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.
Today I thought I’d share with you my “method” for how to cook perfect rice in the Instant Pot.
What is the ratio of water to rice in the Instant Pot?
- 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 do you make Instant Pot rice?
- Rinse rice under cold running water until water runs clear.
- Add oil to Instant Pot along with the rinsed rice, water and salt.
- Lock the lid and set the steam valve to seal.
- Cook white rice for 4-8 minutes or r 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.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Rice
- 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 long does it take 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.
- 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 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 and 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.
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
Or, just top your rice with one of these 15+ sauces for rice bowls.
Or, chill your rice to serve with:
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 Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Salmon
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Weight Loss Soup
- Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes (with Crispy Skins)
Instant Pot Rice Recipe
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
- White, Jasmine & Basmati Rice: 4-8 minutes
- Brown Rice: 22-24 minutes
- Wild Rice: 25-30 minutes
Nutrition
More Perfect Whole Grains
- How to Cook Perfect Quinoa in the Instant Pot
- The Best Instant Pot Farro
- Instant Pot Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Risotto
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2022 to add new photos.
Watch the web story here.
8 minutes?! That is amazing!
I’m all about quick rice – It always seems to be a bit of an afterthought!
New to IP and having fun with it! Was suggested to me, by a seasoned IP cook, to cut down on pressurizing time, use the saute button to ” preheat” your IP while getting ingredients ready, when hot, hit cancel, add rice & liquid, set on high pressure for required time. Rice came out perfect.
Love that tip Leann!
Hi, I realize your original post was a few years ago but am just seeing this. If you turn on sauté to cut down on pressurizing time won’t that affect how the food is cooked since it is beginning to cook as it gets pressurized? Thanks! I’m kinda new to this also!
Hi Erin, I just bought an IP. Haven’t been able to get the rice to water ratio correct. My dad likes the rice soft but not mushy. I’ve always used traditional rice cooker and a 1:1 ratio and never had problems until recently. My rice cooker is old and gave up. My question though is about time. My IP has a rice setting and it defaults to 20 minutes. In that setting it doesn’t let me increase or decrease the time. I would have to use either multigrain setting or pressure cooker setting. Based on your blog total time should be 28 minutes?
Hi Barbara – I would use the MANUAL pressure cooker setting on your IP. For white rice, the cook time is 4-8 minutes. If your dad prefers soft but not mushy rice, I would try it for 6 minutes. See how that works!
Well… I love my instant pot, but you’re looking at about 2-5 minutes for it to come to pressure and with a 10 minute natural pressure release, your actually looking at about 20 mins altogether.
I agree with you Al – I think that the most beneficial part about the Instant Pot is just the “hands off” aspect.
Hands off and a reliably great sticky rice for whatever I’m making in my other instant pot insert like sesame chicken, beef & broccoli, etc.
@ Al, my thoughts exactly! Not so instant after all — the ads conveniently don’t tell you about that pre- and post-cooking time overhead. I think IP is great for cooking meat, although since I cook for one, I am experimenting with cooking smaller quantities of 2 or 3 meats at the same time, so I don’t have to eat the same thing for a month (I live in a small apartment with a small size fridge freezer). If the Emeril Pressure Air Fryer unit came in a 3 quart, I would snap it up.
Thanks! (.. for the reminder about the actual time it takes to build pressure not being included in the 8 minutes.)
Don’t know what you mean with this “10 minute natural pressure release” shizz, it takes like 2 minutes, 3 tops. Probably still quicker than doing instant rice
One for one water to rice ratio is wrong. Rice came out hard. Whoever wrote this is an idiot. 1 cup rice to 1.5 for instant pot.
Only reason I clicked on this article was to get that ratio. My own dumb luck it was a retard.
That’s funny “No” – This recipe works perfect for me every time and it seems many others agree…
Erin, please disregard No’s posting. Your recipe is great! I have been cooking rice for years and have told everyone it is the best when made in IP. I came to the same conclusion on my own to have less water and coat the bottom of the pot with oil. I use about 1 tbs of coconut oil for 2 cups of rice and it gives a very pleasant fragrance to the rice and prevents it from sticking. And definite yes for the broth! I am planning to use your IP quinoa recipe!
