Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, or Chicken Divan. A one pot recipe the family loves.
This easy busy weeknights dinner recipe is a favorite with simple ingredients using fresh broccoli florets making a Chicken Divan and Rice Dinner will be a family favorite recipe for years to come.
Loaded with a rich and creamy sauce and topped with cheese, what's not to like? I'm using the Pot in Pot method of high pressure cooking in this Instant Pot recipes and I'm going to share with you all the steps along with tips along the way.
The whole family loves this easy recipe, in fact it's one of my personal favorites. Let's get started!
Shopping List for Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Chicken. Chicken Breasts is preferred but Chicken thighs or chicken pieces will also work well.
Vegetables. Broccoli
Sauce. Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, Cream of Chicken Soup, Lemon Juice, Curry Powder
Topping. Ritz Crackers, Butter and Cheese
Additional. White Rice and water
How to make Chicken Divan in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
Gather all the ingredients and supplies you might need to prepare the recipe. It's a good idea to have measuring cups and measuring spoons handy. I also like to use a mixing bowl, cutting board, sharp knife and some sort of a mixing spoon for this recipe.
This is a Pot in Pot style of pressure cooking which means that the casserole will cook in a pressure cooker safe pot inside of the Instant Pot. I am using a flat bottom metal pot and a trivet.
Wash and prep broccoli by cutting small bite size florets and setting aside.
Prepare chicken. Using a sharp knife remove any excess fat and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. I prefer using boneless skinless chicken breast but you can also use boneless chicken thighs or a combination of both in this recipe.
In a separate bowl combine the ingredients for the thick and creamy sauce by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, soup, lemon juice and curry powder. Mix all together and set aside.
Heat Instant Pot on saute using saute function until front panel reads Hot. Add a little olive oil to inner pot and cubed chicken. You want to saute chicken until it's no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you wish while the chicken cooks.
Once all the chicken has sautéed and is no longer pink. Remove chicken.
Add water to bottom liner of pressure cooker and with a wooden spoon or silicone scraper make sure to remove any stuck bits from the bottom of the liner. Then add rice to water in the bottom of the pot. Use a tall trivet to place on top of rice and water.
In a large bowl combine cut up broccoli, chicken and sauce mixture and mix everything together. Pour mixture into metal pan and place pan on top of trivet in Instant Pot.
Now it's time to pressure cook for the allotted cooking time. Place Instant Pot lid on top and make sure to lock lid and close pressure valve on top. Set pressure cooker to high and cook for 12 minutes.
Once pressure cooking has completed, Quick Release (QR) pressure making sure to move Instant Pot away from cabinets and/or over head lights. Allowing the steam to fully release before removing the lid. Don't forget to press Cancel on the display panel.
In a separate small bowl combine crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter and toss together. This will be added at the end for a nice seasoned crunchy topping.
Remove the pan of Chicken Broccoli Casserole and add cheese on top then top with buttered cracker mixture. If you wish you can use an Air Fryer or oven broiler to toast the crackers for a minute or two.
Fluff rice using a fork to carefully lift the rice and separating the rice. A spoon with smash rice together. It's always best to fluff rice first with a fork before serving.
Serve casserole over cooked rice it's a delicious cheesy chicken casserole and a great way to enjoy a one-pot meal.
Pro Tips
I've added a bunch of FAQ below so make sure to take a look at those. But here are a few of my simple tips to help you
Rice. Rinse rice in water before cooking. This helps to remove the excess starch before cooking.
Fluff Rice. Use a fork to fluff and lift the individual rice. A spoon will smash and mash rice together. First fluff with a fork to separate rice.
On Pot Meal. Chicken Divan or Chicken and Broccoli Casserole is a one pot recipe where everything is cooked together at once. Starch, vegetable, protein, and cheese, all perfectly blended together.
Substitutions. Try making Cauliflower Rice or make Zucchini Noodles for a low carb option. Substitute Chicken broth for water when cooking rice for a delicious rice flavor.
While there is no need to add a side dish on your plate, following it up with a decadent chocolate dessert may be exactly what you need. This chocolate peanut butter pie is sure to have your taste buds in heaven.
