. The rice tasted like Nigerian Jollof rice.
I will share the stove top method with you soon, in the meantime, you can trust this Jollof rice recipe from My Active Kitchen
Related post: are you loving the idea of this recipe already, you should check out this instant pot rice and beans and instant pot jambalaya recipe.
How To Make Chicken Thighs And Rice In Pressure Cooker
Before I start cooking anything, I like having all my ingredients ready at arms length. That way, I dont miss out on vital ingredients or running like a headless chicken .
Long story short, prep all your ingredients. Dont worry if you dont own a pressure cooker, you can make chicken and rice one-pot meal on the stovetop. Stay with me and I will discuss it in a bit.
Start off by seasoning thechicken thighs with the chicken rub and set aside
Rinse the rice in a bowl undercool water until water runs clear.
Turn pressure cooker to browning setting or saute if using an Instant Pot. Add oil then once it is hot or when it starts shimmering, add the seasoned chicken thighs and sear on both sides for three minutes each or until golden and crispy. Pressure king pro browning settings work for 3 minutes at a time, turn the settings back on and continue searing the chicken. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and set aside
Add chopped onions and garlic tothe pressure pot and stir fry for a minute or two until soft and translucentand flavour from the onion and garlic is released.
Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute. Followed by the washed basmati rice then stir to combine.
Add the chicken broth to the pot, bay leaves and stir to combine, then return the chicken thighs to the pot. Place them over the rice.
Once it is done allow the pressure to naturally release or a quick release if you cantwait Take off the lid of thepressure cooker
Read Also: How To Release Pressure Naturally Instant Pot
This Chicken And Rice Recipe:
- Wont trigger your Instant Pots burn error
- Made with budget-friendly, fresh, healthy, pantry ingredients
- Yields tender juicy chicken with flavorful rice
- Rice comes out fully cooked, plump, and soaked with tasty flavors from the chicken, tomatoes, carrots, and aromatic herbs. No more dry or undercooked hard clump of rice.
Serving And Making In Advance Recommendations
Serving: We serve as is. Some readers said they prefer more flavor and have added chopped cilantro and green onion. I guess it all comes down to individual taste buds.
Storing in the fridge: Leftover chicken and rice can be refrigerated right in inner pot with silicone or glass lid for up to 5 days. Or in airtight container, try leftovers in teriyaki chicken meal prep, easy lunch!
To reheat: You will notice chicken and rice will thicken in the fridge into a block. Thats because fat. Reheat with a splash of water or broth breaking into pieces and stirring in a pot. Use lid to steam it through. Always reheat only desired amount to keep leftovers fresh.
Freezing: I understand some of you do not feed a small army like me. Yes, you can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then follow reheating instructions above.
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Why This Chicken And Rice Instant Pot Recipe Works
- Im showing you how to make chicken and rice from scratch with simple ingredients.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. The choice is yours!
- You can cook everything in the Instant Pot you can sauté the veggies and chicken, and then pressure cook them with the rice. Add some grated Parmesan at the end to make it a cheesy, comforting meal!
This recipe is so easy and so good youll want to add it to your dinner rotation. My family loves it!
Heres How You Make It
From sear to season and everything in between, this recipe really is a snap to make in an Instant Pot!
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How To Make Chicken And Rice Soup In The Instant Pot
- Start by cutting the chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Chop onion, carrots, and celery.
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot. Press the “saute” setting and let the IP heat up for 2 minutes. Add oil and let it heat up.
- Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic. Sautee for 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken and saute for 2 minutes. When the chicken starts to turn white, add seasoning. Cook until the chicken is almost done.
- Add rice and stir well. Add liquids and stir. Close the lid, set the valve to the “sealing” position. Make sure the Instant Pot is set to cook on HIGH pressure. Press the “manual” or “pressure cook” button. Set timer to 4 minutes. It will take about 7 minutes for the IP to come to pressure.
- When the timer is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then flip the valve to the “venting” position to release the remaining pressure.
- Open the lid carefully away from your face. Stir. Serve with chopped parsley.
How To Cook Rice In The Instant Pot
Cooking rice in the Instant Pot is easy. Rice to water ratio and the right timing is the key to perfect rice.
I cook rice in a pressure cooker or using the “cook and drain” method. When cooking rice in an open pot and drain the extra liquid you don’t need to worry about the rice to water ratio.
Because once the rice is cooked, you drain excess water. On the other hand, cooking rice in a pressure cooker needs an exact rice-water ratio.
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Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Recipe Tips
- Be sure to rinse the rice well before cooking.
- When you add the broth to the pot, be sure to scrape up any bits stuck to bottom of your Instant Pot with a spoon or spatula before adding the chicken. This will ensure that you dont get the Instant Pot burn message during the pressure cooking time.
- If you want more veggies, try adding a chopped bell pepper along with the carrots. To add broccoli, stir in some steamed broccoli after pressure cooking. The broccoli will get too mushy if you pressure cook it along with everything else. Or stir a few handfuls of chopped fresh spinach into the finished dish.
- To learn more about cooking rice in the Instant Pot, see my recipes for Instant Pot Rice and Instant Pot Brown Rice.
To Cook Perfect Rice Below Are A Few Tips
- Wash rice under running tap, until water runs clear.
- Measure water. As a general rule for every part of rice, you need two parts of water. But while cooking in Instant Pot because there is no evaporation of water, the amount of water you would need is less. The rice to water ratio would be 1:1.5
- Always add rice to warm water.