I love the idea to use coconut oil Lillian!
On your suggestion I’ve been using the coconut oil for a while now too, and it smells divine! The rice turns out great too.
Worked perfect for me…
I agree with No somewhat, I thought it needed more water. It wasn’t hard but a little dry. That being said, No, were you raised by wolves or just classless. A simple comment would have sufficed but “retard”, really. I bet your parents are proud.
I have to agree with “no’s” comment. Not enough water, rice comes out hard regardless if it is white rice or brown. I have tried this with Botan Calrose, Indian Basmati, and shortgrain brown rice and it is clearly not enough water — hard and crunchy every time. A rice cooker is way more efficient and reliable, and if you have a good rice cooker (like a Tiger) with a “quick rice” setting, it will work just as fast.
Erin – if your recipe doesn’t come out the way you expect it to, just a simple comment such as ” the rice was not cooked enough for me. I think I’ll try a 1 – 1.5 ratio next time”. No need to call people names. Be kind!!
1 to 1 ratio was perfect for me as well. I don’t understand the “+” and”-“ buttons. My pressure shows high and normal but why would I change it?
1:1 ratio did t work for me either 🙁
I normally use Coconut Water instead of normal water. My husband doesn’t really like rice, but he loves the sweet coconut rice!
Did you rinse the rice first? I wonder the residual water from rinse is the variable that is not explicitly stated. Not everyone rinses rice the same way and some leaves more water from the rinse than others.
did you figure those settings out yet?
Exactly. If people don’t rinse the rice, they should add 1 tablespoon of water per cup of rice. I follow the recipe and rince the rice thoroughly. I have had no problems with thus recipe at all!
I feed a big family so i did 2.5 cups of water, 2 cups of rinsed rice, 1/3 of turkey neck broth , soften butter && seasonings. My instant pot sets the rice selection to 10 mins, and my time doesnt count until the pressure builds.
I guess you can’t follow instructions because it turns out perfect
Who is the idiot
I’m sorry that you had a problem with this particular recipe, but it is not necessary to be rude and insensitive to others.
Wow someone needs to be a little nice. Calling people idiots and retards is so childish. I’m sure you can find a better way to post. if you don’t like it or it doesn’t work for you try another way. Have a blessed day “No”.
No need to use the r word or other names. If it didn’t turn out for you fine. Go find another recipe but it seems you already know the ratio.
Dear NO-
Using this kitchen tool can have a steep learning curve. I have to add time and liquid due to altitude, hardness of water, and freshness of product. The 1:11/2 rice to water ratio
does not even work at sea level. This stuff is supposed to be fun. If you get crunchy rice add some liquid and more time. Try bringing something to the “table” (pun intended instead of hating on this author and her experience; for her this is the “perfect” rice.
Thank you all for addressing the rude and uncalled for comment!! I can’t believe people still talk that way what a shame.
I followed the recipe ..I was a bit worried or nervous as I’m very new to IP cooking this was the second thing I made. It came out wonderful just right. I realize what some are saying as far as time.. but using the IP I don’t have to sit and wonder if my heat is too high too low if its sticking to the bottom.. don’t have to watch it . ..I’m free to do other things while the IP is doing its thing.. also I think that when you rinse the rice and the time that it has to sit in the steady pot while you let the pressure down naturally also allow for the continued cooking.. it’s like the finishing touch.. cant wait to try other rice recipes. Thank you for the recipe and tips. =)
You’re so welcome Dee – Thank you so much for stopping by!
Relax dude. That’s the ratio it suggests in the actual Instant Pot manual. Stop internet trolling and being a dick to people who are just trying to be helpful
Mine came out perfect at 1:1
Thanks for the feedback Scotty!
Perhaps factors like: 1) Was the rinsed rice drained or still wet could affect the results 2) Even white rice can vary in cooking times from Basmati, to Italian, parboiled, Thai fragrant etc. 3) Everyone’s preference for rice is different, some like it separated like Basmati some like it sticky like Sushi rice. Even in the same family, I remember there were differences. Adjust it to taste, cheers!
