Chicken broccoli and rice is a complete meal deal that comes together in minutes in the Instant Pot!
Chicken and broccoli are cooked to juicy perfection along with a creamy and cheesy sauce made from broth, cheese, and milk. Add some white rice and this meal is turned into a comforting, filling, and hearty dish that the whole family will enjoy.
Easy Instant Pot Meal!
- Cook this creamy comfort entrée with ingredients that are likely already in the fridge and pantry! Perfect for those busy weeknights!
- Chicken broccoli and rice is a quick and easy main dish that satisfies even the heartiest eaters! Plus, it’s even better as leftovers as the flavors blend even more!
- Use up those leftover veggies in the fridge or freezer in this family-friendly recipe!
Ingredients and Variations
CHICKEN: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the healthy choice for this recipe because they have fewer calories than beef. Chicken thighs can be used and served in individual portions, especially for a ‘company’s coming’ main dish.
VEGETABLES: Broccoli is always a favorite with chicken, rice, and cheddar cheese! Choose firm, fresh heads of broccoli and trim away the excess stem and use in stir-fries. Mushrooms, cauliflower, or small, thinly sliced baker potatoes make this dish different every time!
RICE: Long-grain white rice is an excellent filler that quickly absorbs the flavors of the sauce. Instant brown rice or wild rice pilaf will add color to this dish. Small white beans like cannellini beans can be used for a thicker, more casserole-style dish.
SAUCE: Milk added to the cooked chicken, broccoli, and broth makes a nice, smooth sauce. For a more velvety, rich sauce use half and half or heavy cream.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli and Rice in the Instant Pot
- Saute chicken in onion in the Instant Pot.
- Add some broth and scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add remaining broth, rice, and seasonings, without stirring, and cook (as per the recipe below).
- Quickly stir in the broccoli and warmed milk.
- Seal the lid and let rest.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted and add more warmed milk, if needed.
Tips & Tricks
Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces so it cooks faster and there’s a little bit in every bite! Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to avoid getting a burn notice, plus, those little bits are super flavorful! It’s important to layer the ingredients as directed in the recipe to ensure everything cooks in the right order. If the rice seems undercooked, simply cover it and let it rest for another 5 minutes or so. Top with French-fried onions or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.
How To Serve and Store!
Since Instant Pot chicken broccoli and rice is an entire meal on its own, keep the sides simple! Offer a simple green salad, and some breadsticks or slices of garlic bread to soak up all that cheesy sauce!
Keep leftover Instant Pot chicken and broccoli rice in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop before serving. Or convert it into chicken, broccoli, and cheese soup.
More Easy Recipes!
- Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice – quick and easy
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken and Rice – loaded with flavor
- Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry – a favorite
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo delish!
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup milk warmed, more if needed
- 2 cups fresh broccoli cut into small pieces
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot onto saute. Add oil and heat until hot. Add the chicken and onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of the broth and use a spatula to scrape up all of the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Spread the chicken across the bottom of the instant pot. Add rice, broth, and seasonings, and do not stir.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer is up let the mixture naturally release for 5 minutes.
- Release any remaining pressure, open the lid and quickly stir in the broccoli and warmed milk. Close the lid and let rest an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese until well combined, adding more warmed milk if needed. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©I Don’t Have Time For That. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
REPIN this Instant Chicken Broccoli and Rice Recipe
This was delicious!! Followed the recipe, except used frozen broccoli. I cooked in the microwave for a few minutes, then cut it up in smaller pieces, this is a new family favorite!!
My family was skeptical but they ended up LOVING it!!! I used a steamer bag of broccoli, cooked half the time ahead. I had a cold rotisserie chicken so I put that in after cooking the onions and garlic. I also added extra cheddar cheese. Amazing!!
Luuuv this recipe! Thank you!
I had seasoned my chicken pieces ahead of time, not knowing exactly what I was going to make with it, just that fresh broccoli from our garden was included in the meal. I decided I wanted to do a one pot meal and found your recipe. I also sauteed the onions with sweet peppers and minced garlic. This meal turned out sooo delicious! ❤️
Any chance I could get the old version of the recipe?
