Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole is a delicious weeknight meal that takes only minutes to pull together. Eat straight out of the pot or add your favourite toppings for a crunchy and creamy texture.

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Casseroles weren’t popular when I was growing up but I can’ definitely see their appeal now. They are satisfying, savoury, cozy, delicious!

Many casserole recipes call for a can of cream of something soup and I don’t like using condensed soups in my cooking. So, I use cream cheese instead. I find that cream cheese adds a wonderful creaminess and richness to casseroles.

Making Chicken and Rice Casserole with the help of Instant Pot is a no-brainer. You don’t need to pre-cook the rice. You don’t need to preheat the oven.

Everything is cooked together in a matter of minutes. You then have a chance to eat it straight out of the pot or transfer to a casserole dish, add your favourite crunchy topping and broil for a few minutes.

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Exact quantities are in the actual recipe card at the bottom. If you’d like to skip the tips and suggestions then scroll to the bottom of the post or click Jump to Recipe.

Olive oil

Onion

Chicken thighs

Vermouth (optional, for deglazing)

Seasonings (I use: garlic salt, onion powder, dried parsley)

Cream cheese

Basmati rice

Chicken broth

Cheddar cheese

Broccoli

How to make Creamy Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot

Instant Pot, as always, makes this dish really easy and convenient to make.

Sauté onions and diced chicken thighs in Instant Pot. This step is actually optional and can be omitted if desired. Layer the rest of the ingredients on top, except for the cheese and broccoli. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes, add 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Add a cup of grated cheddar cheese, fresh chopped broccoli, mix, and let stand for 5 minutes.

At this point you can eat Cheesy and Creamy Chicken and Rice right out of Instant Pot. Or, you can transfer the food to a casserole pan, cover with your favourite casserole topping and broil for a few minutes.

Casserole topping options

Crispy onions. Shredded mozzarella mixed with crispy onions. That’s what I used in this particular video. Crushed cornflakes (unsweetened) with parmesan cheese. I also really like the topping I use in Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta.

Ingredients and variations for the recipe

Chicken I use chicken thighs almost exclusively whenever I cook with chicken as I find they are more flavourful. You can use chicken breast also.

Vermouth I love using vermouth for deglazing. It has a wonderful savoury flavour. It’s also easier to store than regular wine as it doesn’t go bad after opening for a very long time. You can use regular white wine, chicken broth, or even just water. If you are omitting the step of sautéing the onions and chicken, then you do not even need to use anything for deglazing.

Seasonings I went with just very basic garlic, onion, and parsley flavours. Feel free to use your favourite seasonings: italian seasoning would work great here or herbs de provance. Feel free to adjust to your taste.



Cream cheese As I mentioned earlier, I like using cream cheese in place of cans of condensed soup. For even creamier chicken and rice, feel free to add more cream cheese. Also, you could add a bit of cream after everything is cooked and before you add cheese.

Chicken broth I use Better Than Bouillon whenever any recipe calls for broth. You can use either Chicken or Vegetable flavour for this recipe.



Cheddar I used a relatively standard cheddar cheese for the recipe. You can use your favourite melty cheese. Different kinds of cheese will add different and unique flavour to the recipe.

Broccoli You can add more or use less broccoli than the recipe calls for. Broccoli isn’t really cooked and it’s only just a little bit softened during 5 minutes of letting everything sit together. If you prefer softer broccoli in the Chicken and Rice Casserole, I’d suggest steaming it for a few minutes before adding to the recipe.



If you like creamy chicken dishes but prefer something without rice, then try my Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa. Or, alternatively, for a less creamy Chicken and Rice combination, try my Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe made with parboiled rice, it has a totally different texture and flavour. Both of those recipes are from my new website dedicated to Instant Pot Recipes Only, called Instantlicious.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

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