Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli is a great one pot meal that kids and adults love. The ultimate comfort food for dinner that can be made in a Ninja Foodi or Crockpot Express too.
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- Ninja Foodi Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Chicken and Rice with Frozen Chicken
- Can you use rotisserie chicken?
- Made with Broccoli
- Can you use brown rice?
- How to make chicken and rice less boring
- How Long to Cook Cheesy Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot
- How to save leftovers
- Cheesy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
This Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice pressure cooker dinner idea is always a hit at our house. Add raw or canned veggies inside too for a complete meal in just 10 minutes time! A quick Instant Pot recipe you’ve got to try.
If you have tried out pressure cooker chicken and rice, you know it reminds you of your childhood. That Campbells cream of chicken recipe was served in almost every home back in the day. This one adds vegetables but omits the soup all together!
Ninja Foodi Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Many wanted to know how to make this popular dish without condensed soup so here it is y’all. A bit lighter but with the same great flavors and protein too. You can make this as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe or in your Crockpot Express too.
Chicken and Rice with Frozen Chicken
I would not use frozen chicken in Instant Pot for this particular dish. That is more reserved for shredded chicken and served on buns. Whole breasts will take too long to cook with the other ingredients and won’t be safe to eat. Dicing is the way to go for success.
Can you use rotisserie chicken?
Yes you can, and this is a great leftover chicken breast recipe if you don’t have fresh. Just cut them into bite size pieces and saute a bit at the beginning. If you’re using precooked then you can skip that step all together.
Using chicken thighs vs. breasts will add more flavor as well. Hard to believe since these are actually way cheaper than their counterpart. If you buy bone in and just remove that they are REALLY cheap, like giving them away at the butcher counter kinda’ inexpensive.
If you want to omit the meat you can follow our Instant Pot cream of mushroom rice recipe instead.
Made with Broccoli
Adding finely diced Instant Pot broccoli or green beans is a great idea too. These work the best because they don’t take a long time to cook though with the florets you should know that they will get really soft, a bit mushy, but for me it is a great way to add vegetables into our meal so I do it.
Can you use brown rice?
No, that takes 3x as long and in that time the meat will get too done and start to get dry. Instead, make this with long grain white rice. I mean from there you can use Jasmine or arborio rice depending on the chew you prefer.
How to make chicken and rice less boring
Add cheese of course! That is the first suggestion. Use the Mexican blend with taco seasoning in it for a pop of flavor. If you ask us we prefer sharp shredded Cheddar cheese but honestly that is up to you and you can mix and match too if you prefer. If you want a bit of heat added use
As for the veggies the smaller you chop the pieces the more tender they will get. Corn cut off the kernels or in the can are a great idea too. When it is done you just pop those in, fluff together and sit the top back on. 5 minutes usually will make them warm enough and allow the cheese to melt too.
How Long to Cook Cheesy Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot
If using fresh meat it will take 4 minutes or so to saute first. Then cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, naturally release steam for 1 minutes at the end. This will allow rice to cook until tender. Release rest of pressure after that, lift lid and place small diced broccoli florets with shredded cheese on top. Gently fluff and fold all ingredients together.
Set lid on top and let it sit for 5 minutes so cheddar cheese will melt and broccoli warms enough to your liking.
You can keep an extra 1/2 cup cheese aside to sprinkle on the top when serving each dish up. Pressure cooking meat is a real game changer. If you love really tender protein there is no other method that works as well in such a short amount of time.
Yes we have made slow cooker cheesy chicken and rice but that takes all day and honestly, this turns out better still. Rice for sure is best when made this way and not sitting in a pot for hours and hours. You don’t want it to become too soft, and still have a bit of “bite” to it when served.
I honestly don’t feel like I need to serve this with anything else. The only thing missing might be some garlic rolls or a side salad. With a starch, veg and meat together it’s pretty much complete though. Complete with the time to come to pressure I would set aside 20 minutes from start to finish.
How to save leftovers
Wait until cooled and store in the fridge in a sealed container. You kinda’ need to add some sauce when reheating Ninja Foodi white rice because it dries out in the fridge with your leftovers. If you add a bit of soy sauce or a sprinkle of broth though it will revive it a bit, then heat and stir often.
- Reheating chicken in air fryer works a bit the same way as you want to add a sauce or liquid to the bottom of the bowl and steam it a bit until it is warm.
- This dish has the starch and meat together so just drop a few Tbsp. on top of it all and heat in 30 second intervals stirring in between times.
You totally can if you follow this simple tip. I usually saute the meat first with olive oil just until the outsides are no longer pink. Then add your liquids and sprinkle white rice on top. Do NOT stir, just gently submerge it into the broth or water below. Set your time. It’s best to decrease time by 2 min. and allow to naturally release for that time instead.
It actually saves better if you freeze it than saving it in the fridge. If you aren’t sure you’ll eat it the very next day then do this. Allow it to come to room temperature and spoon into a plastic container with a sealed lid or freezer bag. Freeze safely for up to a few months. When reheating transfer to microwave safe dish and heat in 30 second increments adding a bit of broth before the last heating.
Cheesy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size chunks
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1.5 cup white rice, long grain variety
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup broccoli, small fresh or frozen florets – optional
- 1 cup cheese, cheddar, shredded – optional
Instructions
- Set pot to saute and add olive oil. Add diced chicken, garlic and onions, cook until the outside of the meat is no longer pink. Then turn pot off and add a bit of broth to scrape stuck on meat off bottom of the pot (deglazing).
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper, then pour in rest of the broth.
- Sprinkle in uncooked long grain rice and gently submerge into liquid below. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then naturally release steam for 1 minutes.
- Release rest of pressure after that, lift lid and place small diced broccoli florets with shredded cheese on top. Gently fluff and fold all ingredients together.
- Set lid on top and let it sit for 5 minutes so cheese will melt and broccoli warms enough to your liking.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The tender chicken and creamy, cheesy rice make for a wonderful combination that the whole family will love. Plus, the Instant Pot makes this recipe a quick and hassle-free option for busy weeknights!
This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice is a comforting, creamy meal that’s a breeze to make. The cheese adds a rich, savory flavor, and the chicken turns out perfectly tender. It’s a quick and satisfying dish that’s perfect for busy nights. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Super easy and tasty. Couple of minor problems but all operator error (forgot to close vent so ran it an extra 2 minutes – chicken got a little dry and rice a bit gummy) but the taste was spot on. My only other critique – again, my fault – I didn’t add enough mushrooms! Yummy!
glad it was a hit