Do you love easy dishes that hardly take any time to make at all? This delicious instant pot chicken and rice soup is going to be the recipe for you! It’s so easy to make and feels like a warm hug on a cold day.

Anyone can make this dish, and you probably already have the ingredients lying around your kitchen. If you love comforting food, this is probably going to become your go-to dish when the weather turns. Enjoy it with some toast on the side if you really like it, too!
Quick Answer: Skinny Spatula’s Delicious Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup
All you need to make this recipe is chicken broth, chicken (or turkey), celery, onion, carrots, rosemary, thyme, garlic, rice, and olive oil! Simply sauté the ingredients and seal the chicken before adding your rice and broth, and cook in an Instant Pot for about 5 minutes! Slowly release the pressure, then stir in some freshly chopped parsley, and enjoy. There’s nothing easier.
For more detailed steps, make sure that you take a look at our step-by-step instructions. We will go through everything you need to know about this delicious recipe in the section below.
Why You Are Going To Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons to love this recipe, but we will pick out just a few if you needed any more convincing:
- So easy to make – you do not need to be skilled in the kitchen to make this dish whatsoever. Anyone can make it, so you could (and should) get the kids involved so they can learn their way around the kitchen!
- It’s easily customizable – you can change the herbs and spices that you put in here, and even change the vegetables you add. If you want to make a vegetarian-friendly alternative, you can easily add firm tofu or something similar to equally great results.
- Perfect for those cold days – any soup is delightful on cold days, but there is just something special about this one. Snuggle up with a bowl of this and watch your favorite movie or series!
- It’s a great way to use leftovers – you can use leftover chicken or turkey in this soup, or even those leftover veggies! It’s a fantastic way to clear out the things you might not know what to do with, and it will still be delicious.
Ingredients Needed

You don’t need anything fancy to make this delightful recipe. Below is a list of all the ingredients you are going to need (plus any additions you might want to make):
- Olive oil
- Celery
- Onion
- Carrots
- Chicken (breast or thigh)
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Rice (your choice)
- Chicken broth
- Fresh parsley
How Long Does Making Your Own Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup Take?
If you are using an Instant Pot, everything will maybe take 15 minutes in total – the joys of technology! However, if you are using a stovetop, you can expect everything to take twice as long.
However, 30 minutes for such a tasty recipe is nothing to turn your nose up at, so it’s perfectly fine without an instant pot! Many people might even prefer using the stovetop, so it is completely up to you.
Can You Use a Slow Cooker to Make This?
Technically you could, but it really is not necessary. The recipe takes less than half an hour from beginning to end, so it’s not usually worth getting your slow cooker out.
However, if you would like to use a slow cooker, you absolutely can. You can let the dish cook all day if you like, and it will be delightfully tender and juicy.
Just be aware that if you leave the vegetables to cook for this long, even on low heat, they could end up a little too soft.
You would also need to time when you add your rice carefully if you use a slow cooker. Overcooked rice is no fun, so be sure to take everything into account.
Basic Instructions For Making Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup

Okay, this dish is delightfully easy to make, and it can be done in an instant pot or a regular pot. We will go through everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow step-by-step process down below:
- Prepare all your ingredients (chop and dice veggies and chicken)
- If you are using an Instant Pot, set it to ‘sauté’. If you’re using a regular pot on the stovetop, just turn it on. Allow it to head up, then add in your olive oil.
- Add your scenery, carrot, and onion, then cook for 2–3 minutes (until they soften).
- Throw in your diced chicken breast, and cook for 3–4 minutes. You just want to seal the chicken, not cook it completely!
- Toss in your rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and cook for a further minute or so. You just want everything to be nice and combined, and the aromas to be released from the herbs and garlic.
- If using an Instant Pot, switch off the ‘sauté’ function.
- Wash your rice! You probably don’t want all the starch in the final dish (unless you do?)
- Add your chicken broth and rice into the mix, and stir in gently
- If using an Instant Pot, secure the lid and turn the valve to ‘sealing’.
- Cook on high pressure for around 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, let the Instant Pot slowly release pressure for the next 5 minutes
- After another 5 minutes of pressure releasing, turn the valve to ‘venting’, and release the rest of the pressure in the device.
- Now, you can remove the top and throw in your fresh, chopped-up parsley, and mix again!
- Add in any additional seasonings you need, and serve immediately.
NOTE: If you are not using an instant pot, you can simply leave everything to simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes once everything has been added.
Tips And Tricks For Making Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup

