Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup with juicy chicken, hearty vegetables and tender rice cooked in flavorful chicken broth. Ready in under 40 minutes, kids love it and it’s filling!
We love chicken and rice around here, whether it’s Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup or Instant Pot chicken and rice.
This Instant Pot chicken and rice soup is a recipe for you if you love homemade soups that are light yet hearty, full of flavour, and will warm you up on a cold day.
There is nothing that brings more comfort than a bowl of homemade chicken soup when you’re not well. Like this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup or chicken wild rice soup.
Not only will this delicious soup make you feel better, but it may actually help keep the sniffles away!
With nourishing ingredients such as oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder as well as the turmeric powerhouse, this immune-boosting soup is all you need to keep your spirits up all season.
Chicken and rice soup in an Instant Pot is great for busy weeknights. Make ahead and heat it up the next day. Save the leftovers for lunch or freeze for later.
Ingredients You Will Need
To make Instant Pot chicken and rice soup, you will need just a handful of simple ingredients. Many of them are spices and fridge staples.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs are great.
- Brown rice: Uncooked brown rice. I recommend not to use other types of rice like white rice or instant rice because it will become completely overcooked. Wild rice blend may work though.
- Fresh veggies: Finely chopped onion, diced celery, sliced carrots.
- Seasonings: Dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, bay leaf. You can also use Italian herb blend, if you wish.
- Chicken broth: I used bouillon cubes diluted in water, or you can use low sodium store-bought chicken broth, homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth.
- Fresh herbs: Finely chopped fresh dill or fresh parsley.
- Butter: You can use either butter or olive oil.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Here is a quick recap how to make Instant Pot chicken rice soup in 4 simple steps. There is a full recipe card below.
- Prep: Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, dice the celery, and slice the carrots. Don’t want to dirty extra cutting board? Cut up the chicken with kitchen shears right above the pot. You can rinse rice or skip it for more creamy soup. As the soup cooks and rice releases its starches, it makes soup creamy without the heavy cream.
- Combine all ingredients: To the bottom of Instant Pot, add in all the ingredients with the exception of parsley and butter. If you are wondering whether or not to saute veggies and chicken first for added flavour, save yourself the time. I tried it and saw no difference in flavour.
- Cook the soup: Close the lid, set the vent to Sealing position, and press Pressure Cook on high pressure or Manual button for 7 minutes.
- Release the pressure: Release the pressure with natural release for the first 15 minutes to avoid liquid splatter. Then move the steam release valve to Venting position to release remaining pressure. Discard the bay leaves, add butter and fresh parsley. Stir your Instant Pot chicken and rice soup and serve.
Tips for Best Results
- Whole chicken breasts: If you prefer not to cut raw chicken, add chicken breasts whole and shred after cooking. I always make Instant Pot BBQ chicken and Instant Pot teriyaki chicken with shredded chicken.
- Frozen chicken breasts: You can add frozen chicken, just make sure the breasts are separated. Also be sure to reduce cook time to 5 minutes because your electric pressure cooker will take longer to come to pressure and you do not want your rice overcooked.
- Added convenience: Use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Try and use one that doesn’t have a lot of extra seasonings already on it. You can also add leftover turkey breast.
- Do not use white rice: No one wants mushy rice in their soup. White rice quickly becomes overcooked in this Instant Pot chicken and rice soup recipe. If you have Instant Pot brown rice leftovers, add that in after cooking as well.
Serving Suggestion
I like to serve a bowl of this Instant Pot chicken soup while it’s still piping hot. With a lot of extra fresh parsley or dill in each individual bowl and a slice of crusty bread.
Adding a bit of butter or oil at the end brings all the flavours of comforting soup together nicely. You can also add a bit of fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese in each bowl of soup.
Serve with a simple salad like lettuce salad.
How to Store and Reheat the Soup
Store: Pressure cooker chicken and rice soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in airtight containers, making sure to leave some room for expansion.