Here you are Jackie. Using oil in place of butter helps with those getting a burn notice. We find the rice needs a little bit longer to cook, if you follow the directions below, I would suggest a 5-10 minute natural release.
2 Tbls Butter
1½ – 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into cubes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1⅓ Cups Long Grain Rice
1⅓ Cups Chicken Broth
½ Cup Milk
1½ Tbls Flour
1-2 Cups Fresh Broccoli cooked
1½ – 2 Cups Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
Turn Instant Pot onto saute. Add butter and heat until hot. When hot, add chicken, onion, and garlic.
Cook chicken mixture until onion starts to get translucent. Add rice, broth and seasonings. Stir well.
Whisk together milk an flour and set aside.
Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer is up perform a quick release.
Thank you!! I love the old recipe!!
Thank you for posting the old recipe !! It’s been a family favorite for years. The last couple of times I made this, it felt like the rice/liquid ratio was different and I knew the flour was missing with less milk being used before. I just couldn’t remember the old numbers in my head. I always just came here for it instead of writing it down. I’ll print this for safe keeping !
Sure you can, it should be added along with the broccoli since it just needs to heat.
You can skip the onion (although this will change the flavor slightly). Just brown the outside of the chicken, it does not need to be cooked through.
We have not tried this recipe with quinoa, let us know how it goes if you try it!
The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked, it will cook with the rice.
We haven’t tried it with quinoa but it would likely need less cooking time. Let us know how it goes!
Halved it to cook in a 3-quart pot and it came out great!
Damn! It’s looks so delicious and yummy recipe. I will definitely try this home. Thanks for sharing us.
What size Instapot are you using?
This recipe uses a 6qt Instant Pot.
I’ll be having my Mom and Step Dad over for this weekend and thought about making it. Instead of milk, would half and half work? Have you tried that instead if milk before?
Half and half will work in this recipe.
Made it for my family and yummy. Will definitely make this again.
This recipe is amazing! My children devour it and ask for seconds
A regular family favorite. I make it with 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of broth to make enough for seconds! PS, I made this recipe adapted for a Type 2 Diabetes family member using 2 cups cauliflower rice and 14 cup rice, adjusted liquids accordingly to the rice. Delicious!
We love this. I did use long grain brown rice. Added the 1/4 cup water and cooked on pressure for 22min. Perfect. The second time we made this I added mushrooms. I cut the white mushrooms in quarters and added them right after you mix the rice, broth and spices. I didn’t mix them in. Just left them on the top. They added a great earthy flavor.
The whole family loved it. Super easy and quick!
Going to try this tonight (hopefully it turns out great)???
We love this recipe!! Can it be frozen to thaw out & reheat another night?
Yes, this recipe freezes well.
My tip for doing the broccoli at the same time is to steam it in the IP as the rice is cooking. I do 1 cup rice to 1 cup broth, then put the fresh broccoli florets in a steamer basket on top. Three minutes under pressure, with about 7-8 minutes of natural release. The broccoli is tender enough to then break up and mix with the rice and cheese mixture. Of course I would not cook it this long if I was serving the broccoli alone as a veggie, but since it gets all mixed up with the rice anyway, it’s fine for it to be soft.
I make this at least once or twice a month! For some reason anytime I used your rice to water/broth ratio the instant pot goes to ‘burn’, so I started using my typical ratio of 3/4cup rice to 1 cup water/broth and that solved the problem.
This was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I can image it would taste even refiner when made with millet instead of rice. Especially when we women need to build up blood once a month, I’m always searching for more millet recipes, because it contains a lot of iron
Well I made this tonight and I tell ya it was really really good. Followed the recipe to a tee and the family LOVED IT. As soon as they bit into it all ya heard was mmmmmmmmm. Was hoping for leftovers. Not a chance. Most definitely be making this again and again. Thank You
This one of the best and easiest pressure cooker recipes I’ve tried. It will be something I make on a regular basis. Great flavor. I only wish I had prepped everything in the morning because it def would have taken very little time to prepare dinner.
This was very good—and quick, as you promise! I made it in an 8-Qt. Instant Pot, so I added a little more broth than the recipe called for. Since I have Celiac Disease, I also made the recipe gluten free by substituting 1 T. cornstarch for the flour. Worked great! Thanks!
