Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights when you just need to get a meal on the table quickly! Tender chicken breasts cook in just minutes at the same time as brown rice and carrots.

I love using my Instant Pot to create quick and easy meals.  And I love that I don't have to babysit them while they're cooking. 

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe reminds me of a dish my grandmother used to make in the oven, except hers took way longer to cook! There's something so homey about the tender flavorful chicken with fluffy rice and carrots.

If you're a meal prepper like me, you can dice the onion, peel and the carrots and cut them into pieces ahead of time and save yourself those extra steps.  You can use my Menu Planner and Grocery List Printable Set to plan out your meals for the whole week.

Easy Instant Pot Meals like this chicken and rice dinner are fantastic for weeknight cooking when you don't have a lot of time to spare.  This recipe will feed a big family easily. For smaller families, plan on having leftovers.

Ingredients

• chicken breasts
• chicken stock
• sweet onion
• brown rice
• Mediterranean Seasoning Mix
• carrots
• fresh garlic
• fresh thyme

From the pantry: olive oil, salt and pepper

For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, and why I chose them, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.

This is meant to be a brief overview of the instant pot chicken and rice recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning such as Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt
2. Turn on the Saute setting on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until tender.
3. Add the broth, rice, and carrots.  Stir to combine.
4. Add the chicken breasts on top.
5. Cancel the Saute mode and select Manual for 20 minutes. Note: These chicken breasts are quite large - about ½ lb each. If yours are smaller and not as thick, you'll want to reduce the cooking time.
6. Allow the Instant Pot to Nature Pressure Release (about 10-12 minutes).
7. Release any remaining pressure and open it carefully.
8. Fluff the rice with a fork and shred the chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this instant pot recipe.

Equipment

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• Vegetable Peeler
• Cutting Board
• Santoku Knife
• Instant Pot

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Tips

• You can make your own Mediterranean Seasoning Mix. To add freshness, add a little bit of lemon zest or fresh thyme before serving.
• If you're new to using the Instant Pot and want to check to see if your chicken is done, grab a meat thermometer.
• These chicken breasts are quite large - about ½ lb each. If yours are smaller and not as thick, you'll want to reduce the cooking time.

Recipe Variations

Because we test all our recipes, we recommend that you make them once just as it is without substitutions or changes. Sometimes variations can go awry. Making our Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe as we have tested it will yield the best results. If you really want to get creative, here are some ideas for variations that might work well. (Please note, we have not tested these variations).

• For something a little different, try turkey breast cutlets instead of chicken breasts.
• Add steamed broccoli or green beans instead of the carrots, if desired.
• Substitute boneless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts.

Storage

To Store: Chicken and Rice leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)

To Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30 second intervals until heated throughout.

To Freeze: Place into a freezer safe container, wrap in aluminum foil, then slide into a 2 quart freezer bag.

To Thaw: Thaw overnight in the fridge.

What to do with Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Leftovers:

If you have a smaller family, you can turn this into a soup to have on another night, or freeze it for later.

1. Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to a stockpot and 2 stalks of celery finely chopped.
3. Cook until the celery is tender.
4. Add one carton of chicken stock to the pot.
5. Add the chopped chicken along with the leftover rice and carrots.
6. To freeze, allow the soup to cool before placing into storage containers.  Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

What are the best things to cook in an Instant Pot?

These are some of my favorite Instant Pot Easy Meals. Not only are they quick and easy, but they are incredibly tasty, too!

• Instant Pot Meatloaf
• Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
• Instant Pot Beef Chili Recipe

Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken

The whole family will love this instant pot honey bourbon chicken! It's a delicious recipe with tender chicken and sticky sauce that's perfect any night of the week.

Get the Recipe >>>

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

This Instant Pot Orange Chicken is so good, you may never order take out again.

Get the Recipe >>>

Serving Suggestions

While this is truly a one-pot meal, if you like, consider adding one of these yummy side dishes, rolls or biscuits to your meal.

• Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Garlic Green Beans
• Oven Roasted Beets
• Oven Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Cauliflower

20 Minute Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

That's all there is to it - a fantastic one pot meal everyone will love!

Not ready to make this delicious chicken recipe yet? When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Every busy mom needs this quick Chicken and Rice recipe! Cook brown rice, chicken breasts and carrots all at the same time for the perfect easy weeknight dinner.

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4.94 from 16 votes

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Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Ang Paris

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

• Vegetable Peeler
• Cutting Board
• Santoku Knife
• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 tablespoon Mediterranean seasoning mix
• 5 whole carrots, peeled and sliced thick
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Fresh thyme
• Salt & pepper to preference

Instructions

Saute Setting

• Turn on the Saute setting on the IP and heat the oil while you dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sweat and brown the onions and garlic, then use the broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan. You’ll want to scrape up any bits that are stuck as they are loaded with flavor that you’ll want in your rice and chicken.
  2 cups chicken broth or stock, 1 clove fresh garlic, minced, 1 cup sweet onion, diced, 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Rinse the rice and drain well, then stir into the broth really well so nothing sticks to the sides or bottom. Add the carrots and stir again.
  2 cups brown rice, 5 whole carrots, peeled and sliced thick
• Place the chicken breast right on top of the rice and season the breast really well. Do not mixt the chicken into the rice.
  1 lb chicken breast, 1 tablespoon Mediterranean seasoning mix, Salt & pepper to preference

Manual Setting

• Cancel the Sautee mode and select the Manual mode for 20 minutes.
• When the pressurized cook time has ended and the pot beeps, leave the IP for an additional 10 to 12 minutes to while it Natural Pressure Releases (plan for more or less time if you have more or less chicken in there than what is listed above.
• At the end of the rest time, release any remaining pressure, carefully, and then remove the lid.
• I used two forks to very easily shred the chicken and mix everything together. Finish with fresh thyme before serving (optional).
  Fresh thyme

Notes

Cooking Time Note:

These chicken breasts are quite large - about ½ lb each. If yours are smaller and not as thick, you'll want to reduce the cooking time.

Make your own seasoning mix:

1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flake for heat

Add ½ teaspoon lemon zest for a little freshness, if desired.

How to make soup with the leftovers:

• Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to a stock pot and 2 stalks of celery finely chopped.
• Cook until the celery is tender.
• Add one carton of chicken stock to the pot.
• Add the chopped chicken along with the leftover rice and carrots.
• To freeze, allow the soup to cool before placing into storage containers.  Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

 

For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.

Please Note: I am not a registered dietician. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

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