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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
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.
Melissa W. says
5 stars from our whole family! I needed to add even more time than the notes indicated for the brown rice but it was delish! Will definitely make this again!
Dara says
I am considering getting an instapot, and am looking at recipes to decide if it will do what I want. This recipe is fabulous in that it gives me all the information I didn’t find another recipes: the actual steps to turn on the machine, the time it takes to build up the pressure, etc. I haven’t made the recipe, but this recipe has pretty much convinced me that I am going to try the instapot.
Michele says
Hi Dara,
I’m glad you found this recipe informative. I’m so happy you have decided to get one. I love ours, and use it all the time. For every recipe, the Instant Pot takes time to come to pressure (the time varies each time, (5 min to 20 min or so) depending on the amount of liquid and ingredients), then you have the published pressure cook time. Then it takes time to release pressure (10 min to 30 min.). So for most recipes, you have to add probably at least 20 minutes to the published PRESSURE COOK time. I don’t mind it taking a little longer because it is hands off so you can be doing something else while the Instant Pot does its thing.
Michele
Gen says
I am making this as we speak but after reading this I was wondering…so instead of putting it 5min In pressure cook mode I put 15?? My instant pot doesn’t have a 5min option, only 10 and up. I’m sure I will find out after making but just wanted to know for future reference
Michele says
Hi Gen,
I’m surprised that this model of Instant Pot only has 10 minutes and up as there are a number of recipes that do not require that time. In general, if a recipe requires less than 10 minutes, you could do a quick release after 10 minutes instead of doing a natural release. That will cut the cooking time. I recommend reading the manual to your model to see if there is any manual way to set the time to less than 10 minutes. Good luck.
Thanks,
Michele
Cheryl says
I love that your recipes are well explained, along with procedure, but are not too wordy or condescending in tone. Well done and thank you.
Michele says
Hi Cheryl,
I try to be helpful. I remember what it was like to get a new Instant Pot and read recipes and not understand what they were talking about.. So I try to explain it as thoroughly and clearly as I can.
Thanks,
Michele
Karen San Miguel says
What if using fresh broccoli?
Michele says
Hi Karen,
If you use fresh broccoli, then I recommend adding a step to the recipe. After you have finished pressure cooking the chicken and rice, and have done the natural release (Step 8 in the instructions), remove the lid, and add the broccoli, then put the lid back on, move the pressure release valve to SEALING, and press PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL) for 1 minute. After it has finished pressure cooking then do a quick release. Then continue with the rest of the recipe.
Thanks,
Michele
Sherri says
Is this long grain rice and can basmati rice be used?
Michele says
Hi Sherri,
I used a long grain rice and basmati rice can be used as well. Just follow the instructions as written.
Thanks,
Michele
Ashlye says
Do you think this recipe would work with Velveeta cheese instead of shredded cheese?
Michele says
Hi Ashley,
I have not tried it with Velveeta, but I don’t see why not. Just be sure to add it AFTER everything has finished pressure cooking. Just follow the directions and substitute the Velveeta for the cheese near the end. Let me know how you like it.
Thanks,
Michele
Ida says
This recipe was very easy! It was my first time making rice in the instant pot and I think I added too much, so it didn’t all get cooked. That’s my fault, not the recipe. However, I will be changing one thing the next time I make it: I’m leaving out the ranch packet. Even with just half of the packet, it was too overpowering. It made the recipe very salty and overpowered a lot of the cheese flavor- and I even added extra cheese because who measures shredded cheese! I did use a mild cheddar though, since that’s what I had on hand, so perhaps the combination of the strong ranch flavor and the mild cheddar flavor made for a bad combo. I still think I’ll leave it out next time.
Angelo says
This was good, however I don’t agree with adding raw flour to it at the end mixed with the milk. I think the milk and cheese thicken it up enough. If anything dust the chicken with flour when browning it so the flour cooks and you get rid of the raw flour flavor.
rachel says
This turned out really bland for me. I followed the recipe to a T. I’m not sure what happened. Still good, I just had to add more cheese when eating.
Michele says
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the feedback. You can always add more seasoning, such as a whole packet of ranch seasoning or more salt and pepper, or even cayenne if you like a little spice. However, if it was a lack of cheese flavor, then the type of cheese you use can have a big impact on the flavor. I don’t just mean using cheddar vs mozzarella. I mean if it is a mild, medium, sharp, or extra sharp. In general, the sharper the cheddar the more cheesy flavor it will have in the casserole. Different brands of cheese will have slightly different flavors.
Thanks,
Michele
Lans says
Can you use instant white rice?
Michele says
Hi Lans,
I don’t recommend using instant rice because it will cook too fast and not cook at the same time as everything else.
Thanks,
Michele
Kylie says
This turned out amazing! We had salad with ours. This is definitely going in our recipe book. Thank you you. sharing your recipe with others.
Beth says
I made this tonight and it turned out pretty good. I only had 1 cup of sharp available so I used another cup of mozzarella. I also added real bacon bits. The kids and I really like it. I also used fresh broccoli so I cooked it a bit then added it in to the recipe.
Michele says
Hi Beth,
I’m so glad you and the kids liked it. Those substitutions sound good too.
Thanks,
Michele
Connie says
this recipe says to use ranch in a packet without clarifying how much is in a packet. I’m using a container of ranch not packets which comes in many sizes
Michele says
Hi Connie,
You have a good point. I used a 1-ounce packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix.
Thanks,
Michele
Angela B says
I’ve made this before and am making it again since it was so good. I’m not particularly fond of the ranch flavoring as well as whorcestershire sauce in this receipe, however, so I’m leaving it out this time. Also I’ve shredded a roasterrie chicken that I will add into the rice with sautéed onions. I like to use converted rice (Uncle Ben’s). Do you think I need to adjust the cook time?
Michele says
Hi Angela,
Converted rice may not require as long a cooking time. I recommend reading the package instructions regarding their cook time recommendations compared to regular rice.
Thanks,
Michele
lydia says
you say in the notes to add a 1/4 cup extra of water for each 1 cup of rice when using brown instead of white. is this a typo, and did you mean broth?
Michele says
Hi Lydia,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Yes, it is supposed to say broth instead of water. I corrected that in the notes of the recipe card.
Michele
Sara Beth says
What does Notes number 3 mean? Increase the what by 1/4 a cup for each cup of brown rice?
Michele says
Hi Sara Beth,
Thank you for your question. It looked like some text got deleted. I corrected that to read “increase the water by 1/4 cup for each 1 cup of brown rice.” Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It is corrected.
Michele