Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Updated Apr 17, 2026
Easy Instant Pot chicken and rice with sautéed vegetables, wild rice, and a creamy Greek yogurt sauce. Simple for a weeknight, holds up well the next day.
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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is soo good!
The wild rice blend and the mushrooms are what make this Instant Pot chicken and rice worth making over a standard version. The rice has more texture and a slightly nutty flavor compared to plain white rice, the mushrooms cook down into the base without being the main event, and the Greek yogurt and Parmesan stirred in at the end make everything creamy without heavy cream. It all happens in one pot.
This is the kind of chicken and rice that eats like a full meal without needing sides. The shredded chicken folds right back in, everything is already seasoned, and it reheats really well the next day. I’ll sometimes hold the parsley until I’m ready to serve if I’m making it ahead, just so it stays fresh instead of wilting into the rice.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper before searing. Getting a good sear on both sides before pressure cooking adds flavor to the whole dish. Chicken thighs work too and are a little more forgiving if they cook slightly longer.
- Wild rice blend: This is what makes the texture different from a standard chicken and rice. Wild rice holds up to the pressure cooker without going mushy, and the blend usually includes long grain brown or red rice which adds more bite. Do not substitute plain white rice without adjusting the liquid and cook time.
- Vegetables: Diced onion, celery, and baby bella mushrooms build the base. Dice the onion and celery fairly evenly, so they soften at the same rate. The mushrooms don’t need to be chopped perfectly since they cook way down. Baby bellas have more flavor than white button mushrooms, but either works.
- Aromatics: Garlic and dried oregano. Mince the garlic finely so it blends into the base. The oregano goes in with the garlic so it has a minute to bloom before the liquid is added.
- Chicken stock: Low-sodium works best here so you can control the salt yourself. Regular stock can make the final dish taste saltier than expected once everything reduces down.
- Finish: Greek yogurt, grated Parmesan, and fresh parsley get stirred in after the chicken is shredded. Use plain full-fat Greek yogurt so it doesn’t break when it hits the hot rice. Grate the Parmesan fresh if you can since pre-grated doesn’t melt as evenly. If you don’t have fresh parsley, flat-leaf is better than curly if you have a choice.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 (8 ounce) container baby bella mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the InstantPot and set to ‘Saute”. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Once the oil is shimmering, add chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the onion, celery and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the oregano and garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the rice and chicken stock and stir to combine.
- Return the seared chicken and remaining salt and pepper to the InstantPot and place the lid on top with the vent set to the ‘seal’ position. Cook at manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release remaining pressure manually. When you are able to open the lid, remove the chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir the Greek yogurt, parsley, Parmesan and shredded chicken into the contents of the InstantPot and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Pump up the veggies: After the cooking and release time are done, remove the lid and add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or stir in the veggies from half a bag of frozen peas and carrots.
- Swap the rice: Although the recipe has not been tested with another rice, brown rice or jasmine rice should work well in place of the wild rice blend. I don’t recommend par-boiled (instant) rice as it will turn mushy in the pressure cooker.
- Amp up the herbs: Add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, a few sprigs of fresh thyme (remove the sticks after cooking!), or a teaspoon of Italian seasoning in place of, or in addition to, the oregano.
- Spritz with citrus: A squeeze of lemon at the end of the cooking process will add another bright note of flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse your rice. Place your wild rice blend in a fine-mesh sieve and run it under water, swishing it with your hand until the water runs clear. This washes the starches off of the outer layer of the rice, which can cause it to stick and clump in the Instant Pot.
- Sauté carefully. Keep a close eye on your ingredients while sautéing to prevent sticking or burning.
- Make sure your Instant Pot vent is set to “seal.” If it’s not, the Instant Pot will lose steam and will never gain the pressure it needs to cook your meal. For more Instant Pot tips, read my Instant Pot Guide!
- Use natural release. It may be tempting to release the pressure earlier, but it’s important to wait the full 10 minutes before releasing the pressure. This allows the ingredients to continue cooking all of the way and helps infuse them with delicious flavor! It also has the added benefit of reducing any drops of hot liquid that could spray out of the seal.
Serving Ideas
FAQs
Yes! This recipe is great for meal prep because the leftovers are easy to reheat and taste great. Just follow the instructions in the recipe for storage and reheating.
This shouldn’t happen, but if it does, press cancel and release the pressure completely. Open the lid and stir the ingredients to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Splash in a bit more chicken broth (not enough liquid is usually the cause of the error). Proceed with cooking.
Sort of. I don’t recommend starting this recipe with chicken that is still frozen. Instead, allow frozen chicken to thaw completely in your refrigerator, then it will be fine to use in this recipe.
Comments
This was unbelievably delicious! Especially considering how easy it was! I love how it is made with ingredients I always have on hand. I will definitely be making it again, and again, and again! Thank you!
Awesome!! Aww, so glad you liked it and found it easy to make! Thank you so much, Emily!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My partner and I loved it. I have meal prepped a few more meals as well. I’m already looking forward to lunch tomorrow, lol. I added spinach and carrots, since I had some ready to use in the fridge. I was worried the rice wouldn’t be done, but it turned out perfectly cooked.
Yay, so happy you both loved it!! This is a great meal prep recipe. Thanks, Andrea!! Enjoy your lunch haha!
I wanted something healthy that didn’t include cream and butter. My husband thought it tasted like a pot pie without the crust (a compliment). I got the wild rice medley at Trader Joe’s. (I thought it looked a little gray, but I only had dried parsley. My oregano was fresh, however.)
Aww, thank you so much! Glad you and your husband both enjoyed it, Susan!
My rice was also overcooked. I did use a wild rice blend (wild, red, brown and white). Should I adjust the cooking time and/or amount of liquid?
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! Did you rinse the rice before adding it to the Instant Pot? Washing the excess starches off of the outer layer of the rice can help prevent it from sticking and clumping.
My rice was overcooked. Should I reduce the pressure release time?
Sorry to hear. Did you use a wild rice blend?