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How to Use the Instant Pot Rice Setting

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

May 8, 2025

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4.96 from 204 votes

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Instant pot rice button pinterest image.
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With this easy Instant Pot Rice recipe, you’ll see it’s simple to make fluffy rice with minimal measuring and perfect results every time. With directions for white rice, basmati, jasmine and brown. Plus, how to use the Instant Pot rice button.

Bowl of rice and small bowl of soy sauce next to instant pot.

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Today I thought I’d share with you my “method” for how to cook perfect rice in the Instant Pot.

Cooking rice in the instant pot is easy, hands free and simple. 

Table of Contents

  • Water to Rice Ratio
  • How to Make It
  • Instant Pot Rice Button Instructions
  • How Long to Cook Rice in the Instant Pot
  • Recipe Tips
  • How Much Rice Can I Cook in My Instant Pot?
  • Storing + Reheating
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Full Recipe

Reader

Love



5 stars
I followed your directions exactly and the rice came out perfectly! Thank you!

–

Beverly Hembree

Water to Rice: Ratio

  • 1:1 – While you generally use 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water for stovetop rice, in the Instant Pot, that ratio drops down to 1:1, aka 1 cup of water for every one cup of rice.

The reason for the reduced water is that the Instant Pot is more “sealed” than a traditional cooking pot, meaning less evaporation of water during the cooking process.

How to Make It

  1. Rinse Rice: Rinse rice under cold running water until water runs clear.
  2. Add Ingredients to Pressure Cooker: Add oil to Instant Pot along with the rinsed rice, water and salt.
  3. Seal: Lock the lid and set the steam valve to seal.
  4. Cook: Cook white rice using the instant pot rice setting or follow the cooking chart below.
  5. Release Pressure: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
  6. Fluff: Fluff rice with a fork and serve.
Cooked rice in instant pot.

Instant Pot Rice Button Instructions

  • Most Instant Pot models will have a “RICE” button – This is the perfect button to use if you’re cooking white rice. If you’re cooking any other type of rice, be sure to follow the timing chart below – The water to rice ratio will remain the same.

How Long to Cook Rice in the Instant Pot

  • White Rice: 4-8 minutes
  • Brown Rice: 22-24 minutes
  • Jasmine Rice: 4-8 minutes
  • Basmati Rice: 4-8 minutes
  • Wild Rice: 25-30 minutes

Total Time: Note that you still need to account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and then for the natural pressure release. It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build, and then we will let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes too. So, in reality, you should add 20 minutes to the cooking time below.

Dome of rice in ivory bowl.

Recipe Tips

  • Rinsing: Be sure to rinse the rice before adding it to the pot, to get rid of any additional starches. Just run it under water until the water is clear. The result is rice that’s light and fluffy.
  • Oil: I like to add in 1 teaspoon of oil for each cup of rice that I’m making – This not only prevents the rice from sticking to the pot, but it also cuts down on the foaming a bit so that your Instant Pot doesn’t sputter and spit.
  • Salt: I add a pinch of salt for each cup of rice that I’m cooking, to flavor the rice right from the get-go.
  • Adding Flavor: If you’d like to add even more flavor and nutrition you can cook it in broth instead of water. I love making parmesan broth, instant pot bone broth and slow cooker bone broth. All you need is some leftover parmesan rinds or meat bones and veggie scraps. 

How Much Rice Can I Cook in My Instant Pot?

The recipe below is for cooking 1 cup of rice, which will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice. But the recipe can be easily adjusted using the recipe card below (just click the 2x or 3x button).

Depending on the size of your instant pot, you can cook the following amounts of rice:

  • 6-Quart Instant Pot: You can cook up to 4 cups of dry rice, which will make about 12 cups of cooked rice.
  • 8-Quart Instant Pot: You can cook up to 6 cups of dry rice, which will make 18 cups of cooked rice.

Note: The water to rice ratio (1:1) and cook time will stay the same regardless of the amount of rice you are cooking.

Storing + Reheating

  • Storing – Let your rice cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. 
  • Freezing – Seal the cooled leftovers in a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze for 4 to 5 months. 
  • Reheating – If frozen, thaw the rice in the fridge before reheating. If the grains seem dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Repeat until the rice is hot and fluffy.
Chopsticks in bowl of rice.

Serving Suggestions

Rice is fantastic served hot or chilled. Use a hot and fresh batch of delicious rice to go with:

  • Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls
  • Thai Beef Stir Fry 
  • Ginger Veggie Stir Fry
  • Turkey Swedish Meatballs
  • Mongolian Beef
  • Lamb Stir Fry with Green Beans 

You can also top your rice with one of these 15+ sauces for rice bowls.

Or, chill your rice to serve with: 

  • Shrimp Sushi Bowls
  • Salmon Sushi Bowls
  • Tuna Rice Bowl
  • 15-Minute Poke Bowls
  • Vegetarian Sushi
Bowl of rice and small bowl of soy sauce next to instant pot.

