Name: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons avocado oil or ghee; 1/2 small yellow onion (diced); 1 shallot (diced); 4 carrots (peeled and diced); 6 garlic cloves (minced); 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless & skinless); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 bay leaf; 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs; 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1 cup long grain white rice; 5 cups low sodium chicken broth; 1 1/2 cups filtered water; 1/2 lemon (juiced); salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste)

Last updated on November 12th, 2019

This Instant Pot chicken and rice soup and is full of so much flavor, can be prepped and made in under 30 minutes and is super thick and creamy. You will love it as a weeknight meal or for any time you want something warm and comforting. It’s gluten free, dairy free, and nut free.

Why is Instant Pot chicken and rice soup so good?

It’s a 30 minute meal. You can prep it and have it cooked all in under 30 minutes!
The texture is spot on. It’s creamy, thick, and almost like a porridge. So warm and comforting.
It lasts all week in the refrigerator… a perfect addition to meal prep.
It’s extremely nourishing and filling due to the rice inside.
You can get creative with veggie add-ins if you’d like. Feel free to add: celery, kale or spinach (at the end), etc.

I particularly love how it’s an all inclusive meal. I sometimes feel like soup just isn’t enough, and I’ll end up eating some rice on the side or topping it off with extra protein.

With this chicken and rice soup though, you will not feel that way at all.

What other soups can I make that are perfect for easy, weeknight meals?

Soup season is seriously the best. I’ve had my butternut squash soup on repeat at our house lately.

It’s made with fresh, roasted butternut squash, nourishing broth, and all of my favorite fall spices. The marriage is seriously delightful, y’all.

Have you had a chance to try my roasted cauliflower soup yet, by the way?

I updated the rest and have improved it ten fold by incorporating the best fresh herbs and blending the soup with fresh lemon juice and nutmeg after it’s done cooking.

They are both delicious, but if you are looking for something heartier and more filling, I would try out this Instant Pot chicken and rice soup instead.

How to make Instant Pot chicken and rice soup

Press the “sauté” setting on your Instant Pot and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Add oil and let it heat for another minute. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Add onions, shallot, and carrots. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes. When the chicken starts to turn white, add bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and spices. Cook until chicken is almost cooked. Press “cancel/off” button.

Add rice and stir well. Add liquids and stir. Close lid, set valve to “sealing” position. Press “manual” or “pressure cook” button and make sure it is set to “high pressure.” Set timer to 4 minutes.

When the timer is done, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Switch the valve to “venting” position to release the remaining pressure and steam.

Open the lid carefully and give everything a nice stir. Add fresh lemon juice and taste for additional salt and pepper. The soup will need both. Serve with chopped parsley.

Variations of this soup

Feel free to top it off or mix in your favorite fresh herbs. Other ideas are: rosemary, thyme, extra parsley, etc.
You can swap out the chicken broth for bone broth… extra nutrients are always a win!
Add extra broth and water if you’d like it to be a thinner consistency
Cook with cauliflower rice instead of white rice!
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Use rotisserie chicken instead to make this soup even faster!

If you aren’t into buying raw chicken or simply have access to Rotisserie chicken in your refrigerator already, feel free to use that instead.

You will add it in with the fresh herbs and immediately add your liquids before closing the lid to cook it.

I prefer chicken chunks in this dish, but if you use Rotisserie chicken, it will be more of a shredded consistency.

More Instant Pot soup recipes like this:

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

Paleo and Whole30 Chili

Creamy, Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Instant Pot Seafood Gumbo