Name: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed; 1 small onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 cup frozen peas and carrots; 3/4 cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil

Okay, so let me just start by saying: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice is my lifeboat on those utterly bonkers mid-week nights when I accidentally buy cilantro instead of parsley (again) and, no joke, my dog thinks he’s a tornado. Honest confession—I first cooked this after a long day wrangling emails, and I forgot half the steps. But it still turned out great! It’s now my can’t-mess-this-up comfort dinner, cheering me up even when my rice is a tad too…excited, shall I say. (You’ll see what I mean.)

Why I Always Come Back To This Recipe

I make this when my brain is too fried for anything that needs more than a few button presses. Seriously, my family goes nuts for it—”Chicken and rice!” is their battle cry. (My partner fights over who gets the crispy bits, if there are any.) It’s the dinner that forgives you for using the wrong rice, or forgetting to thaw the peas, or thinking you had Chicken thighs and discovering it’s just breast (not the end of the world, I promise). And since I worked out the dreaded burn warning thing (sigh), it’s even less stressful now.

What You’ll Need—With My Habitual Substitutions

1 pound Chicken breasts (or thighs if you want extra flavor—I’ve even used rotisserie in a pinch!)
1 cup long grain white rice (basmati is my lazy-day thing, but sometimes I just use jasmine, though my uncle swears only “proper” American rice works—he’s wrong, but don’t tell him)
1 small onion, chopped (red, yellow, whatever—I’ve even used a big old leek, just for kicks)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or hey—garlic powder if that’s all you’ve got, no shame)
2 cups Chicken broth (I’ve legit used vegetable bouillon more than I care to admit)
1 cup frozen peas (you can skip or swap for corn; green beans kinda worked once, but they turned weirdly squeaky)
1/2 cup heavy cream (light cream is totally fine; I used milk once with a dot of butter and nobody noticed)
2 tablespoons olive oil (but butter is cozier—do what feels right)
1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (I am not above Italian seasoning when that’s all that’s left)
Optional: A handful shredded parmesan at the end—just because it’s fancy

Let’s Make It—And Maybe Wing It a Little

Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Pour in the olive oil, wait till it shimmers, then add the onion. Let it get soft—maybe 3-4 minutes. I usually add garlic here and jabber away at whoever’s in the kitchen, then forget I’m cooking at all. (Don’t let it burn—trust me!)
Toss in the chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme; stir until the chicken isn’t pink anymore. Honestly, it doesn’t need to cook through, just say hello to the heat.
Pour in the rice and chicken broth. Here’s the part I got wrong the first time: Don’t stir too much. Pat the rice down a bit, but if you mix everything up, sometimes you get the dreaded burn message. Pro tip from my many failures: scrape stuck bits off the bottom before adding the rice.
Pop the lid on, seal it, and set to high pressure for 8 minutes. (If you use brown rice, go for 15 minutes—just know the chicken goes a little stringy, but still tasty.)
Do a natural release for 10 minutes (I know, the waiting… ugh). Then manually release the rest—careful, it hisses like my cat when she sees the vacuum.
Open up and add the cream and peas. Stir it all together. If it looks a little soupy, patience: it thickens as it sits. This is when I generally taste it—usually needs more salt or a splash more cream. Toss in the parmesan cheese if you’re feeling posh.
Scoop it into bowls. Yell “dinner!” and try to get your family to wash their hands before eating (good luck).

A Few Notes From My (Occasionally Chaotic) Kitchen

One time, I used leftover cooked rice to “save time”—but it came out gluey. So… better to cook the rice in the pot.
If the Instant Pot says “burn,” open it, scrape the bottom, add a splash more liquid, and try again. It’s not ruined! (Learned this the hard way. More than once.)
The creaminess is best with heavy cream, but milk with a spoonful of cream cheese is a sneaky shortcut.

Variations I’ve Invented—And Some I Shouldn’t Admit

Mushrooms instead of peas for a more earthy thing (my best friend swears by this—but she also puts mushrooms on pizza, so…)
Swapped in leftover turkey after Thanksgiving—tasted way better than I expected.
Tried using wild rice once, but it never cooked through. Don’t do this unless you’re a wizard.
A dash of curry powder transforms the whole dish (although my youngest calls it “spicy risotto” and is not a fan—but hey, I love it).

What If You Don’t Have—You Know—An Instant Pot?

I mean, it’s kinda in the title, but if you only have a stovetop, use a big pot: cook everything as above, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes after adding broth and rice. Stir here and there. It’s not quite the same, but still does the trick—especially if your Instant Pot is mysteriously missing its gasket again (happens to me far too often).

How To Store (But Will You Even Get the Chance?)

Let the leftovers cool, then stash in an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for maybe three days at best, but honestly, in my house it disappears by lunch the next day. Freezes okay, if you add a splash more broth when reheating—but the rice gets a bit mushy. I actually think it tastes better the next day, but my kids say that’s just “grown-up tastebuds.”

How I Like To Serve & Eat This

We usually just pile it in bowls and call it a meal, but I’ve served it with a big green salad when my sister visits and insists we eat “something green”. Sometimes I pass lime wedges around—totally not traditional, but it does something caramel-y with the chicken flavor. Oh, and garlic bread on the side? Don’t even get me started.

Things I’ve Learned The Hard Way (Pro Tips, Kind of)

Rushing the natural release? Rice turns gummy. It’s hard but wait it out.
Don’t skimp on seasoning before it cooks; somehow, the magic happens under pressure, and bland chicken is a crime.
Overmix at the end, and it goes from creamy to glue. Stir gently.

REAL FAQs—People Actually Ask Me This!

Can I use brown rice? Sure, but like I said above, give it way more time (it’ll be more like chicken and chewy grains, which isn’t half bad!)
Can this be dairy free? Yeah, I’ve used coconut milk instead of cream—it changes the vibe, but in a good way. Just don’t tell my grandma.
I don’t have chicken broth; can I use water? Absolutely. It’s a little bland, so maybe chuck in a stock cube or some extra garlic.
Leftovers for lunchboxes—is it okay cold? I think so, but my son claims it’s only edible warm (kids, eh?).
Where did you get your Instant Pot? Amazon, like most people—I dropped a helpful link here if you want to compare models.
Can I double the recipe? Yes, just don’t fill past the max line or you’ll be cleaning starchy goo off your ceiling for ages (don’t ask how I know).

Random side note: last time I made this, I somehow managed to get rice in my shoe. Still not sure how, but dinner was delicious, so who cares?

Anyway, if you’re stuck or curious about all things Instant Pot, Serious Eats has a decent troubleshooting guide. But don’t overthink it—some nights, just making dinner is a win.