Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

This Instant Pot Chicken Fried rice is amazing! It tastes like a lighter version of takeout fried rice and is simpler than even picking up the phone to order Chinese. And it cooks in 12 minutes! 

Recipe Origins

We’ve been trying to refrain from eating out recently in my home. This is both based off of health reasons, and also for money reasons! Plus, I cook so much food at home anyways that we don’t really have any need to go out. 

I’ve been missing takeout…. Specifically Chinese takeout. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly start to see a bunch of my favorite Chinese specialties being featured on the blog (like this Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken or this Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli)!

I’ve made fried rice at home before, but honestly, it’s normally so much of a hassle. First you have to cook the rice. Then you need to cook the chicken. Then you need to cook them together. It’s a lot of work, and the end result is tasty, but nothing spectacular. 

Then, I had an idea: Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice. If my Instant Pot wasn’t my best friend before (it was) it certainly is now (even more so)! 

This Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is absolutely delicious! You can cook the chicken and the rice all at the same time, in– get this– six minutes. WHAT??!?! Told you you were gonna love it. 

Go ahead and try this recipe at home! The instructions are below and I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂

Why Make this Recipe

1. Chicken Fried Rice in 12 Minutes: You read that right! No more waiting an hour for your Chinese takeout to arrive. Simply follow these easy steps and wait for the 12 minute cook time. Your rice will be done before you know it. 
2. Flavorful Chicken: Marinating the chicken beforehand leads to delicious, tender, flavorful protein that will make you gobble this dish right up
3. Customizable: Whether you want white or brown rice, chicken or shrimp, frozen veggies vs cooked veggies… You can customize this dish to your preference. Whatever version you decide to make, leave a comment below letting me know what you think!

What Ingredients are in this Recipe?

1. Teriyaki Sauce: Simply purchase your favorite brand of teriyaki as a marinade for the chicken. You can omit the teriyaki for a more traditional Fried Rice, but the chicken will have less flavor this way.
2. Sesame Oil: Sesame oil can be found in the oil section of the grocery store, near the olive oils, etc. If you do not have access to sesame oil, you can substitute olive oil. 
3. Long Grain White Rice: This recipe is specifically created for long grain white rice. For instructions on how to use brown rice, see the FAQs below. 
4. Chicken Breast: The recipe calls for 1 lb of raw, cubed chicken breast. You can use fresh or frozen. 
5. Frozen Veggies: I use a blend of peas, carrots, beans, and corn. If you find other vegetables you’d rather use or have leftover, precooked vegetables, you can use those as well. 

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 How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Marinade the Chicken 

Place the cubed in chicken in a bowl along with ½ cup Teriyaki Sauce. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least an hour 

Step 2: Saute 

Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Heat the oil. 

Once heated, crack the eggs into the Instant Pot and scramble. Use a spatula to stir occasionally until the eggs are cooked all the way through. Remove the eggs to a small bowl and set aside. Turn off the SAUTE function

Step 3: Pressure Cook

Add a few tablespoons of chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This is a very important step to preventing a burn notice. 

Add in the rest of the chicken broth, then the rice. Remove the chicken from the teriyaki and discard the marinade. Then put the raw, cubed chicken on top. 

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to cook for 6 minutes on MANUAL. Once the cooking cycle has been completed, allow for a 6 minute natural release. 

Step 4: Add Final Ingredients

Open the lid of the Instant Pot. Add in the soy sauce, the reserved scrambled egg, and the frozen vegetables. Stir. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot (do not turn on) for another 2 minutes to allow the vegetables to thaw. 

It would also be AMAZING topped with yum yum sauce.

Enjoy! Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought! 🙂 

Expert Tips 

• You can replace the frozen veggies with precooked veggies if you wish. Simply add them into the dish at the same time the instructions indicate to add the frozen vegetables. 
• You can omit the chicken if you want. You can also add shrimp in place of the chicken. In this case, cook the shrimp separately and add it into the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients in step 5. 
• Marinate the chicken for as long as possible. 1 hour should be the minimum in order to get you delicious flavor! 

Recipe FAQs 

Can I Change the Meat in the Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice?  

Absolutely! If you want to make this recipe with chicken, that’s awesome. If you don’t like chicken and you’d rather make it with shrimp, that’s alright, too! 

Make sure that you put the meat on top of the rice in the Instant Pot like detailed in the instructions. If you are using shrimp, cook the shrimp separately and add in at the end with the eggs and veggies. 

Do you not like meat or are a vegetarian and want to avoid adding chicken, shrimp, or any other kind of meat? That’s okay, too! 

Simply omit the step of adding the chicken into the Instant Pot. Still cook for the same amount of time. 

What if I Have Frozen Chicken Cubes or Frozen Shrimp? 

If you have frozen meat that you’d like to add into the Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice, you can do that no problem! Your cooking time will not change. 

When the Instant Pot comes to pressure, it thaws whatever is inside. The pressure-building time may be different for frozen versus thawed meat, but the actual cooking time will not change. 

Whether you use frozen meat, thawed meat or no meat, simply add it into the pot and press 6 minutes. You’ll be good to go! 

What Type of Rice is Used for Fried Rice?

The most typical kind of rice to use for fried rice is any type of Long Grain White Rice, specifically Jasmine. 

Long grain white rice is sturdier and tends to hold it’s shape very well. Shorter grain rice (like arborio, for example) is gummier and tends to be stickier. 

For my Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice, I used generic Long Grain White Rice. You can also use Jasmine rice if you prefer. 

Can I Use Brown Rice Instead of White Rice?

Yes, you can! If you’d like to use brown rice, simply sub out the white rice for brown rice. Keep the amount of chicken broth in the pressure cooker the same.

Brown rice is tougher than white rice, though, which means it needs to cook longer in order to soften. You should cook your brown rice for 20 minutes in order to achieve the desired texture.

In this case, I would recommend cooking your meat separately and adding it into the Instant Pot at the end, with the veggies and egg. You don’t want to overcook your chicken by cooking it for 20 minutes. 

What Can I Use Instead of Soy Sauce in Fried Rice? 

Do you not like soy sauce? Or simply don’t have it? That’s alright! There are plenty of options that you can use as a substitution for soy sauce.

The most common in my home is Coconut Aminos, something that I learned while trying the Whole30. You can also use Tamari sauce, fish sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. 

My obvious recommendation would be to use soy sauce (low-sodium preferably!). However, if this is not an option, you can certainly move forward making the recipe with something else. 

Do I Cook the Rice Before Frying? 

When making Chicken Fried Rice the traditional way, yes, you must cook the rice before frying it. 

However, making Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is a little different. You will not need to cook the rice at all before putting it in the pot. 

Your Instant Pot will cook the rice and chicken perfectly all at once. 

Of course, it’s true that this technically isn’t “fried” rice. However, the final product is absolutely delicious and the flavor profile is wonderful. You won’t even know it was cooked differently than what you’re used to! 

If you’re enjoying all the Asian flavors, here’s a few other recipes you should try. Yu Choy Sum is a vegetarian side dish loaded with flavor from the sauce that’s serve over the top. Also,check out What to serve with fried rice incorporates other Asian flavors and can help you decide if you want appetizers, or a main dish to go with the rice and what flavors to choose.

Did you like this recipe? If so, leave a comment on this page telling me what you thought. You can also post a photo of you dish on Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork. 

If you liked this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice recipe, you might also like these other recipes I picked out just for you: 

• Shrimp empadinhas from Brazil 
• 20 Rice Recipes from Around the World
• Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles
• Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Crab Ragoons 
• Egg Rolls