This pressure cooker chicken and rice is comfort food at its finest. It reminds me of eating in my Grandma B's kitchen while watching an after-school special. It's a brothy dish, not dry, similar to a bog or congee.
Some of my most vivid memories are attached to food. And I don't think I've ever known a cook as good as my Grandma B. I remember growing up and being amazed at how good even her rice tasted. She is no longer with us, so I can't ask - but I'm pretty sure this pressure cooker
chicken and rice recipe is similar. Even if it isn't, it sure reminds me of eating in her kitchen after school. And that's just fine with me.
Few Ingredients. Few steps.
Ya gotta love a recipe that doesn't require many ingredients or complicated preparation. Every now and then, it's just nice to have something simple that still delivers delicious flavor. I mean, the toughest part of this pressure cooker chicken and rice is trying to remove the whole chicken from the pressure cooker. Then just remove the meat from the bones while the rice cooks and add it back. Anyone can do this! Anyone.
Benefits of Whole Chicken Broth
It's not just folklore, chicken soup really does have healing powers with colds and the flu. People have known this forever, but some don't know exactly what the benefits are. Well, the chicken releases an amino acid called cysteine into the soup that helps thin mucus in the lungs. Chicken broth is also a great source of protein for your muscles, which is particularly good when you are feeling weak. And while adding more ingredients before cooking the broth (like onions, carrots, ginger, etc.) will add additional benefits [see this chicken noodle soup], this particular recipe is about as simple as it gets. It really is chicken and rice, one of the comfort foods of my childhood.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice
And this is the AMAZING result...
Expert Tips
- After you cook the chicken and the pressure has released naturally, the longer you can leave the chicken in the broth, the better! Because we are quick-cooking the chicken, this will give it a little more time to become one with the broth. This is not a necessity, but I think it tastes a little better. And it's worth it if you're not pressed for time.
- Also, after you complete the entire process, do not return the lid to the pot. This rice will continue to cook and become complete mush.
FAQs
Can I substitute the rice? Yes. I've made this dish with all kinds of rice, and it works. I prefer regular long-grain white rice, but jasmine and basmati work as well.
Can I use brown rice? While you can substitute brown rice, it has a different texture and consistency that will yield a different result. But, that being said, cook the brown rice for 22 minutes at low pressure.
Isn't this soup? Well, technically, it's more of a bog. Bogs are similar to pilaf but much wetter. But not quite a soup. It almost has the consistency of congee, which is rice porridge.
Can I use store-bought broth and boneless skinless chicken breasts? The magic of this recipe is in the broth made from a whole chicken. If that doesn't sound like something you're interested in doing, you should probably not use this recipe. The results will be disappointing.
What is a controlled quick-release? Controlled quick-release is when you open the release valve halfway, then monitor it closely as the steam escapes. Oftentimes, meals with high starch content like rice or pasta may build up lots of bubbles inside the pot. If the bubbles begin to escape, simply close the valve for a few seconds and then open it halfway again. A full quick-release may spew them all over the countertop.
More Rice Recipes
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Pressure Cooker Arroz con Pollo
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Instant Pot Dirty Rice
- Instant Pot Cilantro-Lime Rice
★ Did you make this Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice? Please give it a star rating below! ★
Grandma B's Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4-6 lb. whole chicken
- 4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp. black pepper divided
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Place whole chicken in Instant Pot breast side up. Then add salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and water. Lock lid, close vent, and cook for 30 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (it will take about 30 minutes).
- Then transfer the chicken from the pot to a separate bowl. Be careful because it might fall apart, which is good!
- Using a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon, remove any pieces of chicken that may still be in the broth.
- Add lemon juice and rice to the broth, then mix well. Lock lid, close vent, and cook for 4 minutes on low pressure.
- Meanwhile - remove all the meat from the bones and tear it into medium-size pieces. Discard all the skin and bones.
- Once cook time is complete, carefully do a controlled quick-release of pressure. (If the liquid starts to come out of the vent, close it and wait 15 seconds or so, then open the vent halfway. Sometimes the rice will produce those starchy bubbles.)
- Then remove the lid and add chicken and ½ teaspoon black pepper to the pot. Mix well and serve.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- After you cook the chicken and the pressure has released naturally, the longer you can leave the chicken in the broth, the better! Because we are quick-cooking the chicken, this will give it a little more time to become one with the broth. This is not a necessity, but I think it tastes a little better. And it's worth it if you're not pressed for time.
- Also, after you complete the entire process, do not return the lid to the pot. This rice will continue to cook and become complete mush.
