Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice–creamy risotto-like rice with cheddar, broccoli and (optional) pieces of chicken breast. A one pot family-friendly meal perfect for a busy weeknight.
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice
If you’re a fan of broccoli rice casserole you’re going to love this dish! The creamy, risotto-like rice is a dream and the combination of broccoli and cheddar is a winner. I added in chicken to make it more of a meal and the chicken breast turned out tender and moist thanks to the chicken broth and the moist environment.
A few notes about ingredients:
Arborio Rice: please buy this type of rice to make this dish. The reason we don’t have to use cream of soups or heavy cream to make it creamy is because of this type of rice. I found mine in the bulk section of Winco for about $2.00 a pound.
Chicken: you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the place of breasts, if you prefer. You could even use chicken drumsticks.
Chicken broth: I use Better than Bouillon Chicken Base* in the place of chicken broth. I use 1 tsp of the base per cup of water. I love it!
Cheddar: I buy mild cheddar in a block and grate it at home. I prefer this to the pre-grated cheddar because it melts more naturally and tastes better.
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
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Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Creamy risotto-like rice with cheddar, broccoli and (optional) pieces of chicken breast. A one pot family-friendly meal perfect for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (optional)
- 1 pound fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 6 ounces grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the butter. Swirl the pot around to melt the butter. Once butter is melted add in the onion. Saute the onion for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and rice and stir for 1 minute. Add in 1 cup of the broth and stir for 2 minutes. Add in the remaining broth, the salt and then lay the chicken on top (if using).
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes (high pressure). Once time is up let the pot sit there for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- If using frozen broccoli florets, put them in a colander and run hot water over them for a couple minutes. Shake off the excess water and stir them into the rice. If using fresh broccoli florets you can do one of two things. First and faster idea is to put the florets in a glass bowl with a quarter cup of water and put them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, until the broccoli is steamed and reaches your desired cooked consistency. Second idea is you add the fresh broccoli to the pot after the pressure has released and then put the lid back on and let the broccoli cook on the warm setting with the lid on for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Cut into pieces. Then stir them back into the pot. Stir in the cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste. Scoop onto serving plates and enjoy.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
This recipe is gluten free. Just check your broth to be sure it does not contain gluten.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe with chicken
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 711 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Protein: 38 g
Keywords: one pot meal
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
It was good. Cooked the broccoli in the IP for zero minutes and it was perfectly cooked. Added some garlic powder on top of the chicken. At serving sprinkled lightly with some curry powder. Makes a lot.
★★★★★
Nom nom! sounds perfect!
this has been a staple in my house for YEARS! I hadn’t made it in a while and my husband requested it. So thought that was worthy of a note of appreciation. When I had 3 small children and was working full time simple, semi-prep ahead dinners were a MUST. So thank you!
I’m glad you revisited it! Thanks for your note!
Wow! I made this for dinner tonight and my dad said “I rate this delicious, no exaggeration!”. Thanks for another superb recipe 🙂
★★★★★
I love that! Thanks for sharing Linda. I appreciate the 5 stars 🙂
I prepared this recipe (without chicken) to the letter and everyone was eager for a second helping. Simple and delicious! Looking forward to trying it again with chicken to make a one-pot meal! This will definitely go in the regular rotation- my kids LOVED it.
★★★★★
Thanks Anna! I’m so glad to hear it. Thanks for the 5 stars 🙂
I am going to try this recipe tonight, it sounds delicious. Do you think adding some curry powder would work? Thanks for all your delicious recipes.
Sure! That would be great!
I added the curry powder at the same time as I put back the cut up chicken and the broccoli and the cheese and it was delicious!
★★★★★
Yay!
I love this recipe! I halved it as it’s just me one person, using one chicken breast and a whole head of broccoli so it was more broccoli forward and I added chili flakes. I lightly steam the broccoli (love to keep in it crunchy) separately and add it in with the cheese at the end. Sometimes I use Parmesan cheese which is also really good!
★★★★★
The more broccoli the better!
We absolutely love this meal! My twelve year old, who repeatedly claims he does not like chicken, will ask for this over and over. I had never used Arborio rice prior to this recipe. Can I just say yum yum!! I now keep it on hand in my cabinet.
