Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice

A little over a year ago, we shared our Instant Pot Ranch Chicken and Rice recipe. I’m shocked by how quickly it grew in popularity.

In less than a year, it became one of our 5 most popular recipes out of almost 600 published recipes to date.

It’s right up there with the Instant Pot Jambalaya, Easy Cinnamon Rolls, and Cranberry Orange Bread. We’ve received lots of comments about it, along with some questions, and variations.

Some people have even requested a buffalo chicken version. If you like our Instant Pot Chicken and Rice, Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice, or Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice may be right up your alley!

The recipes are prepared in similar ways, and the only major differences are a couple of ingredients. It’s a great way to add some variation to weekly dinners or use as meal prep for lunches.

How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice:

Turn on the Instant Pot using the “saute” function. While you wait for the liner to get hot, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

When the stainless steel liner gets hot, add the oil and the chicken. Cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, just long enough to brown it. Remove the chicken, and set it aside.

Next, add the onions. Use a wooden spoon to stir the onions, and cook until the they begin to soften.

The moisture from the onions should be enough to loosen any browned bits that may be stuck to liner. If not, pour in 1/4 cup of water or broth to loosen the bits and scrape the up.

Make sure all the bits are removed from the liner before moving to the next step. This is called deglazing. If the stainless steel liner isn’t properly deglazed before the food is pressurized, the food is more likely to stick and burn.

After the onions cook and the liner is deglazed, add the chicken breasts back to the liner. Pour the rice in next. I try to pour the rice around the chicken, so it will get submerged into the broth.

Add the broth next, and use a spoon or spatula to press the rice below the broth. Last, add half the buffalo sauce (1/4 cup) to the liner.

I pour this directly onto the chicken. Don’t stir any of the ingredients!

Close the lid (check to be sure the seal is in place), and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. After the 8 minutes is up, let the pressure release on its own for 10 minutes (natural pressure release) before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.

*While the Instant Pot is completing the natural release, I turn it off completely. In my experience, the heat from the keep warm setting is enough to continue to cook the rice and dry it out causing it to stick.

Remove the lid, and use two forks to shred the chicken. Alternatively, use tongs to transfer the chicken out to a waiting plate or cutting board, shred it, and return it to the liner.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Stir to combine. Top the chicken and rice with shredded cheese.

Place the lid back on the Instant Pot, and make sure it’s set to “keep warm.” The residual heat from the “keep warm” setting will melt the cheese.

It usually takes about 5 minutes. Since we’ve added some moisture to the liner, the rice isn’t likely to dry out and stick. Remove the lid and serve!

Tips for Successful Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken and Rice:

• If your Instant Pot has a history of burning rice or rice has a tendency to stick, make sure to deglaze the liner well. Consider adding a touch of extra cooking oil or a bit of extra broth. Additionally, after the Instant Pot finishes cooking, turn it off and use a microwave, smart phone, or oven timer to keep track of the 10 minute natural pressure release. This keeps the rice from drying out.
• Adjust the buffalo sauce and ranch to your tastes! This is so important, because we want you to enjoy the recipe. The amount of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing does not have an impact on the cooking process, so add more or less to taste. The same goes for the cheese.
• Use bleu cheese instead of ranch. Bleu cheese dressing is a popular option that pairs well with buffalo chicken. Swap it out for the ranch dressing if you like. Using a ranch dressing dry mix (or a partial packet of dry mix) is also a great idea instead of using bottled ranch dressing. Just sprinkle it over the chicken along with the buffalo sauce before it’s cooked.
• Substitutes for long grain white rice? The only thing that might work (we haven’t tested it) is instant brown rice with very thinly sliced chicken or chicken cut into small pieces before it’s cooked.
  • The Minute rice doesn’t require a natural pressure release which may cause the chicken to become rubbery. It’s very important to cut the chicken small/thin enough so it’s thoroughly cooked.
  • Long grain brown rice takes too long to cook, so we don’t recommend it. Instant white rice cooks too quickly, so it isn’t recommended either.
• Frozen chicken? We haven’t tried this Instant Pot buffalo chicken and rice recipe using frozen chicken. However, readers have commented on our other recipes with similar preparation and ingredients that frozen chicken works well. It may take longer to come to pressure, though, and the rice may be a little softer.

Other recipes you may love:

• Taco Casserole
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Italian Sausage Sandwich
• Baked Brats
• Lemon Pasta