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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Stews

    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup Recipe

    Published: Nov 11, 2012 · Modified: Oct 24, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    8396 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This golden, delicious soup takes about 30 minutes to make, fast enough for any night of the week. Try my easy Instant Pot chicken rice soup recipe. Add a green salad (and maybe a grilled cheese sandwich) and dinner's ready. With chicken soup this easy, you can skip anything boxed or canned. 

    chicken rice soup

    The solution to making great chicken rice soup fast is using delicious homemade broth and the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker). By adapting my standard chicken soup recipe, this soup tastes like it simmered all day. Good chicken soup is all about the broth, so let's start there. No homemade broth? Find options below.

    Jump to:
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Serving
    • Homemade Broth
    • Purchased Broth
    • Freezing
    • More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Equipment

    A 6-8 quart Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker or multi-cooker. If you have a stovetop (not electric) pressure cooker, this recipe still works. I originally developed it with a Fagor.

    Ingredients

    I developed this recipe with bone-in chicken breast, but you can use boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs). See the recipe card for measurements.

    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Carrots (peeled and chopped small)
    • Onion (chopped small)
    • Celery (chopped small)
    • Garlic cloves (chopped fine)
    • Uncooked brown rice
    • Chicken broth 
    • A raw chicken breast (bone-in or boneless skinless chicken)
    • Bay leaf
    • Fresh thyme sprigs (
    • Salt
    • Ground black pepper
    • Optional garnishes: chopped dill, lemon wedges, fresh parsley
    Making Chicken Rice Soup in a Pressure Cooker

    Instructions

    Choose the sauté mode on the Instant Pot and set the cook time for 5 minutes. When it's hot, add the olive oil, then the carrot, onion, and celery. At the end of the saute cycle, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

    Next, add the broth, rice, chicken breast (skin and fat removed, cut whole chicken breast in half crosswise), thyme, bay leaf and salt. Lock on the lid, turn the valve to sealing position (closed, to the right), and bring to high pressure. To change from standard low pressure to high pressure, press the pressure button.

    Set cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure and allow a 15 minute natural release. Quick release any remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the left (open). Remove the lid, being careful of the hot steam.

    Substitutions

    If you prefer dark meat to light meat, substitute chicken thighs. Buy 1 pound of boneless skinless thighs and trim any extra fat.

    Other kinds of rice would be good, but I have not tested the timing for other types of rice such as white rice or a wild rice blend (I will next time I make this). White rice should not take any longer, but the wild rice blend could take a couple of minutes longer. Try it at 10 minutes and taste the rice when it's cool enough. If it is too chewy, bring back to high pressure and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

    If you can't get fresh herbs, or substitute dried thyme or Italian seasoning. For garlic powder versus raw garlic, use â…› teaspoon when sautéing the vegetables.

    Serving

    When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the chicken, shred the meat and discard the bones, and add the shredded chicken back into the soup. Ladle into shallow wide soup bowls and enjoy a tummy-warming, soul-satisfying homemade chicken rice soup anyone’s busy schedule can handle.

    Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, or fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon juice to add brightness.

    homemade broth.

    Homemade Broth

    The key to the best flavor and nutrition with this soup is using good homemade chicken broth. I make batches and freeze it for soups, stews, sauces and risotto. No boxed or canned broth compares. And with home made, you control the sodium and other ingredients to insure a healthy, nutritious broth.

    Here are recipe links to my two chicken broth recipes. One, made in about 2 hours, Instant Pot chicken broth, and the other, a long simmered chicken bone broth. This soup is also delicious with rich homemade roasted turkey broth. If you've never made homemade broth, I encourage you to try!

    instant pot chicken broth

    Purchased Broth

    If you don't have time to make broth, read ingredients labels like a hawk. Many store brands are full of unhealthy ingredients and crazy high sodium, but there are some decent ones out there. Also, check out the freezer section for good broths.

    Freezing

    Instant Pot chicken rice soup freezes well in an airtight container and last 3 months in the freezer. Here's a handy chart on how long food safely stores and freezes.

    More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

    Perfect for cooler weather, try these Instant Pot soup recipes: navy bean with ham, creamy curry cauliflower soup, or lentil and vegetable soup.