- While water is warming up, soak rice for 10 – 15 minutes.
These tips are for regular white rice, long grain Basmati rice and Brown rice. But rice varieties are not only limited to this. With my 20 years of experience in cooking rice, these few tips have always worked for me. But cooking perfect rice also depends on the quality of rice.
If the rice is of the starchy kind, you will have to adjust the quantity of water and time. The age of the rice grain also determines the end result. The older/aged the grain, the better it turns out.
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Why This Recipe Works
I mentioned this Instant Pot chicken breast and rice recipe checks alllll the cold-weather boxes. Why? Well, here are just a few reasons!
Instant Pot We all have those days when were just in a super hurry to get dinner on the table. Or, maybe you just simply dont feel like turning on your stove and getting out the pots and pans. Instant Pot to the rescue! Quick, easy, fast, and cleans up in a snap!
Browning chicken You might want to skip this step, but quickly browning the chicken in the Instant Pot is your only chance to sear in the herby flavors and oil, locking in the juiciness of the chicken for optimal flavor.
Simple spices No need to run to the store to flavor this chicken and rice dish. This meal is flavored with pantry staples like paprika, garlic, onion powder, and an Italian blend.
Amazing leftovers This Instant Pot chicken and rice keeps for up to 4 days in the fridgethat is, if it lasts that long!
How To Cook Chicken And Rice In Instant Pot
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
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Storage Leftovers And Freezing
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. They should be good for up to 4 days. This recipe reheats just fine in the microwave.
To freeze, allow to fully cool and put in a freezer safe container. It should be safe your freezer for up to 4 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Whats Is In This Pressure Cooker Instant Pot Rice And Chicken
Golden Sella basmati rice: You can use other types of rice too. I have answered likely questions on cooking time and types of rice below. Kindly read on
Boneless skinless chicken thighs:substitute with chicken breasts
Chicken broth: substitute with beef or vegetable broth. If you don’t have chicken broth, substitute with stock cubes and water.
Dried thyme
Fresh garlic cloves: substitutewith garlic granules
3 tablespoons vegetable oil:substitute with canola or any other flavourless oil of choice
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Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken And Rice
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Feb 2, 2022 by Dee
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice is a complete meal with creamy chicken, rice, peas and cheese. A one-pot meal the whole family loves! This easy chicken dinner is perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy chicken and rice is classic comfort food made even easier in the electric pressure cooker. This is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes to make on busy days because it comes together fast.
We love my grandma’s old fashioned chicken and rice recipe, but this Instant Pot version is much faster. You can dig into this delicious chicken dinner in about 30 minutes!
The first time I made chicken and rice in the Instant Pot, I kept it super plain. I just added Parmesan cheese.
But the next time I made this easy Instant Pot recipe, I added cheddar cheese and cheddar blend. I also used cream of chicken soup to make super creamy chicken and rice. This is a very versatile recipe, and you can make it with or without cream of chicken soup!
Tips For Absolutely Best Instant Pot Chicken And Rice
- If your rice comes out crunchy: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes. It will get there. Also try to add a few more minutes to cooking time next time. Unfortunately, you cant re-close the lid, cook for extra 2 minutes and say that your new cooking time. You have to try recipe from scratch again to find your rice cooking time.
- If your rice comes out mushy: Cook a few minutes less next time. Easy-peasy.
- Less rice: I use 3 cups of rice per 2 lbs of chicken for a few reasons, to stretch the meal and to eat less meat. A few readers commented they would prefer less rice no problem. Reduce rice to 2 cups, water to 2 1/2 cups and salt to 1 tsp.
- Add frozen vegetables: I know some like peas and corn in chicken and rice. Add them frozen and stir gently one more time. Sometimes I like to add broccoli, reminds me chicken and rice casserole.
- Use steam diverter: To prevent steam damage to your upper kitchen cabinets escaping from the pressure release valve during Venting, use a steam diverter.
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How To Make Chicken And Rice In Instant Pot
There is detailed recipe card below.
- Saute onion and garlic first, just until fragrant. I like to do so under a hood fan with a stove off, of course.
- Press Cancel and add dried herbs: Thyme, oregano, cumin and cook another 30 seconds. This step will make them fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients in the following order : Chicken, carrot, rice, water, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Do not stir to prevent Burn.
- Cook on high pressure: For 10 minutes with white rice, for 22 minutes with brown rice.
- Release pressure using Quick Release, so pretty much right away.
- Stir gently and discard bay leaves.
Quick And Easy Instant Pot Chicken And Rice
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is the perfect one-pot dinner recipe. A delicious comfort food to enjoy all year round! Make either chicken breast and white rice or chicken thighs and brown rice.
Save on time and dishes with this quick and easy recipe made entirely in the electric pressure cooker. Two of my most popular Instant Pot recipes areInstant Pot Riceand Instant Pot Chicken. So I decided to combine the two and make a one-pot meal out of both.
The advantage of a pressure cooker is that water doesnt evaporate. Grains like rice and chicken can be cooked together perfectly because you use less water for the rice while the chicken sits on top and gets cooked with just the steam. The result is a super-duper tender and juicy chicken and fluffy rice.
If you dont have an Instant Pot though, you can still enjoy this delicious recipe by making regular 1-Pot Chicken and Rice on the stove.
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