FAQs
Can I substitute the rice? Yes. I've made this dish with all kinds of rice, and it works. I prefer regular long-grain white rice, but jasmine and basmati work as well. Can I use brown rice? While you can substitute brown rice, it has a different texture and consistency that will yield a different result. But, that being said, cook the brown rice for 22 minutes at low pressure. Isn't this soup? Well, technically, it's more of a bog. Bogs are similar to pilaf but much wetter. But not quite a soup. It almost has the consistency of congee, which is rice porridge. Can I use store-bought broth and boneless skinless chicken breasts? The magic of this recipe is in the broth made from a whole chicken. If that doesn't sound like something you're interested in doing, you should probably not use this recipe. The results will be disappointing. What is a controlled quick-release? Controlled quick-release is when you open the release valve halfway, then monitor it closely as the steam escapes. Oftentimes, meals with high starch content like rice or pasta may build up lots of bubbles inside the pot. If the bubbles begin to escape, simply close the valve for a few seconds and then open it halfway again. A full quick-release may spew them all over the countertop.Nutrition
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Carrie
My family loved this! A great addition to my instant pot line up!
Laura
Can I use jasmine rice? Would there be different times? Thanks, Laura
Chef Gary
I haven't tried this with jasmine rice, but I think the cook time would remain the same. Please let us know if you try it?
Vickie Tessener
Made this with basmati rice...it was delicious...the ultimate comfort food...this definitely will be my go to recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Kerstin
I enjoyed it very much! Thank you.
Chef Gary
Awesome. Thanks Kerstin!
Paula
Made this last night and it is delicious! Talk about comfort food! Thank you!
Chef Gary
So glad you liked it! And yes... this is comfort food at it's BEST!
Deb Wells
I am a retired Grandma so I've been cooking many years. Simple dishes like Chicken & Rice are old favorites. I always used it when a member of the family was “under the weather”. I would not advise using the broth unstrained. Consuming the fat is not health wise. For a variation use noodles instead of rice. Eat Healthy!
Kiki
Can I use Orzo in place if the rice? Will the cook time remain the same?
Chef Gary
I think that would work great. As for the cook time... the rule-of-thumb for pasta is this: whatever the cook time says on the box, divide that in half and subtract 2. So if it says 10 minutes, you'd cook for 3 at high pressure.
Tierney
This was very enjoyable! I added some lemon zest and used jasmine rice, but otherwise did everything as written. I was afraid it would be too soupy, but it wasn't. I had intended to add carrots, onion and celery to the chicken cook, but I forgot. I thought that might add more dimension to the broth. Maybe next time. But the recipe is great as written! Thank you!
Jillian
I'm new to insta pot! When would you add the carrots- with the chicken or with the rice?
Gary White
Sorry for the late reply. With the rice.
Tiffany B.
The smallest chicken I could find was 5 lbs. Will I need to adjust cook time for that size in the 6 qt instant pot? Looking forward to making this on a dreary cold rainy day.
Gary
Sorry for the delayed response. Cook time should be the same.
Sophie
What a great recipe! Very Easy, super clean and healthy and delicious! All 4 of my family members gave it 5 stars.. and we are very hard to Please. Thank you!
Trina Kelley
This was an amazing dish! My family loved it! Will definitely make again!
Paula
I have made this recipe several times and absolutely LOVE it. The only thing I had to adjust was to half the amount of pepper. Thanks for sharing!
Sean Elgin
So easy to make - thank you! Made it once, turned out really good, used lime juice from real limes rather than lemon juice because that's all I had - worked just as well. This is a perfect dish for playing around with seasonings, as it will be in our dinner lineup for the foreseeable future.
Jillian
I'm soooooo glad you said this bc here I am with only limes wondering if they'll work!!! Thanks again!!!
Angie
I would love to make this but I only have the 3 quart Instant Pot. Does this recipe require the 6 quart model?
Gary White
Yes. Maybe you could try a Cornish hen in the 3qt?
Curt
Just made with Jasmine rice - perfect! Also added 1 oz of dried porcini mushrooms (soaked for 30 mins) and 1 mushroom bouillon cube + 1/4 stick butter to the rice before cooking rice. Added 1 cup of frozen peas with the pulled chicken. AWESOME RECIPE! I wish I could have eaten at Grandma B's!
Folks this is a keeper. Thank you for sharing Gary! Great job!
Vicki
Do you rinse your rice before cooking?
Gary White
No
Sandra Zielinski
Can you use chicken strips and use cream of chicken soup & cream of celery soup? This is what I have on hand.
Gary White
I don't think you would get the same result. Not saying it might not be good though.
Wendy
Just finished preparing this delicious dish. It was easy to make just follow the directions and wa-la your ready for a feast. I added onions, mushrooms and butter to my liking; of course, I will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Emilia
I like the design and that it's perfect tasty and easy to make medicine, even if you are unwell.
Just one small pet peeve: please consider removing the chicken butt.
Reason is that the butt has glands the bird uses to coat it's feathers so they are water resistant. This is not the most tastiest of organs... in fact, if you don't believe me, take one chicken butt, chop it into 4, stick it in a pyrex with water to make 'chicken butt soup' in the microwave and see if you really like that result. Personally I didn't, and ever since I checked on this, I have always removed the chicken butt.
(My local (ever-hungry) crows do approve of this human foible!
Tracey L Carr
Yum, Yum! This was so easy and so good! I am not a cook, and this makes me look good! This will surely be staple in our house. What comfort food!
