Do you ever need to get dinner on the table quickly while making sure the whole family will eat it? This Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice is that meal. The entire thing is made in the Instant Pot so you don’t have to worry about dirtying a bunch of dishes either. With my easy tips and tricks, I’ll show you how to make the chicken broccoli rice you love all in the Instant Pot without mushy rice or overcooked, bland chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice
The Instant Pot can feel intimidating for some, but it truly can be a great kitchen tool to save you time and dishes. This quick and easy meal is made entirely in one pot.
Not only will you save time when cooking, but you’ll have less dishes, and the whole family will love it. The key to a good instant pot recipe is making sure you use the right technique and the correct measurement ratios. With a pressure cooker, it can make the difference in the overall result.
This is a true comfort food classic, all in a one-pot meal. I’ll show you step by step instructions that will help make sure the chicken isn’t over cooked and the rice is the perfect texture.
Because of how easy this is to make, it makes a great weeknight meal even your picky eaters will request each week! Who can say no to cheesy rice?
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
- avocado oil
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- salt
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- paprika
- ground black pepper
- chicken stock
- uncooked basmati rice
- fresh broccoli florets
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Substitutions and Alterations
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts for the chicken thighs. Just cut and cook them the same way. I do recommend sticking with chicken thighs for the best texture results.
- Use jasmine rice or long grain white rice instead of basmati, but be aware the rice you choose can affect the pressure cooking time
- I don’t recommend using brown rice. It needs a drastically different cooking time than the rest of the ingredients.
- I also don’t recommend quick cook or instant rice. Quick rice will turn to porridge with the given cooking time for the rest of the ingredients.
- This dish is great topped with some french-fried onions. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it.
- I list chicken stock in the ingredients, but you could also use chicken broth. Chicken stock will be richer with better flavor overall, but broth is a great substitute. I recommend making your own chicken broth. It’s so easy!
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté.
- Once hot, add the olive oil (or avocado oil) to the inner pot. Never add ingredients to the Instant Pot without the liner.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken thighs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. Mix until the chicken is fully coated in the seasoning.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot. Sear the chicken just until the outside is golden brown and gets a nice sear. It finishes cooking with the rice and broccoli.
- Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the instant pot, getting the little bits up. There is a lot of flavor in these, plus it will help prevent you from getting a burn notice when cooking.
- Add the rice and broccoli into the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Be sure all of the rice is submerged in the liquid.
- Place the lid securely on the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- QUICK RELEASE the pressure by setting the pressure valve to VENTING.
- Carefully open the lid and stir in the grated cheddar cheese.
Tips & Tricks for Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- It’s important to make sure all of the rice is submerged in the liquid before pressure cooking. Any rice that is not submerged will not cook through properly.
- This recipe uses the quick release method, not natural pressure release. Be careful when flipping the valve to release the steam as it can burn you.
- If the rice isn’t fully submerged in the stock, just use the back of a spoon to gently press it down.
- Patting the chicken dry seems like an unnecessary step, but it really helps get a good sear on the chicken.
- The chicken will not and should not be cooked completely on the sauté function. You’re just searing it to lock in the juiciness and flavor. It will finish cooking when you pressure cook it with the rest of the dish.
- Searing the chicken really makes a big difference in the overall flavor of the entire dish. This helps prevent you from having bland, boring chicken.
- When you add the chicken stock, be sure to use a flat sided wooden or silicone utensil. It’s best to scrape all of the bits off the bottom of the pot. This not only helps prevent the burn notice from happening, but those bits are also full of flavor you don’t want going to waste.
- Leave the broccoli in larger chunks. It doesn’t need a really long cooking time in the Instant Pot to begin with. By leaving the broccoli a little larger, it’ll help keep it from overcooking. The broccoli will break down when you stir it in so you’ll have smaller pieces in the overall result.
- Be careful with the salt depending on the chicken stock you use. Some of them are very salty. You may want to be conservative with your salt on the chicken if that is the case.
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Buy Now → How to Serve Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice
Serve this cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole instant pot dinner as a meal all on its own.
Sometimes I like to serve it topped with some crispy French fried onions for an extra burst of flavor.
You can also serve this comfort food classic with some Honey Butter Dinner Rolls or Southern Style Cornbread to help clean up those plates.
How to Store Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Remaining chicken and rice casserole should be allowed to cool at room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Alternatively, you can freeze leftovers. Properly stored, leftover casserole will be at its best for up to 3 months in freezer
How to Reheat Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Allow frozen leftovers to thaw overnight in the fridge for best results. You can also use the defrost setting on the microwave if you’re in a pinch for time.
Reheat leftover casserole in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave at 75-80% for 2:30-3 minutes.
You can also reheat on the stove top in a skillet or saute pan.
FAQs
Do not use instant or quick cook rice for this recipe. The cooking time will turn the instant rice into mushy porridge. You don’t want that.
While the Instant Pot can handle frozen chicken, I don’t recommend using it for this recipe.
Yes, it is perfectly safe to cook rice together with raw chicken in the Instant Pot. But I like to recommend to sear the chicken first to lock in the juiciness and flavor.
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Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ pieces & patted dry
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 10 ounces fresh broccoli florets about 4 cups
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté.
- Once hot, add the oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken thighs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. Mix until all of the chicken is fully coated in the seasoning.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot. Sear the chicken just until the outside is golden brown and gets a nice sear. It will finish cooking with the rice and broccoli.
- Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot, getting all of the little bits up. There is a lot of flavor in these, plus it will help prevent you from getting a burn notice when cooking.
- Add the rice and broccoli into the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Be sure all of the rice is submerged in the liquid.
- Place the lid securely on the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
- QUICK RELEASE the pressure by setting the pressure valve to VENTING.
- Carefully open the lid and and stir in the grated cheddar cheese.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
