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    Home » Recipes

    Easy Instant Pot Rice

    Published: Mar 27, 2021 · Modified: Aug 14, 2022 by Jeri Walker · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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    Without a doubt, Instant Pot rice turns out perfect every single time. It is light, fluffy, so delicious, and never a sticky mess. Once you cook rice in the Instant Pot, you'll never go back to the stovetop again.

    A closeup of white rice in a brown bowl. this …

    I remember when I used to cook rice in a pot on the stove. I would carefully measure out the water and the rice, then checking often to make sure the water didn't evaporate before the rice was done cooking. Funnily enough, quite a few times, I would take my first bite of rice and..... crunch...hard rice.

    Soon after that, I bought a rice cooker. I used it for about 10 years or so before it stopped working. I was devastated! Now, what would I do?

    Then along came the Instant Pot to the rescue! I was thrilled to find out that you could cook rice in it. That's basically the reason I got one in the first place.

    I have cooked all kinds of rice in my Instant Pot; brown rice, wild rice, sushi rice, jasmine rice. They all turn out perfect every single time. It's amazing!

    a bowl of jasmine rice with a wooden spoon full of jasmine rice
    Jump to:
    • 🍙 The secret to perfect rice
    • 🍚 Does rice need to be rinsed first?
    • ♨️ Natural release or quick pressure release?
    • 🍛 How much rice can you cook at a time?
    • ⏲️ What are the cook times for different kinds of rice?
    • 🍣 Ingredients
    • 🥢 Instructions
    • 🥗 What dishes go well with rice?
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍙 The secret to perfect rice

    One of the most important things to remember about cooking rice in the Instant Pot is the rice to water ratio. It is almost always 1:1 (except for wild rice). The same rule goes for if you use 1 cup of rice or 5 cups of rice. Again, always 1:1 (except for wild rice). Make sure you use the same measuring cup to measure both the rice and the water.


    Exception: Wild rice. It has some tougher grains than other rice, so I add in an extra cup of water for every 2 cups of rice. So for 2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water; 4 cups of rice, 6 cups of water. I haven't made more than 4 cups of wild rice, but I'm certain the same rule would apply if you increased the amount of rice.


    The reason why stovetop rice has different water to rice ratios is that some rice (brown rice, wild rice) takes longer to cook, so they need more water than other rice because as it cooks, water evaporates.

    This makes sense now, doesn't it? In the pressure cooker, the lid is tightly sealed and cooked using high pressure, so there is no water evaporation during the cooking process; therefore, no extra water is needed.

    🍚 Does rice need to be rinsed first?

    Yes. It is an excellent idea to place the uncooked rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water before placing it in the Instant Pot. I like to use my hand to move the rice around to make sure it gets rinsed well. Just make sure to drain the rice well and shake off any excess water. The most important reasons to rinse the rice first are to:

    • Get rid of extra starch. Rinsing your rice before cooking will help get rid of the extra starch that is on rice. This extra starch can cause the rice to be sticky when it is cooked. Rinsing it first will ensure you have light, fluffy rice.
    • To get rid of any impurities: Rice may have dirt or other substances on it that we don't necessarily see, but it doesn't mean they aren't there. Rinsing the rice will hopefully get rid of any impurities left on the rice before cooking.

    ♨️ Natural release or quick pressure release?

    Always, always, natural release. This ensures that the rice will be cooked perfectly, every single time. Just be patient for a few more minutes. It will be worth the wait. Promise.

    🍛 How much rice can you cook at a time?

    It is important to remember that rice will expand as it cooks. On average, 1 cup of rice generally yields 3 cups of cooked rice. Therefore, you should not fill instant pots more than ⅔ full. This means you can cook 2.5 cups in a 3-quart Instant Pot, 4 cups in a 6-quart Instant Pot, and 6 cups in an 8-quart Instant Pot.

    I usually cook 5 cups of rice in my 8-quart Instant Pot, and it turns out perfectly cooked every single time.

    ⏲️ What are the cook times for different kinds of rice?

