Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole is an easy, cheesy, and creamy one-pot meal that’s ready to eat in about 15 minutes. Filled with tender white rice, bite-sized chicken, and crunchy broccoli, it’s a well-rounded weeknight meal.
Hey everyone, Jenn here! This chicken and rice casserole is one of my kids’ favorite pressure cooker meals. They love the combination of creamy rice, melted cheddar, and perfectly steamed broccoli. It’s a regular menu item at my house, especially because it’s so easy to make on busy nights.
A bonus is that this cheesy casserole also makes tasty leftovers, so go ahead and double the recipe, and you’ll have a satisfying lunch to enjoy the next day.
Update: Things certainly have changed in the pressure cooking world since we first posted this recipe in 2013! I’ve updated the recipe so that it works even in the newest pressure cooker models, including the Instant Pot Evo.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole in an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
This Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot Evo, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Did I mention how easy this one-pot meal is?
You’ll start by browning the cubed chicken and diced onions using the Sauté function on your pressure cooker. Then deglaze the pot with chicken broth, add the white rice and seasonings, seal up the lid, and cook at High Pressure for just 3 minutes.
Once you release the pressure, thicken the rice into a smooth, creamy sauce with a quick slurry of cornstarch and water.
💡 Tip: If you find that your rice is still a little watery, you can simmer for a couple more minutes or add a bit more cornstarch.
Finally, add the broccoli and steam until just crisp-tender.
Can I Make Chicken and Rice Casserole with Frozen Broccoli?
Yes! This Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker recipe works with fresh or frozen broccoli.
🥦 To use frozen broccoli: Allow the pressure to release as described in the recipe. Turn off the pressure cooker and carefully remove the lid. Then stir in the frozen broccoli and place the lid back on the pressure cooker (keep the pot turned off).
The residual heat inside the pressure cooking pot will cook your broccoli in just a few minutes.
Ingredient Substitutions and Swaps
This Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole is very versatile. You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
If you don’t have broccoli, frozen peas, cauliflower, or other veggies will work just the same.
Can I Make Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole Ahead of Time?
This is a great make-ahead meal!
When making ahead, I keep the broccoli separate from the cheesy rice casserole.
That way, when I reheat and serve, I can quickly steam a fresh batch of broccoli to stir into the casserole.
More Easy One-Pot Meals to Make in an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
Wanting more one-pot dinner recipes made in the Instant Pot / electric pressure cooker? Try one of these:
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken is one of our most popular Instant Pot chicken recipes, with bite-sized chicken pieces bathed in a sticky-sweet sesame sauce.
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Shrimp Diavolo with Penne is a quick no-thaw weeknight recipe for al dente penne in a flavor-packed tomato sauce with tender shrimp.
- Mexican Rice Casserole from Two Peas and Their Pod is a quick and easy vegetarian one-pot dinner featuring black beans, sweet corn, and a rich tomato sauce.
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Rosemary Cashew Chicken is just as creamy and cheesy as this chicken and broccoli casserole, with savory rosemary and crunchy cashews for garnish.
Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Creamy and cheesy with pops of bright crisp-tender broccoli, this Instant Pot Chicken & Broccoli Casserole is a satisfying and easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (about 2 large breasts)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt*
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
Instructions
- Select Sauté to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add oil, cubed chicken, and onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and stir to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir to combine. Add the rice and stir to ensure it’s distributed evenly. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Select Sauté and add the milk mixture and broccoli. Stir and simmer until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the pressure cooker.
- Add the cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring between additions until well combined and melted. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker for 3 to 5 minutes, until the broccoli reaches desired tenderness.
Notes
*Omit the salt if using regular chicken broth.
Notes: adapted from Aimee at Barnes and Noodles.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 811mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 34g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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Do you know what modifications could be done to use brown rice instead of white? Thank you.
Hi Laine – you would have to cook the brown rice first because the cook time isn’t long enough. Brown rice needs 22 minutes at high pressure. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/2012/11/pressure-cooker-brown-rice-and-a-giveaway/ After the brown rice is cooked, remove the rice from the pressure cooking pot. Then cook the chicken as directed in the recipe without adding the rice. Then stir in the brown rice with the cheese and broccoli. You may need to reduce the chicken broth – so I’d start with 1 cup and add more as necessary after cooking the chicken to get it as creamy as you’d like.
Followed the recipe but made do with what ingredients I had on hand. Used chicken drumsticks, Colby cheese, and vegetable broth. I modified it by sautéing the drumsticks with a bit of oil added the seasonings and broth. Cooked it on high pressure for 18 min. Did a quick release and added the rice. Cooked it for another 4 min on high pressure. It was very good and my 18 month old loved it! Thank you for the recipe.
