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Ultimate Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe: Your New Favorite Weeknight Dinner

This Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe creates a comforting, family-friendly meal in under 30 minutes using pantry staples. Perfect for busy weeknights, it combines tender chicken with fluffy rice in one pot for minimal cleanup.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbs chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1.5 cups long-grain white rice
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: frozen peas or carrots for added vegetables

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add olive oil and sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Add chicken pieces to the pot and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Brown the chicken for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don't need to cook it through completely at this stage.
  3. Turn off sauté mode. Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed rice to the pot along with the chicken broth. Stir gently to combine, making sure the rice is evenly distributed.
  4. Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10-12 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
  5. Once cooking is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then carefully perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
  6. Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. If adding frozen vegetables, stir them in at this point – the residual heat will cook them perfectly. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Always rinse rice to remove excess starch, maintain 1:2 rice-to-liquid ratio, allow dish to rest 5-10 minutes after cooking for better texture, and use natural pressure release for best results.