It’s basically impossible to go wrong with this soup, so we will add a few tips that could help to level up the dish. These are all super easy to implement, and can be a game-changer!
Add in more Vegetables!
If you want your soup to be laden with vegetables, then you can do that! Add in all our favorite things, from broccoli and mushrooms to peas and sweet potato, it will all work.
If there are some vegetables that you think would work in a dish like this, the only thing you can do is try them out!
You might end up with a new soup recipe that’s 100x better than the original because of it.
Use Your Leftovers
If you have leftover chicken – whether it is rotisserie or anything else, use that for this soup! Turkey will also work nicely with a dish like this, so make sure you make the most of it.
You could either shred or slice the fowl and add it to the mixture after cooking up the vegetables at the beginning. This is a great way to get rid of leftovers that you might have otherwise struggled to use, and the soup will be beyond delicious.
Add Some Cream
To make the soup delightfully rich and creamy, you could simply add some heavy cream into the mix as it simmers. This will step it up and turn it into something you will not be able to get enough of. All you need is about ½ a cup and a spoon to stir it in, and you’re good to go.
Use Homemade Broth
We have an article dedicated to making your own bone broth at home, so why not try it out? Making your own bone broth is great as it not only uses the leftover bones you’re stuck with, but you have control over everything in it.
You can choose how thick or watery it is, and what kind of seasoning options get put in there.
Use a homemade broth for dishes like these, and you will never be disappointed in the results.
Storing Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup

If you have leftovers that you would like to store, all you need to do is allow the food to cool to room temperature. Transfer the soup to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. There, it should last up to five days.
As always, try to eat it within the first three days, but it’s fine if you can’t!
To freeze your leftovers, do the same as above, but make sure the container is freezer-safe. It will store for around six months (but be safe indefinitely for as long as it is frozen).
Reheating Your Split Pea Soup
When the time comes for you to enjoy your leftovers, allow the food to thaw in the fridge overnight if it is frozen. Once thawed, you can simply reheat it on the stovetop in a pot.
This will only take a few minutes, but make sure it is piping hot. Feel free to sprinkle some fresh parsley on top, and enjoy it all over again.
Final Thoughts
This delightful instant pot chicken and rice soup is a real delight, and so easy to make. The next time you feel like something that will warm your bones, why not try making this dish?
It’s perfect if you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, and is fantastic for using up leftovers. Everyone is going to love this soup!
Skinny Spatula’s Delicious Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Soup
Course: Uncategorized4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
Olive oil
Celery
Onion
Carrots
Chicken (breast or thigh)
Garlic
Thyme
Rosemary
Rice (your choice)
Chicken broth
Fresh parsley
Directions
- Prepare all your ingredients (chop and dice veggies and chicken)
- If you are using an Instant Pot, set it to ‘sauté’. If you’re using a regular pot on the stovetop, just turn it on. Allow it to head up, then add in your olive oil.
- Add your scenery, carrot, and onion, then cook for 2–3 minutes (until they soften).
- Throw in your diced chicken breast, and cook for 3–4 minutes. You just want to seal the chicken, not cook it completely!
- Toss in your rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and cook for a further minute or so. You just want everything to be nice and combined, and the aromas to be released from the herbs and garlic.
- If using an Instant Pot, switch off the ‘sauté’ function.
- Wash your rice! You probably don’t want all the starch in the final dish (unless you do?)
- Add your chicken broth and rice into the mix, and stir in gently.
- If using an Instant Pot, secure the lid and turn the valve to ‘sealing’.
- Cook on high pressure for around 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, let the Instant Pot slowly release pressure for the next 5 minutes.
- After another 5 minutes of pressure releasing, turn the valve to ‘venting’, and release the rest of the pressure in the device.
- Now, you can remove the top and throw in your fresh, chopped-up parsley, and mix again!
- Add in any additional seasonings you need, and serve immediately.
Recipe Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbdjaqXtEYkVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbdjaqXtEYk)- Oyster Stew Recipe (Inspired By Paula Deen) - May 11, 2023
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