• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Instant Pot Eats
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • 100 Best Instant Pot Recipes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Instant Pot Fish & Seafood Recipes
    • Soups
    • Stews & Braises
    • Rice
    • Pasta
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Roundups
    • Duo Crisp + Air Fryer
    • 5-Ingredients
  • Instant Pot Basics
    • Instant Pot For Beginners Hub
    • What Is Instant Pot?
    • How To Use The Instant Pot
    • The First 10 Meals
    • Instant Pot Accessories
    • Instant Pot Water Test
    • Instant Pot Cookbooks
    • Instant Pot 101 Series
  • By Diet
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
    • Gluten-Free
    • Paleo
    • Keto
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Our Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Instant Pot Basics
  • By Diet
  • About Us
×
Home » Instant Pot Recipes » Chicken

Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Published: Feb 4, 2021 · Modified: Jan 10, 2024 by Irena Macri · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

1587 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

Comforting, a little creamy and full of flavor, this Instant Pot chicken broccoli and rice casserole dish will be a hit with the whole family. With detailed instructions and step-by-step photos (at the bottom), this beginner-friendly recipe is perfect for a hearty and nutritious dinner. Leave a rating or comment at the bottom of this post if you’ve made this recipe or have any questions!


Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole
JUMP TO
  1. Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
  2. Recipe Tips
  3. How To Make Chicken Broccoli Rice In Instant Pot
  4. Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

This delicious chicken broccoli and rice is a casserole-like, one-pot comfort meal that is easy to make in the Instant Pot. It requires simple, wholesome ingredients (no canned soup in sight!) and is beginner-friendly for those of you new to pressure cooking or kitchen in general.

Recipe Tips

Before we get into the recipe, here are some tips for achieving the best results with this pressure cooker chicken broccoli and rice dish. There are two stages to this recipe: cooking and finishing the dish. Here are the key ingredients you need.

Chicken Broccoli & Rice Ingredients for Instant Pot
  • Rice: Do not use parboiled or fast-cooking rice as it will overcook and get too mushy. Because we are cooking chicken and rice at the same time, we need those 5 minutes under high pressure. Long-grain or medium-grain white rice is best here. Brown rice requires much longer under pressure but it could still work; you could also try quick-cooking brown rice.
  • Chicken: You can use dark or white meat, make sure it's skinless and boneless to work with the timings in this recipe. We used diced chicken breast. It's important to keep the pieces small so they can cook well in those 5 minutes under pressure, so don't add whole chicken breasts or chicken thighs, make sure to cut them up.
  • Stock: Good quality chicken stock will infuse that rice with lots of flavor. If you want to cook with more bone broth for health benefits, this is a good opportunity to do so.
Finishing ingredients for cheesy chicken rice casserole in Instant Pot

You will notice that we didn't add broccoli to the cooking stage of the recipe because it would overcook and get too soft. Instead, we steamed it in boiling hot water while the chicken and rice were cooking in the Instant Pot. Broccoli and cheese are added right at the end.

PS. If you want to keep this dish dairy-free, you can omit the cheese from the recipe.

How To Make Chicken Broccoli Rice In Instant Pot

Here are step-by-step instructions for making this chicken broccoli and rice recipe in the Instant Pot. We made it in the Instant Pot Duo Classic & Nova 6-quart pressure cooker.

