Instant Pot Rice: Cook Times, Tips & Recipes - Happy Mothering (2024)

After making rice in the Instant Pot, I put my rice cooker away. This handy, dandy kitchen gadget has so many amazing uses… and one of my favorites is making Instant Pot Rice.

All of the rice I pressure cook comes out tasting so amazing. It’s light, fluffy and the perfect texture.

It’s not always as simple as just dumping water and rice into the pot and pushing a button. Different types of rice need different amounts of water and cook times.

And unlike with a rice cooker, you can make full meals that include rice in one pot with the Instant Pot. It’s a huge time saver for dinner on busy nights.

You’ll learn all the best tips for cooking Instant Pot Rice along with some great recipes. Read the entire post or jump to the section you’re most interested in.

How to rinse the rice?

Many recipes call for rinsing the rice to remove excess starch before cooking. This is usually important if you want your rice to turn out.

All you have to do is rinse the rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. This can take 5-10 minutes.

Not all types of rice require rinsing, so always reference the recipe.

Water to rice ratio

On the Instant Pot website, they recommend a 1:1 water to rice ratio. Yes, that is much less water than when you cook rice on the stove top because there is little evaporation in an electric pressure cooker.

I don’t find that water ratio to work for all types of rice. Some need more water! It’s important to know the ratios well or you can end up with mushy rice or crunchy rice.

How long to cook rice in the Instant Pot?

This chart will show you not only how long to cook rice in the Instant Pot, but also the proper water ratio for each type of rice.

What to do if your Instant Pot rice comes out over or undercooked?

A lot of what defines perfect rice is personal preference. Some of us like softer rice and some of us prefer our rice to be firmer.

Sometimes it takes a little experimenting to get your version of perfect Instant Pot rice. I find that there is a lot of variation both in how different Instant Pots cook and in how absorbent different brands (or even different bags of the same brand) of rice can be.

1. If your rice comes out crunchy or underdone, add more water next time.
2. If your rice turns out mushy, watery or overdone, add less water next time.

You can also adjust the cook time up or down by 1-2 minutes and experiment with how long of a natural pressure release you like best.

Which pressure cooking mode?

There is a lot of discussion about which pressure cooking mode is best for rice. The Instant Pot Rice Setting is made for standard white rice or parboiled rice. I have used it successfully for Basmati and Jasmine as well, but it’s not really made for that.

For most rice, you can just use the manual High Pressure setting. The amount of time you cook it for will vary (see chart above).

How much is a serving size of rice?

One serving of rice is ½ cup of rice (cooked), which is about ¼ cup of dry rice. This is for a side dish.

For Instant Pot rice recipes that are a full meal, the serving size will be larger. See each recipe for serving sizes.

Why does the burn notice happen?

A lot of people experience a burn notice on their Instant Pot at least once, especially when cooking rice. The most common reason for this happening is that something is stuck to the bottom of the pot and it can’t cook evenly.

To prevent this from happening, you need to be very sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the inner pot before you put the lid on. This is often called “deglazing” the pot. I like to use a flat-edged bamboo spatula for this task.

Another way to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot is to spray the pot with cooking spray. There is also a nonstick Instant Pot inner pan you can purchase that many people have had a good experience with.

I find 6-quart models burn less often than 8-quart models, so consider using a smaller Instant Pot if you have trouble with burn notices.

Tips for doubling the recipe

When making Instant Pot Rice, you need to remember that dry rice absorbs water and will expand. You need to be sure there is space for this to happen, so don’t fill your pot past the halfway mark when making rice (same goes for making Instant Pot Beans).

Using broth vs water

Many of my Instant Pot rice recipes call for chicken stock (get my recipe for homemade chicken stock). That’s because it adds a ton of extra flavor to homemade rice. You can use filtered water, vegetable broth, beef stock or any other clear liquid in place of chicken broth.

Natural release vs quick release

In Instant Pot recipes, you’ll often see the terms “natural release” and “quick release” referenced.

1. Natural Release means allowing all of the pressure to release from the Instant Pot naturally. This usually takes 20-25 minutes.
2. Quick Release means moving the Pressure Release Valve from the sealing position to open position so the steam can escape quickly.

When pressure cooking rice in the Instant Pot, you typically use the natural release method for about 15 minutes before using a quick release to release the remaining pressure. A full natural pressure release is fine as well. This helps give you soft and fluffy rice.

What does “Fluff the Rice” mean?

When you open the lid of the Instant Pot after the pressure has been released, you’ll want to gently fluff the rice with a fork. Be careful not to over stir or it can break apart.

Best way to store cooked rice?

Your leftover rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Best way to freeze cooked rice?

First, you need to completely cool the rice, all the way down to refrigerator temperature. It’s best if you can do this on a cookie sheet with the rice spread in a thin layer so you don’t end up with a brick of rice.

Once it’s cold, portion it out as needed, then place portion sizes into freezer bags or other freezer-safe containers. Use within 2 months.

Best way to reheat rice?

I find that when you try and reheat rice in the Instant Pot itself, a lot of it sticks to the bottom and creates waste.

I like to reheat rice on the stove top in a small pan with a little extra water and oil added to help rehydrate it (rice can dry out in the fridge).

Other electric pressure cookers

You don’t need to have an Instant Pot pressure cooker to make rice. You can use any electric pressure cooker with similar setting options to make the Instant Pot recipes on this site. Times and processes may vary slightly.

Instant Pot Rice Recipes

I love that you can make both side dishes as well as full one pot meals in the Instant Pot. Here are some of my family’s favorite Instant Pot rice recipes that are always in our meal plans.

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

My favorite kind of rice to make is Instant Pot Jasmine Rice. I make this slightly sticky grain a few times a week and it comes out perfect every time! It pairs well with so many dishes like Mongolian Beef.

Instant Pot Basmati Rice

One of my favorite things about Instant Pot Basmati Rice is that you can set it and forget it. This long grain white rice is more absorbent than jasmine rice and has more defined, individual grains.

Instant Pot Spanish Rice

After making Instant Pot Spanish Rice, you’ll never make it any other way. Also called Mexican Rice, this dish comes out perfectly cooked and full of authentic flavors every single time.

Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

This kid-friendly recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is quick and easy to make. Tips are included for making it even faster so you can have a home cooked meal, even on busy weeknights.

Instant Pot Jambalaya

This Instant Pot Jambalaya is one of my favorite recipes to make for a quick dinner. It uses Andouille Sausage and Chicken along with my homemade cajun seasoning for authentic creole flavor.

Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls

Have a craving for Mexican food, but want a simple recipe? Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls are delicious and easy to make!

As you can see the Instant Pot makes cooking rice so much easier. It saves you time and allows you to cook using only one dish, even when more than one step is needed. This saves you time, money and cleaning.

More Gluten Free Instant Pot Recipes