This is one of my go to instant pot recipes now. I use almond milk instead of milk, without any issue. And I usually do 3 parts broccoli to 1 part cauliflower (or a 50/50 split). I also use brown rice; I up the broth to approximately 1 & 2/3 cups and increase the time to 10-12 minutes. Delicious!
I don’t comment on these things usually but I make this recipe once a week, its great. I double the entire recipe and quadruple the amount of garlic. Also it takes me an hour to make, most of that is dicing and prep for me. But i’m also really slow in the kitchen so take that with a grain (or up to 1 tsp) of salt.
Hi!
Is the chicken cooked all the way then in the sautee mode? Thanks!
The chicken is just browned, it will continue to cook as the rice cooks.
Absolutely amazing and easy. I have doubled it before and fed a crowd, we have even made it camping for easy clean up!!
Great, just as expected. I used medium diced raw carrots and small fresh broccoli florets. Just as recipe says and added raw veggies with milk/flour, another 1/4 C broth and pressure cooked 1 min on high than quick release. Perfect al dente veggies. I also use sharper medium cheese for more cheese flavor. Next time I will double for leftovers!
Wow. I wouldn’t change one thing about this. I used vegan cheddar shreds. Just as yummy.
This is a great basic recipe that you can modify to your taste. I can’t wait to play around more with it. Tonight I was in the mood for something really creamy and rich so I decided to modify this recipe. I substituted sour cream (about 2/3-1c.- to taste) for the milk and flour mixture, added the whole 3 cup bag of sharp cheddar cheese, and about 3 Tbs. butter. It was amazing!!
Love this. Recipe’s are simple & easy to follow. Thank you.
This was easy and delicious! I did add bacon (sauteed separately and added when I added the cheese and broccoli) as well as took the earlier suggestion of using breadcrumbs (well, I had garlic flavored Panko) and baking it for twenty minutes at 350. It’s a keeper when my s.o. goes back for seconds! Thank you for sharing!
I just want to tell you about my broccoli!!!! My hubby chopped it up a little big so a few pieces were two biters…I threw it on top without stirring right before I put on the lid and it came out perfect!!
Can wait to make this!!!!!
I have made this recipe about 5 times already and it has become one of my favorite staple recipes. I love how easy, quick, and tasty this dish is! I followed one of the suggestions someone from the reviews made and adjusted to 1 1/2 cups of rice and chicken broth, and then cooked for 3 minutes and a 10 minute natural release. Highly recommend this recipe to all instant pot owners, beginners or experts.
I made this chicken and broccoli last night for dinner and it was a HIT! I agree it took longer to prep the ingredients than to cook the food. LOL! All in time for me was ~20 minutes because I did a really good browning on the chicken. I also added the garlic after the chicken and onions were finished to avoid burning it. I am no expert either, so I did a microwave steam on the broccoli and stirred it in at the end and it was perfect. I added this recipe to my faves as I will definitely be making again!
Any idea how to make this keto friendly
The biggest is the rice and I tried it with cauliflower rice and coconut flower cake out like soup
We’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure.
I just made this today! Wow! Exceeded my expectations 🙂 Thank you for this recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Isolation 2020 – made this tonight since I have a case of the mondays (still working, but from home) and my crafting wasn’t going right today lol.
Hit the spot – used half Parmesan and half vermont cheddar. Brown rice with an 8 min pc. 🙂
I’d like to make this without the chicken. Could you/anyone give me directions or suggestions as how to go about this recipe chicken free?
You can increase the onions (or add some mushrooms if you’d like) and skip the chicken. Swap out the broth for veggie broth and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Do you have to pre cook the chicken or can you put in raw chicken? Thanks!
The chicken is lightly browned for flavor but it can be added raw.
Absolutely love this dish! Made it last night and the bf wanted it again tonight – LOL. Thank you!
Excellent recipe!! If you’re cooking in a 8qt instant pot be sure to add more broth! New family favorite. Thank you:)
Looks good!!..Just wondering if I can use some cooked leftover turkey that I have frozen..??Please give the cooking time . Thx!
