Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

This Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is a simple, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner that even kids love! Made in the pressure cooker with brown rice, chicken breast, kidney beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheddar, this is a complete one-pot meal that cooks in less than 30 minutes.

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This Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice casserole is quick, easy, and delicious! It can be made from fresh or frozen chicken breasts or thighs and is great for tacos, salads, or nachos.

Why you'll love this Instant Pot cheesy chicken & rice casserole recipe

The Instant Pot is by far the fastest and easiest way to make juicy, tender chicken. All you have to do is grab some fresh or frozen chicken breasts, throw them in the Instant Pot, wait a few minutes, and your chicken is ready! It's the perfect solution for busy weeknights.

Just for comparison, if you were going to make chicken tacos in your Crock Pot, you would have to thaw the chicken first and then wait 6-8 hours for it to cook. The Instant Pot is so much quicker and easier!

This recipe uses standard pantry ingredients that you probably already have. If not, a quick trip to the grocery store will provide everything you need. I suggest using Rotel diced tomatoes, but you can of course use any diced tomatoes you want. Most stores carry a store brand diced tomatoes with green chiles, and that is the same thing as Rotel for much less money.

This recipe is versatile. As shown in the photos below, you can serve cheesy chicken and rice as a casserole or in taco shells. You could even throw it on top of nachos or make it into a burrito bowl.

This recipe is going to delight the whole family. Everyone can eat it their own way - as a casserole, in tacos, in nachos - there are a lot of options!

This recipe is allergy-friendly and great for special diets. The recipe as written is gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. You can make it dairy-free by using dairy-free cheese. If you leave out the rice, this recipe is low carb and good for keto and bariatric diets. (See note below for more info on the low carb option.) Of course, you should always check the labels of your specific ingredients to ensure they are safe for your unique dietary needs.

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Why this is the best Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice recipe

This recipe is a nutritious one-pot meal. Most cheesy chicken and rice recipes are just chicken, rice, and cheese with no veggies, but my recipe includes kidney beans, corn, and diced tomatoes for a full meal you can feel comfortable feeding your family. There's no need to make a side dish.

This recipe is the ultimate comfort food, but it's simple to make with healthy and delicious ingredients.

This Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe can be made with fresh or frozen chicken breasts or thighs. When you pressure cook, there's no need to defrost the chicken ahead of time!

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What you'll need to make this Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe

EQUIPMENT

• Instant Pot - Obviously, you can't make Instant Pot chicken and rice without some kind of electronic pressure cooker. It doesn't have to be an Instant Pot brand, but that is what I have and what I know, so that is what I have provided instructions for. I'm sure they all work basically the same.

INGREDIENTS

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Uncooked Jasmine rice - You cannot use Minute Rice, but you could substitute with any kind of standard rice (brown, basmati, plain white rice, etc). Note that changing the type of rice will change the cook time, so if you use something other than jasmine, you will have to cook it longer. Always rinse the rice before cooking.
• Diced tomatoes with green chiles - These are often called Rotel tomatoes, but any brand will be great.
• Kidney beans - You can substitute black beans or another variety of beans if you prefer. You should drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the Instant Pot.
• Corn - I use frozen because I think it tastes better than canned, but go with your preference. There is no need to thaw the corn if using frozen.
• Low sodium chicken broth - You need liquid to cook the rice and build pressure in the Instant Pot. I prefer chicken broth over water because it gives everything a nicer flavor. You could use vegetable broth instead.
• Chili powder - If you prefer, you can use an equal amount of homemade taco seasoning or homemade fajita seasoning and leave out all these spices.
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cumin
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Boneless skinless chicken breast - It would be okay to use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat, although you would have to adjust the cooking times as noted below. Also, you can use the chicken frozen, but again you will have to adjust the cooking times as noted below.
• Shredded Cheddar cheese - You won't actually put this in the Instant Pot. It's just for putting on the casserole at the end. It is included in the nutritional information.
• Fresh cilantro - This is to garnish the finished dish. It is included in the nutritional information.
• Chopped tomatoes - You might like to garnish with these. They are not included in the nutritional information.
• Taco shells or tortillas - Optional, not included in the nutritional information.

