Rice-a-Roni Chicken Casserole | Instant Pot recipe

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This easy Chicken Rice-a-Roni casserole is a one-pot meal made with just 5 ingredients, including tender chicken thighs that cook right on top of the rice-a-roni—perfect for whenever you need to stretch a meal.

Instant Pot Rice-a-roni chicken casserole with fresh parsley, lemon wedge, and a tossed salad in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe You get the convenience of rice-a-roni, but we make it a meal by adding protein. It’s a great way to make a budget friendly meal! 

Rice-a-Roni is a staple we keep on hand because it’s a budget-friendly, easy side dish that goes with so many kinds of proteins. For this recipe, we wanted to make a full meal that was ultra easy, one-pot, with minimal ingredients.

We decided to go with chicken thighs, since we love the way they cook up with the little bit longer cook time for Rice-a-Roni. They also give this meal a lot of added flavor though the browning process.

This recipe is definitely a major step up from normal Rice-a-Roni.

Looking for other great one-pot meals? Try our Chicken Cacciatore, Tex-Mex Chili Mac, Ravioli from Frozen, or Chicken Pesto Pasta.

Ingredients for making Instant Pot Rice-a-roni chicken casserole, including chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni, chicken thighs, salt and pepper, butter, lemon, parsley, and water.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

This is an easy shortcut meal to pull together, with just 5 ingredients and no dicing or prep before you get started cooking!  

  • Chicken thighs: You can use between 1 and 2 pounds with no change to the cook time. I like to salt and pepper the chicken before sautéing.
  • Butter: This adds a lot of flavor and is necessary for browning the vermicelli before cooking.
  • Rice-a-roni: We use the regular chicken-flavored rice-a-roni in this recipe.
  • Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice after pressure cooking really brightens up this dish and makes it feel a little more homemade.
  • Parsley: You can use fresh, dehydrated or dried in this recipe. We like to add it for a pop of green to make the finished dish look pretty.
Browning the Rice-a-roni in an Instant Pot for making a casserole, with browned chicken thighs in the background.

How to Make Chicken Rice a Roni Casserole in an Instant Pot

This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

Use the Sauté setting to preheat the pot. While you’re waiting, season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Then melt the butter and brown the chicken on one side. (This is enough for the browning flavor to come through, but you don’t need to cook the chicken through.)

Transfer the chicken to a plate, then add the rice-a-roni until the vermicelli browns. 

Note: The rice-a-roni really absorbs the butter when you add it to the cooking pot, so take care to keep stirring. You can also add another tablespoon or two of butter while browning the vermicelli if you’re worried about scorching.

Also, the browning of the vermicelli is more about looks than about flavor and finished texture, so you can do it for just a minute or two if you’re in a hurry.

Chicken thighs in cooked with Rice-a-roni in and Instant Pot.

Add the water and really scrape the bottom of the to make sure all the flavorful browned bits are incorporated into the liquid.

Stir in 1 or 2 seasoning packets. We prefer the taste of this dish with just one seasoning packet; two seasoning packets were too salty for our taste. If you purchased the low-sodium version, you may prefer using both.

Use a fork to gently lay the chicken thighs on top of the rice. Cook at High Pressure with a 7-minute cook time and a 5 minute natural release.

Overhead picture of rice-a-roni chicken casserole cooked and ready to serve in an Instant Pot.

Dice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add the lemon juice to the rice-a-roni and stir until it’s incorporated and the rice is fluffy. You can serve it by mixing in the chicken or layering the diced chicken on top of the rice, whatever you prefer. 

Serve immediately. Keep in mind that the rice-a-roni will continue to thicken as it cools, so you may want to stir in a little water when you go back for seconds.

Overhead picture of pressure cooker Rice-a-roni chicken casserole served on a white plate and placed on a wooden cutting board, topped with lemon, and fresh parsley.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken and Rice-a-Roni Casserole

Can I use chicken breasts in this recipe?

We recommend chicken thighs in this recipe because they held up better with the cook time and pressure release required for the rice-a-roni. 

You can substitute chicken breasts, if you like, just be aware that the meat may cook up tougher than you prefer.

Can I make this with other flavors of rice-a-roni?

I feel confident that most other flavors of rice-a-roni will work with this simple recipe. (For instance, the Mexican style would work great with a splash of lime in place of the lemon.)

However, I would be hesitant to try this recipe with Cheddar and Broccoli or Creamy Four Cheese, just because creamy recipes can sometimes cause the burn notice.

How to store leftover rice-a-roni chicken casserole?

Place leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge, and they’ll keep in for 3 to 4 days.

I don’t love the texture of this meal frozen and thawed, however, so I don’t recommend it.

A picture of Rice-a-roni chicken casserole plated with a fork, lemon wedge, and fresh parsley, with an Instant Pot and a tossed salad in the background.

MORE Instant Pot Recipes with Chicken Thighs

If you love to cook with chicken thighs in your Instant Pot, you might like:


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Close up picture of a plate of Rice-a-roni chicken casserole made in and Instant Pot, and served with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge.

Rice-a-Roni Chicken Casserole

Servings: 6 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: American
This Instant Pot recipe is ultra easy, one-pot, shortcut meal made with just 5 ingredients, featuring chicken thighs cooked tender on a bed of rice-a-roni.
4.34 from 3 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 packages (6.9 ounces each) chicken-flavored Rice-a-Roni
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon parsley

Instructions

  • Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Select Sauté and preheat the cooking pot. When hot, melt the butter, then add the chicken and brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add the rice-a-roni. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan as you’re cooking, until the vermicelli browns about 5 minutes. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot well, ensuring no browned bits remain. Stir in 1 or 2 seasoning packets, depending on your preference. Add the parsley if using dried.
  • Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice, along with any liquid that has accumulated on the plate. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 7 minutes cook time.
  • When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
  • Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and dice into bite-size pieces. Add the lemon juice and stir and fluff the rice, then return the chicken to the cooking pot and stir until combined. Add the parsley if using fresh.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

*We prefer adding only one seasoning packet; two was too strong for us. However, use what tastes right to you.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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