Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is quick and easy to make for busy weeknights! Loaded with fluffy rice, moist chicken, and sauteed mushrooms, this pressure cooker rice is hearty, tasty, and filling meal-in-itself.
As we’re growing the number of pressure cooker recipes on the blog, you’ll be seeing a lot of rice recipes here. These pearly grains are my favorite side dish and I love how quickly and seamlessly I can cook them in the Instant Pot.
While the Basmati rice I posted this week comes with plenty of shredded cheese and sweet green peas, this rice casserole today is loaded with shredded chicken and earthy mushrooms. Both are hearty and tasty as a side dish or meal-in-itself and sure to be dinner winners.
This Instant Pot chicken and rice with mushrooms is a recipe you’d want to add on your regular meal rotation. It’s the perfect answer when you’re too busy or too lazy to cook and the family is clamoring for something delicious and filling.
It’s ready in minutes and cooks in one pot for less cleanup yet delivers plenty of comfort food flavors. Plus it can be doubled for serving a larger crowd and leftovers freeze well, too!
Cooking tips
- The recipe calls for Jasmine rice and this long grain usually requires 1:1.5 rice to liquid when cooking over the stovetop. It needs less water in the pressure cooker because the Instant Pot’s sealing ability allows less water evaporation and I find 1:1 yields a tender yet firm consistency.
- Drain the grains well after rinsing to rid of excess liquid that might otherwise turn the rice soggy or mushy.
- To ensure even cooking, use fully-thawed boneless chicken breasts or thigh meat. Since they’re going to cook congruently in the pot, you want the chicken to reach the safe 165 F temperature by the time the rice cooks.
- Mushrooms have high water content and sweating them out not only brings out their best flavor but also helps draw out additional moisture that might affect the consistency of the rice. Cook the mushrooms using the Instant Pot’s SAUTE feature until they’re nicely browned, and the liquid they expelled has mostly evaporated.
- Not a fan of mushrooms? Swap with carrots or celery! If you want to substitute broccoli or asparagus, steam them separately until tender and toss in with the cooked rice.
- To prevent the BURN error, deglaze the inner pot. Add the chicken broth and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot of any browned bits.
- After the beep, do a 10-minute NATURAL RELEASE. This will allow the rice to stand covered and undisturbed and the moisture to redistribute for more uniform texture.
- For a cheesy taste, stir in shredded Parmesan cheese to the cooked rice.
How to serve
- Serve Instant pot chicken and rice for lunch or dinner as a side dish or on its own as a hearty meal-in-itself.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals, stirring after each interval.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain rice (Jasmine)
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Equipment
- 8-qt Pressure Cooker
Instructions
- Rinse rice with cold water until water runs clear. Using a colander or fine-mesh sieve, drain very well.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Without the lid on, PRESS the SAUTE mode button on the Instant Pot. When HOT appears on the display, add oil and heat without the Instant Pot lid.
- Add onions and cook until softened.
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and liquid dispelled is absorbed.
- Add the chicken broth and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- Add rice, dried parsley, and about 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to distribute.
- Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the rice mixture.
- Close and lock the lid, and set the floating valve on the SEALING. Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
- When finished, do a 10-minute NATURAL RELEASE. Then turn the steam floating valve on the lid to the VENTING position to release the remaining pressure manually. Carefully open lid.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken and gently fluff the rice to distribute. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Mr. Cool says
This is my second time making this dish, It turns out great using the recipe. I actually deglaze with white wine, cook the wine down and then add the stock. Works great! Will make again!
Jackson Cougar says
Easy and delicious. Only sub I made was I used butter instead of canola oil. Otherwise followed recipe to a tee and it turned out fab.
lalaine says
Thanks for the 5-stars! Glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Beth says
Can you substitute whole grain (brown) rice? How about wild rice? Would this changes the amount of water or the time?
Alana Smith says
Can you make this with brown rice? If so how can I adjust the cook time? Thanks!