35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) – Kristine’s Kitchen

Electric pressure cooker recipes healthy

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is the best easy comfort food! Brown rice, chicken breasts and vegetables are cooked together in your Instant Pot in this delicious chicken and rice recipe.

When I’m not sure what to make for dinner, I often turn to my Instant Pot. This easy Instant Pot chicken and rice is one of my best Instant Pot recipes because it’s a pot meal, like my Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms and Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.

Using your Instant Pot is an easy way to make a chicken and rice casserole. Once you prepare the ingredients and put them in the pot, it’s mostly hands-free from there. While the Instant Pot cooks, you’ll be free to do anything else you need to do… Make a salad, fold a load of laundry, or just sit on the couch with your feet up!

This Instant Pot chicken and rice is comforting, family friendly and healthy. All you need to complete the meal is a green salad and possibly some crusty bread. This is an easy dinner recipe you’ll want to add to your rotation! Try all my delicious Instant Pot recipes.

Ingredients

Olive oil

: Olive oil is used to sauté vegetables

Onion and garlic: These provide a base layer of flavor to the dish.
Carrots: Carrots are the perfect vegetable to cook in the Instant Pot because they will soften without decomposing.
Brown rice: Be sure to use long-grain brown rice in this recipe. White rice cooks much faster in the instant pot and could burn with the cooking time used in this recipe.

Dijon mustard:

Dijon improves flavor, but doesn’t make the finished dish taste like mustard

Condiments: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper are used to season chicken

and rice.

Chicken broth: Broth is the liquid that allows the Instant Pot to reach pressure, and is also absorbed into the rice while cooking. I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth so you can control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts provide lean protein. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be replaced, with no change in recipe cooking time.
Frozen peas: To add more vegetables and a touch of color.

Parmesan cheese

: This dish is extra delicious served with grated Parmesan cheese.

How to Make Instant Chicken and Rice

I recommend having all your ingredients ready before you start cooking because the preparation for this recipe moves quickly once you start sautéing the vegetables. To prepare, you can chop the onion and carrots, peel the garlic and have your seasonings ready to go. Rinse the rice and set it aside to drain.

Here is an overview of the recipe steps. Find the complete printable recipe with ingredient quantities and instructions on the recipe card below. If you’re new to cooking with an instant pot, you may find my guide on how to use an instant pot useful.

Sauté the onion and carrots in the Instant Pot using the stir-fry function. Then turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the garlic.
Add brown rice, Dijon, seasonings and chicken broth. Stir well and scrape off any pieces of food that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Put the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture.
Close the lid and place the valve in the sealing position

. Pressure cook under high pressure for 20 minutes.

Let the pot release naturally for 10 minutes.
Quickly release any remaining pressure by carefully moving the valve to the ventilation position

Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board

Stir the peas in the Instant Pot. Put the lid back in the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes to heat the peas.
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir it again in the Instant Pot.

What to serve with

chicken and rice

Since this chicken and rice contains brown rice, protein, and vegetables, it can be a meal on its own. If you want to add a side dish or two, try a kale salad, fruit salad, or roasted broccoli. If you want bread with food, I recommend these easy cookies or rolls.

Storage and reheating tips

Leftover chicken and rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers in the microwave until they are steaming. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

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