    📖 Recipe

    chicken rice soup | AFoodCentricLife.com

    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup

    Sally Cameron
    Homemade chicken rice soup, full of flavor and nutrition, in about 30 minutes. This recipe uses a pressure cooker, a busy cook’s best friend. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend you invest in one. Yield: about 2 quarts, 4-6 servings.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Pressure time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 to 6 (yield 2 quarts)
    Calories 225 kcal

    Equipment

    • 6 quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker or stove top pressure cookers

    Ingredients
      

    Chicken Soup

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped small
    • 1 medium onion chopped small
    • 2 ribs celery chopped small
    • 2 garlic cloves chopped fine
    • â…“ cup uncooked brown rice
    • 6 cups chicken broth preferably homemade
    • 1 large bone-in chicken breast cut in half crosswise, skin and fat discarded
    • 2-3 fresh thyme springs or ¼ teaspoon dried
    • 1 bay leaf optional
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Optional Garnishes

    • chopped fresh parsley or dill for garnish
    • Lemon wedges optional

    Instructions
     

    • Turn the Instant Pot on to the saute function. Set the timer for 5 minutes. When it's hot, add the oil, then the carrots, onions and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally so it does not stick on the bottom. Towards the end of the saute cycle, add the garlic and stir.
    • Add the rice, broth, chicken breast, thyme, bay leaf and salt to the pot. Lock lid on and bring to high pressure by pressing the pressure button (it's set for low pressure automatically). Set timer for 10 minutes.
    • When timer beeps, unlock the lid tilting away from you, careful of the hot steam, and remove the chicken breast. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat finely and add back to the pot. Discard the bones. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with parsley or dill and lemon wedges if desired.

    Notes

    Stove top pressure cooking. I originally created this recipe with a Fagor stovetop pressure cooker. Stovetop pressure cookers reach a higher PSI on high pressure, 15 PSI versus around 12 PSI for electric models. 10 minutes works for either type. 
    When the stovetop pressure cooker valve pops up, turn the heat to low, just low enough to maintain high pressure. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure, then turn off heat and allow pot to stand for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes release the rest of the pressure.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 19gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 704mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie says

      April 02, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Can you do this the same way if the chicken is frozen?

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        April 03, 2018 at 12:00 pm

        Hi Angie. I would thaw the chicken first. If it's frozen, place the chicken in a water-tight bag or container and place it in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the chicken is thawed. This is called the fast thaw method. You can also move the frozen chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight to thaw (24 hours). Let me know if that helps.

        Reply
    2. Jenny Brooks says

      July 20, 2016 at 11:44 am

      What a nice chicken rice soup you shared with us! I'll cook it for sure this weekend.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        July 20, 2016 at 12:05 pm

        We just finished eating a batch last night Jenny. So good, easy and healthy. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Elizabeth says

      January 19, 2016 at 5:37 am

      This looks great! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        January 19, 2016 at 9:57 pm

        I've made this so many times Elizabeth. When I have a sick friend who needs a chicken soup delivery, this is how to get it done quick! Good pressure cooker info on your site too but the way. Checked it out. ;). It took my mom 2 days to make her chicken soup. With chicken soup being such good, healthy comfort food, this is how to enjoy it more frequently without long cooking times. Got to love pressure cookers.

        Reply
    4. Kristina says

      December 06, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      I just bought a pressure cooker I made chili last night it was really good!! All u have to do is Google chicken recipes na pressure cooker! 😉

      Reply
    5. Miller says

      July 02, 2015 at 5:40 am

      I have always been a soup fan, and I will definitely add this recipe to my collection!
      Thanks!

      Reply
    6. Jake says

      March 14, 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Hi, Sally, what kind of pressure cooker did you use ?

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        March 14, 2015 at 4:13 pm

        Hi Jake. I have Fagor pressure cookers. Very happy with them.

        Reply
    7. Jen says

      October 25, 2014 at 3:00 pm

      I made this last night. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!!

      Reply
    8. Ellen Scott says

      October 19, 2014 at 8:26 pm

      This soup looks great. I'm looking for more pressure cooker recipes and find some here. Thank you for your sharing. Will be back sometime 🙂

      Reply
    9. Rose says

      December 06, 2012 at 9:06 am

      this soup sound really good, can it be made on the stove or in the oven? I don't have a pressure cooker as we eat mostly vegetarian.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        December 09, 2012 at 6:15 pm

        Hi Rose. Yes, you can make this on the stovetop. It will just take longer. Simmer the chicken breast until it it cooked through (when it reaches an internal temp of 165), then shred the meat and add back to the soup. And be sure the rice is cooked until tender. Another short cut is to use already cooked chicken breast. Just shred the meat and add to the broth and simmer until the rice is tender. You could even use leftover rice of any sort! Wild rice would be nice. You might think about getting a pressure cooker. They are wonderful tools!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Sally, a classically trained chef (but you don't have to be!). My passion is cooking fresh healthy food and sharing it with others.

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