What is Pot in Pot Pressure Cooking?
I am asked this question a lot. I love Pot in Pot cooking in my pressure cooker. It means to cook foods inside a separate pot inside the liner of the pressure cooker. Recipes that are best for Pot in Pot cooking would be Quiche, French Toast, Casseroles that don't require lots of liquids, etc. It's a process to cook ingredients in a separate pot away from the needed liquid to pressure a pressure cooker.
Can I use Fresh Broccoli over Frozen?
While you can use frozen broccoli to make Chicken Divan, you may find that the finished texture is not like you’d be expecting. Cooking frozen broccoli in this casserole may result in it turning out mushy. Using fresh broccoli will give a much better result.
What is Chicken Divan?
Chicken Divan is a casserole dish often served with broccoli and a Mornay sauce, but in this case, we use sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese for a similar flavor with less physical effort.
Can Chicken Divan be made ahead of time?
With this version of Chicken Divan being cooked in a pressure cooker, you may find that prepping in advance can be a little difficult. There are a few things that you can do in advance to make dinner time that much faster and more efficient. Meal prep is always helpful no matter how you look at it.
For instance, the day before you can:
- Prepare the chicken by cooking, cubing or shredding.
- Crush the Ritz crackers.
- Make the sour cream and mayonnaise mix and store it in a sealed container within your fridge.
- Chop the broccoli.
Can you Freeze Chicken Divan?
Yes! You can freeze any uneaten Chicken Divan for later. This is the perfect way to store leftovers for a future meal.
With Chicken Divan Casserole being so rich and savory, it may take less than expected to fill your stomachs. Freezing the leftovers for a future dinner will not only help you to have an easy future dinner but can also help you to avoid wasting uneaten food! It’s a Win-Win!
Family Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
If you loved this delicious Instant Pot Chicken recipe make sure to leave a comment below and check out these other easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Chicken Chile Verde
- Sweet Salad Chicken Salad
- Chicken Alfredo Taco Pasta
- White Chicken Chili
- Chicken Carbonara
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Easy Garlic Chicken Take Out
- Cashew Chicken (Personal Favorite)
Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Rice
- 2 ½ Cups Water or Chicken Broth
- 2 Cups Broccoli - Cut into small bite size pieces
- 1 ½ Lbs Chicken Breasts Cubed
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Tube Ritz Crackers
- ¼ Cup Melted Butter
Instructions
- Before beginning, take your rice and rinse it well under running water. This will remove the unnecessary starches and keep it from getting too sticky during the cooking process.
- Heat Pressure Cooker on Saute until it reaches “Hot”
- Add 1-2 Tbs Olive Oil and cubed chicken. Cook until no longer pink.
- Remove Chicken from Pressure Cooker
- Place 2 ½ cups water or chicken broth to the bottom of the pressure cook and with a wooden spoon make sure to remove any stuck bits from the bottom
- Once all bits have been lifted up, Add 2 cups of rice.
- Put your tall trivet inside the pressure cooker/Instant Pot
- In a large bowl mix together your mayo, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, lemon juice, and curry powder.
- Add chicken and small bite size broccoli pieces and mix with soup mixture
- Pour mixture into metal pan or spring form pan and place on tall trivet.
- Place the lid on your pressure cooker and set it to manual high (pressure cook) for 12 minutes.
- Quick Release (QR) Pressure. Remove pan from pressure cooker.
- Sprinkle Cheese on top of casserole (optional)
- In a separate bowl, melt butter and combine it with crushed Ritz crackers.
- Place the crackers on top of your casserole and then place it under a broiler for 1-3 minutes until nice and toasted. Or Air Fryer for 1-2 minutes.
