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Updated on Apr 7, 2024
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot rice is a hands-off way to cook fluffy white rice. This foolproof rice recipe helps to make dinner prep easy!
I love cooking rice in my Instant Pot because it requires so little effort! With five young kids, there’s usually a lot going on in my house when I’m cooking dinner. This Instant Pot rice saves my sanity because once I start it cooking, I don’t have to think about it again until I’m ready to plate it up. I don’t have to watch a pot on the stove or worry about a pot bubbling over.
Instead, I get perfect fluffy rice that practically cooks itself! I serve this rice with so many of our favorite meals, from Beef Stir Fry and Teriyaki Chicken to Baked Salmon.
This recipe works to cook any long grain white rice. I most often make Instant Pot jasmine rice or basmati rice. If you want to cook brown rice, see my Instant Pot Brown Rice recipe.
This Instant Pot Rice
- takes just a few minutes of active prep time.
- turns out perfectly cooked and fluffy, every time.
- is so versatile, perfect for serving with stir fries or using in your favorite rice recipes, like Fried Rice.
It came out nice and fluffy. Excellent recipe!!
Jennifer
Rice to Water Ratio
I’ve tested different rice to water ratios and found that a 1 to 1 water to rice ratio works best for Instant Pot rice. This means that for every cup of rice you need one cup of water. Measure carefully, and use the same measuring cup for both the water and the rice so that your measurement is precise.
Why do you need less liquid when pressure cooking rice, compared to cooking rice on the stove? This is because you lose less liquid to evaporation when you use an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Flavor Tip!
For more flavorful rice you can cook the rice in chicken broth, vegetable broth or bone broth instead of water. I recommend using a low sodium broth to limit the amount of salt.
How to Make Instant Pot Rice
Here is an overview of the recipe steps. Find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below. If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, you might find my beginner’s guide on How to Use an Instant Pot helpful.
- Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold running water to remove excess starch. Drain the rice well and then put it in the Instant Pot.
- Add the water and stir to combine.
- Pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. Before setting the cook time, check that the steam release valve is in the sealing position. The pot must be sealed for the rice to cook properly.
- Natural release. After the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by just leaving the Instant Pot alone. Don’t skip the natural release – it’s essential for fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. It also helps to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Rice Setting
I prefer to cook rice using the manual pressure cook setting, not the rice setting. The Instant Pot rice setting is a preset program that cooks for about 12 minutes at low pressure. It can only be used for white rice. I’ve tested cooking white rice using the rice button, and prefer to use the 4 minutes at high pressure method instead. It’s faster and I find that the texture of the rice is better.
How Much Rice Can You Cook in an Instant Pot
The recipe below is for cooking 2 cups of dry rice, which will yield about 6 cups of cooked rice. You can scale the recipe down to cook 1 cup of dry rice. The water to rice ratio and cook time stay the same regardless of the amount of rice you are cooking.
You can cook more rice as long as you don’t exceed the maximum fill lines on your pot. Rice will expand as it cooks, so you have to account for this:
- You can double this recipe to cook 4 cups of rice in a 6 quart Instant Pot, which will make about 12 cups of cooked rice.
- If you have an 8 quart Instant Pot (and need a lot of rice), you can triple this recipe to cook 6 cups rice. This will make about 18 cups of cooked rice.
How to Store Rice
- Always cool and store cooked rice promptly for food safety. You can cool rice quickly by laying it out in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze rice as soon as possible after cooking (within an hour).
- To Refrigerate: Once it’s cooled, store cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. After that, the rice can start to dry out.
- To Reheat: Reheat rice in the microwave, on the stove top, or even in a dish in the oven, covered to trap in the heat and steam. If your rice has dried out you can add a bit of water when reheating.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
You may also enjoy these Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Risotto
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
4.94 from 15 ratings
Instant Pot Rice
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 4 minutes mins
Inactive Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 34 minutes mins
Instant Pot rice is a hands-off way to cook fluffy white rice. This easy pressure cooker rice recipe helps to make dinner prep easy!
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, optional
Instructions
Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Drain rice well and put it in the Instant Pot.
Add water to the pot, and salt, if desired. Stir. Make sure that all of the rice is in the water, not stuck to the sides of the pot.
Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position.
Use the Pressure Cook or Manual function to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone.
Carefully move the steam release valve to the venting position to quick release any remaining pressure. When the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.
Fluff rice and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for the water. If using broth, omit the salt.
- To cook only 1 cup of dry rice, use 1 cup of water. The cook time will be the same.
- You can cook up to 4 cups of dry rice in a 6 quart Instant Pot. Use a 1:1 rice to water ratio and keep the cook time the same.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 71mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Asian
Course: Side Dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.
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