Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole that makes such a delicious and easy dinner recipe. A totally from scratch recipe with added instructions to cut corners and make it a little easier for your busy weeknights!
Want to make this recipe in the crock pot? CLICK HERE.
Okay! We are carrying on with my quest to bring you guys all the easy dinners this fall. Because is anyone else’s family on the struggle bus with their new fall schedules? Ours is kicking us. Like really kicking us. So this easy dinner business is a must.
When I have asked what people want in their easy dinners, I’ve heard more Instant Pot recipes! I totally hear that. I make my Instant Pot Chicken Tacos all the time because once I start up the Instant Pot I can help the kids with the homework or do some dishes that have piled up. I can’t get enough easy Instant Pot chicken recipes.
This one is a little different in that we make Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (click that to get the full tutorial) while the recipe cooks so that this recipe can be totally from scratch and we can control the flavors a little. BUT! There is going to be a box at the bottom to show you how to make this recipe much easier and we will take out that step.
Because sometimes I like everything from scratch and sometimes I like things to be as easy as possible.
Should we jump right in?
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
I took some step by step photos of this guy for you. But this is the gist of it:
- Saute your vegetables right in your instant pot (let’s not dirty more dishes than necessary).
- Add in (in this order) chicken stock, rice, and chicken.
- Let the Instant Pot do it’s job.
- While it does, make the Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup. Or don’t! Open a can.
- When it is done cooking, cut up your chicken, throw in the condensed soup, and add in some frozen peas.
It’s a really easy meal that is warming, comforting, and delicious.
Tips and Tricks for this Easy Instant Pot Recipe
Make sure your chicken isn’t too thick. Chicken breasts these days can be VERY thick. If I happen to buy bigger breasts, I cut them in half (butterfly style) so they are no more than an inch and a half thick at the thickest point. This makes them cook more consistently in the Instant POt.
Set your Instant Pot to “Sauté” while you are peeling and chopping your carrots. That saves you the time of waiting for it to read “Hot.”
Watch your butter carefully once you put it in, moving it around so it does not burn.
Read the recipe carefully. If this is your first time making this instant pot chicken and rice casserole recipe, make sure to read the recipe carefully. You are doing a natural release for the Instant Pot, but only for 10 minutes.
How to Make this Recipe Easier
This is what you were waiting for, right? Here are a few corners we can cut. Because I would hate you to miss out on Instant Pot Chicken and Rice because it takes too much time.
- Skip the sautéing of vegetables. Buy a bag of frozen peas and carrots and add both at the end. We are losing the garlic and onion flavoring then, so add in a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder.
- Use a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. The instructions in this recipe leave you with the exact same amount as if you buy the can. So skip that step and just add in the store bought stuff.
With those two steps, the only real hands on work you are doing is cutting chicken at the end!
A Note About Salt
Because different chicken stocks vary GREATLY in their salt content, I left any additional salt out of this recipe. This may mean that your recipe turns out perfect, and it may mean that you need to add up to a teaspoon of salt at the end. Trust your tastebuds, my friends.
Other Instant Pot Favorites
If you are loving on your Instant pot like me, then some other great pressure cooker dinners you can make are:
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup: This is one of our favorite recipes! I have a crockpot version as well.
- Instant Pot Beef Stew: This is the ultimate in comfort food!
- Instant Pot Meatballs and Pasta Recipe: I totally love this recipe. It’s total comfort food.
Other Easy Dinner Ideas
And if you are looking for other easy dinners in general, you have come to the right place!
- ONE POT CREAMY SHRIMP PASTA! This is one pot, just about 30 minutes, and everyone loves it!
- SHEET PAN CHICKEN AND VEGGIES: One of my newer recipes, this is going to be a huge hit in your house.
- EASY TOP ROUND ROAST BEEF RECIPE: This recipe doesn’t get enough credit! Only 5 minutes of prep. If you are nervous about roast beef, don’t be!
- EASY BEEF AND BROCCOLI: My middle kiddo DEVOURED this 25 minute dinner.
If you make this chicken and rice in the instant pot make sure to leave me a comment and let me know how it goes! And tell me what else you are looking for in dinner recipes!
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (see the note about salt)
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 pound chicken (see note)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (or a 10 ounce can of store-bought)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Before you begin chopping your vegetables, set your Instant Pot to Sauté. This way when you are done prepping your carrots and onion, it will be hot and ready for you to put the vegetables in. (Read the notes to learn how to skip this step.)
- Once the Instant Pot says "Hot" add the butter and stir quickly, so that it doesn't burn. Add the chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, and garlic). Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning, until the carrots are tender. Turn Instant Pot off.
