Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice

Our easy Ninja Foodi pressure cooker chicken and rice recipe with cream of chicken soup, vegetables and chicken breasts can be made quick. It’s the best classic Campbells meal we love so much so that we have continued on with others like our Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice too.

I love cooking everything together at once. Makes it easier on days when I am just spent and allows us to eat together more often which I appreciate as a mom, a total win win.

Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice

Adding vegetables to this quick and easy chicken recipe gives it great flavor, texture, and the more I include them in our dinners the more my kids like them. Of course you can omit if you wish. 😉

Seasoned with just some salt and black pepper, it’s so easy to throw together. I use frozen vegetables to make things easier. Now I generally use boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into bite size pieces. It’s the best way for this version, or our Instant Pot teriyaki chicken and rice dish.

Can you use chicken thighs?

Yes, if I find chicken thighs on sale I would use those instead. I find that thighs have more flavor and are more tender than the latter. I get lazy though and if bone-in is all I can find I will opt for whatever is boneless and a decent price. 

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice with Frozen Chicken

Frozen Chicken and Rice Instant Pot works too but has to be cut into very small bite size pieces beforehand. Those pieces need to be separated before adding too. In the event that this isn’t done you would need to first follow the directions in our frozen chicken in the Instant Pot. Drain liquid, chop up meat, and add begin directions below skipping the initial saute step since it is precooked.

If they are lumped together just run under cool water and break apart. If you add into one big clump the middle pieces won’t have enough time to cook all the way thru and that is important. As far as rice, I like Jasmine personally. It has a better texture than just the cheaper long grain version and less expensive than Basmati.

If you are totally opposed to adding vegetables, just leave those out. Only like frozen peas? Just add those and omit the others. Cheese is a really great add in but of course if you need it to be dairy free, then leave that out too.

If you have ever make this, the one you see here is very similar. BUT this is cooked in my Instant Pot so timing and a few more ingredients were added to it. I ate something similar A LOT growing up with everything just dumped in a pot on the stove top. I really loved it and was made often because it was cheap. Pretty healthy Instant Pot dinner recipe too.

Add any other spices you enjoy, I add just a few myself. If you want to use fresh green beans and baby bellas follow the directions here for our Instant Pot chicken mushroom casserole.

The first step is to add your meat and set to saute. All multi cookers have the function except some are labeled brown/saute instead. It is important that your meat is diced into bite size pieces so it cooks evenly and remains tender.

Now the recipe reads with the chicken cut up into cubes so there shouldn’t be any issues any longer! A problem you may experience if you don’t follow the directions EXACTLY as they’re stated below is with the rice. Making Instant Pot white rice is the exception to this rule since there are no other ingredients other than water. 

At first I was intimidated because I had never used one before. Now that I’ve tinkered with it I use it every day and share new pressure cooker recipes each week. They are all yummy and super simple to do like this one.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want to use a cup of white rice (not instant white rice, we like Jasmine rice or long grain). This should be measured uncooked and added as such. You do not cook first, it all cooks together!

You want to have and use some Olive oil, use the good stuff (extra virgin) to saute the meat for a minute or so at the beginning.

Add Chicken breasts or you could use chicken thighs. If you want to use pork, you’d just need to dice small. Using precooked shredded chicken is possible too, just skip step 1 since it’s already cooked

Adding some Frozen vegetables are easiest, mixed, no defrosting necessary into the mix. I like the mixture that has green beans, peas and corn in it but that is up to you.

To make it creamy you will add a can of Cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom could be used instead

Using Chicken broth or stock is best. You can use water but broth is so much better for this and our creamy Crock pot creamy chicken.

We will add at least 1 – 1/2 cup Cheese (optional but so good, we like sharp cheddar). Season the chicken with salt and pepper and I do like some diced onion in their, either yellow or white.

And of course you will need an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I have a 6 qt., I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot too!

I have used rotisserie chicken vs. raw chicken – just use 2 breasts and dice the chicken up, then skip the first step where the chicken is browned, just put it into the bottom of the pot . Add other vegetables and we have used are shared in our Instant Pot chicken broccoli rice recipe.

Below a quick step by step but I also have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Put bite size chicken and diced onions into pot with some olive oil and set to saute. Cook outsides just enough so pink is gone (insides will still be raw and that is okay) Turn pot off now.

How Long to Cook Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot

Add ingredients and then sprinkle in uncooked white rice but DO NOT stir in, just gently submerge into the liquid at the top. Close lid and steam valve and set to high for 9 minutes. Allow steam to release naturally for 3 minutes and then open steam valve to pressure release the rest of the way.

I suggest the small natural release at the end to make the rice so tender and fluffy!  Chicken is always tender, flavorful, and who doesn’t love a one pot meal?? I haven’t made it with brown rice yet but others have, comments for that method are below.

FAQ

Now if you want to make this with a sausage link, try our Instant Pot sausage and rice recipe! Print the recipe below and enjoy!

Want to make crockpot chicken and rice?? We have done that too and is great to try both, though this one is faster. For both I modified the recipe I found here but adjusted some ingredients and the time as well for it to come out moist and ensuring the cooked rice was fluffy.

Other easy pressure cooker recipes with chicken you’ll love

Try our cheesy Instant Pot chicken parmesan casserole is a family favorite. We love our Pressure cooker crack chicken casserole too. Spicy honey Instant Pot chicken is a popular dinner idea

• Pressure cooker frozen whole chicken
• White rice goes great with our Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken on top

Want to make this in your Ninja Foodi too? Of course we’ve done that. The timing and high pressure isn’t any different. You use the lid that is not attached to cook and the pressure cook button.