Instant Pot French Onion Chicken and Rice is a go to weeknight meal for us. Is is a quick cooking dish that would take over an hour in the oven. The flavor is French onion, but in a hearty chicken and rice dish!
Originally published on 10/15/2017
Instant Pot French Onion Chicken and Rice
This recipe has been reworked as people were getting the “BURN” message. This recipe was created using one of the older Instant Pots, which didn’t have the burn warning, and seems to be less sensitive. So now you cook the rice using the Pot-in-Pot (or PIP) method, and it works great!
Paul really likes this one. I do too! It’s nice to come home knowing I can make this in under an hour, and have it on the table piping hot with a salad. Instant Pot French Onion Chicken and Rice Is filling, and tasty. The key is that there are multiple layers of onion flavor.
You can make this with chicken thighs or breasts. I prefer thighs, as they are richer in flavor, but I do make this with chicken breasts as well (see photo, those are chicken breasts). I thaw the chicken breasts first so I can brown them a little before cooking..
You can use any kind of cheese you like, though I prefer Swiss or Provolone. If you don’t want to melt it under the broiler, what I do is put half of the hot rice in a serving dish, then a layer of cheese slices, then the rest of the hot rice and chicken on top.
Then pour the hot soup mixture over it all. Yum! The cheese melts nicely, and makes a nice layer!
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Instant Pot French Onion Chicken and Rice is a go to weeknight meal for us. Is is a quick cooking dish that would take over an hour in the oven. The flavor is French onion, but in a hearty chicken and rice dish!
- 3-4 Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs*
- Salt (to season chicken)
- Pepper (to season chicken)
- Garlic Powder (to season chicken)
- Onion Powder (to season chicken)
- 1 1/2 cups Long Grain White Rice (rinsed very well)
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Small Onion (Cut in half and thinly sliced in to half rings)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (pressed or finely minced)
- 1 (10 oz) Can Condensed French Onion Soup
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium)
- 1 Packet Onion Soup Mix, dry (one envelope)
- 4-6 slices Swiss Cheese (or provolone)
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Season the chicken on both sides by sprinkling with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.
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Rinse the rice well, until the water mostly runs clear. Strain and add to a 7" or 6" pan (I use one of the ekovana stackable stainless pans). Add the 1 1/2 cups water to the rice in the pan and set aside.
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Turn the pot on Sauté mode (Normal heat). When the display reads Hot, add the oil and butter.
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Add the chicken and brown it a little on both sides. Then remove it to a plate.
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Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
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Add garlic and cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly, until you start to smell it. Careful not to let it burn.
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Add the condensed French onion soup, beef broth, soy sauce, and onion soup mix. Stir well, scraping any brown bits off of the bottom of the pot (deglaze).
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Let the contents heat up and just start to simmer.
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Place the chicken back in the pot, trying not to overlap it by much. It will submerge a bit, and that's okay.
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Add a tall legged trivet to the pot and set the pan of rice on it, uncovered.
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Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Cancel the Sauté mode and press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button, then the + or - button to choose 6 minutes. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
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When the cook cycle ends and the machine beeps, let the pot go into a natural pressure release for 7 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure. Turn off the pot.
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Turn on oven broiler to 375 degrees F.
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Open the lid after the pin drops and remove pan of rice (careful!).
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Transfer the rice to a casserole dish.
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Lay chicken on top of the rice. Press the chicken down into the rice a little so it is even with the top of the rice.
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Pour the soup mixture from the pot over the chicken and rice. Then lay the cheese slices on top in one layer.
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Set under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese, not to brown it. You want the cheese creamy, and you don't want to dry out the chicken.
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Serve.
*Frozen boneless-skinless thighs have worked well for me at the same times. I haven't made this with frozen breasts as I want to cbrown them, and can't when they are frozen.
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Inspired by Buns In My Oven
RESOURCES TO MAKE INSTANT pot french onion chicken and rice
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Donnie
My wife loves French onion soup. I like the flavors too, but I just do not understand the soggy bread thing at all and I am a carnivore and need some sort of meat in my meals. We decided to give this a go to see if it would work for both of us. It turned out great and we will definitely make it again. I would say we would cut back on the rice next time since it seems like a bit too much to go with the 3 chicken breasts we made. However, my wife claims that is the best part and is glad there will be more left overs of it so she can eat it with a pork tenderloin we are planning to make.
I have the Ultra 6 quart and had no issues with the burn notice when following the recipe as it is written now.
Sandy
Thank you, Donnie. Your reviews are always so helpful. Glad you liked it!
Linda
Can I use cream of mushroom soup instead of french onion?
Sandy
If you do, just add it on top of the chicken last and don’t stir it in. Make sure there is enough thin liquid to bring the pot to pressure. If not, add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth.
Nancy
Hi Sandy, if I use chicken thighs, how many do I need?
Sandy
About 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.