Grandma B's Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot chicken and rice in teal bowl with spoon.

Grandma B's Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Shredded chicken with perfect rice in delicious broth.

Course Soup

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 440kcal

Author Gary White

Ingredients

4-6 lb. whole chicken
4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 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 water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Lock lid, close vent, and cook for 30 minutes on high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 30 minutes). Then transfer chicken from pot to a separate bowl. Be careful because it might be falling apart, which is good! Using a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon, remove any pieces of chicken that may still be in broth.
Add lemon juice and rice to 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 into medium-size pieces. Discard all the skin and bones.
Once cook time is complete, do a controlled quick-release of pressure. (If liquid starts to come out of vent, just close it and wait 15 seconds or so, then open vent halfway. Sometimes the rice will produce those starchy bubbles.) Then remove lid and add chicken and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to pot. Mix well.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

I would recommend NOT covering the rice after it's cooked. This will cause the rice to continue to cook and become mushy.

After you cook the chicken and the pressure has released naturally, the longer you can leave the chicken in the broth (uncovered!) 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.

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 works as well.

Can I use brown rice? While you can sub 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 high pressure.

Isn't this soup? Well, technically, it's more of a bog. Bogs are similar to pilaf, but much more wet. But not quite 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. Often times, 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 halfway again. A full quick-release may spew them all over the countertop.

Nutrition