How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot

white plate topped with chicken and rice and green beans. The plate is resting on a yellow and white striped hand towel, with a fork next to it

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Instant Pot chicken and rice is your favorite creamy, cheesy casserole comfort food, except it's made faster and easier in the Instant Pot pressure cooker!

white plate with Instant Pot chicken and rice casserole on it, alongside green beans

Instant Pot creamy chicken and rice casserole is the perfect, stick-to-your-ribs home cooked dinner! You'll love how easy it is!

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Growing up in the south, we enjoyed our fair share of delicious food at church potluck dinners.

There was always a smattering of casseroles on the plastic tablecloth-lined tables that spanned the church's fellowship hall, along with fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, southern style green beans, potato salad, and more.

Southern style casseroles have always held a special place in my heart, especially when they are creamy, delicious, and full of flavor. I mean, isn't a casserole the ultimate comfort food?

That's why I know this creamy Instant Pot chicken and rice is going to be a hit with your family–I'm betting it's going to be one of your favorite Instant Pot chicken dinner recipes!

Why I Love This Southern Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole

These days, I often make some of my favorite comfort food in the Instant Pot, because it saves time and keeps life simple.

I've made Instant Pot chicken pot pie, Instant Pot chicken with noodles, Instant Pot chicken and stuffing, and pressure cooker chicken and dumplings, so chicken and rice was a must-have, too!

The best Instant Pot chicken and rice recipes are the ones that are easy to make yet bring about a sense of warmth and comfort when you eat them!

Chicken and rice casserole has been one of my favorites over the years, and while there are many different variations, they all are based on the same premise–white rice and tender chicken wrapped in a creamy sauce.

Sometimes it's topped with crushed crackers or cornflakes, sometimes it's topped with shredded cheese that gets melted to perfection.

This recipe for chicken and rice in the Instant Pot uses cream of chicken soup (homemade or canned) and shredded cheese to make that delicious sauce.

A few months ago, I came across this crock pot chicken and rice recipe from Julie at Back to My Southern Roots. If you don't follow her already, you totally should–she has so many southern goodies on her site.

I decided to convert the slow cooker recipe into a pressure cooker recipe, and made some adaptations to the recipe along the way.

But let me tell you, the final result was delicious!

Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot with Cream of Chicken Soup

It's so creamy and cheesy, and while it's not exactly the "prettiest" casserole (but really, what casserole is?), it is a super tasty meal that your family is sure to love!

Not only is it delicious, but it's SO easy to make in the Instant Pot.

It's perfect paired with southern style green beans and homemade dinner rolls (did you know you can use the Instant Pot to proof dough?)!

If you love chicken and rice, you'll also love my Instant Pot french onion chicken and rice (made with onion soup mix!), Instant Pot cheesy chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole, this flavorful Instant Pot Spanish chicken and rice, my creamy Instant Pot chicken and wild rice casserole, and Instant Pot Rice a Roni and Chicken recipes!

More Tips for Making Instant Pot Rice:

Failproof Instant Pot Brown Rice
Perfectly Easy Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Fragrant Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

white plate with a serving of Instant Pot chicken and rice casserole along with a serving of green beans. The plate is resting on a yellow and white striped kitchen towel.

How to Make Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

You'll start with a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut them each into two or three uniform pieces and place them into the insert pot of your Instant Pot.

Add in some white rice and chicken broth, along with some garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.

Cook that at high pressure for 3 minutes, then allow a natural pressure release.

Once the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, remove the chicken and shred or chop it as desired, then fluff the rice and return the chicken to the insert pot.

shredded cooked chicken over cooked rice in an instant pot

Stir in some cream of chicken soup until combined, followed by some shredded cheese. Stir until melted, and voila–dinner is ready!

wooden spoon stirring shredded chicken, rice, and cream in an instant pot

I served this with some southern style green beans, and it was a match made in heaven!

Notes and Adaptations for Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice:

I use homemade cream of chicken soup, because it's a cinch to make and it really adds a lot of flavor. However, you can substitute a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with a can of water if you prefer.
I liked having the shredded cheese melted into the chicken and rice, but if you're counting calories, you can omit the cheese and it will still be very flavorful.
If you want to add a topping (crushed crackers, cornflakes, or cheese), just transfer the chicken and rice mixture to a baking dish after it has cooked, top as desired, and pop it in the oven until the topping is crisp or melted.
Leftovers can be frozen! Just transfer any leftovers to a freezer safe container, cool to room temperature, and freeze.
You can substitute pulled rotisserie chicken if you'd like (keep the cook time the same).
I wouldn't recommend using brown rice, because it takes a good bit longer to cook than white rice. The white rice has a similar cook time to the chicken, making them ideal to cook together. If you cook the chicken and brown rice together, the chicken will be overcooked by the time the brown rice is finished. You'd have to cook them separately, and that kind of negates the convenience factor of this meal!

Recommended Equipment:

Instant Pot (I have the DUO60 model and love it!)

More Delicious Instant Pot Dinners You're Sure to Love:

Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken
Hearty Pressure Cooker Beef Stew
Pressure Cooker Chicken Fettucine Alfredo
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Instant Pot Chili Mac

Instructions

Place chicken pieces into the bottom of the insert pot of an Instant Pot. Top with white rice.
Pour broth over the rice, ensuring it is covered.
Sprinkle in garlic and onion powder, as well as black pepper.
Place lid on Instant Pot and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a 3 minute cook time at high pressure using the Manual/Pressure Cook setting.
Once cook time has completed, allow a natural pressure release. Once pressure has released and valve has dropped, carefully remove lid.
Remove chicken pieces and fluff rice with a fork. Shred or chop chicken as desired and return to the insert pot.
Stir in the cream of chicken soup until combined. Then stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese until melted.

Notes

I use homemade cream of chicken soup , because it's a cinch to make and it really adds a lot of flavor. However, you can substitute a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with a can of water if you prefer.
I liked having the shredded cheese melted into the chicken and rice, but if you're counting calories, you can omit the cheese and it will still be very flavorful.
If you want to add a topping (crushed crackers, cornflakes, or cheese), just transfer the chicken and rice mixture to a baking dish after it has cooked, top as desired, and pop it in the oven until the topping is crisp or melted.
Leftovers can be frozen! Just transfer any leftovers to a freezer safe container, cool to room temperature, and freeze.
You can substitute pulled rotisserie chicken if you'd like (keep the cook time the same).
I wouldn't recommend using brown rice, because it takes a good bit longer to cook than white rice. The white rice has a similar cook time to the chicken, making them ideal to cook together. If you cook the chicken and brown rice together, the chicken will be overcooked by the time the brown rice is finished. You'd have to cook them separately, and that kind of negates the convenience factor of this meal!

Adapted from Back to My Southern Roots

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 58mg Sodium: 804mg Carbohydrates: 19g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 1g Protein: 20g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

white plate with chicken and rice and green beans

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How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot

Source: https://marginmakingmom.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-rice/