If you’re feeling the pinch of your grocery bill try making this easy chicken and rice recipe. This dump and go, 4 ingredient Instant Pot recipe comes together super fast.
Tight Budget Casserole (Instant Pot)
You can make this chicken and rice recipe for around $10 and it serves 6 people. I like to serve the chicken and rice alongside some frozen vegetables (a dollar a bag at Winco). It’s got 4 main ingredients and it is one of those recipes where you add everything to the pot and then let the Instant Pot do it’s thing. There are several substitution ideas (keep reading) so you can shop from your pantry (which is the cheapest way to shop!).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Campbell’s French Onion Soup–you can also use 2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp of Better than Bouillon Beef or Chicken Base and 1 Tbsp of dry minced onion.
- Raw brown rice–Instead of using brown rice you can use white rice. You’ll need to cut up the chicken into chunks. Pressure cook for 5 minutes with a 5-10 minute natural pressure release.
- Frozen boneless chicken thighs–you can also use bone-in chicken pieces (same cooking time). For chicken breasts, they’ll probably get a bit dried out because of the longer cooking time required for brown rice. If you choose to make this with chicken breasts a better bet is to use white rice instead. Slice the chicken breasts into cutlets and cook for 5 minutes alongside the white rice.
- Campbell’s Beefy Mushroom Soup–Instead of beefy mushroom soup you can also use cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup. Spoon it over the chicken being careful not to get it on the bottom of the pot…this will help prevent the burn error message.
Steps
- Get 2 cups of liquid: Pour the French onion soup into a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Then fill the measuring cup up with water until it reaches the 2 cup line. Pour the liquid into the Instant Pot.
- Add ingredients into pot: Sprinkle the rice into the Instant Pot. Nestle the chicken into the Instant Pot. Pour the beefy mushroom soup over the top of the chicken.
- Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 22 minutes. When time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir. If there is too much liquid replace the lid and let the rice soak up the liquid for about 10 minutes.
- Serve: Serve chicken and rice garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with steamed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with brown rice are Instant Pot Cheater Korean Beef And Brown Rice and Instant Pot Brown Rice Pilaf With Chicken Sausage.
More Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Recipes…
- Texas King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Instant Pot)
- Instant Pot Guilty Pleasure Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Garlic Cheddar Chicken
- Instant Pot Smoky Mountain Casserole
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
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Tight Budget Casserole (Instant Pot)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
If you’re feeling the pinch of your grocery bill try making this easy chicken and rice recipe. This dump and go, 4 ingredient recipe comes together super fast.
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 oz) can Campbells French Onion Soup
- Water
- 1 1/2 cups raw brown rice (see note)
- 6 frozen boneless chicken thighs
- 1 (10.5 oz) can Campbell’s Beefy Mushroom Soup (see note)
Instructions
- Pour the french onion soup into a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Then fill the measuring cup up with water until it reaches the 2 cup line. Pour the liquid into the Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle the rice into the Instant Pot. Nestle the chicken into the Instant Pot. Pour the beefy mushroom soup over the top of the chicken.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 22 minutes. When time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir well. If there is too much liquid replace the lid and let the rice soak up the liquid for about 10 minutes.
- Serve chicken and rice garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Instead of using brown rice you can use white rice. You’ll need to cut up the chicken into chunks. Pressure cook for 5 minutes with a 5-10 minute natural pressure release.
Instead of beefy mushroom soup you can also use cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
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Hi, I do not have an insta pot. Do you think I can bake this in the oven. If so, how long? Thanks!
That is a good question. I’m sure you could bake in the oven. I am thinking you should cover with foil and bake for an hour.
I tried making this recipe today but I received the burn notice. I substituted white rice for the brown and I could not find the Beefy Mushroom soup so I used Cream of Mushroom. Should I have added extra water? I spooned the soup on top of the cubed chicken. I finished cooking it in the oven and my husband and I enjoyed it very much.
★★★★
Oh shoot! Sorry about that. I am not sure but perhaps try a quarter cup extra water next time.
Can I use brown basmati rice instead, that is what I have in the pantry right now.
Yes it should be the same cooking time.
I want to clarify that I’m reading this correctly. Using the recipe as is, with brown rice, we set the cook for 22 minutes, but if we want to use white rice, it’s only 5 minutes. Would chicken even be cooked properly in 5 minutes?
Instead of using brown rice you can use white rice. You’ll need to cut up the chicken into chunks. Pressure cook for 5 minutes with a 5-10 minute natural pressure release.
So do I cook the chicken separate from the rice or the chicken and white rice together?
together
This looks very good. With the high cost of groceries and gas happening right now, I would like to see more “tight budget” recipes like this, either new creations or compiled from your recipe archives. Our budget is really getting squeezed right now. When I saw your Subject, “Tight Budget Casserole” in my email, I opened this right away!
Okay! I think that is a good idea. Here are a few to get you started: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/5-dollar-instant-pot-and-slow-cooker-dinners/ and https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/budget-friendly-instant-pot-meals/
Thanks so much, Karen! I remember seeing those links before, now that I saw them. Looking forward to seeing more budget-friendly recipes. On a side note, your website is my “go-to” website whenever I want to look for something to make with my instant pot and I’m using my instant a lot. I also look forward to your emails every day and can’t wait to open them to see what you’ve come up with! HA! Your recipes are outstanding!
Can I use a pkge of dry onion soup mix and 2 c water?
Of course you can but I would reduce water to 1.5 cups
This is another one that looks absolutely delicious! I’ve never used the french onion soup before, this will be a great opportunity. And, as a bonus, there will be leftovers for the two of us! Thanks for this, looks wonderful.
★★★★★
You’re welcome Debbie! Enjoy!
Hi,
If I just want to make the chicken, how do I do it?
I would eliminate the rice and water. Keep other ingredients the same. Cook for 12 minutes with 10 minute natural pressure release.