Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: For the sauce:; 1/4 cup dry sherry; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; For the casserole:; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 1/2 pounds (5 to 6) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice; To serve:; 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Easy chicken and rice made in an instant pot — Coco Morante

10 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes to Make in Your Instant Pot

FEATURED IN:

Chicken and rice is one of my go-tos for weeknight meals -- I love the one-pot convenience.

When I saw that Elise had written a savory, creamy chicken casserole recipe made with mushrooms, sherry, and sour cream, I immediately thought of adapting it to the Instant Pot.

Video: How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

1:07

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

How to Make Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot

Not only does cooking this casserole in my Instant Pot require fewer dishes, but it gets dinner on the table in under an hour. I also love that you can just "set it and forget it" in the pressure cooker.

This adaptation keeps the same flavors of Elise's original recipe, but I made a few little changes to make sure it turned out beautifully in the pressure cooker.

Specifically, I’ve found that casseroles do much better in my Instant Pot when the meat is on the bottom and the rice is layered on top. This way, the rice doesn’t burn before the chicken is cooked through (this also makes cleaning the pan much easier!).

I know it sounds opposite of how you’d make a casserole in the oven, but it is foolproof. I also reduced the amount of liquid a bit, since there’s less evaporation with pressure cooking.

New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide.

Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole — Coco Morante

What to Serve With Chicken and Rice

This recipe is total comfort food, a simple meal for chilly fall and winter nights. It's really a complete meal by itself – you don’t need to serve anything else alongside! It makes four generous servings, and is easily doubled for a larger crowd.

You could also add a simple side salad or some roasted vegetables to round out the meal.

Suggestions and Substitutions

So many of you have made this recipe since it was first published! You've made some great variations and adaptations over the years. Here are a few favorites:

Swap the mushrooms for another veggie, like diced carrots and celery
Fold in some cooked broccoli at the end (if you cook it with the chicken and rice, it tends to get mushy)
If you like a creamier dish, add a little more sauce
For a dairy free version, replace the cream and sour cream with chicken broth (lots of people have had success with dairy-free sour cream and non-dairy milks, too!)
To add more rice, just add in an equal volume of broth for however much extra rice you'd like to add
Skip the sherry? Increase the broth to 1 cup and add a little splash of red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or lemon juice. Just something to brighten it up a bit!

Want to substitute brown rice? Unfortunately swapping brown rice isn’t quite a straight swap. You’d need to increase the cooking time to 25 minutes to make sure the brown rice is cooked through, but the dairy would likely scorch in that time. If you'd really like brown rice, swap out the dairy for water or more broth, and then stir in some sour cream at the end for creaminess.

Storing and Freezing Chicken and Rice

This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave.

It also freezes well! Transfer it to individual freezer containers and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave.

Can't Get Enough Chicken and Rice? Try These!

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 4 to 6 servings

You can substitute chicken breast or tenders for the thighs in this recipe, if you prefer.

If you’re leaving out the sherry, increase the broth to 1 cup and add a little splash of red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or lemon juice. Just something to brighten it up a bit!

For the sauce:

1/4 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

For the casserole:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds (5 to 6) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

To serve:

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Whisk together the sauce:

In a mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sherry, chicken broth, sour cream, cream, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.

Coco Morante
Sauté the vegetables in the pressure cooker:

Select the “Sauté” setting on the pressure cooker and heat the oil in the pressure cooker. (If you are using a stovetop pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium heat.)

Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, until a bit softened but not browned. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to wilt and give up their liquid, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.

Coco Morante

Coco Morante
Add the chicken:

Stir in the chicken thighs and let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until opaque and mostly cooked through (it’s fine if they’re still a little pink in the middle).

Coco Morante
Add the rice and the sauce:

Use your spatula to pat the chicken and vegetables down into a fairly even layer. Sprinkle the rice over the top of the chicken in an even layer.

Slowly pour the sauce over the rice, taking care not to disturb the layer. Use a spoon to nudge down any grains of rice that are clinging to the sides of the pot, so everything is covered with the cooking liquid.

Coco Morante

Coco Morante
Pressure cook the chicken and rice:

Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Make sure that the pressure regulator is set to the “Sealing” position. Cancel the “Sauté” program on the pressure cooker, then select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting. Set the cooking time to 5 minutes at high pressure. (If using a stovetop pressure cooker, the cooking time is the same.)

The pressure cooker will take 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking time begins.

Coco Morante
Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, then quick-release the pressure:

by immediately moving the vent from “Sealing” to “Venting." Be careful of the steam! Alternatively, you can let the pot continue to depressurize naturally, which takes about 20 minutes total.

The sauce may look a little bit separated when you initially open the pot. Don’t worry, it’s fine! Just use a fork to gently fluff the rice and incorporate the creamy layer back into the casserole.

Coco Morante
Serve the casserole:

Spoon the casserole into shallow bowls or onto plates, digging all the way down to the bottom so you get both rice and chicken in each scoop. Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Leftovers will keep for about a week and can be warmed in the microwave.

Coco Morante

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
478	Calories
29g	Fat
17g	Carbs
38g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	478
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g	38%
Saturated Fat 10g	52%
Cholesterol 212mg	71%
Sodium 890mg	39%
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 5mg	24%
Calcium 69mg	5%
Iron 3mg	15%
Potassium 665mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.