Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice (Printable)
Tender chicken with wild rice and fresh vegetables in a warm, flavorful broth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
07 - 1 cup baby spinach (optional)
→ Grains
08 - 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend (not instant)
→ Liquids
09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (optional)
→ Seasonings
11 - 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
15 - 1 bay leaf
→ Garnish
16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Select Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Drizzle olive oil, then cook onion, carrots, and celery for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms if using, sauté for 1 minute more.
02 - Add wild rice, chicken, chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir well to combine.
03 - Close and seal the lid. Set Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
04 - Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release to remove remaining pressure.
05 - Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return shredded chicken to pot. Stir in baby spinach and heavy cream or coconut milk if using. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes until spinach wilts and soup thickens slightly.
06 - Discard bay leaf. Adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent all day cooking, but you're actually done in 50 minutes flat.
- Wild rice gives you that nutty, almost meaty texture that makes the soup feel substantial without heaviness.
- Everything cooks together in one pot, so cleanup is barely worth mentioning.
02 -
- Don't skip the natural pressure release—quick-releasing straight away can turn your chicken stringy and tough, and it's not worth rushing for.
- Wild rice takes longer to cook than regular rice, which is exactly why it belongs in this soup; the 25-minute pressure time is calculated specifically for it to be tender but not mushy.
03 -
- Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and make the soup feel more considered when you're eating it.
- Don't use instant wild rice—it defeats the purpose and you'll lose that satisfying texture that makes this soup special.