- In this order, add the chicken stock, rice, and set the chicken on top (please be sure to see the note about the chicken). Close the Instant Pot and set to High, Manual, 10 minutes. (Make sure that it is set to seal on top.) It will take the Instant Pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure. Once it is done cooking, let the Instant Pot have a natural pressure release for 10 minutes (be sure to watch the time), then turn to venting until all the pressure has fully released. (Between coming to pressure, the cook time, natural release, and quick release it will be about 34 minutes.)
- While the Instant Pot is doing its job, make your homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup. (Read the notes to learn how to skip this step.) In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken stock. Stir in the milk and the spices. Continue stirring, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring to prevent burning.
- When the 10 minutes is up and you have vented and fully released the pressure of your Instant Pot, open it. Remove the chicken, and cut it into bite-sized pieces (or shred it). Return the chicken to the Instant Pot and add the peas and the cream of chicken soup. Stir to combine and enjoy.
Notes
- Skip the sautéing of vegetables. Buy a bag of frozen peas and carrots and add both at the end. We are losing the garlic and onion flavoring then, so add in a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder.
- Use a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. The instructions in this recipe leave you with the exact same amount as if you buy the can. So skip that step and just add in the store-bought stuff.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Robert Niemann says
Great recipe! We loved it. Only one small issue. Our rice came out mushy. Is this inevitable with Instant Pot? Or is there a way to avoid. I did stir everything together in Step 3. Was this a mistake? Thanks!
Robert
I’m so sorry to hear that Robert! Rice in the instant pot and the crock pot can come out a little mushier than you’d like, but I don’t think it was that or the stirring. Instant Pots vary, and I would suggest that you cook it for just a minute less next time.
A. S. Kennedy says
This looked very tasty. I made it as directed for the most part. The one exception was a used leftover roasted chicken that I added after the rice and veggies were finished. I used homemade chicken broth. The flavor of this recipe was OK, but the texture was gummy. It lacked flavor so I added some aromatic herbs. It’s definitely a recipe I would experiment with. The cooking time for the rice was too long. Has anyone else had this problem?
Taking the chicken out of the cooking equation would definitely change how the rice cooks. I would have to test it without the chicken to tell you what I would do differently to use roasted chicken.
Millie says
Can I use cream of celery instead of cream of chicken
Yes! It will have a different taste, but will still work.
Randi Bennett says
What size instant pot are you using?
Mine is 6 quarts
Brenda P says
This really hit the spot on a cold October evening! Needed something quick and easy w/ ingredients that I had on hand. I was surprised by how tender the chicken was…a lot of times IP frozen chiken breasts end up like rubber. I did end up using long grain rice, and would probably cut back to 1/2 c in the future for a more “soupy” soup. ;) This recipe is a keeper…the flavor was spot on and this is a perfect comfort food. Thank you!
So happy you liked it!
Claudia says
Reader Brenda mentioned cutting back on some rice so it would be more soupy but isn’t this a casserole?
Also, curious about sautéing garlic for so long. Doesn’t doing that make the garlic very butter?
I can’t speak to Brenda wanting this to be more soupy, but I can say that we love this as is. As for the garlic sautéing, the vegetables need to sauté this long so that they are nice and tender.
Gwen Lange says
I don’t have one of those pot ,can it be made in crockpot ? Let me know
Please thank you
Hi Gwen! I actually have a Crockpot Chicken and Rice Casserole as well.
Erinn says
I am gluten free due to Celiac Disease and this found this recipe worked well simply swapping out the all purpose flour with a gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Baking Flour).
Another note, I just threw frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot and increased the cook time slightly to 12 minutes. Worked perfectly!
I’m so happy you liked this!
Andie says
I was out of frozen peas, so I substituted frozen broccoli. I was also out of the chicken soup and didn’t want to make my own, so I used 1/2 can of cheddar cheese soup with enough half and half to achieve a good consistency. I sprinkled the top with panko breadcrumbs just before serving. It was delicious! Grateful to have found this super easy recipe. Thank you!
Jenn says
This was really good, though when I doubled the recipe I had to finish it off on the stove because my IP kept yelling at me about food burning (even though it wasn’t). I’ll try again with the original portion to see if that happens again.
Anyway, delicious recipe – my husband actually doing it and spent all day begging me to make it.
Jenn, http://jenn.love
I’m so glad you liked it! Instant Pots are super funny like that. The recipe might just need to be tweaked a tiny bit if you are going to double it.