Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice

Comfort classic Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a quick 30 minute meal. Making this easy casserole will be the highlight of your dinner menu week. It's filled with delicious flavors and reminds me of Grandma's cooking.

A One Pot Meal is ideal for many reasons. My favorite being that all the ingredients get a change to meld together to create a depth of delicious flavor. YUM

Wild Rice cooked in Chicken Broth is bursting with flavor. Then add some fresh carrots, celery, and onions to the mix and it's simply delicious.

The chicken will be perfectly cooked while the rice cooks in one pot. This recipe is a quick and easy clean up and very little mess in the kitchen. That's a Mom Win incase you didn't notice.

This recipe is from my friend Julie from Hostess at Heart for our Fall Freaky Friday blog hop. She is a wealth of knowledge and her recipes are fantastic. I can't wait to introduce you to her and share some more of her recipes. More on Julie below.

Instant Pot Wild Rice and Chicken Ingredients

Chicken. Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs

Vegetables. Carrots, Celery, Onion

Liquid. Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Rice. Wild Rice Blend

Seasonings. Thyme, Salt, Pepper

How to make Chicken and Wild Rice Instant Pot Recipe

This recipe is so fast to throw together, it's one of those magical recipes to feed the family in no time. And with very little prep work, it's a great family dinner. So let's begin!

For this recipe you will need to dice the veggies. Chop half an onion into small pieces, wash and dice celery and rough chop carrots. I've used both baby carrots and whole peeled carrots. Both work great.

Toss veggies into the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour Wild Rice Blend on top spreading evenly over vegetables.

Add Chicken Breasts right on top of rice and season with salt, pepper, and any other seasons you enjoy. Onion or Garlic Powder is a great addition.

Pour Chicken broth right on top and close the Instant Pot Lid making sure to seal the pressure valve.

The chicken and rice will cook in the Instant Pot together for a perfect dinner casserole.

Allow for a natural pressure release before releasing remaining pressure with a quick release. Then open the lid and remove chicken to shred.

Wild Rice can be tricky to pressure cook and can quickly become overcooked. Do not let the natural pressure release go on longer than suggested.

Remove chicken and shred before putting back into Instant Pot and cooked wild rice. Stir to combine and enjoy.

Pro Tips

With any recipes there are always an abundance of tips to help you achieve the most flavorful and perfectly cooked recipe. So let me help you with some of my favorites.

Layering Ingredients:

There is a method to the madness of laying the ingredients. By placing the vegetables on the bottom it creates pockets for liquid. This helps to prevent the burn notice.

Chicken:

Using Chicken Breasts or Thighs are both great options. Make sure to remove any bones, skin and excess fat before placing in the Instant Pot. Cooked Chicken will easily shred and mixed into cooked rice.

Additional Seasoning:

Adding Thyme really adds depth of flavor to this recipe. I also really enjoy an Italian Seasoning blend, Garlic Powder or Onion Powder. And of course Salt and Pepper to season the chicken.

Rice:

Use a Wild Rice Blend with Brown, Wild, and Red rice. The colors are beautiful and the added flavors are fantastic. White rice cooks too quickly for this recipe and tends too be over cooked.

Vegetables:

Of course add more of your favorite vegetables. Peas, bell peppers, zucchini, or even broccoli florets.

Fresh vs Frozen Chicken:

I know you will ask, so let me just address your options. YES, use frozen chicken. When using frozen chicken Julie suggests adding 2 additional minutes to the cooking time.

I would agree if you are using chicken breasts as they are larger and thicker. If using chicken tenders or thighs do not adjust the time. They will cook perfectly in the allotted time.

Instant Wild Rice

I do not recommend using Instant Rice or Instant Wild Rice blends in this recipe. They cook in less time and will be mushy with this recipe.

Wild Rice to Water Ratio for Perfect Results

Personally, I like to use 1 cup wild rice to 1 ½ cup chicken broth or water for a perfect cooked texture in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker. I find typically when using the Instant Pot and other rice blends using white rice that I like 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cup broth or water. Using a little less water on softer types of rice keeps the rice blend from becoming mushy.

Variations of Wild Rice in Instant Pot

Wild Rice varieties come in Cultivated Wild Rice and Wild-Grown Wild Rice. They different on how they are grown and where in the United States they are grown and the process the rice is harvested which does account for the large difference between prices which can vary greatly.

Want more fantastic Rice Recipes?

The possibilities are endless when it comes to delicious rice recipes to use as a side dish for most any meals. Let me share a few of my favorites.

A favorite simple Lemon Rice Pilaf pairs well to grilled chicken or any fish recipes. Or try this easy way to make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot too. Another fun recipe is Garlic Mushroom Rice Pilaf a recipe I love to serve with grilled steak. Lastly give this Apple Pecan Rice Pilaf a try. It's out of this world delicious!

Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Can I help you with a tip? This recipe can EASILY be made into a Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and it's delicious.

The weather has cooled drastically in Eastern Idaho and I can't wait to make more soup recipes with fresh French Bread to dip into it.

Just add additional broth after the recipe has cooked for a wonderful fall soup recipe.

Storage and Freezing for Instant Pot Wild Rice Casserole

Feeding a family of 4-6 people is ideal with this recipe. If there are leftovers make sure to store in a sealed container and keep in refrigerator. Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Rice will stay fresh for up to a week.