★★★★★
Winning!!! 👏👏👏
My family really enjoyed this. My daughter took two bites and asked me to make it again. This will be a regular in my meal plan rotation. Thanks!
★★★★★
Winnnnn!!!!
I tried the chicken fried rice recipe , did NOT wash my rice first, and the result was sticky , not fluffy, rice. Should I always wash/rinse any rice first before cooking in Instant Pot? What about arborio rice??
Hi Maurice did you use brown rice? I don’t always rinse rice. In fact I hardly do.
What spices/herbs would you add to this? I was thinking maybe a combo of dried thyme and rosemary? I find that we need to always add flavor to these types of recipes. I don’t want to take time to marinade the chicken. Just hoping to throw it all in the pot at the beginning.
I think a bit of thyme and rosemary sound wonderful.
I use ranch powder
I don’t have Arborio rice, never heard of it , can I use wild mixed rice or brown rice? I have jasmine too but you said no.
Dumb question, I don’t have manual or pressure cook, is it the same as steam? Crockpot Express but I’m getting an IP when/if there’s Amazon days!
For this recipe arborio rice is needed, the reason? it gets super creamy and delicious. others rices won’t do this. I usually find it next to the other rices at the grocery store.
I actually used Jasmine rice and followed the recipe exactly. It was creamy and delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
I have bought my instant pot 3 weeks ago and finally got to try it out today! I tried this recipe and it was easy ,tasty and I liked that it was creamy without being heavy it was a huge hit with the entire family i will definitely make it again
So glad you are here and that you found a recipe that your family enjoyed 🙂
Thank you! This is a great recipe! Anything broccoli is my favorite but this is my current favorite recipe. I found that pressure cooking the broccoli florets for 0 minutes with 1 cup water as the first step worked well for me. I set the cooked broccoli aside in a large bowl, drain the water, and proceed with the recipe in the used pot. I stir in the already cooked broccoli at the end while stirring in the cheese. When I didn’t have time to grate cheddar, I subbed 2 ounces of the pre-shredded Parmesan from Costco and that tasted great too.
★★★★★
Brenda! That is a genius idea!!!
Can I use cheddar cheese soup mix instead of shredded cheese? If so, when would I add it?
I would stir it in at the end or you can plop it on top at the beginning without stirring it in.
I just tried this as my first recipe on my instant pot. Loved it! I gave it to a friend to see how they liked it. He worked in a kitchen before so he’s picky. He loved it! However, he mentioned the chicken was a bit bland. He suggested I marinate it first, but that would mess with how moist the chicken comes out to right? I am new at this. What would your suggestions be?
★★★★★
I think marinating would be a good plan. I don’t think it would affect moistness. Go for it!
Good taste. Very ( too) thick.
★★★★
I have some cooked Shredded chicken from a previous meal. Would you just add it in after the rice cooks?
Yes I’d stir it in after the rice has pressure cooked.
Oven is currently out so I tried making this and burned the butter twice 🙁 Didnt get further than that.
★
Absolutely love this recipe! I’m expecting a little one and was wanting to make a freezer version of this to have postpartum. How do you recommend going about that? I was thinking of making it in the instant pot, but waiting to add the cheese until I bake it later?
★★★★★
Good idea!
Delicious! Everyone in the family loved it. Cooked it with long grain brown rice & frozen chicken thighs for 22 minutes. The chicken fell apart & was incredibly tender. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Awesome Jewels!
Since I am doing weight watchers portion size is paramount. What exactly is 1/6th of the recipe? 1 cup without chicken, 1/2 cup ? thank you
I have made this recipe 3 times and we have loved it. I got pre chopped onions this time and the whole meal turned brown. I’m not really sure why. Maybe they caramelized? Has this ever happened to you?
Hmmm, interesting. I have never had that happen to me. I would assume it was the onions.
I made this recipe with no changes and it was so easy and delicious. My family loved it!! I really love my Instant Pot!!
★★★★★
It’s the greatest, right?!
I have tried this twice now and every single time followed it according to recipe and I keep getting a burn notice. Had to throw it away again
Dang! What kind of pot are you using?
Absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you!
Yay! Glad you liked it.
Can I use frozen chicken? What do I need to adjust if so?