How to make Instant Pot cheesy chicken and rice casserole

1. Place rice, tomatoes, and, corn in the Instant Pot.
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2. Pour in the beans and chicken broth and stir it up. Nestle the chicken down in the liquid mixture. Sprinkle the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt over the chicken. It's okay if it gets over the liquid, too, but try to get it on the chicken.
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3. Seal the lid of your IP and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
4. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick release the valve.
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5. Remove the chicken breast and shred. Return to the pot and mix in with the rice and beans.
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6. Transfer the casserole into a serving dish. Top with shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
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7. You can also spoon the chicken and rice mixture into taco shells or taco-sized tortillas for chicken tacos. Serve with hot sauce and lettuce.
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Is there a way to speed up the natural release?

I just bought a new Instant Pot (the new Wifi enabled one), and it has a spot on top of the lid where you can place a QuickCool tray. The QuickCool tray is a little plastic vessel that you fill with water and store in the freezer. When doing a natural release, you remove the cover from the Instant Pot lid and place the frozen QuickCool tray directly on the hot lid. The ice inside melts and cools the contents of the IP quickly, but it still releases the pressure naturally rather than a quick release.

Why do this? The longer you can let the natural release go, the better the texture of your meat and the more tender and juicy it will be. Using the QuickCool tray makes the natural release completely depressurize in about 10 minutes, so you don't have to quick release at all, and your chicken will much better than if you used to do the quick release at the end of the 10 minutes.

Is it necessary to use the QuickCool tray? No, of course not. But if you do use it, you'll be glad you did.

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Substitutions and variations

As I have noted above, you can use fresh or frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You can also use beef or pork, although the cooking times will vary depending on the protein you choose.

If you prefer a meatless dish, the rice and beans make a complete protein, so you can leave out the chicken altogether and use vegetable broth for a completely vegetarian option.

I suggest a few spices that make the chicken taste good, but you could substitute all of them for taco seasoning or fajita seasoning. If you like things spicy, you could even use cajun seasoning or jerk seasoning. (Those are all links to homemade spice blends that I keep in my pantry. Commercial ones would work, too, but the homemade blends are so good and have no preservatives - so why would you buy them?!)

I suggest using jasmine rice, but you can use long-grain or brown rice instead. If you use brown rice, you'll need to increase the cooking time to 20-25 minutes as it requires a lot longer to get tender.

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If you have chicken stock, use that instead of chicken broth for a richer flavor.

This recipe is healthy and lower in calories than most cheesy chicken and rice recipes. If you prefer a creamy texture, you can add a can of condensed cream of chicken soup or a block of cream cheese to the Instant Pot AFTER cooking. Stir it well to distribute through the casserole.

You don't have to stick to shredded cheddar! You can use shredded pepper jack, monterey jack, gouda, colby jack, or even Parmesan cheese. Or use a combination of several.

What else can you do with Instant Pot shredded chicken?

My favorite thing to do with this casserole is serve it plain with extra cheese on top. You can also use this shredded chicken to make tacos, chicken burritos, or chicken burrito bowls. You could also use it for taco salads, enchiladas, enchilada soup, or nachos. Or try one of the links for a new recipe. 🙂

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Can you make Instant Pot cheesy chicken & rice low carb?

Even though I first made this recipe with rice, nowadays I leave the rice out so that it's easier for me to have my bariatric portion. I just make 1½ cups of jasmine rice on the stove and mix it when I serve the kids' meals. It doesn't get the nice flavor that it would if it was cooked with the chicken, but it still services.

If you do leave out the rice, also leave out ½ cup of chicken broth (still put in 1 cup so that there is enough liquid for the IP to cook properly).

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Storing Instant Pot shredded chicken leftovers

Transfer leftover chicken and rice to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator up to 5 days. You can store the chicken, cheesy rice, beans, and corn all together or separately as you prefer.

To reheat, place casserole on a microwave-safe plate and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until hot.

You can also freeze this Instant Pot shredded chicken. When it's completely cooled, transfer it to a plastic freezer bag and place in the freezer. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat as instructed above.

If you froze the entire recipe, you can reheat it by pouring the thawed chicken and rice into a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil to keep it from drying out, and bake at 350ºF for an hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.

More tasty Instant Pot recipes

• Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry
• Instant Pot Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
• Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Instant Pot Chuck Roast

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