This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup checks all the right boxes: healthy, comforting, and fast. Made in under 35 minutes, this is one of my favorite recipes to make on a busy weeknight when I want a delicious soup fast. No need to cook the rice or chicken in advance, everything from the raw chicken to uncooked rice is cooked in the Instant Pot.
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What Readers Say
“This recipe is insanely good. Flavorful, rich, filling, can’t wait to make this a staple for our family! With our 4th baby on the way I’m all about easy, low-mess recipes that taste great and this fits every category.”
Tierney
Ingredients Needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- 3/4 cup long grain white rice (uncooked)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about one lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts) or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream (or canned coconut milk or skip for a dairy-free soup)
Equipment Needed
- 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot for cooking the soup
- Medium Bowl for shredding the chicken
- 2 Forks for shredding the chicken
Variations and Substitutions
- Dairy-Free Soup: This recipe can be be made into a dairy-free soup by using 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk/cream (from a can, like this) or skipping the cream.
- Use Brown Rice or Wild Rice: White rice cooks fast so it’s the best option for this soup. As explained in my Instant Pot rice cooking guide, brown rice and wild rice both need a longer cooking time. You can use these options instead of white rice; however, you’ll need to adjust the pressure cooking time. For brown rice, cook the soup for 20 minutes. For wild rice, cook the soup for 30 minutes. I also recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts with the longer cooking time, as chicken breasts can dry out easily.
- Use Chicken Thighs: Instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts, use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. This is a frugal and flavorful way to make this soup, as chicken thighs have a more intense chicken flavor and are cheaper than breasts. Trim the fat from the thighs, using kitchen scissors, before cooking. Cook for the same amount of time.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
You’ll also find a printable version of the ingredients and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
Rice Pro Tip: Anytime I cook white rice in the Instant Pot, I rinse the rice under water. This washes away the starches and will provide the best results. Place the uncooked rice in a fine mesh sieve, run it under cold water until the water underneath runs clear (about 1-2 minutes). Set the rice aside and add to the Instant Pot in step 2.
Step 1: Saute the Fresh Veggies
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting by pressing the saute button. Once hot, add the olive oil. Then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Saute the veggies until translucent and slightly soft.
Step 2: Add Mushrooms, Rice, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Parsley, and Broth
Add the mushrooms, rice, and garlic to the pot. Stir to combine the ingredients. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Saute function.
Add the broth to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot, making sure there aren’t any bits left on the bottom.
Burn Notice Pro Tip: Leaving bits stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot may cause the Instant Pot to flash a burn notice when pressure cooking the soup. Avoid this issue by using a wooden spoon and the broth to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom from sautéing the veggies.
Step 3: Salt Chicken & Add to the Instant Pot
Season the chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot.
Step 4: Pressure Cook for 10 Minutes
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes (Manual, High Pressure). Move the valve on top of the lid to Sealed.
Now, sit back and relax as the Instant Pot cooks the soup for 10 minutes. Keep in mind, it will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure before the cooking begins.
Step 5: Natural Release for 10 Minutes
Once the pressure cooking is over, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Quick Release Remaining Pressure
After 10 minutes, move the steam release valve on top of the lid from Sealed to Venting. The remaining steam in the Instant Pot will quickly pour out (don’t burn your hand).
Step 7: Shred Chicken & Add Cream
Remove the cooked chicken from the soup and place in a medium-size bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
Add the heavy cream and taste for seasoning (adding more salt or pepper to taste). Use the Saute function if the soup needs to be heated further after adding the cream.
What to Serve With The Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup can stand alone as a meal or serve it alongside a favorite side dish.
Our Favorite
Side Dish Recipes
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Store leftover soup in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4-5 days. Due to the dairy, this chicken soup recipe does not freeze well.
- Reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stove-top, in a saucepan, until warm. Add more broth (or water) at the time of reheating.
Common Questions Answered
Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl for shredding the chicken
- 2 forks for shredding the chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 celery stalks chopped (1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots chopped (1 cup)
- 1/2 medium white onion chopped (1/2 cup)
- 8 ounces white mushrooms sliced
- 3/4 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about one lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts, depending on size) or chicken thighs
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup heavy cream (see notes for dairy-free option)
Instructions
- Add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Saute the veggies until translucent and slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, uncooked rice, and minced garlic. Stir to combine the ingredients. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Press the Cancel button to turn off the saute function.
- Add the broth to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot, making sure there aren't any bits left on the bottom.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes (Manual, High Pressure). Move the valve on top to Sealed. Now, sit back and relax as the Instant Pot cooks the soup for 10 minutes. Keep in mind, it will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure before the cooking begins.
- Once the pressure cooking is over, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure from the pot for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, perform a quick release: move the steam release valve on top of the lid from Sealed to Venting. The remaining steam in the Instant Pot will quickly pour out. Once all the pressure has been released, open the lid.
- Remove the chicken and shred.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, add the cream, and taste for seasoning (adding more salt or pepper as needed). Use the Saute function if the soup needs to be heated further after adding the cream. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
MY Favorite
Instant Pot Soup Recipes
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Made this tonight and it was a HIT! I did add a bit of dried sage & some poultry seasoning since I always add those spices when making most poultry and after adding the cream I added a 2 dashes of grand nutmeg. Delicious & comforting, this is a soup I will make often!
Yay, Donna! So glad you loved it. The addition of sage and poultry seasoning sounds lovely.
Delicious! I used fat free half & half, and it was creamy and “comforting”!!!!
So glad you loved it, Debbie!
