Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli stands out as a quintessential one-pot meal, beloved by families for its comforting flavors and effortless preparation. This ultimate comfort food dinner can also be made with equal success in a Ninja Foodi or Crockpot Express, making it a versatile addition to any busy weeknight menu.
This Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice pressure cooker dinner recipe consistently earns rave reviews in our household. With the option to add raw or canned vegetables, you can create a complete, satisfying meal in approximately 10 minutes of active cooking time! It’s truly a quick Instant Pot recipe you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole: A Modern Twist on a Classic
For many, the mention of chicken and rice evokes nostalgic memories of childhood dinners. The classic cream of chicken soup-based casserole was a staple in countless homes. Our version captures that beloved, creamy essence while introducing fresh vegetables and completely omitting condensed soup. This lighter, yet equally flavorful and protein-packed recipe, was developed for those seeking a homemade alternative without relying on processed ingredients. Whether you own an Instant Pot, an easy Ninja Foodi, or a Crockpot Express, this recipe is perfectly adaptable for your preferred pressure cooker.
If you’re new to the world of pressure cooking, you’ve come to the right place! We offer a wealth of easy one-pot meal recipes. To get started, here are a few fundamental tips for navigating your pressure cooker with confidence:
- Make sure to bookmark our Instant Pot recipes page, as we frequently add new and exciting dishes!
- For a quick reference, print this handy Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet. It will help you understand the ideal cooking durations for various meats, vegetables, and beans in your pressure cooker.
- We highly recommend investing in a non-stick inner pot. While it’s important to understand how to deglaze your pressure cooker after sautéing, a non-stick liner significantly reduces food sticking and makes cleanup much easier.
For your reference, the model we consistently use for developing and testing all our recipes is a 6-quart Instant Pot.
This recipe is also an excellent way to utilize leftover chicken breast if you don’t have fresh on hand. Whether you choose chicken breasts or thighs, the type of chicken doesn’t significantly alter the outcome. Simply cut your chosen chicken into bite-sized pieces and quickly sauté them at the beginning of the cooking process. If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, you can conveniently skip the sautéing step entirely, saving even more time.
Using Frozen Chicken: What You Need to Know
For this specific cheesy chicken and rice dish, we advise against using frozen chicken in your Instant Pot. Frozen whole breasts require a considerably longer cooking time, which can lead to overcooked rice and other ingredients, compromising the overall texture and safety of your meal. Recipes that call for frozen chicken are typically better suited for shredded chicken applications, often served in buns or tacos. For optimal results and food safety in this recipe, always dice your chicken into small pieces before cooking.
Enhancing with Fresh Vegetables: Broccoli & Beyond
Integrating finely diced Instant Pot broccoli or green beans is a fantastic way to boost the nutritional value and add vibrant color to your dish. Beyond the vegetables, your choice of seasonings can truly elevate the flavor profile. Consider adding a touch of heat with chili powder or a dash of Sriracha for an extra kick. Feel free to customize with any seasonings you love – this recipe is incredibly versatile!
Key Ingredients for Cheesy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating this delightful one-pot meal:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs: Choose your preferred cut; thighs often impart more flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Essential for both flavor and cooking the rice. You can use half broth and half water if desired.
- Long Grain White Rice: Crucial for the right texture. Brown rice is not recommended as it requires a much longer cooking time, which can lead to overcooked chicken.
- Diced Onion: A foundational aromatic that adds depth to almost any savory dish.
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the chicken and aromatics.
- Minced Garlic: Always a welcome addition for its robust flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Basic seasonings to enhance all the ingredients.
- Cheddar Cheese: The star ingredient for that irresistible cheesy goodness.
Transforming Chicken and Rice from Bland to Brilliant
If you’ve ever found chicken and rice a bit uninspiring, the solution is simple: cheese! Incorporating a generous amount of shredded cheese is our top recommendation. A blend of white and cheddar cheeses often yields the best flavor, or for a bolder taste, try a Mexican blend with a hint of taco seasoning. The possibilities for customization are endless!
Another secret to boosting flavor is opting for chicken thighs instead of breasts. Chicken thighs are naturally more flavorful and moist, making them an excellent choice for this dish. What’s more, they are typically less expensive than chicken breasts, especially if you buy bone-in thighs and debone them yourself. This budget-friendly option delivers incredible taste without breaking the bank.
Can You Cook Raw Chicken with Rice in a Pressure Cooker?
Absolutely! While you can certainly skip the initial sautéing step, we recommend it as it adds a wonderful texture to the exterior of the chicken and helps seal in moisture. However, rest assured that an 8-minute cook time in the pressure cooker is more than sufficient to bring the chicken to a safe internal meat temperature.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its flexibility. Feel free to experiment with different seasonings, types of chicken pieces, or an array of vegetables. When selecting vegetables, ensure they are ingredients that soften quickly during the cooking process. Canned green beans, thoroughly drained, are a convenient option. This particular rendition distinguishes itself with the delightful addition of broccoli. If you prefer a meatless option, our Instant Pot cream of mushroom rice recipe offers a similarly comforting and flavorful alternative.