I would use thin fillets of frozen chicken or chicken tenderloins and keep everything the same
Well I’m he dumb newbie that did the fresh broccoli in the microwave AND added to the pot to cook more. It was so confusing for me lol. Even though it turned to mush, the taste is great and just kinda looks like the Knoor/Lipton packets now, but tastes better 😂
★★★★
Oh shoot! Sorry for the confusion.
I got a burn notice :(. What did I do wrong??????
did you deglaze the pot?
How do you deglaze anI IP Thank you in advance
Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NGInSlbtGc
I did step one as written but added in 3 small cans of diced green chilies. After cooking 10 minutes and pulling plug and not releasing steam 10 minutes I opened pot and stirred in 3/4 container of Sour Cream and a 8 oz bag of Monterey Jack. I stirred well and served with a Tbsp Cheddar sprinkled on top. Side note… I cut my 4 Chicken Filets into Med size chunks. It was amazing… a great variation. I added a bit of Garlic Powder and Salt to taste. I loved the creaminess of the Arborio rice!
★★★★★
Sounds so great!
Tastes amazing!!!!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Heidi!
This was my VERY FIRST use of my instant pot! I didn’t change a thing and it was delicious. Thanks for the easy recipe!
★★★★★
Good job Lindsey! Here’s to many more instant pot meals!
Is it ok to use chicken thighs with bone in?
★★★★★
Yeah I bet that would work. Just check the internal temp of the bone in thigh and make sure it’s at least 165.
Is it ok to use chicken thighs with bone in!?
Thanks for this recipe! I’m cooking as we speak but used 1.5 jasmine rice plus 3 cups broth with frozen chicken thighs for 20 mins. Do I need to adjust anything f
I don’t think the jasmine rice will work with such a long cooking time. It will get mushy. Is that what happened?
Delicious! The only change I made was adding 1/2 packet of dry Ranch seasoning in place of the salt and pepper. Great recipe.
★★★★
yum. that sounds awesome!
I added mushrooms and red bell pepper (I sauté them in another pan and transfer) as well as Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. My husband says this is the best thing I’ve ever made! Awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
★★★★★
Wow great ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Absolute fantastic recipe! I also made a modification the 2nd time I made it. I followed the recipe exactly the same except I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth and substituted fresh chopped cremini mushrooms for broccoli. A great variation.
★★★★★
I also left out the chicken for a meatless dish.
Sounds fantastic!!!
Perfect meal for a gloomy day- served it with a green salad on the side. Added sliced mushrooms just because. And it’s DELICIOUS!!!!
★★★★★
We all need meals like this for those gloomy days don’t we?
When you let the pot sit for 10 after 10 minutes of manual/pressure in step 2, do you turn off the warming setting?
no
I’ve made this dish numerous times now and I cannot believe how tasty it comes out every single time. My one and half year old loves it, and I love that it’s the one dish I’ve made with chicken breast that actually makes it juicy rather than dry.
★★★★★
Thank you. This is so nice to hear.
Do you have this recipe for a slow cooker?
not the exact recipe but similar: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/
I can’t find arborio rice. What other kind of rice can I use and do I need to adjust the time?
I haven’t tried it but Bob did and said, “I cooked one cup of long grain white rice with 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 3 chicken thighs on top of the rice, for 8 minutes on High. Perfect!
There is no way you cook broccoli for 20 minutes. It takes 0 minutes. It would be mush. How do you do this?
Please re-read the instructions. Put broccoli in the pot AFTER the pressure is released for 20 mins. It will cook just by being in the very hot pot.
It actually says add broccoli and cook for 20 minutes.
★★★★★
The broccoli is meant to just sit in the instant pot on Keep Warm or Off? And should the lid be closed or can it be open?
I just fixed the recipe so it is clearer. The broccoli can cook on the warm setting with the lid on for 20 minutes.
I”m not familiar with that kind of rice. What’s its benefit/difference over regular white rice.
It’s the kind of rice they use in risotto. It gets creamy. Here is some info I found online to explain, “Because it undergoes less milling than ordinary long-grained rice, it retains more of its natural starch content. Cooking releases this starch, giving risotto its creamy consistency. A pound of arborio rice can absorb up to 6 cups of liquid without becoming mushy.”
