4.89 from 43 votes

This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice uses ingredients like cream of chicken soup and cheese to make a simple, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner that even kids love!

holding a fork of cheesy chicken and rice in front of an instant pot.
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    I whipped up this Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken & Rice and everybody in our family, kids included, gobbled it up! It's a one-pot meal that is perfect for busy weeknights. We loved it, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you guys today.

    Sometimes, I find a great recipe when doing our monthly Chopped Challenge - this was one of them! I had about a pound of chicken and some rice, with a whole bunch of randomness in my fridge and pantry.

    The Inspiration

    This recipe is a result of one of my favorite money and resource-saving things to do in the kitchen: Chopped Challenge week.

    bowl of cheesy chicken & rice in front of an instant pot.

    One week a month (or whenever I finish up the last of my freezer meals), I plan 3-4 meals that with nothing but the things that we have in our kitchen. Sometimes it can be a little bit of a challenge, but it's actually kind of fun!

    I've always secretly wanted to compete on Chopped, so this is my way of sort of living that dream out. 😉 Plus, this is a great way to save a little bit of money on a grocery bill & make sure you're not wasting resources in your home.

    This recipe has inspired lots of different varieties, like my Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe. It's super versatile and can be modified in so many different ways!

    Ingredients & Variations

    ingredients for cheesy chicken and rice in front of an instant pot.

    One of the great things about this Instant Pot chicken and rice casserole is that you can work with it and make it your own!

    • I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for more flavor. You could even use sliced beef or sausage as your protein!
    • While I use white rice, you could also use brown rice. If you're cooking in the Instant Pot, adjust your pressure cooking time from 8 minutes to 15 minutes for brown rice.
    • Not a fan of cream of chicken soup? No problem! Use an 8oz block of cream cheese instead.
    • If you have access to chicken stock, use it instead of chicken broth for extra flavor.
    • Don't think you have to stick to colby jack or cheddar cheese! You can use gruyere, gouda, pepper jack, or parmesan cheese instead.
    • This recipe is perfect for adding in veggies. You can add steamed broccoli, frozen peas & carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, or corn to the mixture after cooking.

    Leftover Storage

    You can store leftovers for this dish in the fridge for 3-4 days after cooking. One of the great things about the Instant Pot is that you can pop a glass lid on the inner pot and store in the refrigerator without transferring!

    You can freeze this casserole for up to 6 months and reheated easily. To freeze, wrap in an airtight container. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. Bake at 350 degrees, covered with aluminum foil, for around 60 minutes. Uncover chicken & rice for the last 10 minutes of baking.

    Love a good casserole? You'll also want to check out my Jiffy Cornbread Stuffing and Leftover Shrimp Fisherman's Pie recipes!

    How to Make Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken & Rice

    Step 1: Chop chicken and brown in butter.

    chicken browning in butter in an instant pot.

    Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting, add butter, and brown chicken. This should take around 7 minutes. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

    Step 2: Add onion and garlic.

    chicken, onion, and garlic cooking in an instant pot.

    Cook until soft, fragrant, and translucent.

    Step 3: Add rice and cook.

    rice and chicken, with onion and garlic, in an instant pot.

    For 1-2 minutes, stir rice well in butter and allow to brown slightly. Add chicken broth and scrape browned bits off of bottom of Instant Pot liner.

    Step 4: Pressure cook.

    instant pot set to 8 minutes.

    Seal the lid on your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When cook cycle is over, release the remaining pressure by turning the top valve and stir well.

    Step 5: Stir in cheese and soup.

    cheese and soup added to cooked chicken and rice in an instant pot.

    Add soup and sharp cheddar cheese to the rice mixture. Stir until blended and creamy.

    Try another chicken dish that's loaded with flavor: French Onion Chicken

    FAQs

    You can serve basically any vegetable with this dish. I usually pair it with roasted broccoli, peas, or sautéed carrots. It would also be great paired with a simple tossed salad.

    It takes around 10 minutes to sauté the chicken, aromatics, and rice. Add another 15 minutes or so for pressure cooking and maybe 5 minutes for stirring in soup and cheese. This dish should be done in around 30 minutes!

    Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken & Rice freezes very well! Make as directed, cool and transfer to an airtight freezer dish. When you're ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for around 60 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so.

    Video

    (Get this recipe card for my meal planning spreadsheets by clicking here. New to my site? Check out the full details of my meal-planning system!)

    holding a fork of cheesy chicken and rice in front of an instant pot.

    Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

    This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice uses ingredients like cream of chicken soup and cheddar cheese to make a simple, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner that even kids love!
    4.89 from 43 votes

    Affiliate links used.

    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 421 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Instructions
     

    • Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set the Instant Pot on the sauté setting and add 2 tablespoon butter; melt. Add chicken and brown for 5-8 minutes, seasoning liberally with salt and pepper.
    • Once chicken is browned, add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, until fragrant.
    • Add rice and stir until coated in butter. Cook rice for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to turn golden and smell fragrant. Add chicken broth and scrape browned bits from bottom of Instant Pot liner.
    • Seal lid onto the Instant Pot and set for manual cooking, high pressure, for 8 minutes. Once cook cycle is over, quick release the remaining pressure.
    • Once cook cycle is over and lid is released, stir in cream of chicken soup and cheese until melted and creamy.

    Notes

      • I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for more flavor. You could even use sliced beef or sausage as your protein.
      • While I use white rice, you could also use brown rice. If you're cooking in the Instant Pot, simply adjust your pressure cooking time from 8 minutes to 15 minutes for brown rice.
      • Not a fan of cream of chicken soup? No problem! Use an 8oz block of cream cheese instead.
      • If you have access to chicken stock, use it instead of chicken broth for extra flavor.
      • Don't think you have to stick to just cheddar cheese! You can use gruyere, gouda, colby jack, pepper jack, or parmesan cheese instead.
      • This recipe is perfect for adding in veggies. You can add steamed broccoli, frozen peas & carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, or corn to the mixture after cooking.
      • This dish freezes very well! Make as directed, cool and transfer to an airtight freezer dish. When you're ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for around 60 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so.

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 24gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1107mgPotassium: 348mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 460IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 232mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Rate it in the comments below!

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    3 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Loved it. We don't use cream of chicken (gluten), so we added the cream cheese and sour cream. And we added onion powder, garlic salt, and a little more salt at the end. It was really good. A favorite for my 3 year old now.

    2. Matthew Phillips says:

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely STELLAR!!! My family loves it!! I use the 3X amount but instead of using 6 cups of rice, I only add 4, because I put a bag of mixed vegetables in it, and only 5.5 cups chicken broth because I add a large can of cream of mushroom soup to the mix. I think I may even try using beef tips instead of chicken one time and see how that comes out!! 😋

    3. Jenn Ramirez says:

      4 stars
      Rice did not turn out quite cooked enough; will definitely pressure cook for maybe 11 or 12 minutes instead of 8 next time. Replaced the cream of chicken with cream of mushroom, which was delicious! Also topped with a little Sriracha chili sauce for an added kick!