You’re going to love this one-pot Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup recipe that is healthy, nourishing, and so easy for a quick lunch or dinner! 

soup with rice in two bowls with gold spoons

Recipe Highlights

  • With lots of vegetables and other anti-inflammatory ingredients, this recipe is perfect for those times of the year when cold and flu viruses are running rampant.
  • A generous amount of fresh lemon juice in the soup just before serving even provides for a decent amount of vitamin C. Don’t miss my other immune-boosting tips for when you’re fighting a cold. 
  • This recipe is perfect for meal prepping because it’s easily re-heatable and can even be frozen to serve in the future.
  • One of the best parts about this recipe is that the rice and the chicken and veggies all get cooked together in the same pot. 

soup ingredients on cookie sheet

Sometimes the simplest ingredients are all you need to have a delicious, hearty meal. Let me show you how easy it is to make this dish. 

Tips

  • You can use butter, ghee, or your choice of cooking oil to cook the chopped celery, onion, and carrots. Don’t skip this step, it adds a lot of flavor to the final dish.
  • You’ll also see that I recommend cutting your chicken into small pieces, at the most 1/2-inches big. That’s because we don’t want to overcook the rice, but we want to make sure the chicken gets cooked through.
  • I used white basmati rice for this recipe, I don’t recommend a short-grain variety for this particular recipe. You’ll also need to rinse the rice before you add it to the pot.

celery and carrots chopped up in a glass bowl

Recipe Steps

Step One

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add your cooking oil.

Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, dried thyme, salt, and pepper and let them cook for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook everything for a few more minutes.

Step Two

Add the rinsed rice, broth, and water, and lock on the lid. Set the time to 8 minutes on high pressure.

Step Three

Remove the lid, stir in the lemon juice, and serve hot.

chicken soup process shots

I think you’re really going to love how hearty, creamy, and flavorful this chicken soup is. The fresh lemon flavor really jumps out and adds so much brightness. I’m pretty sure this dish is mom-approved!

Recommended items for this recipe:

recipe in a white bowl with a sprig of fresh thyme on top

If you’re looking for more easy Instant Pot chicken recipes, then don’t miss my Instant Pot Chicken Recipes round-up, featuring nearly 50 gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Or, check out my Instant Pot Soup Recipes round-up too!

Here’s the printable recipe:

Print

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice

instant pot lemon chicken soup with rice in a white bowl

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice is a comforting and healthy classic recipe that you can serve for lunch or dinner.

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 37 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 6 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1.25 pounds chicken tenders or boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed
  • 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 lemons, juiced

Instructions

  1. Set your 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot to Sauté and add the olive oil. Let it heat up for about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the pot. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir.
  3. Add the dried thyme, chicken, salt, and pepper, and stir again. Let the ingredients sauté for about 2 minutes.
  4. Cancel the Sauté function and add the rinsed rice, chicken broth, and water. Stir one more time and then lock on the lid.
  5. Set the time to 7 minutes on high pressure. Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
  6. Stir in the lemon juice and serve immediately.
  7. Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can freeze the soup for up to 2 months in a tightly sealed container.

Keywords: instant pot chicken soup, instant pot chicken and rice, chicken and rice soup

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