Gary White
Well, you ARE a cook now! Glad your family liked it so much.
Chelsie eubanks
Definitely recommended!! I actually did this recipe in my 3qt mini instant pot and it worked fine. I used a 3 lb chicken and was not able to do 8 full cups of water i just made sure i covered the top of the chicken!! LOVE IT!!!
Brittney
Grandma b's recipes have been nothing short of amazing!! Thank you grandma for your amazing recipes..
Donna
This respite is great , reminds me of grandmas Chicken and rice . Great
Vickie Tessener
So Delicious...I made this for 125 people...served it with green beans and cranberry sauce....so many asked for the recipe...it was a huge hit!
Jessica S Duvall
Seems like 22 minutes cook time for brown rice is too long. Is threat correct? Thanks!
Gary White
22 minutes at high pressure is correct! Brown rice does not cook as quickly as white rice. 🙂
Shelia
Very good! Tastes like my grandma’s chicken and rice. My whole family loved it!
maria larris
I like my chicken and rice tighter or not so liquidy. Can I add more or rice or take out some of the broth?
Gary White
I have not tested it that way, but you could probably remove about a cup of water. Should work just fine!
Brook
I’m cooking for 2 adults and a 2 year old. Should I be able to cut the recipe in half so I don’t waste any?
Gary White
I would try cooking the chicken as the recipe says, then removing half of the broth and adding half of the rice. Save the broth for another use because it's delicious!
Debra
This delicious dish was easy to make and was done in 45 minutes! Hubby loved it, and demanded seconds. Thank you for sharing. Oh, I added frozen mixed veggies and I was not disappointed.
Carroll Langtry
The recipe says this serves 12. Does it freeze well?
Gary White
Unfortunately, the rice will not retain it's texture through freezing, thawing, and reheating. While it can be frozen, expect the rice to be quite mushy upon reheating.
Amy
My mom never used lemon juice. Can you taste it very much?
Gary White
No, you can't taste it at all. It just adds acidity which makes it less flat and brings out the other flavors.
Wendy
This recipe made me fall even more in love with the InstaPot. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for, and it tastes just like my grandma made it. I love it soooo much, and have made it countless times since I discovered it back in the Winter. Thank you very much for this recipe! It's cooking right now because I like to indulge out-of-season cravings.
Gary White
That makes me very happy to hear. Thank you for sharing.
LB
Thank you so much for the cook times! This is a southern staple on the stovetop and SO easy in the IP. I wasn’t so sure about 8 c. of broth to 2 c. of rice so I did 3 c. and it was perfect for us. Fed a crowd pretty fast. For anyone reading this far — only used salt and pepper for broth, didn’t have lemon so left it out and did not take time to strain. Tasted just right for us.
Lisa
So I’ve never really known what to do with whole chickens other than roast them. This is sensational. I added a little more salt at the end for personal preference. My kids love experimenting with hot sauces so this is a great recipe to serve up for that. Personally I don’t like those sauces so I served it up and everyone ate it their own way. Nice and I like the added taste of the lemon juice.
Nicole
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so good and so easy. Thank you for sharing
Bailee
This recipe is so good! For reference for anyone that may wonder like I did- I added a yellow onion, 5 stalks of celery, 3 decent sized carrots with the first step. And added 8oz of mushrooms and 2 tbsp of butter to the second. I have flu in the house and wanted some veggies in the broth. Only used 3.2 pounds of chicken. Cooked everything the same as written. It worked perfectly! Thanks for the great recipe!
Colleen Brennan
I made this last month and again today. I love it and the memories it conjures. Would this freeze well? Thanks!
Gary White
I don't like the texture of rice after it's frozen.
Vickie T
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I have been making it for over 3 years, and everyone loves it. It is the ultimate comfort food. I had to cook for a crowd of 150 people so I borrowed some of my friend's instant posts and fed the group. Served it with greens and cranberry sauce. I was asked by many for the recipe. I make it just like the recipe calls...no need to tweek...it is perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the delicious recipe with us!
Gary White
Wow, that is really impressive! Well done! Thank you for the feedback.
JLove
I never comment on recipe websites (despite using them - A LOT), but I had to make an exception for yours. I have made this recipe so many times I have it memorized. It is my 10 yo son’s favorite meal, and both my kids have highly developed palates (his second favorite is my steak tartare, while my 13 yo daughter’s is herb-crusted rack of lamb). He requests Grandma B’s chicken and rice at least once a month. Some of their friends are *very* picky eaters, so this is always my go-to recipe when they are coming over for sleepovers, as even they gobbled it up (and as a result I have shared it multiple times with parents who are frustrated over their limited dinner options). The only change I make is that instead of water, I use 8 cups of chicken broth -I feel it adds an additional depth of flavor. We like to put a generous portion of Garlic Crystal Hot Sauce in it, and it is ::chef’s kiss:: perfection. Now, my only question is: does Grandma B have a recipe for chicken and dumplings (my southern roots comfort food fave), or chicken and yellow rice (my hubby’s)?