This Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice dish tastes just like the casserole. Make this recipe tonight for a comfort food meal in just half the time!
Even if your weeknights are hectic, it’s still possible to have a delicious home-cooked meal.
Traditionally, each ingredient in this dish is prepared separately before being baked in a casserole dish. Not only does this take a lot of time and energy, but it can make the kitchen unpleasantly hot.
Instead, you can have this Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice on the table in about half an hour. Plus, because everything is cooked in the same pot, you won’t have a pile of dishes to clean afterward!
If you like this Instant Pot chicken casserole recipe, Try this Gluten-Free Chicken and Rice or this Instant Pot Southwestern Chicken and Rice. You also might like this Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken breasts – You’ll want to keep the amount of chicken to 1lb. So you many end up using just 1 chicken breast!
- Broccoli – Cut into florets
- Brown rice – Don’t swap in white rice here as the cook time isn’t the same.
- Chicken stock – Adds more flavor than water when cooking the rice.
- Soy sauce – Adds a little extra flavor to the dish!
- Topping – I use crushed tortilla chips and melted butter for the topping. It adds a little crunch. You could also use breadcrumbs.
How to Cut Broccoli
To save time, you can find bagged broccoli florets in the produce section of the grocery store. Otherwise, buy a fresh broccoli bunch and cut your own as follows:
- Rinse the broccoli well and gently shake out any excess water.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem as close to the head as possible.
- Hold the broccoli head on a cutting board with the remaining stem facing up. Make downward cuts to remove the florets from the center stem.
- Slice larger florets partway through the stem and pull apart the rest of the way with your fingers so you don’t get buds everywhere.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice
Steam the broccoli first, then cook the chicken and rice at the same time. After that, mix everything together and add some crunchy topping. It’s that simple!
- Cook the broccoli florets in the Instant Pot using a steamer basket insert. Set the cook time to 0 minutes so the florets can cook as it comes to pressure, then do an immediate Quick Release. Set the broccoli aside and empty the water from the pot liner.
- Prepare the crunchy topping and set aside (this can also be done while the chicken/rice cooks!).
- Add the rice, liquids, and spices to the Instant Pot and give it a quick stir. Place the whole chicken breasts in the pot, pushing them down into the rice mixture. Cook on High for 22 minutes with a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release. Then do a Quick Release, if needed, to remove the last of the pressure.
- Next, transfer the chicken to a plate. Shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Fluff the rice in the Instant Pot before mixing in the sour cream, shredded cheese, and hot sauce. Then add the broccoli and chicken to the pot.
- Stir everything together until well combined. Spoon into bowl and top with the crushed chip topping.
Recipe Notes
- Whole chicken breasts – It’s best to leave the breasts whole so they don’t dry out. If your chicken breasts are extra thick, however, go ahead and slice them lengthwise to make sure they cook all the way through.
- Frozen chicken – Because the brown rice needs so long to cook, fresh or frozen will work just fine. Make sure not to use more than 1 pound of frozen chicken.
- Shredded cheese – Always buy fresh and shred your own. Bagged shreds have a preservative that has an unpleasant waxy texture.
- Gluten-free – To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the soy sauce for coconut aminos or gluten-free certified tamari.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! If you try this recipe please leave me a comment and star-rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 ½ cups brown rice, I like using this Sprouted Brown Rice best
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 lb chicken breast, about 2 small chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
Topping:
- crushed tortilla chips + melted butter
Instructions
- Place a steamer basket in the bottom of the instant pot. (This also works with no steamer basket.) Add 1 cup of water and place the broccoli florets in the steamer basket. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 0 minutes (select Manual or High pressure and then dial down to 0; the IP will start on it’s own and the broccoli will cook perfectly as it pressurizes). Immediately release the pressure and set the broccoli aside. Pour out the remaining water.
- Place the brown rice, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, soy sauce and chicken stock in the instant pot. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the chicken breasts (leave them whole so they won’t get dry during cooking) down in the rice/liquid mixture.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes (make sure the valve is set to sealing then select Manual and then dial up to 22).
- Meanwhile crushed the tortilla chips and mix with a tablespoon or so of melted butter for the topping.
- Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure. Remove the chicken breasts and shred into bite-sized pieces. Fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the sour cream, cheddar cheese and hot sauce. Gently stir in the chicken and broccoli.
- Serve topped with the crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published on January 24, 2018. It was updated with step-by-step instructions on June 30, 2020.
Dawn says
If I wanted to omit the chicken, what adjustment would I need to make to the liquid content? Thanks!
Erin Collins says
The rice still needs the same amount of liquid and cook time – so you can leave the chicken out and keep everything else the same!
Julia K says
Great recipe! Even my picky eater gobbled it up. Thanks for sharing.
Carrie says
Can you use jasmine or basmati rice instead of brown rice?
Erin Collins says
Unfortunately white rice won’t work here! The recipe time and amount of liquid works with brown rice only.
Mackenzie Bennion says
So goooood!!! Maybe add less cheese so it’s healthier but I cheezed it up and it’s bomb!!!!
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Steve says
Made this tonight out of the blue and my kids (6 and 11) and I loved it! Thank you
Erin Collins says
I’m glad it turned out for you! Thanks for the comment.
Carrie says
Hi! I love this recipe & so do my boys. I make it all the time. One thing I’d love to know how to do, is double it! How do you double recipes for an Instant Pot?? TIA!
Erin Collins says
Hi Carrie! You can simply double the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. I hope this helps! 🙂
Tamara Munson says
I note up top it said not to use more than one pound of frozen chicken. Is that still true if doubling the recipe as suggested above? I have chicken tenders, smaller than breasts.
Erin Collins says
As long as the chicken isn’t one big frozen block and you can spread out the tenders I think that will work fine!
Natalie says
Hi! right now i only have instant rice will that work? if so how would you adjust the cook time in the instant pot?
Thanks
Erin Collins says
Unfortunately that won’t work for this recipe! It will absorb the water too quickly and the rice will burn.
Catherine says
Easy, quick and tasty recipe! I used steam in bag brocolli and it turned out great! The rice and chicken were sizzling when I opened the instant pot.. . I excluded the tortilla topping and hot sauce. Will definitely be a staple in my home. So glad I found this light chicken, brown rice and brocolli recipe!!
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for the comment!
Sheena says
I actually use it as a pre-prepared freezer meal. I add the brown rice, seasonings, chicken broth, and chicken breast and then freeze. Then I can pull it out of the freezer and pop it right in to the instant pot. I microwave a bag of steamable broccoli florets and mix those with the cooked rice/chicken, cheddar cheese and 1 T of greek yogurt (my husband doesn’t like sour cream). We eat it all the time, it’s easy, delicious, and filling and we really love it. Thanks for the recipe!
Erin Collins says
Such a great idea to make it as a freezer meal! Thanks for leaving these instructions!
Abby says
I did the calories and if you use your measures for 4 servings, it’s only 400kcal not 653. Just thought I’d pass that long! It was SOOO yummy and easy