Instant pot chicken and rice is ready in less than 30 minutes! Packed with veggies and so much flavor, this dish is perfect for a quick dinner!
Did you get an instant pot recently? Start with the basics. From instant pot brown rice and poached chicken to the best hard boiled eggs ever, your instant pot can help you make almost anything in no time! Check out today’s recipe, a complete chicken and rice dinner, made in one pot. No fuss, no mess, and no prep needed. Bonus point: lots of veggies are packed into this dish. And, kids love it! Isn't this starting to sound like the perfect weeknight dinner?
Chicken and rice - in a pressure cooker!
I bet you’ve tried at least a dozen variations of this combination in your life and you might even have a favorite. We sure have a few chicken and rice recipes here, some of our favorites being Greek one pan chicken and rice, lemon chicken and rice and of course, the classic Persian zereshk polo morgh (saffron chicken and barberry rice).
But when it comes to time saving and efficiency, this recipe takes the cake. Basically, veggies are sauteed and then rice and spices are added alongside the liquids. Spiced chicken is nestled on top of the rice and everything is cooked together until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is juicy. You can either serve the chicken breast whole or shred it and mix it with the rice.
The ingredients
You need a handful of ingredients to make this recipe:
1- Spices
The spices used in this recipe make it so flavorful. We use a combination of salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, allspice, cinnamon and paprika to season both the rice and chicken. Half of the spice mix is used with the rice and veggies and the other half is rubbed on the chicken.
2- Vegetables
To make this recipe, I used lots of different vegetables including onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, bell peppers and peas. These veggies mix well with rice and don’t get mushy while cooking in the pressure cooker.
3- Rice
I suggest using jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe as the cooking time is closer to chicken and veggies. Therefore, everything will be cooked at the same time. I don’t recommend using brown rice as it takes longer to cook and the chicken might get dry.
4- Chicken
For this recipe you can use both chicken breasts or thighs depending on what you have on hand. The chicken is going to be flavored with an aromatic homemade spice combination and then cooked with rice and vegetables.
How to make chicken and rice in your pressure cooker (i.e., instant pot!)
- Prepare the spice mix and season the chicken: In a small bowl, mix the spices and divide the mix in half. Season the chicken breasts on both sides and let them sit as you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the vegetables: Press the “saute” button on the pressure cooker and pour in some olive oil. Saute onion and garlic until golden, add in the mushrooms and cook it for a minute. Add carrots and peas to the pot and stir well.
- Add the rice: Add the rice and the remainder of the spice mix to the onions and mushrooms. Stir well and add the water. Scrape the bottom of the cooker to make sure nothing is sticking.
- Add the chicken and cook: Place the chicken on top of the rice and veggies, do not stir, and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is on “sealing”. Press “cancel” and then press “pressure cook” and make sure it’s set on high. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Natural press release: Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release and serve.
Can I use frozen chicken for this recipe?
I don’t recommend using frozen chicken since it won’t absorb the spices as well. Also, the cooking time for frozen chicken is higher which might make the rice mushy.
What to serve with chicken and rice
To turn this into a complete meal, I usually serve it with some sort of light and green salad. Here are some suggestions:
Notes and tips to make this recipe
- If the chicken breasts are too thick, cut them in half widthwise to make sure they cook completely.
- You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. The cooking time will stay the same.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Looking for more flavor? Add a can of chickpeas (drained) instead of peas. You can also make this dish spicy by adding ½ tsp cayenne pepper to the spice mix.
- Instead of water, you can use chicken or vegetable stock to cook the rice and chicken.
Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Spice mix
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instant pot chicken and rice
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cup white button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 ½ cup Basmati rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the spices and divide it in half.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides and let them sit as you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Press the “saute” button on the pressure cooker and pour in the olive oil. Saute onion and garlic until golden, add in the mushrooms and cook it for a minute. Add carrots and peas to the pot and stir well.
- To the onion and mushrooms, add the rice and the remaining of the spice mix. Stir well and add the water. Scrape the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking.
- Place the chicken on top of the rice and veggie, do not stir, and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is on “sealing”.
- Press “cancel” and then press “pressure cook” and make sure it’s set on high. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release and serve.
Video
Notes
- To turn this into a complete meal, you can serve this dish with Mediterranean salad, Cucumber tomato feta salad or Persian Salad Shirazi.
- If the chicken breasts are too thick, cut them in half widthwise to make sure they cook completely.
- You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. The cooking time will stay the same.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Looking for more flavor? Add a can of chickpeas (drained) instead of peas. You can also make this dish spicy by adding ½ tsp cayenne pepper to the spice mix.
- Instead of water, you can use chicken or vegetable stock to cook the rice and chicken.
Lisa
What a time saver to make this in the pressure cooker. My whole family loved it!
Suzy
I bet the spices are the perfect flavor over the chicken! We love making chicken in the instant pot!