I would add the turkey along with the broccoli since it just needs to be heated through.
Really good, however I did change it a bit. I added mushrooms and used shallots as my hunny doesn’t like onions. I also used Rice a Roni Broccoli and chedder rice. Then at the end I added Mozzarella and Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese. It was absolutely yummy.
I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I’ve cooked this twice & both times my instant pot turned itself off & the display read “burned”. The rice had infact burned (more like scorched) to the bottom. I’m doubling the recipe but I’m allowing for that in calculating my ingredients. Any suggestions?
After some issues with my 5 min rice time and adjusting this it turned out great! Flavor is wonderful!
I make this without using the flour as I found it doesn’t need it. Otherwise it’s great!
Overall we loved it! Couple minor adjustments, ours needed probably an extra minute in the IP or maybe a 3-4 minute natural release (rice was still a little hard). I would tone down the garlic just a hair. Definitely make the broccoli separate and add into the main dish after cooking in the IP.
But this will definitely be a weekly dinner. Great recipe!
Yummy comfort food! I put the broccoli in a foil pouch on top of the rice chicken mixture and it steams up great!
This was amazing!!! I am a very new Instant Pot gal. I’ve boiled water and prepared eggs and now feel like I passed the final exam by preparing a main dish.
Easy to follow directions and it was a BIG hit for my family!!! A total win win 😊
I did a little enhancement: because my husband loves peppers, I added about 1/2 cup peppers and about 1/4 cup celery because I like the crunch celery adds to a dish.
I appreciate you sharing the recipe.
It was good. I added some Thyme, pepper, and I steamed the broccoli florets in olive oil and kosher sea salt. I got the burn message as well. I turned it off. I had to add a sprinkle of extra chicken broth because the rice was a little underdone, but I would cook this again.
This recipe was crazy fast and easy to fix. My family said to save this and make it again soon.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner & it turned out awesome!!!!
Delicious!! Used brown rice. My daughter had 2nds and wants to take it to school for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!!
Awesome recipe we used frozen broccoli when put rice in worked very well. Broccoli came out perfect
I made this when I had friends over this past weekend. It was so simple and ALL of us loved it. From the 4 year old to the 37 year old. Thank you for a yummy crowd-pleaser.
Ashley, thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m curious: what size IP do you use for it?
Mine’s a 6qt, and I always try to make as lge a batch as I can. Leftovers rock (munchy me, hungry hubby, and ravenous 13 yr old son 😉)..and saving on meal prep energy makes this kitchen witch happy.
We use a 6qt IP for this recipe.
delicious, easy and quick!!!
i cook the broccoli separately for my non broccoli lovers!!
This is the bomb. It’ll be a staple in my house for sure. I even put the fresh broccoli in with the rice and it turned out great. Thank you for this recipe, truly. A lot of em out there produce overcooked mushy rice. This is just perfect.
Absolutely a wonderful meal. So much better than prepared frozen meals. Restaurant quality. Thank you for providing this recipe.
I can’t wait to try these cheesecake recipes! Thank you!
Hope you love the cheesecake!
I’ve been searching for a while to find a recipe that would remind me of Mom’s chicken and rice. This is REALLY close, so naturally I loved it! I cooked the broccoli in the IP first at high pressure for zero minutes. (That came out perfectly, so thanks to other commenters for that suggestion!) I substituted 1 tbsp of cornstarch for the flour because a) gluten free, and b) just personal preference. That was too much, so I think I will cut it back some more next time. Anyway this was VERY good, so thank you so much for posting
New to the Instant Pot. Love your receipes. Do you have a YouTube channel?
I used the cheese and broccoli rice mixture from knot and just used that seasoning for the broth, worked out awesome!
Do you think I could do this recipe with ground beef instead??
I don’t see why not!
Thank you for this recipe! I always have trouble getting my 3 year old to eat broccoli. I went ahead and overcooked the broccoli so that she had to eat it with her rice. My 1 year old devoured his and asked for more.
would you adjust the cooking time if you used cauliflower rice for the rice?
We’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure.
