Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice
Chicken and rice is especially appealing when the rice tastes of butter, garlic and herbs. The seasoned chicken sits alongside it with browned edges, and lemon brightens both at the finish. A forkful of rice with a slice of chicken makes a satisfying place to start.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Pressure cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Brown, then move it out
Give the chicken just a short browning on each side, then transfer it to a plate. It isn't meant to cook through at that point. The pressure cooking finishes it gently over the rice.
2. Keep the rack handles up
Set the steam rack in with the handles up before the chicken goes back in. That keeps the chicken sitting above the rice and makes it easier to lift out after cooking.
3. Check the rice before serving
After the chicken comes out, fluff the rice and taste it. If it needs more seasoning, add salt and pepper then, while everything is hot and easy to adjust.
Get to know the ingredients
Rinse the white rice
Rinse the long grain white rice before cooking. This removes starch and helps keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Season the chicken all over
The chicken gets oil, salt, pepper and the spice blend before browning. Coating it evenly matters here, since those seasonings are the main flavor on the chicken itself.
Use the broth in the rice
The broth goes in after the rice and seasonings are stirred into the melted butter and garlic. It gives the rice its cooking liquid and keeps all those browned bits working in the pot.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Fluff the rice with a fork, taste for salt and pepper, then squeeze the fresh lemon juice over both the chicken and rice. Add the lemon at the end so it stays bright.
A little more help as you go
If the rice needs a little more time
If the rice isn't as tender as you'd like after the first cook, move the chicken to a plate, tent it with foil, and pressure cook the rice for two minutes longer.
Brown rice takes more liquid
Brown rice needs a different finish. Add another 1 cup of broth, cook as written, then move the chicken out and pressure cook the rice for 3 minutes longer.
A few questions you might have
Does the chicken need to be fully cooked after browning?
No. The browning step is brief, just 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The chicken finishes during the pressure cook while it rests on the rack above the rice.
Why does the chicken sit on the steam rack instead of directly on the rice?
The rack keeps the browned chicken lifted above the rice while everything cooks. Put the handles up so the chicken is easier to remove before you fluff and season the rice.
Can I use Herbs de Provence instead of Italian seasoning?
Yes. Dried Italian blend seasoning or Herbs de Provence both work in the chicken seasoning and rice.
When does the lemon juice go in?
Add it at the very end, after the rice is fluffed and seasoned. Squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the chicken and rice just before serving.
What should I do if the rice is sticking to the pot?
Rinse the long grain white rice before cooking to remove starch and help keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Any more cooking tips?
Rinsing the rice removes the starch and keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. To rinse your rice, simply place it in a bowl and fill with cool water, then strain the water out, repeat until water runs clear. If after cooking the chicken and rice, you feel that the rice is not as tender as you would like, you can transfer chicken to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL for two minutes longer. For brown rice, add another 1 cup of broth to the recipe. After cooking the chicken and rice as written in the recipe, transfer chicken to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL for 3 minutes longer.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: lecremedelacrumb.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
