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 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.

This simple recipe is easy to customize. Instead of Mediterranean seasoning, try Italian seasoning or even ranch seasoning.

Ingredients

• chicken breasts
• chicken stock
• sweet onion
• brown rice
• Mediterranean Seasoning Mix (garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, black pepper)
• carrots
• fresh garlic
• fresh thyme

From the pantry: olive oil, salt and pepper

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.

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with 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 Natural Pressure Release (about 10-12 minutes).
7. Quick 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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Ang's Recipe 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.
• This recipe can be made with just about any type of rice. I like white rice or jasmine rice. Long grain rice will take a little bit longer to cook.
• If you're not a fan of thyme, you can leave it out or use fresh parsley instead.
• Add 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese on top.

Slow Cooker Method

This creamy chicken and rice dish can also be made in a crockpot if you don't have an instant pot.

1. Grease the crock of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add the rice, carrots, onion, garlic, and chicken stock to the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the chicken breasts, olive oil, and seasonings.
3. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Continue cooking the rice mixture for 1 hour until the rice is tender.
6. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker.

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.

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Similar Recipes

If you're new to pressure cooking, you might be wondering: what are the best things to cook in an Instant Pot? My family loves this instant pot orange chicken (so much cheaper than takeout!) and instant pot vegetable beef soup.

Next time you're looking for a flavorful but quick meal, try one of these other delicious instant pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Meatloaf
• Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
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👉 Find more Instant Pot Easy Meals.

Serving Suggestions

If I have fresh Parmesan cheese, I'll often add a little bit to the top of my dish.

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. (My favorite is to serve Texas Roadhouse rolls and cinnamon honey butter!)

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

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

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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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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

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Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 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

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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 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 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

Equipment

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

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.

 

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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Meal Planning

Want to add this recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.

Check out Meal Plan 3 which includes this delicious recipe along with:

• Sweet Potato Soup
• Pork Carnitas
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini

... and more!

Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.