My IP said “burn” so I released the pressure and opened up, added some more water brought back up to pressure and still said burn. I released pressure added a can of cream of chicken soup and put in the oven. Oh, I also sauteed some fresh mushrooms with the onions. Does the rice burn for everyone, and they just let it burn? New to the IP cooking.
This was outstanding, to say the least! I used frozen broccoli cuts and nuked them first. For cheese, I used a blend of Wisconsin, New York & Vermont sharp cheddars. So good, and will be making it again.
This recipe is a huge hit!! I blanched the broccoli before adding it and it worked out great because my daughter gags at the thought of eating it 😂 I just get hers out of the pot and then add the broccoli for everyone else. She loves it that way. Thank you for an amazing recipe that’s easy and doesn’t cost a fortune!! I’ve made it 3 times already and they’re always asking for it!
To keep my broccoli from getting mushy, I cooked it as I would for a side dish. I put very hot water on my IP, turn on Sauté and insert my steamer basket. Then I put my cut up broccoli in, seal the lid, hit the cancel button and then hit manual (pressure cook in some models) and set for 0 minutes. At beep for done, quick release. I kept the broccoli warm in my oven while I followed the rest of the recipe. Added the broccoli at end after I added and mixed in the cheese.
I get perfect broccoli using about a cup of water, steamer basket, mid size fresh broccoli cuts, steam setting for zero minutes. Cauliflower is good at these settings too.
Delicious, hardy and easy. Will make again.
Made this with a bit extra broth and milk, and added the broccoli uncooked. Turned out almost like risotto. All 3 kids loved it. Will definitely make it again. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
I put the broccoli on top of the chicken, rice and broth so it could steam while the rest cooked for the 5 minutes. It turned out perfectly.
I put the boccoli on top of the chicken, etc before cooking for 5 mins. Worked out great.
just wanted to say THANK YOU! this has become a new favorite in our house, love how easy it is and so tasty!! 🙂
I should also add that I made this for my partner because I was headed out of town for a few days and we had been doing so well with not eating fast food, this was the perfect, easy, tasty, leftover ready dish to help us.
I accidentally did the milk and flour (actually heavy cream we were out of milk) in with the rest and it still worked once I added the cheese. Soooooo good
I made this tonight and loved it! I wish the rice was a little fluffier so I will try a slower pressure release next time but this is definitely a winner
Hello I’m excited to try this (just got my instant pot a week ago) so I’m new to the game! I would like to make this without the cheese though will that mess it up or completely ruin the dish? I have picky kids haha thank you!
You can skip the cheese if you’d like, you might need to add a bit of extra seasoning.
This was awesome. I’m super happy with the flavour and how quickly it came together. I think I’m going to add chili flakes to this next time, otherwise, it was great!
Do you add the seasoning that came with the long grain rice?
No seasoning comes with plain white rice. 🙂
Can you use minute rice?
I think it would turn out to mushy, but don’t quote me because I have never tried it.
Can I add carrots and celery and mushrooms for a little color? My roomate is allergic to broccoli.
You totally could. I would actually throw it in and cook everything together. Those veggies should hold up much better than broccoli under pressure.
Love it. I used brown rice which I presoaked for 10 minutes so that it would cook well. Also I like my broccoli al dente so I didn’t cook it at all until I added it to the hot mixture. I did finely chop it first though. Mixing it and the cheese into the hot mixture was enough to cook it to my tastes.
This was really, really good. I used boneless thighs. I also used frozen broccoli which I threw in with the chicken on onion and rice just prior to putting the lid on. I also waited 5 minutes after it was done with the pressure timer before releasing. The rice was cooked perfectly.
This was a super fast, super easy and really delicious meal. It will definitely go into our instant pot rotation.
Made this a few times. My kids and fiance like a small can of cream of mushroom or chicken or even cream of celery added to the dish. They also like a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.
Can you use frozen chicken?
Yes you can. It will just take your pot a little longer to come to pressure. No extra time is needed.
Can you freeze this meal?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The rice gets weird and kind of disintegrates when you thaw it out.
Hi! I love this recipe, and have made it three times. Question: If I want to double it so there are more leftovers, do I need to change anything about the cooking time?
