There is nothing fancy about this Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe. You only need a handful of ingredients and the prep is minimal. Think weeknight meal in a pinch without sacrificing flavor. That’s a win, right? The rice essentially becomes a sponge and absorbs the flavor of the chicken, veg, and chicken broth while in the Instant Pot.
The basic ingredients:
- Chicken
- White rice
- Carrots
- Celery
- Bay leaf
- Chicken broth
Don’t let its simplicity fool you. The flavor is the next best thing to Grandma’s chicken noodle soup. You know that bowl of soup that is overflowing with comfort? That bowl that can make any sniffle whether from a bad day or a virus fade away? That is exactly what I was trying to recreate here, but not in soup form.
In a previous life I was not a stay-at-home mom. I worked in sales as a clinical rep for a medical device company. As the clinical educator I often did lunch-and-learn meetings with the hospital staff. One of the go-to food stops was a Mexican chicken rotisserie place. Besides the chicken, which was excellent, they made this rice that I couldn’t resist. Nothing complicated but it was so comforting especially after a long morning in a cold cath lab.
Although those days are in the past, I still think of that rice. Since I rarely find myself near the restaurant these days, I decided to recreate it. Mine isn’t the same, but it hits the spot and I get to enjoy it with my lovely little boys instead. This meal warms my heart and my tummy. Cheesy? Yes, but sometimes a little cheese is necessary.
Instant Pot/Stovetop/Rice Cooker
There is not anything too complicated about this chicken and rice for the instant pot recipe. Since we do all of our rice cooking in the Instant Pot these days, I wrote the recipe accordingly. With that said, I think it could easily be adapted to your rice cooker or stove top.
If you are cooking on the stovetop, follow steps as you normally would with regular rice substituting in the broth for the water. Add the veggies, chicken, and bay leaf at the beginning and cook as usual. You will do same if using rice cooker ensuring that volume is ok with the addition of chicken and veg.
A note about the chicken
This is an ideal recipe to use leftover chicken from previous meal. You can use either white or dark meat or a mixture of both. If you don’t have already cooked chicken, then you can use raw chicken in pressure cooker recipe. Cut the chicken into small bits to ensure through cooking. Besides convenience of using leftover chicken, I also prefer the shredded texture in the rice, which you don’t get when using raw.
Whether it is a busy weeknight or a slow-moving weekend, I hope you find this recipe as comforting and fulfilling as my family does.Also, I like to add a little heat to mine, which the boys (big and small) don’t care for so I add a little siracha to my bowl. If you make the chicken and rice for the Instant Pot recipe, please comment below letting me know how it went. Cheers!
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth See note
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 large celery stalk sliced thinly
- 1 spring onion sliced thinly
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken white meat, dark meat, or mixture
- 1-2 tbsp butter optional
Instructions
- Wash rice by triple rinsing to remove some of starch. Water should run almost clear by third rinse. This can easily be done in the instant pot bowl.
- With rice in pot, add in carrots, celery, onions, chicken, and bay leaf. Stir in broth.
- Put Instant Pot lid on and seal for pressure cooking function. Follow proper protocol per the Instant Pot directions for cooking under pressure.
- Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure through valve.
- Ensure pressure is completely released before carefully removing lid.
- Gently fluff rice and season with salt, pepper, and butter, if desired.
Notes
[nutrifox id=”32503″]