Hi Kristin
I have 2 small non vegetable eaters in my home. Can I do it without? I could manage to hide the onion, maybe celery.
Karen,
I find that the onion and celery will “melt away.” Even when I have large onions like the Salisbury Steak here on the blog, the Instant Pot cooks them down to nothing. Leaving out the carrots won’t change the cook time or consistency 🙂
perfect, thank you!!
HI Kristin, Do you add raw or cooked chicken to the IP? Thank you!
Hey Michelle, Raw chicken :).
I just made this for the first time tonight. I was a little skeptical about adding in the whole cup of heavy cream thinking it would be too rich, but I’m so glad I added it because it made the soup creamy, not heavy at all. It was absolutely delicious! My husband loved it so much he went back for seconds! I did want to ask what your thoughts are about freezing the leftovers since it has heavy cream in it? Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Diana, Yay! I’m so glad you loved the soup, and your hubby did too. For freezing, I would give it a try. Maybe try freezing just a cup of soup and see what happens. You may not run into any issues once the soup is reheated. You may need to add a bit more broth, or water once it’s reheated due to the rice and thickness of the soup.
I’m lazy — it’s why I use the instant pot pressure cooker. I don’t understand this two carrots stuff. My wife and I LOVE the vegetables in soups. I used a one pound package of baby carrots and cut each carrot in half. We aren’t fans of cream soups so I eliminated the cream — added extra chicken broth and it was great. Here’s where extra work comes into play. We prefer a cup of rather finely chopped green onions — everything except the roots. (The onions can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator till needed so I can be lazy again.) Looking forward to cool — soup — weather.
Enjoy the soup, Carl!
So you basically made up your own recipe and posted it here under the guise of a review. Got it.
Hey Joe, I think he was just sharing what he did as a comment and help others who might want to do something differently. He didn’t leave a review (there are no star ratings). He simply left a comment as a community member–we love to hear from our community!
I haven’t had a lot of luck finding recipes for my IP, but this one is a winner! I liked the hint of lemon, may put a dash more the next time I make it. My daughter thought it needed a little more flavor, so I added about a teaspoon of dill. My daughter doesn’t like mushrooms and I dislike pepper, so we left both out. I used half & half instead of heavy cream. It was still very creamy. There are only 3 of us, and we had very little left over.
That’s great to hear, Anne!
This soup is sooo good!! My kids and husband and I all love it, we make it weekly in the winter!
Thanks 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
Yay, Elie! That’s awesome!
Made this tonight. So quick and delicious!! I left out mushrooms and celery because I didn’t have any. Added some lemon pepper seasoning at then end. We loved it! Thanks for sharing!
That sounds like a great addition, yum!
How would substituting long brain brown rice change the cook time?
Hey Janice, Someone else substituted a long rice blend without issue, so you may not need to adjust the cooking time. I’m not sure since I’ve never tried brown rice in the recipe.
I used our new instant pot for the first time and made this. I did make a modification though – I don’t like mushrooms. Instead I chopped up about 1.5 Yukon gold potatoes and put those in with the carrots onions and celery at the beginning. Also used three frozen chicken breasts. We loved it! It made a ton of food and was really hearty and filling – great for the super cold weather we are having!
How long did you cook it using frozen chicken breasts?
Hey Julie, I’m not 100% sure about this, but from my Google searching just now it looks like you would add 5 minutes to the cook time. I’m not sure what will happen with the rice and veggies with this extra five minutes.
I made this last night with a few substitute s:
1) I used 1 tbsp white vinegar instead of lemon juice (forgot to buy a lemon!)
2) as suggested in the notes, I used 1c coconut cream instead of regular cream since we are dairy free
3) I used a long grain rice “blend” bc it’s all we had
The result? AMAZING!!!! My husband is still talking about how it’s the “best soup I’ve made for him”!!!
Thank you for a great recipe!!! A keeper for sure!
That’s awesome, Caitlin! Great work!
Aah, so sorry…didn’t catch it the first time. I see it now. Getting my IP friday! This will be my first ever recipe! Thank you!
No worries ;). Awesome, you’re going to love it! I have a bunch of new IP recipes coming in January, too.
When do you add the rice? Recipe doesn’t say.
Hey Teresa, It’s in step 3, “Add the mushrooms, rice, and garlic. Stir to evenly coat the ingredients. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Press the Cancel button.” Enjoy!!
This was easy to make and super delicious!
Yay, Katie! I’m so glad you liked it.
decided last minute not to add the heavy cream and used wild rice instead. this recipe is QUICK and really delicious! Thank you!!
Awesome, Sharisse! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
We had that soup yesterday for dinner and it was a huge hit! Everybody loved it, even my youngest daughter who usually doesn’t eat soup. New favorite family meal for us!
Oops, I forgot to rate the recipe !
That’s awesome, Charlotte! I’m thrilled to hear that.
This was delicious! I used almond milk in place of the heavy cream for dietary reasons, and it still turned out well. Definitely making this again!
Yay, Julie! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for the note about the almond milk working, too–I’m going to note this in the recipe for dairy-free folks.
Thank you!! I am dieting and do not put cream in anything!! I use almond milk all the time! Thanks for the recommendation!!
Ooooh…this is going on my meal plan next week! Looks so comforting and SO EASY!
The soup looks so rich and creamy! I wish I could take a taste from my screen, definitely trying this on my own this weekend. Thank you for sharing such a healthy recipe, Kristin!
Hey Ushmana Palmo Rai, Yay, I can’t wait to hear what you think! Enjoy!!