No extra time is needed to double the recipe. Your pot will just take longer to come to pressure. I have not presonally doubled it because I have a small family, but other readers have. If the rice is not done to your liking, just throw the lid back on the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften up even more. 🙂
We love this recipe! For those who have doubled it, did you have to change any of the liquid proportions? And did it fit in a single instant pot?
How would you use frozen broccoli?
You could throw it in at the end and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to warm. If you try to cook it in with the chicken and the rice it will just turn to mush.
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Excellent! After reading others’ reviews, I did tweak it.
1. Tried the zero minutes and even three additional minutes on the broccoli because I didn’t want to.cook it separately – and still too crisp. So I wrapped it in foil and laid it on top and it was a bit overdone but still good. So, without the prior cooking, I’m guessing putting it in the foil would’ve yielded a good result. I could easily enjoy more broccoli in it next time.
2. I increased the rice and broth to 1 1/2 c. each as a reviewer recommended. Rice turned out perfectly!
3. RE cooking time – FYI, not all Instant Pots have a High Pressure setting. I pressed Manual and set it for 5 minutes and let it Manual Release for 5 minutes before opening and adding milk/flour mixture and finally the cheese.
4. Didn’t have any fresh garlic so substituted 1/4 t. garlic powder for the 2 cloves.
Will definitely make again! Fed hubby and me two helpings each plus a nice leftover serving for him when I’m working our local election for the whole day tomorrow. Chilled applesauce was a nice complement to this dish.
Thanks for a good recipe!
I am only a family of 2. Do you think I could freeze this and reheat?
Yes, this freezes well.
How does this recipe need to be changed if your chicken is frozen?
The time doesn’t change, your pot will just take longer to come to pressure.
With the 2 garlic cloves, do you put them in whole or chopped?
You mince them up.
can minute rice work?
Minute rice will not work well in this recipe.
I just made this tonight. OMG – it was so amazing! Can’t wait to share with my sister.
I used the preset “Rice” function, which defaults to 10 min, and mine came out perfect. Just putting it out there for anyone that said their rice wasn’t quite done. Great recipe for the kids. Toddler loved it.
This is a staple in our house we make it exactly as the recipe calls for and it turns out every time. Feeds our family of 5 hungry eaters with a little bit of left overs in hubbys lunch the next day.
Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!
I have leftover rotisserie chicken. Can I throw this in pot instead of sautéing raw chicken?
Yes you can.
There is something not quite right about this recipe. I used long grain brown rice and it wasn’t cooked even with two 5-minute sessions on high pressure. Maybe the recipe called for rice that was already cooked? I was able to salvage the meal by simmering until the rice was cooked.
You can not use brown rice with this recipe. It takes way longer to cook (about 25 minutes under pressure.)
This looks delicious! Could you use frozen chicken breasts?
Yes you can. No additional time will need to be added, your pot will just take longer to come to pressure.
Yummy recipe, thank you. Any tips for getting it not to stick on the bottom?
I usually don’t have that issue, but I’m sure you can spray the pot with nonstick cooking spray after sauteing everything. Might be worth a try!
I just made this and it turned out great! I tweaked a few things. I did basmati rice. I added almost an extra cup of broth. A little extra butter. I put in frozen chopped broccoli right before putting it on manual pressure. And I did 8 minutes. Just to be safe since other reviewers said different kinds of rice called for longer cook times. Family loved it !!
I just found your site while looking for non-time consuming InstantPot casserole recipes. This recipe is the first I have ever seen where the broccoli is uncooked. My family LOVES it!
I am new at this. So after sautéing I put the lid on and hit manual I put 5 min. Then it says and I wait for it to get to pressure and then wait the 5 min? I feel like it’s taking forever? It this correct? I also do not know how to make it high pressure ? Please help
If you are using the manual button, it is on high pressure. It can take a little while to get to pressure but it sounds like you did everything right.
I really like this recipe. Ned help: my rice was slightly crispy. I followed the recipe exactly, excepted added the broccoli in with the 5 min stream. Any insight on where I went wrong? I’ve ready every review and don’t see anyone had the same experience.
Love this dish! My rice wasn’t quite all the way cooked. I used white long grain rice. Any suggestions?