  • Step 1. Prepare all ingredients for the cooking stage. 
  • Step 2. Turn the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. It should say Normal on the display (this indicates the heat level). Once the inner pot starts heating up, add the olive oil and butter, followed by onions, carrots and celery cubes. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly translucent.
  • Add the garlic and chicken pieces and cook for another minute or two, stirring a few times until the chicken colour has changed from raw pink to pale white (so it’s slightly cooked). 
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice - Step 1
  • Step 3. Rinse the rice a few times and strain. Add to the pot with the chicken stock and sprinkle with pepper. Stir through well, scraping all the bits from the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel to stop the Sauteing process. Secure and lock the lid.
  • Step 4. Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing on Duo Classic. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 5 minutes on HIGH pressure. After a few beeps/seconds, the ON sign will come on indicating the pot is heating up and the pressure is building; pressurizing will take about 7 minutes and then the 5-minute timer will begin.
  • Once the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes. Then use the quick release method to let off the remaining pressure (press the steam knob down or point to Venting on older models).
How to cook chicken broccoli and rice in the Instant Pot steps 2
  • Step 5. While the rice is cooking, boil a few cups of water. Place broccoli florets in a pot, cover with boiling water and pop a lid on top. Let them sit under the lid in boiling water to steam until the rice is ready. 
  • Step 6. Remove the Instant Pot lid. Most of the liquid should be absorbed into the rice but you should still have a little bit left. Add pre-cooked broccoli (most of it) to the pot.
Making pressure cooker chicken broccoli and rice casserole Steps 3
  • Step 7. Add Parmesan cheese and lemon juice and stir through. The consistency should be a little creamy. Taste for salt and pepper.
  • Optional: Sprinkle ½ cup of yellow Cheddar or another grated cheese on top, cover with a lid (not the Instant Pot lid but just a regular lid) and let it sit for a minute for the cheese to melt in. This would give it a little contrast of color and that extra comforting, cheesy feel. That's what we did in the pics below. Serve with fresh parsley and a few florets of broccoli on top.
Finishing chicken rice casserole in Instant Pot with broccoli and cheese - Step 4
Chicken Broccoli & Rice In The Instant Pot

You might like more recipes from our Instant Pot For Beginners series: 

  • Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Step-By-Step)
  • Instant Pot Chicken Breasts & Gravy (Step-By-Step)
  • Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup In The Instant Pot (Step-By-Step)
  • How To Cook Rice In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Rate This Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Learn how to make a nutritious and hearty Instant Pot chicken broccoli and rice casserole dish with our beginner-friendly, step-by-step recipe. This pressure cooker one-pot meal is comforting and easy to make with simple ingredients that the whole family will love.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time27 minutes mins
Total Time42 minutes mins
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 742kcal

Ingredients

COOKING STAGE: 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 1 large carrot diced into small cubes
  • 1 celery rib diced into small cubes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1.5 lb. chicken breast about 2 large breasts, diced into small bite-sized cubes (1-2cm each)
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1.5 cups rice Basmati or long-grain rice, uncooked (rinsed 2-3 times under cold water)

FINISHING:

  • 3-4 cups broccoli florets cut the larger ones in halves
  • Boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese or any other regular hard cheese on hand, grated
  • Optional: grated yellow cheese or yellow Cheddar
  • Fresh parsley chopped finely (for garnish)

Instructions

  • Prep. Prepare all ingredients for the cooking stage. 
  • Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. It should say Normal on the display (this indicates the heat level). Once the inner pot starts heating up, add the olive oil and butter, followed by onions, carrots and celery cubes. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly translucent.  
  • Add the garlic and chicken pieces and cook for another minute or so, stirring a few times until the chicken colour has changed from raw pink to pale white (so it’s slightly cooked). Pour in the chicken stock and stir through, scraping all the bits from the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel to stop the Sauteing process.
  • Add other ingredients. Rinse the rice a few times and strain. Add to the pot with the chicken stock and sprinkle with pepper. Stir through well. 
  • Set & cook. Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing on Duo Classic. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 5 minutes on HIGH pressure.
    After a few beeps/seconds, the ON sign will come on indicating the pot is heating up and the pressure is building; pressurizing will take about 7 minutes and then the 5-minute timer will begin.
  • Once the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes. Then use the quick release method to let off the remaining pressure (press the steam knob down or point to Venting on older models).
  • Cook broccoli. While the rice is cooking, boil a few cups of water. Place broccoli florets in a pot, cover with boiling water and pop a lid on top. Let them sit under the lid in boiling water to steam until the rice is ready. 
  • Finish the dish. Remove the Instant Pot lid. Most of the liquid should be absorbed into the rice but you should still have a little bit left. Add Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and pre-steamed broccoli to the rice and stir through (reserve a few broccoli florets to place on top for styling the bowls). The consistency should be a little creamy. Taste for salt and pepper. 
  • Optional: you could also sprinkle some yellow Cheddar or another grated cheese on top. Cover with a lid (not the Instant Pot lid but just a regular lid) and let it sit for a minute for the cheese to melt in. This would give it a little contrast of color and that extra comforting, cheesy feel. 
  • Serve with fresh parsley and a few florets of broccoli on top. 