Awesome – thanks for sharing Min!
I see that it says it makes 6 serving but what size are the servings? Can’t wait to make this tonight!
Give or take, it makes about 6 cups. (It’s hard to say exactly because the measurements depend on the size of your chicken breasts you’re using as well as the size of your broccoli you’ve added.)
If it’s helpful, it makes enough for two adults and my three young kids to eat for dinner and we have enough leftovers for most of us to have it again for lunch the next day.
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Thanks for the reminder of this so good recipe.:) To Jen, life is difficult at times and now it is so different from what we want and need. It will pass and get better. Thank you for all those kind things you are doing and believe me “it” is a welcome time with what you are doing. I look forward to the recipe post on Sunday. Love and prayers.
Hi Elizabeth! Your comment really helped my heart today—thank you for taking the time to write to me! And for joining us in our kitchen! Love and prayers for you too!
Could pasta be substituted for the rice?
If so, how much and would the cook time need adjusting?
My family is not a fan of rice.
Hi Marie – you could combine this recipe with this pasta one https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-chicken-bacon-penne-pasta/
It came out very watery. What did I do wrong?
Hi Lori – did you simmer the sauce after adding the flour slurry until it thickened? Did you make any substitutions? You may need to add additional flour if you want the sauce thicker.
This was very good and easy. It’s a keeper!!
Thanks Diane!
Is there a nutritionist guide to this recipe I am needing a carb count.
Hi Rachel – I just switched to a new recipe card and it includes nutritional information. (Although it’s just a computer program and may not be completely accurate.) I’m in the process of updating all the recipes on my sites. I’ll do this one asap for you. Thanks!
Thank you so much second time making this and your carb count is pretty close I got 22g of carbs but I did add more cheese.
I’m not sure what I am missing. Should the broccoli be steamed first? I followed this recipe using fresh broccoli and it I dont understand where the broccoli actually gets cooked.
You could steam the broccoli first if you prefer, but it will cook quickly when you add it to the hot chicken and rice and saute.
I cheat and use one of the steam fresh bags of broccoli cuts in the microwave and then just add it right in. Turns out great.
My rice didn’t cook! Any tips?
If I want to double the recipe, should I double all ingredients? Or just the chicken and add a little rice?
Hi Dylan – you’ll want to double all the ingredients.
You can update again, Barbara…. Barns and Noodles is back up!
Mine stuck a little in bottom of cooker, after I added milk and flour mixture what kind if rice did you use I used jasmine.
Hi Charleen – perhaps you’ll need to add a little more milk or a little water next time. Any of the white rices, long grain or jasmine should work fine.
I don’t have any shredded cheese but I do have velveeta cheese – would I use the same quantity & time?
Hi Nicole – I haven’t tried using Velveeta cheese but I would just stir a little in at a time at the end until it’s a cheesy as you like.
Thank You.
Could I substitute frozen peas for the broccoli?
Hi Christine – yes, frozen peas would work well.
Thank you
Is there any way to substitute the broth for cream of chicken? I remember reading it’s bad to use cream of anything in the pot I think though!
Hi Chelsea – you need the broth in this recipe for the pressure cooker to come to pressure and for the rice to soften. If you wanted to use cream of chicken, you could stir it in at the end instead of the flour and milk. You can use condensed cream soups if you add enough liquid as well https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/easy-pork-chops-in-mushroom-gravy/ Enjoy!
How would I make this recipe using frozen chicken? Or must I start with raw chicken? I NEVER remember to thaw my chicken 🙁
Hi Annie – you could use frozen chicken if you’d diced it before you froze it and froze it flat so it wasn’t in a big clump. However, what you can do, is pressure cooker your boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 1 minute on a rack with 1/2 cup of water underneath. Use a quick release and then your chicken will be soft enough to dice and use in the recipe.
I’m thinking of getting an instapot so I am searching recipes before I make the investment.
This may be a dumb question but do I cook the chicken first or is the cubed chicken in this recipe raw?
Hi Michelle – the chicken is raw. Cubed chicken cooks quickly in the pressure cooker. The Instant Pot is a great pressure cooker!
If I do this with thighs/drumsticks do you suggest I take off the bone? Or can I leave on the bone and do PIP or just lay on top of rice and cook a little longer?? Thank you!
