Cooler weather calls for a rich, delicious, filling, comforting dinner, and this Instant Pot chicken and rice soup totally fits the bill! Juicy chicken, tender white rice, hearty vegetables, and a light seasoning, all cooked to perfection in the pressure cooker.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s nutritious, filling, and full of delicious flavors and textures. Instant Pot chicken and rice soup comes out thick and creamy without adding any dairy at all, thanks to the starches in the rice.
- It’s super easy to make! Everything gets cooked right in the Instant Pot. I mean everything! Brown the chicken in the Instant Pot, sauté the veggies in the Instant Pot, even the rice goes into the pressure cooker uncooked and comes out perfectly tender and fluffy.
Key Ingredients
Long-Grain White Rice – I really recommend using white rice, and not brown rice or instant rice. Why does it matter? It’s all about the cook times! The cook times vary depending on the type of rice you use. Brown rice typically takes longer, which can overcook the chicken. If you use instant rice, you won’t need as long of a cook time, which may give you undercooked chicken.
Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work, too. The recipe will be a little more flavorful since thighs are a fattier cut of chicken than chicken breasts. Just be sure to cook the thighs all the way through before eating!
Vegetables – Feel free to change up the types of vegetables you use. You could also stick with the classic carrots, celery, and onion, and just increase or decrease the quantities used based on your tastes. If you decide to add something like spinach (yum) be sure to add it after the cook time so it doesn’t overcook.
Chef’s Tips
- Forget to thaw the chicken? No problem. In a pinch, you can actually use frozen chicken in your Instant Pot chicken and rice soup. Skip step 1 of the instructions below, and add the frozen chicken with the rice in step 5. You may need to add 2-3 minutes to the cook time to ensure the chicken is cooked through. After releasing the pressure, shred the chicken in the Instant Pot or take it out and chop it on a cutting board, then return it to the soup.
- A little squeeze of lemon juice can really brighten up the flavors in the soup. Totally optional, but definitely worth a try! Add it to the soup once you’ve released the pressure.
- The seasoning in this soup is very simple – salt, pepper, and some fresh herbs. Feel free to add your favorite spices and herbs to your Instant Pot chicken and rice and really make it your own!
You’ll Fall for These Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Instant Pot Cornbread
- Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Lasagna
We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- Cutting board & sharp knife
- Instant Pot
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 stalks celery sliced
- 2 carrots sliced into coins
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Trim chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add olive oil to Instant Pot and heat 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add chicken pieces, working in batches as needed, and brown all pieces on every side. Be careful not to overcrowd Instant Pot.
- Transfer browned chicken to large bowl and set aside. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic to Instant Pot. Sauté another 2 minutes, then add rosemary and thyme and sauté 1 additional minute.
- Add white rice and chicken broth to Instant Pot with vegetables. Return browned chicken pieces to pot and stir everything well.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in sealing position. Set to Manual High Pressure for 13 minutes. After cook time is up, Natural Release pressure for 10 minutes, then Quick Release any remaining pressure. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