I accidentally bought Basmati rice instead of the rice you listed…is this kind ok to use??
check the cooking times on the chart in this post for other types of rice and the ratio of liquid to rice. https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-brown-rice-recipe/
I made this today and after it was done I sprinkled a cracker and butter mixture over it and used my glasss lid so the mixture wouldn’t get mushy. It was delish!!!
★★★★★
YUMMM
Can you double this recipe? I’m new to the instant pot and don’t know all the ins and outs. Thanks!
yes double the ingredients but not the time
Do you think the doubled recipe would fit into a 6 quart IP?
yes I do
If you don’t use chicken, can you add the broccoli in the beginning with the rice and pressure cook? How long?
no the broccoli will be completely mushy. Unfortunately you’ll have to add it in after the rice is cooked.
The rice flavor was nice. Used Jasmine rice and it came out too mushy though. Will have to do the long grain or brown in the future. Can not believe how fast the instant pot cooks stuff. Just geeting used to my new applicance. Wow.
★★★★
Yeah it takes a little to get used to it and how quickly things cook!
When you put the broccoli in at the end, do you have to let it build to pressure again and then do the 20 minutes or can it sit in there on keep warm for 20 minutes?
You don’t do another pressure build. You just let it cook on the keep warm setting.
We loved it!! I used up some left over chicken and vegetables, it turned out great!!
★★★★★
So great to hear this Lisa!
If I were to use brown rice how much time would I need to add?
Brown rice takes 22 minutes to cook.
I tried to leave a comment. I dont think it took. I was asking if I doubled the rice how much longer would I need to cook it for? Thank you.
Hi Rachel, just keep the cooking time the same! Make sure to double the liquid too.
If I wanted to half the recipe do you think anything would have to change?
nope! Should be fine to halve.
I’m a newish instant pot owner. I’d like to replace about 3/4 cup of chicken broth with white wine or vermouth because I’m a little low on broth. Do you think there would be any issues with using alcohol in the IP?
I don’t think so! Try it out!
Sounds great, but I’m making this for my relatives who like white long grain rice. If I make it with long grain rice what subs should I make on time and chicken broth?
★★★★★
Will you be making the chicken breasts with it? If so it’s not going to work I don’t think. The chicken needs 10 minutes of cooking time and the rice needs 3 minutes. If you’re not making the chicken with it you could try the long grain rice. I have never tried that yet so I’m not sure how it will turn out. I would keep the ratios the same…maybe slightly less chicken broth.
I cooked one cup of long grain white rice with 1 1/2 cups of chicken bullion and 3 chicken thighs on top of the rice, for 8 minutes on High. Perfect!
Will the chicken come out shredded looking or do I need to chunk the chicken omit that’s the style I want? And also one I add my frozen broccoli how much longer does it cook?
oops sorry I just fixed the recipe to clarify the chicken part. Just cut it or shred it after it has cooked. If you add the frozen broccoli totally frozen then it will take a few minutes–like 10. If you run hot water over it to warm it it won’t take very long at all, 2-3 minutes.
Cheese and broccoly is a really weird combo, but I love it anyways. Delicious recipe!
★★★★★
I was thinking of using a can of black beans as a protein source instead of chicken to make it more of a full meal but still vegetarian (I’d also use vegetable broth instead of chicken). Do you think I should change any of the cooking instructions with using beans instead of chicken?
No keep instructions the same. And just drain and rinse the beans before adding it in. Should be yummy!
I ended up swapping the chicken and broccoli for cans of black beans and corn (just drained and rinsed both and tossed them in before cooking). Same recipe otherwise and it came out fantastic. I might cut the cook time to 8 minutes next time to give the rice a bit more bite to it but otherwise it was pretty much perfect and a new veggie option for my non-meat days.
★★★★★
I made this recipe on Monday night. Very tasty! I thought it would be a bit bland and was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s not bland at all. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts and a wee bit more broccoli than the recipe called for. Was delicious.
★★★★★
Oh I’m totally a fan of thighs I bet that was amazing!
Can you use frozen chicken breasts in this recipe? Would that change the IP time? Thank you!
I actually made it with frozen and it was fine with the same cooking time!