Last Updated on November 12, 2021 by Chenée Lewis
This easy instant pot chicken and rice soup is perfect for chilly days! So easy and quick, with fresh veggies and a splash of lemon, this really is the best instant pot chicken and white rice soup! For more Instant Pot recipes, try my Pressure Cooker Ham Braised in Beer, my Instant Pot Pear Applesauce, or my Instant Pot Apple Butter!
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Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
This is my go-to chicken soup when I'm feeling under the weather, or when it's one of those dreary days that just begs for a big bowl of soup! I love that it's so easy to make all in the Instant Pot, and the chicken, rice, and veggies all cook up together, making it SO quick and easy! Plus, the starch from the rice cooks into the soup broth, making this instant pot chicken and rice soup creamy and delicious! This is definitely one of my favorite Instant Pot chicken soup recipes -- the flavors in the veggies and herbs just warm you right up. I also add a touch of fresh lemon and some crushed red pepper for spice!
Is Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup Gluten Free?
Yes, this recipe is gluten free! You'll just want to check the labels of your chicken broth and chicken bouillon to confirm that they are gluten-free. I use Kitchen Basics stock and Herb-Ox Chicken Bouillon, both of which are labeled gluten-free. And other than that, the other ingredients in this soup are all naturally gluten-free!
Instant Pot Chicken and White Rice Soup Ingredients
- olive oil - we'll use a bit of extra-virgin olive oil to sauté our garlic and veggies.
- garlic - chopped garlic adds so much flavor to this soup!
- yellow onion, celery, and carrots - also called mirepoix, this combination is cooked down to serve as a base for our soup.
- boneless, skinless chicken - I like to use boneless, skinless thighs because they're so much more flavorful! But if you prefer you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- fresh thyme - I love the flavor of fresh thyme in this soup! You can remove it from the stem, or just remove the stems after it's done cooking.
- dried rosemary - a little dried rosemary adds to the earthy, herby flavors. I use whole dried rosemary, but you can also use crushed rosemary or crush it yourself with a mortar and pestle.
- red pepper flakes - I like a little crushed red pepper in this soup for a spicy kick! You can decrease the amount to your taste, or omit it altogether if you like.
- bay leaves - add a couple of fresh or dried bay leaves to help deepen the savory flavor in this soup.
- chicken bouillon - I always add a little chicken bouillon powder or bouillon cubes when I make a chicken soup! If you prefer, you can omit this and replace 2 cups of the water with more chicken stock.
- chicken stock - for this recipe I like to use an unsalted chicken stock -- if necessary, we can add salt later, but we don't want to overload the soup with salt at first.
- water - to help cook the rice and fill out the soup broth.
- long-grain white rice - add your rinsed, uncooked white rice and it'll cook right there in the Instant Pot!
- fresh lemon juice - I love the burst of bright flavor that a squeeze of lemon adds to this recipe.
- salt and pepper - add this to taste, once your soup is finished cooking.
- fresh parsley - to garnish your finished soup!
Equipment
You'll need an Instant Pot or another pressure cooker that has a sauté feature for this recipe. Otherwise, you'll want a chef's knife and cutting board to chop your veggies. I also recommend this garlic press that I love!
Tips and F.A.Q.
Yes you can! You'll just want to make sure that each has the same cooking time. So in the case of this quick Instant Pot chicken and rice soup, we're partially cooking our chicken in Sauté mode, and then adding our rice and broth to finish cooking the chicken. So they'll both be done at just the right time!
Yes you can! I would suggest sautéing the veggies as usual, and then skipping the chicken and saving it for after the rest of the soup is done pressure cooking. At that point, you can stir it in and turn the Instant Pot to "Sauté" again to heat through.
For this recipe, we'll be adding about 8 cups of liquid to accommodate our rice, chicken and veggies. But in general you need at least a cup of water in order for your Instant Pot to come to pressure.
For food safety purposes, you'll want to make sure that your chicken pieces are heated to 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds before they're ready to eat. But for this recipe, since we're cooking our chicken part of the way in the Instant Pot, it'll already be there when we add the rest of our soup ingredients!
I wouldn't recommend using frozen chicken in this soup, since it'll take longer to cook and may affect the way the rice cooks as well.
It's possible, but the pressure cooking method means your chicken is less likely to come out dry. And if you use chicken thighs, the fat content works even better to keep your chicken moist and juicy!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
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Equipment you may need
- pressure cooker
- garlic press
- mortar and pestle
- chef's knife
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery - about 3 celery ribs
- 1 cup chopped carrots - about 2 large carrots
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs - trimmed (or chicken breasts)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 ½ tablespoon chicken bouillon powder - or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock - unsalted or low sodium
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup long grain white rice - uncooked
- juice of ½ a lemon
- fresh parsley - chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté (high) setting and allow it to heat up.
- Heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
- Push vegetables to the side and add chicken pieces, red pepper flakes, dried rosemary, and chicken bouillon powder. Stir well. Brown chicken on both sides for 10-15 minutes or until mostly cooked through.
- Add bay leaves, thyme sprigs, chicken stock, water, and rice. Stir to combine.
- Turn Instant Pot valve to Sealing position and set to pressure cook on High for 4 minutes.
- Once time has elapsed, allow to release pressure naturally for 5 minutes, then turn valve to Venting to let it quick release.
- Remove chicken pieces and shred, then return them to the pot. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- Add lemon juice and chopped parsley and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
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Jazz
This soup was just what I needed over the weekend. Quick and easy to make and the flavor is just perfect.
Chenée Lewis
Thanks! I love how easy it is too!
Kaluhi
This was the most perfect bowlful! Not only was this flavorful, but is was also super warming and really filling! Thank you!
Chenée Lewis
Thanks! It's the best comfort food soup!
Chef Mireille
this made the perfect dinner tonight. Quick and easy on a weeknight and stuff I always keep in my fridge/pantry. Definitely going to be one of my go to recipes this fall/winter season.
Chenée Lewis
SO glad you liked it! 🙂
Stefani Renee
This is the perfect recipe for my new instant pot. Can't wait to try this!
Chenée Lewis
So glad you like it! It's so good!
Kate
I am always on the lockout for delicious recipes involving the Instant Pot and was so happy that I came across this soup recipe. It tasted amazing, I can't wait to make it again!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! It's definitely a keeper.
Stephanie
The perfect recipe for Fall! Super simple, delicious, and cozy recipe.
Chenée Lewis
So glad you like it! It's SO cozy!
Crystal
Didn't use an instant pot and did still came out wonderful!!!
Chenée Lewis
Great to hear! Thanks!
Katrina
This instant pot chicken and rice was the perfect fall comfort recipe for dinner!!!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! It's always a favorite for me.
Marta
I loved that this meal almost cooked itself. Perfect for a busy weeknight!
Chenée Lewis
Absolutely! I love making this for weeknight meals!