Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is a fast and easy one-pot meal. With simple ingredients like rice, chicken, egg, carrots and peas, your family will love this savoury recipe! Perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch!
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is quickly becoming a go-to recipe for my lunch meal prep. It’s incredibly easy to throw together and even my 5-year-old likes it as a hot school lunch. I know what you’re thinking – this rice isn’t actually fried. I know, I know. But this recipe is a great option if you don’t have leftover cooked rice!
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is awesome because
- it requires just 10 ingredients (plus garnishes)
- it’s made in one pot – even the egg is scrambled in the Instant Pot!
- there’s minimal prep work
- you only need about 30 minutes to make it
No need for takeout when you have this recipe!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make it. See the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
- Vegetable oil – for sautéing
- Eggs
- Garlic
- Chicken broth – 1 1/4 cups; normally you would use a 1:1 ratio rice to liquid, but the chicken and carrots release liquid during cooking and add to the broth. I tested with 1 1/2 cups broth and found the dish had too much moisture for a “fried” rice.
- Chicken breast
- Carrots
- Jasmine rice – rinsed really well until the water is clear. You want to remove as much starch as possible so the texture of the rice won’t be too sticky.
- Frozen green peas – I run them under warm water and drain thoroughly before stirring them into the cooked rice.
- Soy sauce – or wheat-free tamari, if gluten free. Use a low-sodium variety and adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Sesame oil – to add nice flavour
- Green onion & hot sauce – for garnish, optional
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Scramble the egg. Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the whisked egg and use a spatula to push it around until it’s scrambled and cooked through. Transfer the egg to a plate and set aside. There may be some egg stuck to the bottom of the insert – that’s okay at this step.
Step 2: Heat another teaspoon of vegetable oil, then add the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for about a minute, until fragrant. Turn off the Sauté function, then pour in a small amount of chicken broth and use a spatula to deglaze the insert. Scrape up every bit of food that is stuck to the bottom. This will prevent a burn warning.
Step 3: Add the remaining broth, then evenly layer the diced chicken breast, diced carrots and rice (in this order). Push the rice into the broth so it’s submerged, but do not stir.
Step 4: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to sealing. Cook on Manual High pressure for 3 minutes with the keep warming setting turned off. At the end of cooking time, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
Step 5: Mix in the soy sauce and sesame oil until the rice is evenly coated, then stir in the peas and reserved scrambled egg. Set the lid askew on the pot for a minute or two to let the peas and egg warm up. Serve immediately with your chosen garnishes or divide into meal prep containers. Be sure to let the rice cool completely before refrigerating. Eat within 4 days.
Tips for Success
1. Rinse the rice very well. This will remove excess starch and reduce the stickiness of the cooked dish.
2. Use a long-grain white rice. My preference is jasmine rice, but generic long-grain white should work, too. Note that I find generic white rice can turn out more “mushy” than jasmine. I suspect it’s a quality thing. Brown rice requires a much longer cooking time, so will not work with this recipe. If you use basmati, I would add a minute of cook time as I find it stays more al dente than jasmine.
3. Deglaze the insert. Do not skip this step! If there’s any food stuck to the bottom of the insert, you may get a burn warning.
4. Submerge the rice in the broth. Be sure all the rice is pushed into the broth. This will help it cook evenly.
Other Instant Pot recipes you may enjoy
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 lb uncooked chicken breast, 1/2-inch dice
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed very well until water runs clear (see notes 1 and 2 for important tips)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce or wheat-free tamari (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Garnish
- sliced green onion (optional)
- hot sauce, sriracha pairs well (optional)
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Warm 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil, then add the whisked eggs. Push the eggs around with a spatula to scramble them until fully cooked. Transfer the eggs to a plate and set aside. It's okay if there's a bit of egg stuck to the bottom of the insert.
- Heat another teaspoon of vegetable oil in the insert and add the minced garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant (about a minute), stirring frequently. Turn off the Sauté function, then pour in a small amount of chicken broth and use a spatula to scrape up every last bit of food stuck to the bottom of the insert. This is important to avoid a burn warning.
- Pour in the remaining broth, then add the diced chicken, diced carrots and rice (in this order). Push the rice down to be just submerged in the broth, but do not stir.
- Close and seal the lid and cook on Manual high pressure for 3 minutes, with the keep warming setting off. At the end of cooking time, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid, then add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir until the rice is well coated. Add the peas and reserved scrambled egg and continue to mix until well combined. Set the lid askew on the pot for a minute or two to let the peas and egg to warm through. Serve immediately with your chosen garnish or divide among 4 storage containers for meal prep. Eat within 4 days.
Notes
- Be sure to rinse the rice very well. I find the easiest way to do this is swirl the rice in a bowl of water until the water is cloudy, drain in a sieve and rinse. Repeat this process until the water is clear when you swirl. The goal is to remove as much starch as possible to prevent a sticky result.
- For best results, I highly recommend a good quality jasmine rice. I find generic long grain white rice results in a mushier texture. If you use basmati, I suggest adding an extra minute of cook time (4 minutes total). Brown rice will not work in this recipe, as it requires a much longer cook time.
- Inactive time indicates time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure.
- This recipe was tested in a 6-qt Instant Pot model.
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I’d love to hear from you!
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Linda says
This is definitely a keeper! Easy to make and so tasty.
Brittney says
Whole family loved this meal, including one picky eater! Super easy, and good leftover.
Laura Lawless, BASc says
So happy to hear that, Brittney! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Selina Guerrero says
Really tasty! Rice was perfectly cooked. A new staple for us. My husband loved it!
Laura Lawless, BASc says
Thanks for the lovely review, Selina! So glad you liked it!
Maegan Lutz says
If I were to double the recipe ingredients to feed more people, how would that impact my times cooking and releasing?
Thank you!!
Laura Lawless, BASc says
Hi Maegan, I haven’t tested a double batch myself, but I believe you will be fine to keep the same cook time (3 minutes) and 10 minutes NPR. It will likely take a bit longer to come to pressure (which means it will cook a bit longer), but I doubt that will meaningfully change the result. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Casey says
When or how could I add broccoli to this recipe?
Laura Lawless, BASc says
Hi Casey, to have the most control over the texture of the broccoli and rice, I would cook broccoli separately and add it at the end. It wouldn’t work to add it at the beginning (it would turn to mush). You could also try stirring in small florets at the end and put the lid back on for a few minutes to steam. The steam from the rice would warm it up, but it may not reach your desired tenderness.