Notes

Saute: 5 minutes | Pressurizing: 7 minutes | Cooking at pressure: 5 minutes | Release: 10 minutes NPR + quick release | Total cooking time: 27 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1332mg | Potassium: 1343mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3801IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 307mg | Iron: 2mg
CourseMain
CuisineAmerican
KeywordBroccoli, Casserole, Chicken, Dinner, Instant Pot, Main, one-pot, Pressure Cooker, rice
Made this recipe?Mention @instantpoteats or tag #instantpoteats!

MORE COMFORT MEALS WITH THE INSTANT POT

  • Instant Pot Salisbury Steak Meatballs With Mushroom Gravy (with Video)
  • Instant Pot Greek Chicken Lemon Soup Avgolemono (with VIDEO)
  • Instant Pot Cabbage With Creamy Cheesy Garlic Sauce (with Video)
  • The BEST Instant Pot Vegetable Stew (with VIDEO)

More Chicken

  • sticky pulled pork with potato, green peas and sweet corns
    Do Instapots Make Meat Tender? (Plus 5 Succulent Recipes)
  • air fryer boneless chicken thighs
    Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
  • Doritos Chicken Casserole
    Doritos Chicken Casserole
  • Jerk chicken pasta recipe (rasta pasta) feature
    Jerk Chicken Pasta
1587 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherri

    December 20, 2023 at 3:55 pm

    How would you do this recipe with brown rice?

    Reply
    • Instant Pot Eats

      January 4, 2024 at 12:07 am

      Hi Sherri, the brown rice needs about 20-22 minutes at HIGH pressure to cook, so you can do all the same steps but set the time differently. About 20 minutes for more al dente rice and 22 minutes for slightly softer. Leave the pot to release the pressure naturally for about 10-15 minutes after cooking. I would also add 1/4 cup more liquid during the cooking stage.

      Then follow with adding cheese and broccoli. The only difference will be that the carrots and celery will be much more cooked but it won't affect the final dish too much.

      Reply
  2. Elissa Sherman

    July 27, 2023 at 7:50 pm

    Made it today. Very good! Because of the heat outside, I didn't want to use the oven, and was a great alternative! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Sean

    December 8, 2022 at 3:02 am

    Excellent. Packed with flavor that the lemon juice and Parmesan takes to a new level. Didn’t need any extra seasoning or anything.

    Reply
    • Ann Fabrizio

      December 13, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      Thanks Sean!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About Us

We are a team of food enthusiasts, chefs and cookbook authors. On this blog we share a variety of Instant Pot recipes catered to different diets, budgets and needs, as well as roundups of our favourite dishes and ideas from around the web. You can find our Instant Pot 101 series here, which are useful for anyone mastering their new pressure cooker.


Popular Articles

  • 33 Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes
  • display instant pot
    Understanding Instant Pot Settings And Instructions
  • How to use the Instant Pot for beginners
    How To Use The Instant Pot For Beginners
  • Instant Pot Chicken Souvlaki Rice
    Instant Pot Chicken Souvlaki Rice

Our Recipe E-Book

Fan Favorites Recipes eBook

GET OUR FREE 25-RECIPE EBOOK

Newest Articles

  • Side Dishes For Fried Fish
    17 Side Dishes For Fried Fish
  • 6 featured images from 27 Best Side Dishes for Pork Chops
    27 Best Side Dishes for Pork Chops
  • Side Dishes for Chili
    19 Side Dishes for Chili
  • This Cruxgg 6 qt
    CRUXGG Air Fryer Review: Style Meets Substance in the Kitchen

Footer

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

2024 © INSTANT POT EATS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required