Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole is creamy cheesy comfort food made with chicken, broccoli, rice and cheese, but made in the Instant Pot for a quick and easy one-pot meal.
This recipe is perfect when you want delicious cheesy comfort food …. fast! Broccoli Cheese Chicken and Rice Casserole or Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole is one of the most popular comfort foods, making it family friendly. For a high protein, whole grain version of this comfort food, it can be found at Chicken Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole on this website.
Table of Contents
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
- What Ingredients Do I Need To Make This Recipe?
- How To Make Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
- FAQs – Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
- What To Serve With Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole?
- Other Casserole Recipes You May Enjoy
- Other Instant Pot Recipes You May Enjoy
- Recipe
- Reviews
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
The difference between this Broccoli Cheese Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe and other traditional recipes is that this one is pressure cooked in an Instant Pot pressure cooker making it a one-pot meal that is ready in under 30 minutes! It is now one of my favorite Instant Pot Recipes.
There are so many things to love about this recipe.
- Comfort Food. It is creamy and cheesy with amazing flavor! It is pure comfort food that feels like you receive a big hug when you eat it.
- Flavor. This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is similar to the traditional but includes Worcestershire and Ranch Seasoning Mix to add additional flavor.
- Family friendly. It is traditionally a very popular casserole that the whole family can enjoy.
- No Canned Soups. It has NO CANNED SOUPS making it a little more wholesome.
- Quick and Easy. It is quick and easy to make in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, in which it will be ready in under 30 minutes.
- Easy Clean Up. It makes for fast and easy clean up since there is only one pot to wash.
- Use Leftover Chicken or Turkey. This is a great recipe to use leftovers. At Thanksgiving, it is a great way to use up leftover turkey.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make This Recipe?
You will need ingredients that you probably already have in your refrigerator, freezer, or pantry, including chicken breasts, broccoli (fresh or frozen), white rice, onion, garlic, chicken broth, Worcestershire, milk, flour, salt and pepper, and ranch seasoning mix. See the recipe card at the bottom of this article for the detailed list of ingredients with the specified amounts. In addition, see the photograph below of the required ingredients for this recipe.
And, of course, you can’t forget the cheese! I like to use shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
How To Make Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
You will learn how easy it is to make this Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole In the Instant Pot. It takes about half the time as it does in the oven. Below are the step by step instructions, along with step by step photos of how to make Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole. For more detailed instructions with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the article. In addition, view the video for more information.
- Sauté the Chicken, Onions, and Garlic. Using the sauté button on the Instant Pot, cook the chicken and onions together in a little oil for about 4 minutes before pressure cooking. Then add a tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Season The Chicken. Add the salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning mix to the chicken.
- Add The Liquid. Add the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add The Rice. Add the uncooked white rice and stir until it is covered by the broth.
- Pressure cook. Press cancel to stop the sauté function. Secure the lid. Move the pressure valve to the sealing position. Press the pressure cook button or manual cook button and adjust the time to pressure cook for 5 minutes. (It will take about 8 – 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before the pressure cooking starts.)
- Make A Slurry. While the Chicken and Rice are cooking, stir together the milk and flour to make a slurry. Set aside until after the chicken and rice have finished pressure cooking.
- Quick Release. After the Instant Pot has finished the pressure cooking cycle, let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then, using a long-handled spoon move the pressure valve to the venting position, to do a quick release of pressure. Carefully, remove the lid.
- Add Slurry. Immediately pour the milk and flour slurry into the chicken and rice mixture and stir.
- Add Broccoli. Add the broccoli to the chicken and rice.
- Add Cheese. Add the shredded cheese to the Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole.
- Stir. Stir everything together until it is well combined and the broccoli and cheese have been evenly distributed throughout the chicken and rice mixture.
- When the Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole is finished, it will look like a creamy cheesy broccoli cheese casserole like the photo below.
FAQs – Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs?
- Either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs can be used in this recipe. I recommend that whichever one they use that they be boneless and skinless.
Can I use Frozen Chicken?
- Yes, you can use frozen chicken. Skip the sauté step and use the same amount of time. It may take longer for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. So just be patient.
Can I Skip The Saute Step?
- Yes, you can skip the sauté step, however, the result may not be quite as flavorful as if you had sautéed first.
Can I Use Brown Rice?
- Yes, you can use brown rice but will need to make a couple of adjustments. Add an additional 1/4 cup water for each cup of brown rice and increase the pressure cook time to 8 minutes.
Can I Add The Broccoli At the Beginning?
- The broccoli cooks much faster and may turn to mush if overcooked. To avoid overcooking the broccoli, it is added after the chicken and rice have been pressure-cooked. The heat from the chicken and rice mixture will heat the broccoli and melt the cheese.
Can I Freeze This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole?
- I don’t recommend freezing this casserole because the rice and the dairy don’t thaw well. Keep leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole?
