Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Classic chicken and rice soup made quick, easy, and from scratch in the Instant Pot! Pull up to a piping bowl of this soup all fall and winter long… or any time you just need a comforting bowl of homemade goodness.

🍲 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Instant Pot chicken and rice soup is easy, and so delicious! There’s minimal clean up because you’re doing all of the cooking in the Instant Pot. After sautéing the fresh veggies, let the Instant Pot cook everything, then all you have to do is shred the chicken and add it back in! It’s practically foolproof, and minimal clean-up. This easy soup is sure to become a new favorite for busy weeknights!
- There’s nothing more comforting than a warm, hearty bowl of chicken and rice soup on a cold fall or winter day! This Instant Pot chicken and rice soup is packed full of hearty ingredients, like fresh veggies, chicken stock, tender chicken, and white rice. Every spoonful is filling and absolutely delicious. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this tasty soup!
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Once you’ve set the manual cook time, let the Instant Pot do the work! It’ll take about 12 minutes to build up pressure before the cook time starts. If the Instant Pot doesn’t pressurize, double check the sealing ring inside the lid. Make sure it’s in the right place and that it’s not worn out. If either of those things are wrong, your Instant Pot won’t get a good seal and won’t pressurize correctly.
- Make sure to scrape across the bottom of the Instant Pot bowl to scrape any bits of food off the bottom before starting the cook time. Doing so keeps the Instant Pot from giving a burn warning, which interferes with the cooking process!

🥣 More Comforting Dishes We Love
- Chili with Rice
- Turnip Green Soup
- Chickarina Soup
- Spaghetti Soup
- Popcorn Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup
- Potato Asparagus Soup
- Escarole Soup

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- large wooden spoon (or silicone spatula)
- tongs
- cutting board
- 2 forks
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ of one medium onion (white or yellow; finely chopped, approximately ½ cup)
- 2 large carrots (approximately 2-2 ½ ounces each; peeled, thinly sliced)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped, approximately 1 ½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 8 ounces each)
- ½ cup long-grain white rice (or basmati rice or jasmine rice)
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté on Normal mode. Add 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil, covering as much of Instant Pot insert as possible. Once oil is hot and shimmery, add ½ of one medium onion, 2 large carrots, and 3 stalks celery. Stir to incorporate.
- Sauté onion, celery, and carrots 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
- Once veggies begin to soften, add 4 cloves garlic ½ teaspoon dried thyme. Stir to incorporate and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.
- After 30 seconds, add 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock to Instant Pot and stir to incorporate, making sure to scrape bottom of Instant Pot with spoon to loosen any vegetables or garlic that may have stuck to insert.
- Add 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ cup long-grain white rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to incorporate rice and seasonings.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 12 minutes. Instant Pot will pressurize, then cook time will begin.
- Once cook time ends, carefully Quick Release internal pressure, then remove lid from Instant Pot and set aside. Use caution – any escaping steam will be very hot.
- Carefully transfer chicken breasts to cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred chicken into smaller pieces, then return shredded chicken to Instant Pot and stir to incorporate.
- Taste soup and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Stir in chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- Chicken Breasts: If you forget to defrost the chicken first, you can use frozen chicken breasts instead. Add 2 minutes to the Manual High Pressure time to ensure the chicken cooks throughly completely.
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.