Hi Danielle! If that happens again, you can actually just put the lid back on the pot for another 5-10 minutes and it will soften up.
Wow! Seriously amazing! Surprised by all the flavors, will make again!
This is a taste and easy recipe, comes out perfectly with this recipe. I will definitely will cook it again for my family. Thanks!
Ashley,
Great recipe I made a quick dinner and it was a winner with everyone in the household. Delicious nonetheless.
I just did a different recipe last night that called for broccoli in the pasta dish. To accomplish this all in the instant pot, you do the rice and chicken recipe as you described, then make a packet of foil to put the broccoli in. Make the foil long enough to cover the brocooli twice. Place broccoli and salt in the foil, fold over the top once and pinch sides. Fold over the other end and pinch sides again. There should be some room in the packet. Once the instant pot is ready to go, place the foil packet directly on top of everything and it steaks right in there! When finished, just open the packet and mix it in! If larger or frozen, it likely needs more than 5 minutes so the 3 minutes and 10 natural release might be just right!
I tried this recipe and it turned out good despite it burned on the bottom. I don’t have a manual setting and I think I will set it on medium next time. When the dislay said “burn” I turned it off and opened it. Then reset on low.
Made this today, it is delicious!
I’m going to try this tonight with cream of chicken soup instead of flour and water. Has anyone else tried that?
Tried this tonight. Was delish! – adult approved and kid friendly 🙂 I doubled the recipe so I could have leftovers. Will definitely make again! I
My only question and this is more general about the instapot – I feel like the saute function is too hot…and whatever I cook on manual after I saute sticks to the bottom – like this time, it was the rice…it didn’t burn but it got pretty brown. Does anyone have any tips?
Maybe use low setting for the saute setting and after adding broth, scrape bottom of pot with a wooden spoon to be sure nothing is stuck. Then follow rest of recipe. Just a suggestion.
Do you find this happening a lot with rice dishes I read if you don’t rinse your rice prior to adding it you get scorching
Just a thought… it did happen to me a few times but now that I rinse it stopped. Best of luck!
My family loves this recipe. I want to know if I can make this in the instant pot using cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice?
If so, how long?
Thanks so much!
Michelle
Made this the other day and we all loved it! Even my picky toddler. Safe to say it will be in our rotation. I used long grain brown rice and unfortunately, it does take a lot longer. My brown rice quick setting on my Pressure Cooker XL is 18 mins, so I tried that and ended up cooking it even longer. I’d say 22 mins with an extra 1/4 cup of liquid would be perfect. I honestly didn’t mind the extra time as it was a winner. Thanks for the great recipe!
Looks good! Can this be made with boneless skinless chicken thighs? If so, how does it change cooking time?
Thank you!!🤗
You certainly could and it does not change cooking time.
This was great! This was the first real recipe I made in my instant pot, besides plain rice. I’ll be making it again.
This was the first recipe that I made in our Instant Pot! It was amazing! I needed an easy, super successful recipe to sell me on the Instant Pot. So many times I have gotten a new kitchen appliance only to try it once and rarely take it out again (sorry bread maker.) This one did the trick. Even if I only used it to make this recipe, my husband would insist upon it! Thank you!
Winner! My picky daughter has actually requested it be put on the dinner rotation! This may be the first time that a new recipe has won her full approval. My son and husband requested a little more seasoning so we will be tweaking a little but this was a huge win for mom tonight!
Thank you
I have found that broccoli takes 0 minutes in the instant pot, same for cauliflower. Just put it on the trivet or in a steamer basket set for 0 press manual and as soon as it comes up to pressure it is done ( water needs to be cold) QPR
Could I make this without the chicken?
You absolutely can!
Made this last night and it was yummy! I had a little extra time so I threw it in a casserole dish in the oven with some breadcrumbs just to brown it, about 20min @ 400. On your recipe it says 1tsp Garlic, I guessed that was garlic powder?
Yes! I never even realized I never I was missing the word powder! So sorry! Glad you like it!
I replaced the garlic powder with curry powder and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Made it and loved it. Kids loved it too!