Leftovers can easily be reheated in the microwave or even placed in the Air Fryer at 350 degrees for a couple minutes on an air fryer safe plate or dish.

Making Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is easy to do with leftovers. Add leftovers to a larger pot and add Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth and heat until hot.

It's an easy way to enjoy 1 recipe two different ways.

Freeze Instant Pot Wild Rice in a freezer container or ZipLoc Bag for up to 3 months.

Freaky Friday Blog Hop

Freaky Friday Blog Hop is a round up of recipes shared by fellow bloggers to introduce you to other great food bloggers and it's so much fun! Meet Julie, her recipes are all family friendly.

In the past I've made her Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf which has been a huge hit in my home, especially with my picky eater. He loves it.

One recipe I'm super excited to try is her One Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta. It looks so creamy and delicious. Or her Pizza Casserole Recipe. It looks so fun and tasty.

Julie's recipes, like mine, don't require a lot of fancy ingredients. Just great family recipes full of flavor. She has been featured in Parade Magazine, Country Living, and Buzzfeed to name a few. She’s also been named America’s Best Food Blog too!

You can bet that any recipe you choose from Hostess at Heart will be fantastic. And I love how engaged she is with her viewers making sure to leave real comments to questions and helping making sure you enjoy a fantastic recipe.

Hop on over to her site and find a recipe you are excited to make. There are so many to choose from.

What's for Dinner?

It's the question I dread hearing night after night. Do yourself a favor and make this chicken and rice recipe for your family. Choose a side dish like a green salad or even a fun fluff salad like Mandarin Orange Fluff to serve with this recipe.

This easy chicken and rice Instant Pot recipe can be made in any brand of electric pressure cooker. I have used a 6qt and can easily be cut in half and made in a 3qt if needed.

Take a look at all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Fall Edition Recipes:

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Fall Edition Recipes

1. An Affair from the Heart - Pepperoni Pizza Bread
2. Aunt Bee's Recipes -  Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
3. The Culinary Compass - Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
4. Devour Dinner - Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice
5. Family Around the Table - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Martini
6. Feast + West - Bourbon Caramel Sauce
7. Fresh April Flours - Butterfinger Poke Cake
8. Home Cooked Harvest - Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
9. Hostess at Heart - The BEST Pumpkin Pie Recipe
10. Kathryn's Kitchen Blog - Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
11. Life Currents - French Onion Bruschetta 
12. Off the Eaten Path -  Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
13. The Speckled Palate - German Pancake
14. Sue Bee Homemaker - Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
15. Take Two Tapas - Crockpot Pizza Dip
16. The Wimpy Vegetarian - Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

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4.91 from 21 votes

Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice

Easy Chicken and Rice recipe made in the Instant Pot. Wild Rice blend with celery, onion, and carrots for a perfect one pot meal.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds Chicken - Breast or Thighs
• 1 Cup Wild Rice blend
• 2 stalks Celery - Diced
• ½ Onion - Diced
• 2 Carrots - Peeled and Chopped
• 1 ½ Cups Broth - Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

• Chop ½ of a medium size onion, chop 2 stalks celery and peel and chop 2 carrots. ½ Onion, 2 stalks Celery, 2 Carrots
• Toss diced vegetables into Instant Pot
• Add 1 cup Wild Rice Blend on top of vegetables and place chicken breasts on top. 1 Cup Wild Rice blend
• Season Chicken breasts with salt, pepper, thyme. 1.5 pounds Chicken, 1 teaspoon Thyme, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper.
• Add Broth and place Lid on Instant Pot. Close and lock pressure valve. 1 ½ Cups Broth
• Set to Pressure Cook for 15 minutes allowing a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release
• Release remaining pressure and open lid
• Remove chicken and shred with forks. Chicken will easily fall apart. Stir shredded chicken into cooked wild rice
• Serve Hot

Notes

Pro Tips

Layering Ingredients. There is a method to the madness of laying the ingredients. By placing the vegetables on the bottom it creates pockets for liquid. This helps to prevent the burn notice.

Chicken. Using Chicken Breasts or Thighs are both great options. Make sure to remove any bones, skin and excess fat before placing in the Instant Pot. Cooked Chicken will easily shred and mixed into cooked rice.

Additional Seasoning. Adding Thyme really adds depth of flavor to this recipe. I also really enjoy an Italian Seasoning blend, Garlic Powder or Onion Powder. And of course Salt and Pepper to season the chicken.

Rice. Use a Wild Rice Blend with Brown, Wild, and Red rice. The colors are beautiful and the added flavors are fantastic. White rice cooks too quickly for this recipe and tends too be over cooked.

Vegetables. Of course add more of your favorite vegetables. Peas, bell peppers, zucchini, or even broccoli florets.

Fresh vs Frozen Chicken. I know you will ask, so let me just address your options. YES, use frozen chicken. When using frozen chicken Julie suggests adding 2 additional minutes to the cooking time.

I would agree if you are using chicken breasts as they are larger and thicker. If using chicken tenders or thighs do not adjust the time. They will cook perfectly in the allotted time.

Instant Wild Rice. I do not recommend using Instant Rice or Instant Wild Rice blends in this recipe. They cook in less time and will be mushy with this recipe.

 

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Nutrition Disclaimer

All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3717IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg