This easy Instant Pot Rice recipe is fluffy and failproof. Set and forget, friends—3 minutes on high pressure, and it’s ready! So simple.
5 Common Instant Pot Rice Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
Instant Pot rice is foolproof if done correctly—here’s what to avoid:
- Skipping the rinse:
👉🏻 Excess surface starch = gummy rice. Rinsing under cold water until it runs clear gives fluffy, separated grains. - Using the wrong water ratio:
👉🏻 The Instant Pot doesn’t have moisture evaporation like the stovetop. Use less water or you’ll end up with mush. - Quick-releasing pressure
👉🏻 Don’t force the steam out. Let it release naturally to avoid uneven or undercooked rice. - Opening too soon
👉🏻 Don’t lift the lid before 10 minutes of natural release. The rice finishes cooking during this time. Opening early leads to uneven or undercooked rice. - Not fluffing after cooking
👉🏻 Fluff right away or the rice compacts and turns sticky. Use a fork to gently loosen it.
Here’s What You Need
There’s not much to it; here’s what you’ll need:
- Rice: This pressure cooker recipe works great with white, jasmine rice, basmati rice, or brown rice. Long grain, short grain, they all work.
- You could also cook wild rice or black rice in the Instant Pot, but the water ratio is different.
- Salt: Seasoning cooking water is super important for delicious rice.
Ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the article
Related: Instant Pot Mexican Rice, Easy Sushi Rice + foolproof basmati rice recipe (no measuring!)
How to Make Instant Pot Rice: An Easy Guide
1. Rinse the Rice
Run water over your rice until it’s clear. I use a fine mesh strainer.
2. Add Ingredients to the Instant Pot
Add rice, water, and salt to the Instant Pot and pop on the lid.
3. Pressure Cook the Rice
Position the lid in the sealing position.
- For white rice, use the manual setting to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes cook time.
- For brown rice, pressure cook on high for 22 minutes cook time.
For any kind of rice, allow a 10-minute natural release before opening the valve to finish with a quick pressure release. Fluff with a fork and serve.
RELATED: How many cups of rice should you make? Here’s my guide to how much rice per person.
Make Ahead and Storage
Instant Pot rice is perfect for meal prep! Cook a batch ahead of time and store it for easy meals throughout the week. To keep it fresh, let the rice cool completely before storing.
- Store cooked rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- For longer storage, freeze rice in portioned, freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Flattening the bags helps with quicker thawing.
How to Reheat Instant Pot Rice (Leftovers)
These are my 3 ways to reheat leftover rice successfully:
- Microwave: Add a splash of water to the rice, cover loosely, and microwave in 30-second intervals, fluffing in between.
- Stovetop: Warm rice in a pan with a bit of water over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
- Steam: Place rice in a heatproof dish, cover with a damp paper towel, and steam until warm and fluffy.
How to Serve this Instant Pot Rice recipe
Instant pot rice is the perfect side dish to a million things! Instant pot basmati rice is great with my saucy red chicken curry, this chicken korma, or my palak paneer.
Serve your perfect Instant Pot rice with a knob of butter, your favorite protein and some green sides like my pan-fried asparagus for an easy meal!
FAQs About Instant Pot Rice
Just whizzing through? Check out these common queries:
Too much water or skipping the rinse step can lead to mushy rice.
If the rice is too firm, try adding 1-2 extra tablespoons of water next time. Also, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release so the rice fully absorbs the moisture.
Yes! Just keep the water-to-rice ratio the same. The cooking time remains the same, but the pot will take longer to come to pressure.
Absolutely! Cooked rice stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of water to keep it fluffy.
No. A rice cooker and an Instant Pot may both cook rice, but they function differently and have distinct features.
Other Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
Instant Pot Rice (Perfect Every Time!)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice white, jasmine, basmati, or brown
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain.
- Add rice, fresh water and salt to Instant Pot.
- White rice: Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes, then 10-minute natural release.Brown rice: Pressure cook on high for 22 minutes, then 10-minute natural release.Fluff and serve.
Notes
- Rinse your rice well. This washes away extra starch that can make it gummy. Run cold water over it until it’s no longer cloudy.
- Use less water than you would on the stove. The Instant Pot locks in steam, so too much water leads to mushy rice.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Give it at least 10 minutes before opening the lid so the rice finishes cooking gently.
- Resist peeking. Opening the lid too soon can mess with the texture and leave you with firm or unevenly cooked grains.
- Fluff right after cooking. A quick toss with a fork helps keep the grains separate and light instead of sticky.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
