Creamy, cheesy and garlicky, this Instant Pot chicken and rice is one of the most requested dinners in my house right now. It’s flavor and texture is similar to white wine and parmesan risotto, but it’s SO MUCH easier to make.
Also, though I’m not anti-carb, I decided to lighten up this dish by replacing some of the rice with cauliflower rice. I’ve found that it allows me to eat more of the delicious sauce without the meal feeling too heavy, and I’m not really one to pass up an opportunity to incorporate extra veggies whenever possible. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken And Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced – about 2 tablespoons)
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1½ cups chicken broth (or water)
- ½ cup dry white wine (or 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup chicken broth)
- 1 cup white rice (I use basmati rice)
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1½ tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Turn on the sauté setting on your Instant Pot and add the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and sauté for another 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is lightly cooked on all sides.
- Pour the broth and wine into the pot and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pot (scrape up any browned bits that have accumulated on the pot).Add in the rice, cauliflower rice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Set the pressure cooker setting to high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 2 minutes and then do a quick release. I recommend using a long-handled spoon to move the valve so that your hand stays far away from the hot steam that will stream out. When the float valve drops, carefully unlock and remove the lid.
- Sprinkle the parmesan over the chicken and rice and stir to incorporate. If the mixture is thicker than you want it, you can thin it out with a little broth or water. If it’s too thin, you can turn on the sauté and allow some of the liquid to evaporate as it cooks. Make sure to stir occasionally so the pieces at the bottom don’t burn. Garnish with parsley if desired before serving.
Nutrition
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes To Try
Chicken Tikka Masala – This family favorite folds tender marinated chicken into a rich, creamy curry sauce made with aromatic garam masala, diced tomatoes, fresh ginger and more.
Mississippi Pot Roast – With it’s melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and tangy, rich flavors, this roast is homestyle comfort food made simple enough for busy weeknights.
No-Thaw Taco Meat – Infused with spices like cumin and chili powder, this recipe is so simple and delicious. You don’t even need to thaw the ground beef before tossing it into the Instant Pot.
Teriyaki Chicken – With a sticky, sweet and savory sauce and tender chicken, this recipe makes a delicious and easy meal.
Chicken Soup – This nourishing version of a tried-and-true comfort food is so flavorful and easy!
Not sure that you meant the instapot to be cut up into bite size pieces 😂
😂😂😂 A thousand thank you’s for catching that and actually telling me.
I’m totally trying this in my crockpot
This sounds delicious! I don’t have any riced cauliflower. What would the changes be for using all basmati rice?
I’m not sure. Cauliflower rice releases water and rice absorbs it so it wouldn’t be an equal exchange. If I had to guess I’d say add 1/2 cup but I haven’t tested it. If you do please let me know how it works out.
WOW!! This was absolutely delicious!! The recipe is perfect – the chicken was so tender. I didn’t have parm cheese but this was incredible even without! My 4 year older also loved it which is saying something. So creamy and perfectly seasoned. Thank you so much for this gem!
So glad you liked it, Tina!
I don’t have an InstaPot – would this work in my slow cooker – adjustments? Thanks!
I followed the hot pot chicken and rice recipe and about 5 mins in I got the message burn food. I have never seen that before I shut it right down and found it was completely burned. I had to throw it out as the burn taste was not good. Any idea what went wrong?
Thanks!
Pat
Whenever you get the burn message, try doing the pot-in-pot method. Put 1 cup of water in instant pot bowl, put the ingredients in another bowl/pan that will fit inside the instant pot bowl, and then cook per directions.