    Personally, I have only cooked jasmine rice, sushi rice, brown rice, and wild rice. The cook times are as follows:

    • White rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati: 5 minutes on high pressure, then natural release.
    • Sushi rice: 5 minutes on high pressure, then natural release.
    • Brown rice: 25 minutes on high pressure, then natural release.
    • Wild rice: 30 minutes, then natural release.
    a bowl of light and fluffy jasmine rice cooked in the Instant Pot
    Jasmine rice
    Light and fluffy brown rice with radish leaves on top
    Brown rice
    A bowl of wild rice uncooked
    Wild rice
    Sushi rice grains on the counter with chopsticks and a sushi rolling mat in the background
    Sushi rice

    🍣 Ingredients

    • Rice
    • Water

    🥢 Instructions

    • Place rice in a fine-mesh colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Sushi rice requires more rinsing with water before it runs clear than other kinds of rice.
    • Measure out the amount of rice you want and add it to the Instant Pot. Remember, 1 cup of rice equals 3 cups of cooked rice.
    • Measure out an equal amount of water and add it to the Instant Pot. Exception: Wild rice. Add an extra cup of water for every 2 cups of wild rice (2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water; 4 cups of rice, 6 cups of water).
    • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to "Seal". Set the timer to 5 minutes for sushi rice, 5 minutes for Jasmine or Basmati rice, 25 minutes for brown rice, and 30 minutes for wild rice.
    • Let the pressure cooker naturally release and after the indicator drops down, carefully remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
    • Enjoy!
    A side view of white rice piled high in a white bowl.

    🥗 What dishes go well with rice?

    • Creamy Coconut Shrimp Recipe
    • Oven-Baked Cod Fillet In Shrimp and Mushroom Sauce
    • Frozen BBQ Pork Ribs Made Delicious in Instant Pot
    • Insanely Good Sweet Maple-Soy Glazed Salmon
    • Quick and easy classic meatloaf you'll love
    • Serve with a delicious and healthy stir fry.
    • Butter chicken.
    • Sushi roll.
    • Sushi bowl.

    Did you make rice in the Instant Pot? Please let me know in the comments below how it turned out! Also, what kind of rice did you use?

    Feel free to CONTACT ME or follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

    📋 Recipe

    A closeup of white rice in a brown bowl.

    Perfect Instant Pot Rice

    Without a doubt, Instant Pot rice turns out perfect, every single time. It is light, fluffy, so delicious, and never a sticky mess. Once you cook rice in the Instant Pot, you'll never go back to the stovetop again.
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 103kcal
    Author: Jeri Walker
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    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups rice
    • 2 cups water

    Instructions

    • Place rice in a fine-mesh colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Sushi rice takes much longer than other kinds of rice.
    • Measure out the amount of rice you want and add it to the Instant Pot. Remember, 1 cup of rice equals 3 cups of cooked rice. Measure out an equal amount of water and add it to the Instant Pot. Exception: Wild rice. Add an extra cup of water for every 2 cups of wild rice (2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water; 4 cups of rice, 6 cups of water).
    • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to "Seal". Set the timer to 5 minutes for sushi rice, 5 minutes for Jasmine or Basmati rice, 25 minutes for brown rice, and 30 minutes for wild rice.
    • Let the pressure cooker naturally release and after the indicator drops down, carefully remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1grams | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 6mg
    L❤️VE this recipe? PIN it for later! 😊Mention @windingcreek_ranch or tag #windingcreek_ranch on IG!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Genevieve

      June 17, 2021 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love that you can make this recipe in the instant pot! Rice is my favorite side dish.

      Reply
    2. Jamie

      June 17, 2021 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a handy recipe to have on hand! It's so convenient making this in an instant pot and I love how fluffy it is!

      Reply
    3. Ramona

      June 17, 2021 at 3:19 pm

      5 stars
      I have never tried cooking my rice it in the Instant pot before. Definitely worth the try- it was so good! I am a convert now. Easy and cooked to perfection.

      Reply
    4. Jessica Formicola

      June 16, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      5 stars
      I love how quickly rice can be made in the Instant Pot! And this recipe comes out fluffy every single time!

      Reply
    5. Jill

      June 16, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Seems simple enough, but you won't believe how much I need this sometimes! Thanks!

      Reply

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