I think you could have said this without making rude comments about the author. Your words say more about your deficits than those of the author.
I, for one, have used this recipe multiple times with great success. 6 min works for me.
You should all try adding lemon to your rice – sometimes I add lemon juice and top up the amount of juice with water to the max amount of liquid you want. Or use lemon zest. Great with fish or chicken or whatever takes your fancy 😁 I also mostly use Thai sticky (Jasmine) rice. Everyone who tastes it loves it. Because I mostly cook for 1, I use about 1 or 1 and a half espresso cups raw rice. To this I add about half a cup of lemon juice and top up to make 1,5 cups liquid in total. Yum Yum 😁
Love the idea of lemon juice and would never have thought of it. Thank you!
This will be my first try using the pot and not an insert pot on manual pressure. Hoping this fixes it because the other comes out too gummy. And, it could be the type of rice.
Thanks for the tips on cooking rice in an Instant Pot. Appreciated the water ratio hints and the timing for other rice. Nice to know that the IP is so versatile. Really like the fact that unlike other rice cookers you are not cooking in aluminum.
I don’t have an egg button on mine. I’ve never been good at cooking rice and I had a girlfriend who intentionally would burn food so I would do most of the cooking. My friend Paul made her get a rice cooker when they became roommates because he told her that he wasn’t going to have her burning his pots and pans and he wasn’t going to cook for her. I got the instant pot Duo 7 in 1 multi-use pressure cooker. It is 6 quarts. I had originally tried to buy one off of Walmart and the one I got was $49 right after Thanksgiving and the one I had wanted was a 10 in 1 and it was only $10 but it looks like they had no intention of ever selling it at that price. The 10 in one obviously would be much better than the 7 in 1. Looking forward to finding recipes my rice cooker didn’t come with any utensils or recipes I guess you have to kind of go and look online to find them.
I have a rice cooker, and can’t imagine going back to making rice in a regular pot because it’s so nice to put the rice and water and just press a button and then focus on making the main components to go with the rice instead of thinking about the rice
The Instant Pot works just like a rice cooker – So simple!
What’s the max amount of rice I can insta pit please Erin
I hate my rice cooker! Was do glad to get my IP and make rice in it! My rice cooker is a good one, but spits gooey rice juices EVERYWHERE on the counter, scary with it being electric. Great recipe thx!! Gave the rice cooker to my sister. 😂😂
Heck yes!! Love the Instant Pot and it is SO fast for rice! Hadn’t thought to use oil, I should try that next time!
I think I’m the last person on earth to jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon. I’m a low and slow gal through and through I guess. Though I am crazy curious about this whole world of cooking! I’ve been very very tempted to look into one after reading recipe after recipe from this miracle appliance!
And ironically I was thinking to myself just last night as I made some fried rice for my kids that I can cook a mean meal, better than your average joe, but I simply cannot cook perfect rice. I either burn it or make it soggy. Seriously, every time! And no, I don’t own a rice cooker either.
Rice is just SO tricky – I think it’s all about getting that perfect balance between rice and water!
My rule of thumb for non-mushy rice, almost drier, rice is a 1:1 ratio.
I followed the recipe and the rice came out crunchy….?
Hmmmm… I’m sorry that happened for you DC. One thing it could have been is that the Instant Pot was not sealed properly? Did the valve pop up during the cooking process?
The recipe doesn’t call for enough water- it should be a 2:1 ratio of water to rice. I had the same problem the first time, doubled the water, and it came out great on the second.
Yes, what Ekho said about the ratio. The instructions on the bag of rice say 2:1 ratio, so I was really doubtful when I read the article saying 1:1 or 1:1.1. That’s instant rice territory, not regular cooked rice.
Actually, I mentioned this in the post. It is actually a 1:1 ratio in the Instant Pot because there is no evaporation in the Instant Pot like on the stove top. I’m curious Mark – Did you actually try the recipe? The 1:1 ratio works perfectly for me every time, so I would be interested to know if it’s actually not working for you…
My rice was also a little crunchy with the 1:1 ratio- but I didn’t pre-rinse the rice. I’m curious if this could be the problem people are running into.
You’re not the last one LOL! I just purchased mine about three weeks ago and it is October 2019.
I have had an InstaPot for over a year, but I definitely haven’t used it to its full potential yet. I need to work on that. I’m with Pech though – I can’t imagine life without my trusty little rice cooker anymore.
rice should be rinsed to remove the extra starch–water through the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear–the wet rice to the IP—the reputable cooking advisors have used about 1 to 1.25 ratio for awhile now–good luck
Love the tip for adding oil and how you lay out the different times for different kinds of rice. So helpful!
I have yet to jump on the Instapot train but it seems that everyone I know has one! I’m planning to share your recipe with those folks. And I’m making rice in my rice cooker tonight and will try a smudge of oil just to see if I can lessen the sputtering and spitting. Often times, I just put it in the sink to cook in order to reduce my post-rice cooker cleanup.
It took me a while to jump onboard the Instant Pot train, but I’m definitely a convert now!
I have brown basmati rice. Do you suggest going with the longer time frame or basmati cooking time? Thank you!
Hi Angie – I would cook brown basmati rice for the same amount of time as traditional brown rice (22 minutes). Enjoy!
On hi pressure or low pressure?
You should set the Instant Pot to high pressure.
My Instant Pot shows low pressure when I click on the “Rice” settting
I just tried this with a pearl rice, I set it for 6 min and it was a little over done, so will try 5 min next time. Out of curiosity, what kind of rice would you use with the rice setting, which is 12 minutes, and can’t be changed.
Hi Barb – I’m not quite sure why the rice button is there, because cooking times can vary SO much! Here’s a helpful cooking chart for different grains in the Instant Pot.
I am confused about the Pressure button. When I turn on my Pot the pressure is default to low. I have tried cooking my rice without changing it and the rice is watery. If I change it to High the then I get wonderful rice. I notice it is not mentioned in the recipes to change the pressure setting. Is my pot not set up right? I live about 6,000 ft. Is that the reason for the need for higher pressure. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Hi Lisa – I would always cook on HIGH pressure. I hope this helps!
Mine is default low pressure also
Never comes out right which is why I’m here
I’m going manual
Is there a trick to making rice and chicken strips at the same time?
I love to cook my meals all together and at times I will use chicken broth instead of water to cook my rice in. Any tips??
To be honest Dawn, I haven’t tried it… Are you wanting the chicken strips separate from the rice? I would maybe put the rice below and then insert that metal basket upside down so that the strips are lifted off of the rice. Like, place them on that metal sling…? I have a feeling the chicken may cook a lot faster than the rice though, but perhaps with the steam, it won’t dry out…? I think I need to put this to the test!
You could saute the chicken first, i do it with onions and a little fajitis seasoning, i then just add my water and rice and put the cooker on rice and let the PO go.
That sounds really yummy Helen!
Do you put it on manual to change it to 8 minutes for white rice? I put it on the rice but it automatically does 12 minutes not 8. Or there’s also the multigrain that does high pressure instead of low pressure and you can adjust the minutes. Is that the one you use?
Hi! Turn the Instant Pot to Manual and then adjust the time. Hope this helps!
Hit the rice button again and it will cycle through all the cooking options.
Okay, so I am brand new to the Instant pot and I am wondering about the water/rice ratio. I always use brown rice but do 2 cups water for every cup rice. Is it really one/one? If so, why such a difference?
Hi Alicia – In the Instant Pot, there’s very little evaporation of the water. That’s why the water-to-rice ratio is so different.
If I double the recipe, do I double the cooking time? Thanks!
No need to double the cooking time Anna – It should take the same amount of time.
Tha KS for asking this question, I was about to until I read through the posts. Trying now with a double batch in high pressure for 10 min. Wish me luck
It was perfect! 👌
Hi
Is it a straight normal cup measurement for water and rice or a normal cup for the water but a rice cup measure for the rice?
Thanks:)
You should use the same measurement for both… I tend to use a measuring cup.
Do you put boiling water in the instant pot or cold water.
The water should be cold.
