An easy one-pot meal, this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is a flavorful and hearty dinner for those busy nights. Tender chicken, tons of veggies, and lightly spiced rice make this wholesome, quick meal a weeknight dinner win.
Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot
What I love about making chicken and rice in the Instant Pot as opposed to on the stovetop is that it comes out perfect every time, whereas on the stovetop the cook time can vary, and sometimes take much longer. Some dishes are meant to be made in the Instant Pot, and this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is one of them.
Tender chicken thighs are cooked together with rice and a few spices for a short 10 minutes, and then frozen veggies are added in and steamed briefly before dinner is ready to go! This recipe also means minimal cleanup and minimal hands-on cooking, but yields maximum flavor!
So let's get to making it! The text below offers some tips for making it, or you can scroll down to the bottom for the complete recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card. If substitutions are available for this recipe, they'll be listed here. If you don't see a substitution you are looking for, please leave a comment below.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs (you can use boneless skinless breasts, but they tend to be a little drier in this recipe compared to the thighs)
- long-grain white rice (don't use jasmin or basmati rice, as they tend to cause the Instant Pot to trigger the "burn" notification)
- chicken broth
- mixed frozen veggies (I recommend using a blend that includes smaller frozen veggies such as peas, carrots, corn or green beans)
- olive oil
- spices: garlic, pepper, paprika, turmeric and cumin (feel free to add spices that you like here, it's very customizable)
- lime juice (if you don't have fresh lime juice, you can use lemon or red wine vinegar)
- cilantro (you can swap this with green onions if you don't like cilantro)
Tools Needed
Here are the tools used in this recipe. You won't necessarily choose to use them all, but sometimes tools make for quicker work in the kitchen! Some of these links may contain affiliate links.
- 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot
- Strainer (for rinsing and draining the rice)
- Kitchen essentials: measuring cups, measuring spoons, wooden spoon
Steps for Making Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
The Instant Pot is the perfect one-pot cooking tool. And this is a one-pot meal, but there are a few simple steps to getting this chicken and rice dinner on the table.
This is an overview of the steps and some explanation behind why the recipe calls for each of them. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
- Rinse the rice. This step is important because it rinses all that starch off of the rice, making for a dish that is lighter and fluffier. It also helps prevent the Instant Pot from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot and setting off the "burn" notification. That shouldn't happen at all if you follow the recipe and you use long-grain white rice (not Jasmin or Basmati rice).
- Saute the onion and chicken.
- Add in spices, rice and broth and cook!
- Release the pressure, add in the frozen veggies and close the lid to steam them. This recipe adds in the frozen veggies last, that way they don't overcook. The Instant Pot is still going to be very hot after it's finished cooking, so adding the small frozen veggies at the end, and putting the cover back on will allow them to steam and perfectly cook through. This only works with small veggies like peas, carrots, corn and green beans.
- Serve! Add in lime juice and cilantro to finish off the chicken and rice.
How to Store and Reheat
This rice dish reheats nicely, and I’ve even frozen leftovers with success.
To reheat you can heat it in an oven-safe container. I love using these (affiliate link) Glass Pyrex Containers because they double as storage and baking dishes. Or, you can reheat briefly in the microwave until warmed through. It’s best to add a few tablespoons of water to the dish when you are reheating it.
Making the recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Pressure Build-Up: 00:05
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:30
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced fine
- 1-½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-½ cups long-grain white rice (rinsed and drained well)
- 1-½ cups chicken broth
- 1-½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 6 ounces (about 1-½ cups) mixed frozen veggies (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Cilantro, minced, for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil, using the saute function in a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, and cook until it’s no longer raw, about 3 minutes. Shut off the saute function.
- To the pot, add rinsed rice, chicken broth, salt, garlic granules, pepper, paprika, turmeric and cumin and mix well. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Once done, switch the valve to open to release all of the pressure.
- Once all the pressure has released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot and add in the frozen veggies. Use a fork to fluff up the rice and mix in the veggies. Place the lid back on top, and set the valve back to sealing. Allow the frozen veggies to steam for 5 minutes.
- Open the valve and release any pressure (if there is any), open the lid, add the lime juice and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve with cilantro.
Notes
Use a blend of veggies that includes smaller frozen veggies such as peas, carrots, corn or green beans
Keywords: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Wanda
I think the actual recipe didn’t get posted !! Looks good and am looking forward to trying this recipe!!
Kelli Avila
Hi Wanda! Thank you for alerting me to this! I've fixed this and it should be there now. Thank you!