I made the Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli recipe. It was delicious! I would like to suggest upping the broth and rice to 1 1/2 cups, and manual cook for 3 mins with a 10 min natural release. It would like to also rinsing the rice to get rid of some of the starch. With these modifications it might stick less to the pot, and the rice would be fluffier. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I will definitely be making it again!
I wish I would have read this before making my dish. The flavor was great but the rice wasn’t done. Live and learn for next time!
How many does this serve?
4 nice size servings.
Have you used a normal size cup or the one that came with the IP? Thanks.
I use a normal sized cup.
I buy frozen broccoli cutlets (smaller cuts then florlets). I dont cook them at all but would add then after i finish adding the cheese– put on saute add broccoli and it warms theough in secs 🙂 no cooking required and no mushinees!!
I did my broccoli florets in the microwave with the leftover chicken broth from the box and microwaved for 3 minutes after I started the chicken. Left them in there until they needed to be added then drained most of the liquid and poured them in. They were cooked all the way through and still a tad bit crunchy, just perfect!
I do the exact same thing! I like the broccoli a little crunchy still
They say you can cook broccoli perfectly in the instant pot at 0 minutes on the manual setting with a quick release. I’m going to try doing that before making the chicken and rice. Then just throw it in at the end with the other ingredients.
Yes, you can! I’ve done it twice so far. 🙂
How much water did you add?
Always use a minimum of one cup of liquid in the IP. In this case, pour 1 c of water (or broth) in the bottom of the IP. Then place the broccoli on a trivet above the liquid. You can put the broccoli in a glass or metal pot and then on the trivet.
I did not realize you could do ‘0’ time in the IP. Glad I saw this post. I thought everything had to have at least one minute.
Yes, fresh broccoli pressured cooked on Lee pressure to 0 min. Is perfect.
I have ade many,, many meals in my instant pot with broccoli in them. The best method I found for cooking broccoli that comes out soft (not at all mushy) with a slight firmness and crunch (like raw broccoli) is this: Cook the entire recipe as per your instant pot recipe, then immediately after you open the lid following whichever release method you choose, add the broccoli, stir quickly to combine, then immediately replace the instant pot lid and twist to the ‘closed’ position, or, if you have the glass ‘fryer’ lid accessory* place it on the inner pot. Let the cover pot sit for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is cooked to your preferred texture.
When you remove the lid to the instant pot immediately after the pressure release, (make sure the pressure release valve has fallen indicating it is safe to open the lid) there is still a ton of heat inside the inner pot. When you immediately stir broccoli into the freshly cooked ingredients inside and quickly cover the inner pot, the lid seals enough of the residual heat inside and even with the instant pot OFF and unplugged, is just the right amount of heat and moisture to cook fresh, raw broccoli (chopped or cut into florets) to perfection.
Frozen or thawed packaged broccoli requires much longer to cook, and therefore, would require a different cooking method. But when adding fresh chopped broccoli this method cooks the broccoli to perfection without being mushy at all.
I have tried as many methods as I can think of trying to find the best way to add broccoli to an instant pot recipe, and this is by far the best method I have found for broccoli that comes out soft but still retains a bit of the crunch we all love with fresh, raw broccoli. I have follow this method at least 1-2x per week for almost 3 years and it works every time. Just check for firmness after 3 minutes of resting with the lid on, then replace the lid if necessary until broccoli reaches your preferred firmness and texture.
*(some instant pot models come standard with the Crisper/Air Fryer/Fryer Lid accessory included, or they are readily available at most major online retailers, and are a very useful accessory to have if you use your instant pot often.)
Hope this helps next time you want to add fresh broccoli to your nstant pot recipe!
Can’t wait to try this! How would the liquid or cooking time change if I used brown rice?
Hi Rachelle! Brown rice takes longer to cook so it would need 1/4 cup more liquid per cup of rice you use.
And what about the cooking time? I would also like to try making this with brown rice.
How long did you cook with brown rice?
I used brown rice and it took 8 minutes instead of 5. Came out perfect:)
This sounds amazing and just what I want to make tonight. Yumm! I don’t see the cheese listed in ingredients — did I miss it?
No you didn’t! I went crazy and didn’t add it lol! It’s in there now. It’s 1 and 1/2 – 2 cups of mild cheddar (depending on your taste). ?