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Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is a delicious one-pot comfort food meal. This is an easy and flavorful casserole to make in the Instant Pot. It’s easy to make this yummy pressure cooker Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole with simple ingredients.
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
A casserole is a great choice for a weeknight meal. They are easy to make, don’t take much more than an hour, and are delicious and filling. Even kids like this recipe!
This is a delicious casserole that you can make in your Instant Pot® pressure cooker. I created this chicken broccoli rice casserole to be healthier than the one made with the canned soup (I have nothing against canned soup, I just don’t want to use it too often).
What is the best chicken to make this recipe with?
You can use dark or white meat. Boneless/skinless is what I use. If you use bone-in, take the temperature of the meat before serving (you want 165°).
Can I use quick cooking rice?
The parboiled, or fast cooking rices don’t do as well in this recipe. They overcook and get mushy. I haven’t tried it, but a quick cooking brown rice might work.
Can I use Brown Rice?
Brown rice needs a much longer cook time than white rice, so I wouldn’t. As mentioned above, I haven’t tried it, but a few of my readers have had success with quick cooking brown rice.
Can I just throw the broccoli in with the chicken and rice?
- Broccoli cooks very quickly in a pressure cooker. It will be super mushy if you add it in the beginning.
- Frozen broccoli, ran under hot water, works the best in this recipe. Add it at the end and close the lid. It will heat through.
- If you are using fresh broccoli, you will want to microwave it a few minutes with some water before adding it at the end. It won’t cook much from just the residual heat.
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Pin This Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
If you make this tasty pressure cooker chicken broccoli rice casserole, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I’d really like to know how you liked this recipe!
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 med Onion, chopped
- 1 ½ lbs Chicken Breast, cubed
- 1 ¼ tsp Kosher Salt (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Thyme Leaves (dried, not ground)
- 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 1 ½ cups Long Grain White Rice, well rinsed
- 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 2 ½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, (I like sharp)
- 2 lbs Frozen Broccoli Florets
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté setting. When it is hot, add the olive oil and butter.
- Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn translucent.
- Add the chicken. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme over it. Stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just the outside of the chicken turns white.
- Add the garlic and stir.
- Add the rice and the broth. Do not stir. Gently press the rice and chicken into the broth, then put the lid on the pressure cooker and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Turn off the Sauté setting.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
- While the chicken and rice is cooking, run the frozen broccoli florets under hot water and drain. Set aside. If you are using fresh broccoli, you may need to microwave it with a little water for a few minutes to soften it, as it won't cook in the pot with the residual heat. If the florets are large, cut them in half.
- When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
- When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Add the broccoli florets, stir, and close the lid so it cooks in the residual heat of the rice/chicken.
- Take the lid off and stir. Serve immediately. Makes good leftovers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Since I’m cooking for one I took out 1/2 the cooked chicken and rice to use with curried veggies tomorrow and threw in cheese, spinach and broccoli. Very delicious! Thanks!
Could a person do half a batch and if so would I still cook it the same
Yes, and keep the cook time the same.
Could mushrooms be added to this as well? If so, should they be sautéed prior to adding to the IP?
Thanks!
Yes! How yummy!
Has anyone tried it with cauliflower rice instead of long grain rice?
Would this need extra cook time with Basmati Rice. I’m curious in general if I can substitute Basmati rice for the long grain white rice in recipes. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with basmati. If you try it please let me know!
So I had to change the recipe some… I didn’t have enough chicken broth, so I used some beef broth (lol) to make up for what I needed. I used quick brown rice and I used a bag of green beans and a bag of broccoli. Overall, it turned out okay – only issue was that it was a little soupy … Prob too much broth on my part … Also wish I would have had broccoli only… And chicken broth. Not terrible though!
Easy & Tasty! I am relatively new to pressure cooking and all went well. I microwaved 4 cups of fresh broccoli florets and added them with the cheese. I did substitute jasmine rice since I didn’t have long grain on hand. It was cooked, but I wouldn’t recommend a sticky rice like jasmine since everything clumped together. Long grain rice would provide the right texture. I have never added both fresh garlic/onion and powdered garlic/onion in the same recipe before…it’s usually one or the other. I was surprised to learn that both were needed flavor-wise. This is one of those comfort foods that can be bland if the seasonings aren’t right. Next time I think I’ll try some Italian seasoning in place of the garlic powder. Since I go lower fat and salt in cooking, I used only 1/4 tsp salt and 1.5 cups sharp cheddar and it was fine. I’ll try no salt next time. If you are used to low salt, you notice the salt inherent in foods like the cheddar. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
I can’t count how many times I’ve made this! Everyone in my family loves it (a rare feat) and it’s pretty simple to make. So perfect! I have made it with both frozen and fresh broccoli and both turn out great.
That’s great, Jenny! Thank you for letting me know!
VERY GOOD recipe over all! I will use a less sharp cheddar next time for the hubby. Our 2 year old granddaughter loved it as it is! It was a great weeknight dinner. I will make it again.
This was also the first thing I cooked in my instant pot. Used chicken thighs and basmati rice, and added par boiled fresh brocolli. It’s beautiful and so easy!!!
I’m passing this along to my fams and friends!! Thank you for this instant pot family 😀🤗