Classic chicken and rice for The pressure cooker! Combine everything in the pan and return to a perfectly cooked casserole dish. Simple, comfortable dinner on weekdays.

Chicken and rice are one of my Go-Tos for meals of the week – I like the convenience of a pot.

When I saw that Elise had written a recipe for creamy chicken casserole with mushrooms, Sherry and sour cream, I immediately thought about adapting it to The Instant Pot.

How to make chicken and rice in the instant pot

Cooking this casserole in my Instant Pot not only requires less dishes, but brings dinner to the table in less than an hour. I also like that one can simply “adjust it and forget about it” in the pressure cooker.

This adaptation retains the same flavors of Elise’s original recipe, but I made a few small changes to make sure that it turned out beautiful in the pressure cooker.

In particular, I found that the pans in my instant pot are much better if the meat is at the bottom and the rice at the top. In this way, the rice does not burn out before the chicken is cooked (this also greatly facilitates the cleaning of the frying pan!).

I know it sounds different from making a casserole in the oven, but it’s foolproof. I also reduced the amount of liquid a little, because there is less evaporation during rapid boiling.

New to Instant Pot? Check out our article How to use an Instant Pot: a guide for beginners.

What to serve with chicken and rice

This recipe is Total Comfort Food, a simple meal for the cool autumn and winter nights. It really is a complete meal in itself – you don’t need to serve anything else next to it! It makes four generous servings and can easily double for a larger amount.

You can also add a simple side salad or fried vegetables to complement the meal.

Proposals and substitutions

So many of you have made this recipe since it was first published! They have made great variations and adjustments over the years. Here are some Favorites:

• Swap mushrooms for other vegetables, such as diced carrots and celery
• At the end, stir in a little cooked broccoli (if you cook it with chicken and rice, it tends to turn mushy)
• If you like a creamier dish, add a little more Sauce
• For a dairy-free version, replace cream and sour cream with chicken broth (many people have also had success with dairy-free sour cream and dairy-free milk!)
• To add more rice, simply add an equal volume of broth, no matter how much extra rice you want to add
• Skip the Sherry? Increase the broth to 1 Cup and add a little red Plonk vinegar, sherry vinegar or lemon juice.

Do you want to replace brown rice? Unfortunately, the exchange of brown rice is not a direct exchange. You will need to increase the cooking time to 25 minutes to make sure that the brown rice is cooked, but the dairy would probably burn during this time. If you really like brown rice, swap dairy products for water or more broth and, at the end, stir in a little sour cream to improve smoothness.

Storage and freezing of chicken and rice

This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave.

It freezes as well! Transfer it to individual freezer containers and freeze it for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the microwave.

You can replace chicken breasts or chicken breasts for thighs in this recipe if you prefer.
If you omit Sherry, increase the broth to 1 Cup and add a little red Plonk vinegar, sherry vinegar or lemon juice. Just something to lighten it up a little!

Ingredient

For the Sauce:

• 1/4 cup Dry Sherry
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian spices
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Bell Pepper

For the casserole:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 Pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds (5 to 6) Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

Serve:

• 1/4 cup chopped persil

Method

Whisk the Sauce:

In a bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together Sherry, chicken broth, sour cream, cream, Italian spices, salt, pepper and Paprika. Side.

Sauté vegetables in The pressure cooker:

Select the “Stir-fry” setting on the pressure cooker and heat the oil in the pressure cooker. (If using a pressure cooker on the stove, heat the oil over medium heat.)

Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until it is slightly tender but not browned. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to fade and give up their liquid, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic and Stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the chicken:

Stir in the chicken thighs and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until opaque and mostly cooked through (it’s good if they’re still a little pink in the middle).

Add rice and Sauce:

Use your spatula to pat the chicken and vegetables in a fairly even layer. Sprinkle the rice on the chicken in an even layer.

Pour the Sauce slowly over the rice and be sure not to disturb the layer. Use a spoon to drop all the rice grains that adhere to the sides of the pot so that everything is covered with the cooking liquid.

Pressure cooker chicken and rice:

Attach the lid to the pressure cooker. Make sure that the pressure regulator is set to the “tightness” position. Cancel the “Skipped” program on the pressure cooker, and then select the “manual” or “pressure cooker” setting. Set the cooking time to 5 minutes at high pressure. (When using a pressure cooker stove, the cooking time is the same.)

The pressure cooker takes 5-10 minutes to reach the pressure before the start of cooking.

Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, then quickly-release the pressure:
immediately moving the vent from “seal” to “vent”.”Be careful with the steam! Alternatively, you can let the pot continue naturally without pressure, which takes about 20 minutes in total.

The Sauce may seem a little separated when you open the jar for the first time. Don’t worry, it’s good! Just use a fork to gently fluff the rice and put the creamy layer back into the casserole.

Serve the Gratin:

Place the casserole in shallow bowls or on plates and dig to the bottom to get both rice and chicken in each ball. Sprinkle generously with chopped persil and serve hot.

The leftovers last about a week and can be heated in the microwave.