Description
A creamy and comforting one-pot meal featuring tender chicken and flavorful rice cooked quickly in an Instant Pot, enhanced with mixed vegetables and a touch of heavy cream for a dreamy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Rice
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Finishing
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Sauté onion and garlic: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add olive oil, then sauté the finely chopped onion and minced garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Brown the chicken: Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the pot and cook until lightly browned on all sides, approximately 3 to 4 minutes, to develop flavor.
- Add rice and seasoning: Stir in the rinsed long grain white rice, low-sodium chicken broth, frozen mixed vegetables, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Pressure cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set it to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- Finish with cream: Open the lid carefully, stir in the heavy cream to add richness and creaminess, then let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly before serving warm.
Notes
- Rinsing the rice removes excess starch and prevents the dish from becoming too sticky.
- Allowing a natural pressure release helps the rice finish cooking gently and prevents overcooking.
- You can swap heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter version.
- For extra flavor, garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
- Ensure to cut chicken into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