Hi Monika – I haven’t tried it, but you could lay the thighs and drumsticks on top of the rice. I wouldn’t increase the time, and then I’d strip the chicken off the bone and add it to the rice and finish the recipe as directed. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Good evening, I just clicked on the site to find that recipe and the domain name is either waiting on renewal or expired. So, I’m wondering if you’d be willing to share the recipe with me. Thank you and have a great weekend.
Thanks Eva – I’ve added the recipe to the post.
Recently I have been making poached egg whites in my Fagor Pressure cooker. Simplistic I use a steam basket with a Anchor Hocking 1 cup glass dish. I put a teaspoon of coconut oil in. Next I add a piece of Lox 1 ounce, 1 slice of First Street Fat Free Swiss Cheese and slices mushroom , I pour in Lucerne egg White to fill within 1/2 inch of the rim. I put I cup of water in the Pressure . Set the high pressure at 10 minutes. Release steam. Carefully grasp the steam basket handle use a pot holder or pincer to extract the dish serve with toast triangles.
Just made this and it was lovely. I added mushrooms and fresh broccoli to the rice and the Pressure Cooked it. Then just stirred in the milk and cooked for a further 2 minutes on sauté before adding the cheese. This would be perfect for kids!
Thanks Liv! Definitely a kid friendly recipe.
I followed recipe exactly as written and this came out very dry – didn’t look like the picture at all….. not sure what I did wrong as the rice was a little undercooked, too. I ended up adding about a cup more chicken broth and then some cream to it to salvage it.
Hi Rory – glad you thought to salvage it. Are you sure you had a good seal on your pot? There should be plenty of liquid
Is it possible to substitute rice for a different grain? I have a mic that’s quinoa, wild and brown rice. Could I use it instead and what adjustments would I need to make to the liquid ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer – it depends on the cook time of the mix. If it cooks in 20 minutes on the stove then you’ll probably be okay to substitute it. If the package directions are longer than 20 minutes, you’ll probably want to cook the chicken separately to avoid overcooking it.
Hi! Love your blog! Just bought a pressure cooker and I can’t wait to try some if these recipes!!
Hi Brandie! I’m so excited for you. Let me know if you have any questions.
Dead link!!!!
Any way to get recipe?
Hi Sabrina – thanks for the heads up. I have included the recipe on the page.
Another amazing recipe! The whole family loved it. I said, “thanks to that pressure cooker and to Barbara” and my 20 month old said “Barbara” with a huge smile. Funny! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper.
Thanks Sara! I think this is the sweetest comment ever. I feel like an honorary member of the family now. 🙂
In that cheesy chicken rice thing, will the rice really cook in 5 minutes? Won’t the IP burn the gravy mixture?
Hi Ida – yes, white rice really will cook in 5 minutes plus the time it takes to come to pressure. You thicken the sauce and add the cheese after pressure cooking, so it doesn’t burn.
I cooked this dish per the instructions and had a lot of burnt rice in the bottom of my instant pot. I had to scrub like mad to get it out. It also didn’t smell pleasant. Did I do something wrong? Other than that it tasted great.
Hi Erica – If you had burnt rice after pressure cooking the rice and chicken, then it probably didn’t come to pressure correctly. If you had burnt rice after you added the flour, milk and cheese, then you just needed to stir more as it cooked so that it didn’t scorch on the bottom, just as you would on the stove. Glad you enjoyed it.
how do you stir it without losing pressure?
You have to release the pressure to stir it. Use the saute function to simmer it. That’s not a pressure cooking function.
This Is a gooey mess
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it Sandy. Did you make any changes? Did you try adding some more chicken broth so the consistency was more to your liking?
Can this recipe be made with brown rice instead of the white?
Hi Courtney – you would have to cook the brown rice first because the cook time isn’t long enough. Brown rice needs 22 minutes at high pressure. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/2012/11/pressure-cooker-brown-rice-and-a-giveaway/ After the brown rice is cooked, remove the rice from the pressure cooking pot. Then cook the chicken as directed in the recipe without adding the rice. Then stir in the brown rice with the cheese and broccoli. Thanks for the question.
I just got an electric pressure cooker. I noticed that this recipe was done with a stove-top pressure cooker. Do I need to do anything different since I will be using an electric?
Hi Nickie – no this recipe doesn’t need any changes for the electric pressure cooker. Have fun!
Heck yes. I have always loved cheesy rice!
This looks great! I finally ordered my pressure cooker. I believe it is an 8.5 qt one. I can’t wait to try this recipe and follow along with you! I haven’t used a pressure cooker and I have been wanting one.
I’m so excited for you! Have fun with it. I’ll look forward to hearing what you’ve been cooking.
Thanks so much for the feature! Love this recipe! XO, Aimee