We love getting the best out of our Instant Pot pressure cooker, and this recipe delivers tender chunks of boneless chicken breast with perfectly cooked white rice, all smothered in a creamy and vibrant sauce bursting with the zesty flavor of fresh lemon. With only a few minutes of preparation and a short cooking time, this meal is on your plate and ready to enjoy in about a half hour.
With minimal prep and only one pot to clean up, this dish is sure to become a family favorite!
Why I Love This Recipe
I love the simplicity of this recipe and the results are awesome. I’m a huge fan of just about anything that is “chicken and rice”. You name it, and it’s likely gonna be a meal that I’ll enjoy. It’s the perfect combination of ingredients and can be filled out with any number of additional ingredients and flavor profiles. For this recipe, we flavor it with a delicious, creamy lemon sauce that will make your taste buds dance for joy. Then, at the very end, we toss in some frozen peas which will warm up and provide the perfect accompaniment to the whole dish.
Every time I make this, I serve myself a bowl full, and then undoubtedly wind up filling the bowl with a 2nd helping after I’ve gobbled up the first. Yeah, it’s that good!
Ingredients
I always like to keep things simple and this recipe is no different. Our ingredient list includes:
- Fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast
- White rice
- Chicken broth
- Fresh onion and garlic
- Italian blend seasoning, salt, pepper
- Fresh lemon
- Heavy cream
- Frozen peas
We’ll also use a splash of olive oil during the sauteeing of the chicken. At the end I like to add fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese. But we’ll leave those optional ingredients up to you. The recipe, as written, will be awesome – I promise!
Preparation
In staying with the keeping things simple theme… we’ll dice some chicken, dice some onion, and mince some garlic. Ok, the hard part is done. Now toss the chicken with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning until well coated. There it is, now it’s time to get cooking!
Easy Instant Pot Cooking
We start by sauteing the chicken and onion for a few minutes, followed by the garlic for an additional minute. It’s important to add the garlic at the end of sauteeing, as it can burn easily and we only want to have it go for about 1 minute.
After sauteing, we’ll add in the broth and rice, close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the 6 minutes are up, let the pressure naturally release (do nothing) for 3 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
When the pin drops, carefully remove the lid and give everything a good stir. Now, slowly pour in the cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and continue to stir well to combine. Finally, stir in the frozen peas and then let it sit for 2 minutes. This will warm up the peas perfectly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the creamy lemon chicken and rice in bowls and top with fresh chopped Italian parsley. I’m a huge fan of the Italian parsley on this dish as it adds that perfect complement to the lemon and garlic flavors.
Parmesan cheese is another wonderful addition. It adds additional richness to the overall texture and further deepens the creamy flavors.
Keep some extra lemon wedges on hand if you want an extra dash of tangy vibrance. And of course, add salt and pepper to taste.
Goes Well With…
The creamy lemon chicken and rice dish has a lot of flavors and textures, so it would pair well with a variety of side dishes. Some excellent suggestions are…
Roasted vegetables. Some of our favorites include:
Air Fryer Asparagus. Asparagus is gently seasoned and roasted to perfection in your air fryer. This goes excellent with the chicken and rice!
Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini and Peppers. Another great air fryer recipe and the perfect companion to our dish.
Our Oven Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan is another wonderful option.
I also like to enjoy a fresh green salad with this dish. A delicious fresh salad and a warm bowl of the creamy chicken and rice really makes for a great lunch or dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. While the quarter cup of heavy cream provides an excellent, silky, creamy texture, we can get good results with a couple of different substitutions.
Regular milk can be used, but it’s recommended to add a tablespoon or two of butter along with it to provide fat. Since the chicken breast is so lean, the fat from the butter (or cream) adds a much-needed richness.
Greek yogurt or sour cream. These can also be used as a substitute for heavy cream, but be careful when adding them to the hot dish. If the dish is still too hot curdling can occur. You might want to temper them first by mixing a small amount of warm water with the yogurt or sour cream before adding them to the pot.
You can also use coconut cream or coconut milk, just be aware that the dish will take on the flavor of the coconut. Add in small amounts until desired consistency.
While the answer is yes, the increased food amount can affect the time for the pot to come to pressure, thus affecting the cooking of the rice. If you double the recipe, reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes instead of 6.
Absolutely? This is a dish where you can really get creative with add-ins. If you have frozen mixed vegetables, add them right in as you would the peas at the end! Leftover cooked broccoli or asparagus are also excellent. Again, add them at the end.
Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes. Add a splash of water to rehydrate if necessary.
It sure can. Make sure it’s cooled and add to freezer-safe, airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Absolutely yes!
Recipe
Best Damn Instant Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings
Description
Make a delicious dinner in under 30 minutes with this easy Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken and Rice recipe! Tender chunks of chicken breast with white rice and a vibrant, creamy lemon sauce. Perfect for a quick and comforting meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 medium onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about lemons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture onto the chicken pieces.
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function (high) and let it heat up. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, followed by the chicken and diced onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
- Press cancel to stop the sauté process, add half the broth, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any stuck-on bits, then add remaining broth and rice.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing position. Set the Instant Pot pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- When the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for 3 minutes (do nothing), then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, stirring gently to combine.
- Stir in the frozen peas and let the residual heat warm them up for about 2 minutes.
- Serve the creamy lemon chicken and rice in bowls, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ale Swan says
I followed the directions, but this recipe didn’t really work for us. I think there was too much lemon zest and lemon juice and the recipe could have been improved by specifying the teaspoons or tablespoons of lemon zest needed. Perhaps my lemon was too big as per the previous poster? I also thought the dish could have used a more chicken-y flavor. I used Swanson low sodium chicken broth and Purdue organic chicken breasts. I definitely had no find in the pot and the chicken tasted slightly over cooked and I had sautéed the chicken and onions for exactly 4 minutes. The dish was a little overly thin – maybe using slightly less cream would solve that? I really wanted to like this as it sounded simple and easy but it just didn’t come together as I had hoped.
Teresa says
I have to admit I was skeptical about the rice being either over or under done. It was perfect! Very tasty. My lemon was too big and I shouldn’t have used so much zest yet it was still very good. This is a keeper with so many possible additions. Thank you.
RecipeTeacher says
Thank YOU, Teresa. Yeah it’s definitely a recipe that you can have fun with customizing and making various additions. I’m glad you liked it!
Lindq says
Can I use cauliflower rice instead of rice for a low carb alternative?
RecipeTeacher says
So I’ve not experimented with alternative rice options for this recipe. My concern would mostly be overcooking them. But could be worth a try.
Dee says
I made this tonight and it was delicious as I find all your recipes. I followed the recipe exactly but it turned out a little wet. i rechecked the post and in your FAQ’s you said 1/4 cup cream but the recipe itself says 1/2 cup. just wondering which is correct.
Barb says
Quick question, when I make rice, I use 1 cup broth to 1 cup rice, 6 minutes on HIGH, Warm OFF, and then NPR for 10 minutes. Comes out perfect every time.
But I see that you use 2 cups broth to 1 cup rice. Will the additional broth get ‘sopped’ up by the rice as it further cooks or does it become very saucy?
Thanks
RecipeTeacher says
So with the added ingredients as well as the creamy lemon sauce, the extra broth/ratio is needed.
Barb says
Thanks very much, look forward to making this.
Josephine B says
Hi Barb, I’m new to Instant Pot cooking and I’m wondering what you mean by NPR? Could you please enlighten me. Thank you.
Josephine B says
Hi Barb, no worries, I’ve now found that it means “Natural Pressure Release”. Thank you anyway.