Instant Pot Ranch Chicken and Rice
A deliciously cheesy Instant Pot ranch chicken and rice recipe. All you need is a little ranch seasoning to take your chicken and rice to the next level!
It’s been a bit since we shared a pressure cooker recipe. Kim has been wanting to make something like this for awhile now, but she had to ensure that everything would work well together.
This is especially true when working with a pressure cooker. So, after some experimenting, she’s ready to share her Instant Pot ranch chicken and rice recipe.
Just as the name implies, it’s a spin on the traditional Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe. Adding ranch seasoning and cheese is a simple way to take a simple recipe to the next level.
This recipe is different from Crack Chicken which uses similar ingredients but has a creamy texture due to cream cheese. Ranch chicken and rice is closer to our Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice with ranch seasoning in place of the broccoli.
It’s also very similar to our Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta with a couple of changes and bacon and pasta, of course!
Oh, don’t forget, if you have any issues, there’s a tips section below.
If you love this recipe, then check out our easy Instant Pot buffalo chicken and rice!
How to make Instant Pot Ranch Chicken and Rice:
By now, you should know the drill. Prep first, then cook! Start by gathering all your ingredients and if possible, measure them out. Shred the cheese, dice the onions, etc.
After that, turn your pressure cooker on to the saute function. As it begins to heat, season both sides of your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Now, drizzle the oil into the liner and carefully lay your breasts into the pot. They will need to cook for about five (5) minutes on each.
Once the chicken is done you can remove it from the pot and toss in the diced onion. Again, you’re looking at another five (5) minutes of cook time.
During this process, it’s important to de-glaze the bottom of the liner. Scrape off any food that has tried to stick.
You may need to add a splash of water to the pot to properly de-glaze it. Otherwise, you might receive a burn notice on your ranch chicken.
When the onions are ready, turn off the appliance and put the chicken back into the Instant Pot.
Place the breasts right on top of the diced onions. Grab your ranch seasoning and sprinkle it over the breasts.
Now, it’s time to pour in the uncooked rice and chicken broth. One thing to note here, please make sure the rice is totally submerged beneath the broth.
In other words, no rice should be above the liquid. It’s just one more thing you can do to keep your ranch chicken and rice from burning.
With the liquid added, you can now seal your pressure cooker. Make sure the valve is sealed and set it to Manual/High Pressure cook for eight (8) minutes.
As far as the cook time is concerned, eight (8) minutes is the recommended time for raw chicken (per the Instant Pot website).
Furthermore, when the timer goes off, let the appliance complete a ten (10) minute natural release before opening the valve. Doing so will keep the meat tender. Reducing these times is NOT recommended.
Hang in there, we’re almost done! Okay, with the lid removed, use two (2) forks or tongs to shred the chicken.
Carefully, pour in the heavy cream and add the shredded cheddar. Stir everything together.
That’s it, your Instant Pot ranch chicken and rice is complete! Serve it now or store it in your fridge in a sealed container.
Of course, try and wait for it to cool a little before storing. Kim and I hope you enjoyed the recipe and wish everyone a lovely day 🙂
Instant Pot Ranch Chicken and Rice Tips:
Don’t care for ranch seasoning. That’s okay, there are other seasoning blends you can try. For example, french onion soup (substituting provolone for cheddar) mix or taco seasoning should also work for this recipe.
Play around and see what combination you enjoy the most. If your ranch chicken and rice is too thick then consider adding a little milk or extra heavy cream to thin it out.
Just be aware that it will dull the ranch flavor. On the chance you decide to cook more than one (1) pound of chicken you will need to adjust the cook time accordingly.