Notes
Pro Tips
I've added a bunch of FAQ below so make sure to take a look at those. But here are a few of my simple tips to help you Rice. Rinse rice in water before cooking. This helps to remove the excess starch before cooking. Fluff Rice. Use a fork to fluff and lift the individual rice. A spoon will smash and mash rice together. First fluff with a fork to separate rice. On Pot Meal. Chicken Divan or Chicken and Broccoli Casserole is a one pot recipe where everything is cooked together at once. Starch, vegetable, protein, and cheese, all perfectly blended together. Substitutions. Try making Cauliflower Rice or make Zucchini Noodles for a low carb option. Substitute Chicken broth for water when cooking rice for a delicious rice flavor.Nutrition
Published September 2019 ~ Republished August 2022
Sigrid Howe
Made this for dinner last night for the first time. Delicious. My first time doing pot in pot. Can't believe how easy it was. will def make again.
Devour Dinner
Hi Sigrid! Thanks for an awesome review of one of my favorite recipes. So quick and easy and always delicious too
david
i ALWAYS get the burn notice if cooking rice on the bottom of the IP. i think my unit is just sensitive or something, so i don't do it. gonna cook the rice separately on the stove. so my question is... does that change the cooking time? since there is less volume in the IP, i'm thinking it may shorten the cooking time?
Devour Dinner
Hi David, I do believe that some units seem to be more sensitive but typically a burn notice happens when there is truly something burnt to the bottom and stuck. You can always cook rice on the stove if you prefer and it will not change the cooking time. You will still need to pressure cook for the time specified. It should take less time to come to pressure is the only difference.
Phyllis Johnson
I was so happy with this recipe. It was easy to follow and the results were amazing. Since its just two of us, I had some extra to freeze for later. I will definitely be making this on a regular basis.
Bernard Schroth
How about using cream of cheddar and cream of Mushroom soup instead
Devour Dinner
Hi Bernard, you can definitely try using a different soup. Let me know how it goes!
Sheila
Hi, do you use minute rice or jasmine rice
Devour Dinner
Hi Sheila, I use a White Rice or Jasmine Rice would work fine too.
Stacey Hill
Hi. I made this in my 10 quart insta pot. I’m still new to this and experimenting. Halfway through the cook time my instapot alerted me to a “food burn”.the rice had started to burn to the bottom of the pot. It wasn’t too bad, just a little brown. I’m so glad me instapot has this feature! I opened it and added 2 more cups of liquid then set it for the remainder of the time. It came out ok. Rice was very sticky. Anyone have any suggestions on how to make this in a 10 quart instapot? Thank you!
Stacey Hill
Also, I have a rice button on my instapot. I wonder if I set it on that feature if it would work with the recipe?
Devour Dinner
Hi Stacey, the "Rice" Button is a preset meaning it is preset to a specific length of time. It's best to use the Manual / Pressure Cook and manually set the time so you don't over cook foods. Especially when done in casserole form like this recipe. But you can always try it if you wish.
Devour Dinner
When making Chicken Divan you will use the Pot in Pot method where the pan is sitting on a trivet and water is placed under neath. There should not be a burn notice when cooking this way. Rice can tend to stick to the bottom of the pans. It's the nature of it sadly. Using cooking spray can help. You can also place a parchment liner in the pan if it bothers you.
david
several things. every time i put rice in the bottom of the IP (rather than rice in the pot in pot), i get a burn notice and it happened this time too. i was really nervous about doing this, and my fears came true. how can i prevent this? expecting it, i sprayed with pam beforehand. also, i forgot to brown the chicken first. will this be a big deal? lastly, do you also add a soup can of water, or just use the condensed soup can with no water?
Devour Dinner
Hi David, Typically when adding rice and water to the bottom of the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker you won't get a burn notice UNLESS something is stuck or burned on the bottom of the pan. Make sure you are starting with a clean pan if you are only making rice. I typically saute the chicken first and then I deglaze the bottom of the pot lifting up anything that might have stuck to the pan before continuing with the recipe. By sautéing the chicken first, it helps with the cooking process, so it's a needed step so the chicken doesn't clump together. I do not add additional water with the condensed soup.
cindy
it is very good but for only one person way to much glad i was able to freeze it will make again with half the of every thing
Devour Dinner
Hi Cindy, this would be way too much for 1 person. The recipe has 4 servings. Feel free to cut the recipe in half for smaller portions.