Rice is a popular side dish for all kinds of recipes all across the globe. Learning how to cook rice in Instant Pot is so much easier than the stovetop version and a foolproof way to get perfectly cooked fluffy rice every single time!
Perfect Instant Pot Rice
Cooking rice in Instant Pot is the kitchen hack (some would call it a life hack) that you didn’t know you needed! With the pressure cooker and my step-by-step guide, you’ll have yourself perfectly cooked, fluffy rice every time.
Rice is budget-friendly, it makes a lot at once which is great for meal prepping throughout the week, and it’s a neutral-tasting grain that absorbs any of the sauces and flavors that surround it. Not only is it a classic side dish but you can use the leftovers in things like chicken broccoli and rice casserole or this stuffed pepper soup. You can also add it to soups, chicken burritos, and chicken stuffed peppers!
Knowing how to cook rice on the stove is worth knowing for sure, but knowing how to use the Instant Pot to cook rice means no having to worry about the water boiling over, or burning rice at the bottom of your pot and absolutely no more hard to bite, chewy, or mushy rice. It’s that simple! We love to use the leftovers for fried rice.
How to Cook Rice in Instant Pot
- Rinse your rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Getting rid of the excess starches that sit on the surface of the grains helps to avoid gluey clumpy rice.
- Add rice, water, and salt to the Instant Pot. Close the lid, set the valve to Sealing.
- Set it to cook on high pressure (or manual, depending on your pressure cooker model) for 3 minutes. It could take up to 10 minutes for it to come to pressure.
- Once the timer goes off and the cooking time is done, you want to do a natural release (which means do nothing) for 10 minutes before turning the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid, allow any extra water to evaporate for a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste then gently fluff up your rice before serving.
Making Brown Rice?
Increase the cooking time to 15 minutes. Still allowing a natural pressure release at the end. The ratio of rice to water stays the same, it’s just that brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.
People have had success cooking brown rice in as little as 10 minutes and as much as 20 minutes. The reason for this is that the altitude of where you live plays a role in how the electric pressure cooker functions. I find 15 minutes to be a happy medium for perfectly cooked brown rice.
Rice to Water Ratio
Rice ratios are the same no matter what type of rice you are using whether it’s basmati rice, jasmine rice, wild rice, or brown rice.
The overall ratio is 1:1, unlike what you’d use for cooking rice on the stove top. Some people have said that this isn’t true across the board in all circumstances. I’ve never had a problem, but to err on the side of caution, you can always use a bit more water and drain it after, if preferred.
Common Questions
Easily double the recipe and use 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of water. Rice grows in bulk, so you’ll need to leave room for expansion. As long as the amount doesn’t go past the halfway mark you should be good. Keep the same cooking time.
If you only need enough for a few servings of rice you can cut the recipe in half using 1/2 cup of rice to 1/2 cup of water and still keep the same cooking time.
A great way to add flavor to rice is to use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. You could also throw in any kind of seasoning you like, such as Italian seasoning, some lemon pepper, paprika, garlic powder, even some taco seasoning!
The Instant Pot comes with a lot of different buttons, and depending on the model, some buttons are different than others. The rice button doesn’t differentiate between white rice and brown rice, so to avoid any miscalculations it’s best to just follow the directions as listed (a tested recipe) to gain the best results.
What to Serve with Rice
The options are endless! The list below is just the beginning because of how versatile rice can be.
- Kung Pao chicken
- Crockpot beef and broccoli
- General Tso chicken
- Parmesan ranch chicken
- Sweet and sour chicken
- Chicken and vegetable stir fry
- Tikka masala
Not sure what to do with your leftover rice? Try Mexican rice pudding or cold rice is actually preferred when making this ham fried rice recipe and my fried rice with pineapple recipe!
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
How to Cook Rice in Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 cups white long grain rice , Jasmine or Basmati
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Add the rice, water and salt into the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid, seal the valve and set the pot to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. It will take about 7-10 minute to come to pressure. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes and then turn the valve to remove any extra pressure.
- Remove the lid and allow the water to evaporate for a minute. Just before serving, gently fluff the rice with a fork. Salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, Asian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Kitchen Tips, Nut-Free, One Pot, Rice, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