Reheat: Reheat desired amount of soup in a covered pot on the stove top. Simmer on low heat until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight first.
FAQs
Yes. To make soup ahead, cut up and prep all ingredients and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours the day before making this soup. To make ahead 2-3 days prior, prep all ingredients in the fridge with the exception of the chicken. Add chicken and broth just before making the soup.
White rice does. Brown rice holds its shape better.
Rinse rice if you want less creamy soup. Skip rinsing if you want more starchy and creamy Instant Pot chicken and rice soup results.
I don’t recommend it. But if you would like to try, cook soup with white rice for 3 minutes on high pressure.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Thai chicken soup
- Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
- Frozen chicken in Instant Pot
- Instant Pot white chicken lasagna soup
Browse all Instant Pot healthy recipes
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 large carrots sliced
- 4 large chicken breasts cubed (1.5 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice rinsed & drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1/4 cup fresh dill or parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Instructions
- To 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add onion, celery, carrots, chicken, rice, oregano, onion and garlic powders, turmeric, salt, pepper, bay leaves and chicken broth.
- Close the lid, set vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High pressure or Manual for 7 minutes.
- After let pressure come down on its own for 15 minutes to avoid starchy liquid splatters. Then move valve to Venting to release remaining pressure. Open the lid, discard bay leaves, add parsley, butter and stir.
- Serve hot with a whole grain or rye toast.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Freeze: Up to 3 months (leave some room for expansion).
- Make ahead: You can refrigerate all ingredients without broth in an airtight container for up to 24 hours and then cook as per recipe. Without chicken for up to 2-3 days and then add chicken from the package and broth before cooking.
- Chicken: You can use frozen chicken breasts, just make sure they are separated and reduce cook time to 5 minutes. For added convenience, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken! Try and use one that doesn’t have a lot of extra seasoning already on it.
- Use brown rice: I recommend not to use white rice or instant brown rice because it will become completely overcooked and mushy.
I was wanting to make this recipe but was just wanting to check the cooking time as you use brown rice. Whenever I cook brown basmati in the IP it takes about 22 minutes otherwise it is hard. Your recipe says 7 minutes cook time is that right?
Looking forward to enjoying a hot nutritious soup now that the west coast is so cool!
Correct on the time, then let pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Can you use cooked chicken in this recipe?
We love this easy soup
Thank you
Sure!
Since my family doesn’t like noodles in soup I followed your suggestion and tried your chicken and rice soup. Made it this morning to serve for lunch. Everyone loved it! Delicious!!
I am soooo happy to hear this Judith!
My husband loved it & I loved it too! Delicious & easy!
Fantastic!
80 yr. old man. My wife gone to be with the Lord. Got married again, her name is Instand Pot.
She is a very good cook, as long as I follow the recipe. IP chicken rice soup. I’m not like a woman,I don’t have a mind of my own. So I need a recipe.
Your recipe is very good, excellent to most outstanding. But won’t tell you that. LOL
Tride other of your recipes,very good!
Thanks
Al
Glad you are enjoying my recipes and your instant pot, Al!
This is a great recipe! I just keep making it again and again! Thanks for posting!
So happy to hear this Nadya!
I love this recipe! For nutritional purposes, do you know the approximate serving size? I look forward to making this again.
Hi Lynn! A serving is ~ 2 cups.
Hi Olena! Just want to confirm If I’m using frozen chicken breast I need to reduce the cook time to 5 mins or increase by 5 mins? Thank you!!!
Total soup cook time is 5 minutes. Your Instant Pot will come longer to come to pressure with frozen meat, so that’s why reduce cook time so rice doesn’t become complete mush. Science. 🙂
This was so good! I will definitely be making it again. My whole family loved it.
So happy this was a hit with your family Lynn!
Loved this chicken soup, Olena! You are right, brown rice makes it very rich and creamy! Finally got a bit cooler in Texas, so this soup was just what was needed! 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed the soup Irene!