- Green Salad
- Soup
- Crusty Bread
Other Casserole Recipes You May Enjoy
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta – A baked casserole with Chicken, bacon, pasta in a creamy cheesy ranch-flavored sauce.
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole – A vintage cheesy Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole with layers of tortillas and chicken!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole – An easy family friendly chicken casserole with chicken pasta, bacon and ranch seasoning.
Other Instant Pot Recipes You May Enjoy
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Recipe
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole
Ingredients
Add BEFORE Pressure Cooking
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (See Note Below)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 packet ranch seasoning mix
- 1-1/2 cups white rice (See Note Below)
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
Add AFTER Pressure Cooking
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1-1/2 cups frozen broccoli (See Note Below)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Wait until the front of the Instant Pot says "Hot," then add oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken breast cubes and chopped onion. Cook until the chicken is mostly white instead of pink and the onion is softened, about 3 – 4 minutes.
- Then add a tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pot with a spatula to remove any food particles to prevent them from scorching.
- Add the uncooked white rice, and stir.
- Then add salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning mix. Do not stir.
- Press cancel to stop the sauté function. Secure the lid. Move the pressure valve to the sealing position. Press the pressure cook button or manual cook button, select high pressure, and adjust the time to pressure cook for 5 minutes. (It will take about 8 – 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before the pressure cooking starts.)
- While the Chicken and Rice are cooking, in a small bowl, stir together the milk and flour to make a slurry. Set aside until after the chicken and rice have finished pressure cooking.
- While the chicken and rice are cooking, run hot water over the frozen broccoli to thaw. Drain the broccoli.
- After the Instant Pot has finished the pressure cooking cycle, let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then, using a long-handled spoon move the pressure valve to the venting position, to do a quick release of pressure. Wait for the pin to drop. Then carefully, remove the lid.
- Immediately pour the milk and flour slurry into the chicken and rice mixture and stir.
- Add the thawed broccoli to the chicken and rice.
- Add the shredded cheese to the Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole.
- Stir everything together until it is well combined and the broccoli and cheese have been evenly distributed throughout the chicken and rice mixture.
Video
Notes
- Use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs as long as they are boneless and skinless and cut into cubes.
- I recommend rinsing the rice before adding to the Instant Pot. I have experienced better results with the texture of the rice when I have done that.
- To use brown rice instead of white rice, increase time to 8 minutes and increase the water by 1/4 cup for each 1 cup of brown rice.
- I used frozen broccoli. Before adding the broccoli to the casserole, rinse the broccoli in hot water to thaw.
- Don’t add broccoli at the same time as the chicken it will overcook.
- Add broccoli only after the chicken and rice have finished cooking. The heat of the chicken and rice mixture will heat the broccoli and melt the cheese.
- To avoid getting the “Burn” message, be sure to deglaze the pot after browning the chicken and cooking the garlic by adding the liquid and scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any food particles that might scorch. Add the seasonings in the order specified but do not stir. This will also help to prevent receiving the Burn notice.
Angela Burns says
I have made this several times and it’s my go-to for comfort food. The few changes I make is I omit the ranch seasoning as I’m not a fan of ranch. I also use converted rice instead of regular. I made this yesterday and had some finely chopped celery left over from making chicken salad. I sauted that along with the onion and garlic. I used a rotisserie chicken instead of fresh chicken, too.
Michele says
Hi Angela,
I’m glad this is your go-to comfort food recipe. Also, it’s helpful to others to know that they can make slight adjustments to customize the recipe to their taste.
Thanks,
Michele
Emily Relic says
How would you change the recipe for fresh broccoli?
Michele says
HiEmily,
Surprisingly, fresh broccoli has to cook longer than frozen broccoli. I have not tried this recipe with fresh broccoli, but since it requires longer cooking, I would try adding the fresh broccoli during step 4, and cook it with the chicken and rice.
Thanks,
Michele
Hannah says
I just made this with fresh broccoli, definitely recommend precooking the broccoli then add it in with the cheese!! Really amazing recipe!
Erika says
I love this recipe! Fast, easy, and delicious! I am wondering if it can be doubled and what adjustments to try to do so?
Michele says
Hi Erika,
I’m so glad you love this recipe. That’s great. I have not tried doubling this recipe in the Instant Pot. However, the main thing is that your Instant Pot is large enough. All ingredients, including liquids, need to stay BELOW the fill line of the Instant Pot.
Thanks,
Michele
Amanda Graybill says
when do you add the onions?
Michele says
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for the question. You add the chopped onions in step one, just after the oil is hot, and at the same time as you add the chicken. I hope that helps.
Michele
Devin Rae says
What about minute rice?
Michele says
Hi Devin,
I have not tried it with minute rice. That cooks much faster than regular rice, and I don’t recommend cooking in an Instant Pot. I recommend using regular white rice.
Thanks,
Michele