But, this can affect how the rice turns out. Try your best to keep the meat to around one (1) pound, if possible.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix, 1 packet
- 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream, half and half or milk will also work
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot onto Saute, and allow to get hot. While the liner is heating, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.½ teaspoon kosher salt1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the oil and chicken to the hot liner. Brown chicken on both sides for about 3-5 minutes then remove from liner.2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Add the diced onions to Instant Pot, and cook until they are soft and translucent (approximately 3-5 minutes). Use the moisture from the onions to deglaze the liner and scrape any food bits from the chicken off the bottom. If needed, pour ¼ cup water or broth to assist with deglazing.1 cup white onion
- Turn off the Instant Pot, and place the chicken back in on top of the onions. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken.1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
- Pour the rice in next, and add the broth last. If necessary, use a wooden spoon or spatula to press the rice into the broth. It’s important that all the rice is submerged in liquid to reduce the chances of a burn notice and to ensure even cooking.1 cup long grain white rice1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Close the lid, and set the valve to sealing. Use the manual/pressure cook button and adjust the time to 8 minutes (6-8 minutes per pound of chicken according to the Instant Pot website). After the time is up, allow a 10 minute natural release before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, and use two forks to shred the chicken. Pour in the heavy cream, half and half, or milk, and add cheese. Stir to combine and until cheese is melted. Serve hot, and top with additional shredded cheese if desired.½ cup heavy cream1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
I tried this recipe last night and it was awesome! I substituted white rice for a blend of purple, red and brown rice and increased the chicken stock to 1 3/4 c and the cooking time to 18 minutes with 10 minutes rest before releasing steam and adding cream and cheddar. It was really good, and a little boost of extra nutrition from the rice blend. I highly recommend this recipe–easy and satisfying.
Hi Jennifer!
That rice swap sounds fantastic! Thanks for explaining the changes needed in case anyone else wants to try it. We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe and hope you have a great day! 🙂
Honestly, when I search Google for Instapot recipes instead of looking in my magazines or other sources, it’s because I need a quick one pot meal, I didn’t have milk or heavy cream because I cook for 8-9 people every day so I used cream of chicken. This is too many steps for 5 kids and a combat vet husband.
I want to make this tonight. I have a little over 2 lbs of chicken breasts. Should I still follow your directions?
Hi Kim! Yes, the instructions would stay the same. Make sure the rice gets submerged in broth/liquid, and try to layer the chicken as evenly as possible. We used chicken that was about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch. It’s it more than that, I’d butterfly it, so it’s thin and cooks all the way through without having to adjust the time (adjusting the time will change how the rice cooks). It’s up to you if you want to double any of the other ingredients (seasoning, cheese, rice, broth, etc.). You don’t have to if you’re only doubling the chicken, but you can and the cook time won’t change. Hope that all makes sense. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
What size Instant Pot was used for this? We have an 8 qt and im not sure how to adjust the recipe to work in it. Thanks!
Hi Courtney! We used this Instant Pot 6-Quart Duo Plus. We haven’t tested this recipe in an 8-quart, so unfortunately I’m unable tell you exactly how to adjust it accordingly. However, I believe an 8-quart requires more liquid to pressurize than a 6-quart. If you happen to have the User’s Manual, the exact amount may be listed in it. The only other thing I can think to mention is that many readers have had success in doubling the recipe. There would be plenty of room in the 8-quart for doubling if you’re interested in doing that. 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
@Kimberly, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Made this tonight after reading all of the great comments. It was easy to follow and turned out great. Saved to my favorites so I can make again! Thanks for the great recipe 😀
Good Morning Andrea, that’s wonderful! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the chicken and rice. Thank you for coming back to comment on the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Used half the ranch mix. Instead of deglazing, fully cleaned out the pot and added rice, broth, onion, then chicken. Added some parsley and cayenne at the end. Very quick and simple! Thank you.
Thank you Tyler. We’re glad you enjoyed the chicken and rice. Thank you again for coming back to comment. Have a great day!
Can anyone help with doubling the recipe and how you alter the time? Thanks
Good Morning Frank, I’ve copied and pasted another user’s comment who explains how she doubles the recipe. Thank you for your comments and we hope you have a lovely day. Oh, if you have any other questions, please let us know.
“Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I doubled the rice and liquid measurements as I knew that would not be enough for our family.
My chicken was not completely thawed from frozen- but was thawed enough to brown on both sides as the recipe states.
I ended up adding everything to the instant pot, except the rice, for 15 minutes. I quick released after that and added the rice- making sure to push it underneath the liquid. I put it back on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 10ish minute natural release. Then followed the recipe as written (added the cream, cheese, etc.) in e future I’m thinking you could lessen the natural release time a bit as the rice was pretty done at that point.
I would definitely make this again, doubling the rice and liquid, as we loved the balance of chicken and rice for us!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!”
Thank you,
John
I’m very new to Instant Pot cooking and I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out tonight. But….I only have brown, minute rice. Should I reduce liquid, cook rice separate then add in when the chicken is done? Thank you for any help/advice!