When it comes to vegetables, remember that the smaller you chop them, the more tender they will become. Fresh corn kernels or canned corn also make a fantastic addition. Once the main cooking cycle is complete, simply stir in your preferred vegetables, fluff the rice, and replace the lid. Allowing it to rest for about 5 minutes will ensure the vegetables warm through perfectly and the cheese melts into a gooey, irresistible blanket over the dish.
Mastering Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Cheese: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this delicious one-pot meal in your Instant Pot is incredibly straightforward:
- Sauté the Chicken and Aromatics: Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function and add olive oil. Season your bite-sized chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot along with the minced onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
- Deglaze the Pot: Turn off the sauté function. Add a small amount of chicken broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits of meat or onion stuck to the bottom. This crucial step, known as deglazing, prevents a “burn” notice and infuses more flavor into your dish.
- Layer Ingredients: Sprinkle in additional seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in the remaining chicken broth. Carefully sprinkle the uncooked long grain white rice over the liquid, gently submerging it without stirring.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and ensure the sealing valve is in the “Sealing” position. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 1 minute. This short natural release is key for perfectly tender rice.
- Add Broccoli and Cheese: After the 1-minute natural release, manually quick-release any remaining pressure. Carefully lift the lid. Add the small diced broccoli florets and shredded cheddar cheese on top of the cooked chicken and rice. Gently fluff and fold all the ingredients together to combine.
- Melt and Serve: Replace the lid on the Instant Pot and let the dish rest for another 5 minutes. This allows the cheddar cheese to melt beautifully and ensures the broccoli warms through to your desired tenderness.
A note on rice: Instant Pot brown rice requires significantly longer cooking times than white rice, so it’s not a direct substitute in this recipe as it would overcook the chicken. For an extra touch, reserve an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to sprinkle on top of each serving. Pressure cooking truly revolutionizes the way we prepare meat, delivering incredibly tender protein in a fraction of the time compared to other methods.
While we’ve certainly enjoyed making slow cooker cheesy chicken and rice in the past, that method demands an all-day commitment. Honestly, the pressure cooker version consistently yields superior results, especially when it comes to the rice. Rice, in particular, achieves its best texture when cooked quickly in the Instant Pot, preventing it from becoming overly soft or mushy, and retaining a delightful “bite” when served.
This dish is so complete and satisfying on its own that it truly doesn’t require much else. Perhaps a side of warm garlic rolls or a light side salad for a perfect pairing. With its combination of starch, vegetables, and protein, it’s a wholesome meal in one pot. From start to finish, including the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, you can expect this delicious dinner to be ready in about 20 minutes.
Storing and Reheating Your Cheesy Chicken and Rice Leftovers
To properly store any leftovers, allow the dish to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, especially with rice, you’ll often find that it can dry out in the fridge. To revive your Ninja Foodi white rice and chicken, add a splash of chicken broth or even a dash of soy sauce before heating. Reheat in 30-second intervals, stirring frequently, until thoroughly warmed.
- Reheating chicken in an air fryer works similarly; place the leftovers in an air-fryer safe dish with a tablespoon or two of liquid at the bottom to create some steam, ensuring the dish remains moist as it warms.
- Since this dish combines both starch and meat, simply add a few tablespoons of broth or water over the entire portion before reheating in the microwave. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until piping hot.
Yes, absolutely! The key is to layer your ingredients correctly. Begin by sautéing your diced chicken with a bit of olive oil until it’s no longer pink on the outside. Then, add your liquids (broth or water) and sprinkle the white rice on top. It’s crucial NOT to stir the rice into the liquid; simply gently submerge it. Set your cooking time, typically reducing it by 2 minutes compared to if you were cooking rice alone, and allow for a natural pressure release for that extra cooking time.
Chicken and rice casserole actually freezes quite well, often better than simply refrigerating it for extended periods. If you don’t anticipate eating the leftovers within a day or two, freezing is an excellent option. Allow the dish to cool completely to room temperature, then spoon it into airtight plastic containers or freezer bags. It can be safely frozen for up to a few months. When you’re ready to reheat, transfer the frozen portion to a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of broth, and heat in 30-second increments, stirring periodically, until heated through.
Cheesy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice with Broccoli
Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli is a phenomenal one-pot meal that appeals to both kids and adults. This ultimate comfort food dinner is also perfectly suited for your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker.
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Equipment
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1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 3/4 c onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 c chicken broth
- 1.5 c white rice, long grain variety
- 1 c broccoli, small fresh or frozen florets
- 1 c cheese, cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
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Set your Instant Pot to sauté and add olive oil. Add the diced chicken, garlic, and onions, cooking until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Then, turn the pot off and add a small amount of broth to scrape any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot (deglazing).
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Sprinkle in salt and pepper, then pour in the remaining broth.
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Carefully sprinkle in the uncooked long grain rice and gently submerge it into the liquid below. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, then naturally release steam for 1 minute.
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After the 1-minute natural release, release any remaining pressure. Lift the lid and place the small diced broccoli florets with shredded cheese on top. Gently fluff and fold all ingredients together.
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Replace the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. This allows the cheese to fully melt and the broccoli to warm to your liking.
Nutrition
Serving: 2oz, Calories: 518kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 884mg, Potassium: 757mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 383IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 206mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
