Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice is picky eaters favorite. You'll have extremely creamy non mushy rice & juicy chicken in every bite. Make this cheesy chicken and rice instant pot recipe under 20 mins. Don't miss the tips!

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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice with cream of chicken soup

You guys will love this instant pot cheesy chicken and rice! It's so simple and quick to whip up, stores well & freezes well too. The leftovers taste even more delicious.

You can make this Creamy chicken and rice pressure cooker recipe with frozen thawed chicken breasts or thighs and simple pantry staple ingredients you probably already have in your house.

The cream of chicken soup adds a whole new level of irresistible creaminess to this recipe. You'll love it! The secret is when you add it! This is one of our favorite instant pot chicken and rice recipes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Chicken: I used thawed frozen chicken breasts. If you prefer dark meat use chicken thighs.
• Rice: I used regular store brand white long grain rice. You can sub it with basmati rice. In that case the cook time would be 5 mins followed by 10 mins natural pressure release. Rest of the recipe would remain the same.
• Aromatics: Yellow onion and minced garlic. Do not use red onion. It has a pungent flavor which won't go very well with this instant pot chicken and rice casserole.
• Seasonings: Nutmeg, Fresh cracked pepper and salt according to your own personal taste preference. You can use ground black pepper instead of fresh cracked pepper. Don't skip the nutmeg, it adds a great depth of flavor to this easy chicken and rice instant pot recipe.
• Cooking fat: Butter. You can sub it with extra light or light olive oil.
• Cheese: Extra sharp cheddar cheese grated from a block or pre-shredded. You can also use 1:1 sharp cheddar : Colby jack or Monterey Jack.
• Cream of chicken soup: This totally give the whole recipe a delicious facelift. If your worried about calories you can skip adding the cream of chicken soup and add the cheese instead. The cook time won't change. You can also sub it with cream of mushroom soup if you love mushrooms.
• Better than Bouillon: Better than bouillon chicken base is what I used. Stir it warm water to make an instant homemade flavorful stock. You won't need the store bought chicken stocks ever again. This stuff is really wonderful!
• Liquid: Water with better than bouillon stirred in.
• Garnish: Use dried or fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges as a garnish.

Top Tips

• Non mushy Rice secret: Rinse the rice under running tap water several times until clear water runs through. This will help remove the surface starch from the rice and hence, prevent the rice from getting mushy.
• No BURN error: Rinse the rice very well as stated above and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will loosen any stuck food particles and prevent the BURN error.
• Extra creaminess: Use cream of chicken soup and sharp cheddar cheese (see subs above). Do add the cream of chicken soup before the pressure cooking cycle. This will create a velvety creaminess and make the recipe so rich & yummy! Add the cheese after the pressure cooking cycle is over. Mix until melted. This will prevent the cheese from curdling.

How to make instant pot creamy chicken and rice?

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

Step #1 Sauté Chicken

• Sauté chicken: Set the instant pot on SAUTE mode at NORMAL heat settings. Add butter, add the onion & garlic and sauté for 1 min. Add the diced chicken and sauté until the chicken begins to become opaque. Add the seasonings and sauté for a few mins. This will help build flavor and keep the chicken pieces nice and juicy.

Step #2 Deglaze pot

• Deglaze pot: Cancel the SAUTE function. Pour stock and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles and help prevent the BURN error.

Step #4 Pressure Cook

• Dump ingredients: Add rinsed and drained white long grain rice. Spread the rice into a single layer with the help of a spatula. Do not mix or stir. Add the condensed cream of chicken soup on top of the rice. Do not stir or mix.
• Pressure Cook: Secure the lid, seal the valve and pressure cook on high for just 6 mins followed by a quick pressure release. Turn off the instant pot.

Step #4 Mix Cheese & serve

• Mix Cheese: Add the grated or pre-shredded cheddar cheese and gently fold it in the rice. Mix well until the cheese completely melts and incorporates into the rice to form a creamy consistency. You can also add a few splashes of warm water while mixing the cheese for an even more creamier consistency.
• Serve: Serve the creamy rice garnished with fresh or dried parsley and lemon slices. Enjoy!

Storage

Fridge: Creamy chicken and rice instant pot recipe will last for 5 days in the fridge. Store in air tight containers. The dish will thicken quite a bit. Do follow the reheating directions shared below.

Freezer: Store the instant pot chicken and rice in individual freezer safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the reheating directions shared below.

Reheating Directions

Microwave oven: This creamy chicken and rice dinner thickens further when stored in the fridge or freezer. Add a few splashes of warm water and than reheat the creamy chicken and rice in the microwave oven until warm or hot. Serve immediately.

Stove top: Reheat the dish with few splashes of warm water in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. Stir frequently to prevent it from burning.

Serving Ideas

You can serve this one pot creamy chicken and rice recipe with a simple vegetable side like:

• Instant pot steamed broccoli.
• Instant pot steamed carrots.
• Instant pot beets.
• Instant pot green beans no steamer basket.

More one pot instant pot dinners

• Instant pot chicken drumsticks and potatoes.
• Instant pot pesto chicken pasta.
• Instant pot chicken fajita rice.
• Instant pot chicken thighs and white rice.
• Instant pot chicken thighs and vegetables.
• Instant pot chicken mushroom stroganoff.
• Easy instant pot jambalaya.
• Instant pot black beans and rice.
• Sausage and rice instant pot.
• Instant pot mushroom rice.
• Instant pot chicken fried rice.

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