More Rice Recipes

  • Instant Pot Fried Rice
  • Instant Pot Mexican Rice
  • Toasted Rice Powder
  • Rice Cooker Rice
  • Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice
  • Bacon Fried Rice

More Perfect Whole Grains

  • How to Cook Perfect Quinoa in the Instant Pot
  • Rice Cooker Quinoa
  • The Best Instant Pot Farro
  • Instant Pot Oatmeal
  • Instant Pot Risotto 

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Browse More Instant Pot Favorites

Did you try out your instant pot rice button?

If you loved this post on how to use the instant pot rice setting, I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a ⭐️star review⭐️! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Bowl of rice and small bowl of soy sauce next to instant pot.

Full Recipe

Instant Pot Rice

With these tips you’ll see it's simple to learn how to cook perfect rice using the Instant Pot rice setting. The result is fluffy & flavorful rice that’s easy to prepare with minimal measuring.
4.96 from 204 votes
Print Pin
Serves 4 people
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 1 minute min
Cook Time: 8 minutes mins
Time for pressure to build and release: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 28 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil)
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  • Rinse rice under cold running water until the water runs clear.
  • Add oil to the Instant Pot along with the rinsed rice (still damp), water and salt.
  • Lock the lid and set the steam valve to its “sealing” position. Select the “RICE” button (if cooking white rice) or follow the cooking chart below. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Notes

Cook Times: 
  • White, Jasmine & Basmati Rice: 4-8 minutes
  • Brown Rice: 22-24 minutes
  • Wild Rice: 25-30 minutes
Tip: Use the recipe card to adjust the number of servings you are making. The water to rice ratio (1:1) and cook time will stay the same regardless of the amount of rice you are cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 53mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

This instapot rice recipe was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2022 to add new photos, and again in 2023 to add new content.

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4.96 from 204 votes (147 ratings without comment)

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238 responses

  1. Radwa
    September 10, 2020

    Looks like the best way to cook rice.

    Reply
  2. Instant Pot Meal Ideas | Massimo Dangelico | Food
    December 14, 2020

    […] Rice in the Instant Pot […]

    Reply
  3. Kelly
    January 24, 2021

    5 stars
    I failed the first time I tried making rice in the instant pot, mostly because I followed the manual that came with it, but it turned out too mushy. When I searched for another recipe online, I found this, and it turned out perfectly! Very helpful and clear. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      January 26, 2021

      You’re welcome Kelly!

      Reply
  4. Ethelyn Dietrich
    August 1, 2021

    Waiting for this to finish cooking now! Had to use some chicken broth, as I forgot vegetable broth in my grocery order. Sesame chicken is in the crockpot to go along with it! Can’t wait to try it!

    I did this and did not deviate at all from your recipe and it came out epic – thanks for the great photos, instructions and recipe!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      August 4, 2021

      You’re welcome Ethelyn! I’m so glad it was helpful!

      Reply
      1. NoSweatGuv
        September 11, 2021

        I cannot believe the variance of opinions here…
        1. The INSTAPOT has a “Rice” setting, yet not once in any comment is it ever mentioned!!
        2. Clearly INSTAPOT’s supplied instructions state 1:1 water rice ratio;
        Modes
        Less (8 min) ; Al dente white rice.
        Normal (12 Min) ; Normal texture white rice.
        More (15 min) ; Softer texture white rice.
        (Although no mention is made of the Natural Release time… I guess wait for Natural Release & locking pin to drop back into lid?)

        Reply
  5. Mary Jacox
    September 19, 2021

    I used a cheap rice, rinsed it, lcup to lcup, 3 min. cook, 10min release, came out gummy. what did I do wrong?

    Reply
  6. Lora
    April 7, 2022

    Hi Erin, never tried that before. It looks so tasty. Have you tried Brown Rice?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 12, 2022

      Hi Lora – yep! Brown rice will take 22-24 minutes.

      Reply
  7. Eileen
    May 31, 2022

    I tried this last night and it was perfect! Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      May 31, 2022

      You’re welcome Eileen!

      Reply
  8. Theo
    September 15, 2022

    This was so great ! Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
  9. DonW
    July 14, 2023

    5 stars
    I use a knock-off of the InstaPot designated as 8 1/2 qt and the rice button defaults to 12 min at normal pressure. Took me a while to realize that after you press Rice you then press Manual and it will step thru the settings – 8 Hih pres perfect with rinsed jasmine rice. I also use a teaspoon of sesame oil and sub broth – veg, beef, pork or chicken to match my final ingredients – works like a charm every time !

    Reply
  10. Linda Tankersley
    January 5, 2024

    I’m curious about yellow rice…no one has mentioned it. I did 1:1 with 2 cups rice and water/broth mixture. It was ok, but not quite as soft as I would like. Couldn’t rinse it first because of all the spices in it. Any thoughts on it? Package says long grain parboiled rice.

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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