I am thinking of getting a 8 qt instant pot but when I cook rice I only need 2 cups usually. Would two cups of water be enought to start the pressurized process in the 8 qt pot? Or should I just get a 6 qt? (I really wanted the extra capacity for cooking larger portions although there is only 2 adults and 2 kids in the house).
Hi Yolanda – This should come out just fine when using the 8-quart Instant Pot too.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It turned out absolutely perfect! I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
I’m so glad it worked well for you Linda!
I like adding minced garlic into my rice after it’s done cooking – but that’s with a regular rice cooker.
Do you think adding minced garlic into the InstaPot, with the rice and water before cooking, will be okay?
That sounds great Crystal – I think that should work… I’d love to hear back if you try it. Maybe you could try leaving the cloves whole? They may get softened and then you can mash them into the rice…?
Hi! I just got my IP and haven’t cooked rice yet….this might be a dumb question but, can I use Instant rice?
Hi Joey – I would not use instant rice.
How many cups of rice can u cook in a small pot?
Not sure what’s wrong but with rice + vegetables, with RICE button selected, cook time takes about 30-40 minutes and seem to defeat the “instant” part of this instant pot. Why’s that?
I would bypass the “RICE” button and just use the manual button – Hope this helps Chris!
Yeah, that’s the biggest secret with IP; everyone hypes up the quick “cooking time” but forgets the “total time” is way longer. This recipe took me 35 minutes: 15 minutes for IP to “warm up,” 10 to cook (used “Rice” button), then 10 to release pressure. Where’s the time savings over a normal rice cooker? Do you have to cook a huge amount? At a minimum, could you please revise your noted “total time” on this recipe to at least 30 minutes?
I”m confused about the directions “let the pressure…release naturally” . What does that mean? There are two places for the pressure thingy to be. Is it on the pressure side or the release side??
Almost every recipe I see for the Instant Pot ignores the wait time for the pressure to be released. WHY do people not add this to the complete time of the recipe???
Because the wait time varies greatly. If the ingredients are frozen, water is cold … it will take longer for the pot to come to pressure than when the ingredients and pot are hot. The time to pressurize also varies with the volume of ingredients in the pot.
I followed your directions exactly and the rice came out perfectly! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Beverly!
Can I substitute butter for the cooking oil? TIA
Hi Lynne – Butter should work in this recipe as well.
One way to avoid all the rinsing: sauté the rice in oil first. I set my instant pot to sauté and when it’s hot I add a couple tablespoons of coconut oil. Add the rice and sauté for a couple minutes stirring the rice. Add the water, close the IP and start the pressure cooking process. Not only does the rice come out perfect with separate grains, you convert a small amount of the starches that would have made it sticky into “resistant starch”. You can’t digest resistant starches so they don’t contribute calories to your diet, but more importantly the gut bacteria that keep your colon healthy and operating correctly need that resistant starch to survive. Feed your gut!
Love the idea to use coconut oil Andy!
Andy, I like this idea, as I don’t want to take the time or water to rinse the rice. Do you still use the 1:1 rice to water ratio?
Why do so many recipes on the internet have to start out with a story or drawn-out explanation? I’m not interested in seeing all of the pictures or any backstory behind it. I just want the recipe and the instructions. Anything else is a waste of time.
I’m not trying to be mean, it’s just way too often that this happens. I can’t be the only one who feels this way.
No worries Joshua – If you don’t feel like reading the whole post, there’s a handy button at the top to jump right to the recipe. Cheers!
First, thank you for the recipe. I’m waiting to receive my IP, so I’m gathering recipes while I wait! Second, thank you SO MUCH for the handy button tip! I’m not a foodie, so I’m not interested in pics. I would just scroll down until I could find the recipe. Never noticed the jump button. You have saved me much scrolling time! Thanks! I look forward to following your blog.
Thank you so much Joanna – I’m so happy that’s helpful for you!
I’ve mastered chili and pork carnitas, but needed to try rice and grains. Thanks for this! I followed exactly and the rice was perfection. I’ve never been able to get it to the right texture on the stove top and never bought a rice cooker. So this is great. If folks are wondering, I just used the Rice Button on my IP. When it was done, I set a timer for 10 mins and just took the lid off. Thanks again!
