Instant Pot Chicken and Rice {with Lemon & Feta Cheese}
on Apr 03, 2017, Updated Jan 28, 2025
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This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is comfort food at its finest, but the addition of fresh lemon and feta cheese {my fave} take it up just a notch. It’s easy to make and a family favorite too, so put this recipe on your weekly meal plan and give it a try.
Since I raise my own meat chickens, I’m always looking for delicious ways to use bone-in chicken pieces. Bone-in breasts and thighs are the perfect choice for this recipe, because they add better flavor than boneless skinless meat, and they’re cheaper too!
I also save the bones after we eat this meal and use them with other chicken pieces (does anyone really like chicken wings or backs?) to make homemade chicken bone-broth. If you like to make your own chicken broth, this recipe also serves double duty –> two meals for the price of one! And that helps feed my family organic food for less money. SCORE!
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice {with Lemon & Feta Cheese}
One thing that makes the Instant Pot different from a slow cooker is that you can saute right in the IP. I love that because then I’m not dirtying multiple dishes and clean-up is easier. If you don’t already have one, I recommend that you get an Instant Pot!
Making this dish is pretty easy. Just grab your Instant Pot, and let’s get started!
Making this recipe is pretty easy. To start, you’ll brown your chicken in batches because all 4 pieces won’t fit at the same time. Then, saute veggies, also right in the Instant Pot.
I add mushrooms because I love them and also to torture my kids. LOL. Sometimes I chop them fine first to hide them, and sometimes I say screw it and just add the sliced mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out, but I like them in this recipe.
Once the chicken and veggies are sauted, add the rice, broth, put the chicken pieces back in the IP and cook everything under pressure for 15 minutes. Immediately quick release the IP once it’s finished cooking (don’t let it switch to warm), then remove chicken, add lemon juice, feta, and parsley. After 5 minutes, fluff the rice, serve with chicken, and enjoy!
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice {with Lemon & Feta Cheese}
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken pieces, breasts or thighs
- REAL salt & pepper to taste
- 1 TBS avocado oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped button mushrooms, optional
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, or other long-grain rice of your choice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, more if desired
Instructions
- 1. Heat oil in Instant Pot over medium high heat until just smoking. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown in batches, skin side down, about 6 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
- 2. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and sure to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom and push the rice into the liquid. Add the chicken back into the pot, skin side up.
- 3. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and quick release the pressure as soon as the cooking time is over.
- 4. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Add the parsley, lemon juice, and feta cheese to the rice, and let stand for 5 minutes while the rice finishes cooking. Gently fluff with a fork and serve with chicken.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Want more healthy Instant Pot recipes?
15 Recipes for the Instant Pot – breakfast, dinner, and dessert
Yesterday I tried to make it and in the end it was exactly as on the photo! Amazing ๐
That the recipe I try to find for long time , I try it soon at home for my son I think he will love it ,
really appreciate thanks for sharing the post !!!!!!!!
We prefer boneless chicken breast, is the cooking time the same?
Hi Maribel, Unfortunately, the cooking time for boneless chicken breast is a lot less than boned options. I’m afraid it would be pretty dry if you cooked it for the time it takes to cook the rice, so I don’t think it would work. Maybe it would be okay if they’re frozen? If you try, let me know!
I used boneless skinless breasts because thatโs what I had thawed. I reduced the broth and cooked with Rice setting which is 12 minutes. Delicious. Canโt wait to try it with skin on thighs.
@Laura, how much broth?