Hi Tammy! Brown minute rice cooks in the Instant Pot in 5 minutes. We have that recipe here https://www.berlyskitchen.com/instant-pot-minute-brown-rice-recipe/. The ranch chicken and rice would work with brown minute rice if the cook time was reduced from 8 minutes to 5 minutes, and there was no natural release. I have 2 concerns with doing that. First, reducing the cook time may result in undercooked chicken. The chicken would need to be cut into very small, thin pieces in order to cook all the way through. Second, removing the natural release may result in tough chicken pieces. However, we have a couple of other Instant Pot recipes where we’ve done exactly that, and it worked successfully. So, long story short, I’d say it should be ok to use the brown minute rice. Cook for 5 minutes, do not do a natural release. However, make sure the chicken is pre-cut into very small, bite-sized pieces before being cooked. No need to change the liquid amounts. Please let us know how it goes. 🙂 Have a great evening!
Made this for dinner last night and it was soooooo delicious! Perfect comfort food! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Thank you Jaclyn! Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the IP chicken and rice. Thank you again for coming back to comment on the recipe card. Have a lovely day 🙂
Is there something else you can use other than heavy cream, I rarely use heavy cream and I don’t want to buy some to only use it once and it just sits in the fridge. And before you say milk the only milk in my household is oat milk soooo… I mean I have butter and cornstarch but idk. Is there a substitute for the heavy cream?
Good Morning Cristina,
That’s a great question! Kim and I talked and we have 2 options for you to try. Kim suggests leaving out the ranch dressing dry mix and then at step 7 adding liquid Ranch Dressing (start with 1/4-cup) to taste. My suggestion is to substitute 1/4 to 1/2-cup of the oat milk in place of the heavy cream. I hope these suggestions help and wish you a lovely day 🙂
Amazing! Just had this tonight! Even my picky eaters liked it! Thank you!
Thank you Michelle! Kim and I are glad you and your family enjoyed the chicken and rice. Thanks again for coming back to comment on the post. Have a lovely weekend 🙂
I made this tonight. Doubled the recipe except the onion, ranch, salt/pepper, which was the right call. The onion was basically mush from the food processor but it blended better with the rice(husband doesn’t like chunks of onion, even diced). Rice turned out like risotto but it was STILL delicious!! Two thumbs up. Excellent flavor with the onion & ranch.
Good Morning Valerie, thank you for the comment and rating the recipe! We’re glad to hear everything turned well with the ranch chicken and rice. Processing the onions is a great way to add the ingredient so kiddos (and husbands) can still enjoy the dish. Thank you again for coming back to comment on and rate the recipe card, we appreciate it! Have a lovely day 🙂
I made this tonight. Doubled the recipe except the onion, ranch, salt/pepper, which was the right call. The onion was basically mush from the food processor but it blended better with the rice(husband doesn’t like chunks of onion, even diced). Rice turned out like risotto but it was STILL delicious!! Two thumbs up. Excellent flavor with the onion & ranch.
I made this tonight. Doubled the recipe except the onion, ranch, salt/pepper, which was the right call. The onion was basically mush from the food processor but it blended better with the rice(husband doesn’t like chunks of onion, even diced). Rice turned out like risotto but it was STILL delicious!! Two thumbs up. Excellent flavor with the onion & ranch.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I doubled the rice and liquid measurements as I knew that would not be enough for our family.
My chicken was not completely thawed from frozen- but was thawed enough to brown on both sides as the recipe states.
I ended up adding everything to the instant pot, except the rice, for 15 minutes. I quick released after that and added the rice- making sure to push it underneath the liquid. I put it back on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 10ish minute natural release. Then followed the recipe as written (added the cream, cheese, etc.) in e future I’m thinking you could lessen the natural release time a bit as the rice was pretty done at that point.
I would definitely make this again, doubling the rice and liquid, as we loved the balance of chicken and rice for us!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Thank you, Kaylan! Kim and I are glad the adjustments worked for you and your family. We have a small family, so the normal recipe is usually more than enough lol. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe card! We hope you have a lovely day 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I doubled the rice and liquid measurements as I knew that would not be enough for our family.
My chicken was not completely thawed from frozen- but was thawed enough to brown on both sides as the recipe states.
I ended up adding everything to the instant pot, except the rice, for 15 minutes. I quick released after that and added the rice- making sure to push it underneath the liquid. I put it back on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 10ish minute natural release. Then followed the recipe as written (added the cream, cheese, etc.) in e future I’m thinking you could lessen the natural release time a bit as the rice was pretty done at that point.
I would definitely make this again, doubling the rice and liquid, as we loved the balance of chicken and rice for us!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!