I’m so happy to hear that this worked out for you!
I just got my ip don’t know how to do rice in it? can you tell me? Do I use extra water in it or just in the rice?
I am so lost! lol. I can’t find the “time chart” mentioned? Was it removed?
Hi Jennifer – There is a timing chart right below the recipe. It’s not really a “chart” per se, I should probably change the wording.
Beautiful pictures!
Thank you!
This is a solid recipe. No complaints on the quality.
But I agree with a few other users. The cook time should say 8 minutes, but your Total Time should be realistic and not 8 minutes. It should be the pressure time, which could be another 10 minutes, then another 10 at the end for natural release. So why not say 25 or 30 minutes for Total Time.
Its the same story with anything else you cook in the instant pot. You always need to build in an additional 10-20 minutes for the pressure to build.
Thanks for pointing that out Curly – I’ve revised the recipe to reflect that information.
I need advice….hosting dinner party for 10, I have a 6-qt. IP, how much rice should I make, and for how long in IP?? Thanks
Hi Jan – I would cook 3 cups of dried white rice. It should take the same amount of cooking time. Hope this helps!
This recipe for Instant Pot rice came out perfectly for me! I’ve tried it with brown and white rice and they were both amazingly fluffy!
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for the feedback.
Hi! Do u adjust the water for brown rice? Typically in my rice cooker (which just broke so I’m gonna try the IP) I use more water for brown rice vs white rice. Thanks!
Hi Rosa – I do not adjust the water. Because it’s cooked under pressure, much less water is lost during the cooking process.
I’m interested in making coconut rice. Is the recipe 1 can coconut milk to 1 cup of rice?
Hi Monica – I’ve never tried this, but here’s a recipe for Instant Pot Rice with Coconut Milk.
Hi! I followed the directions exactly and it came out sticky rice(which is good to know for future recipes) I didn’t see that you had to put in manual mode lol. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the recipe.
Going to make this in the upcoming days.
I hope it works well for you Mohit!
This just isn’t coming out quite right for me. I feel it needs a bit more water… or something. I’m use to making rice in a microwave steamer and it comes out great. This seems like the texture is a bit too hard and the rice seems very sticky. A weird combination. Maybe this is normal for pressure cooked rice? I’ve tried it twice and did it exactly as you instructed. I rinsed under water until it ran clear, dumped in my 2 cups of white rice and 2 cups of water with a bit of salt and oil, sealed it up and put it on High Pressure for 8 minutes. I let it naturally release for 10 minutes then opened up the vent to let the rest of the pressure out. Twice I had the same results which weren’t serveable in my opinion. Any suggestions on how to tweak this?
I’m even later to the IP game than you are, as I just bought mine a few weeks ago for 41% discount on Amazon Prime day. The least expensive it has ever been previously is 30% off. So I figured that I can’t lose. After using it the last few weeks, I have to say that I reverted back to my slow cooker. We eat only grass fed/pastured meats and the IP just doesn’t get the falling off the bone, fork tender like the slow cooker. However, what it does do very well is cook hard boiled eggs and rice. So if that is the primary use of the IP, and for what I paid, it wasn’t a bad price for a rice cooker/egg boiler. I bought an egg insert that lets me make 14 eggs at a time. I had recently seen another insert that can fit a few more eggs, although 14 is fine for our small family. All I could do on stove top was 6, and they were always very hit or miss as to whether they would be overcooked or if they were less cooked but I couldn’t get the peel off without losing half the white in the process. I’m still trying to tweak the cooking time with the IP to be more of a medium boiled egg. But even when the yolks have been too liquidy for me (but my husband will eat them), the eggs still peel well. So that is a win. I also used to stove top cook my rice and it would be ok, but more on the mushy side. When I cook rice in the slow cooker, it is cooked and fluffy, like restaurant rice. So for the price I got the IP for, if I just use it a few times a month for rice and eggs, that’s fine. It does seem to make a nice chicken broth as well, but the chicken itself comes off the bone better making it on the stove top. But I have had times this summer with camp schedules where I just don’t have hours to sit at home and babysit a pot of broth, and have resorted to the IP (but will go back to stove top once our school year schedule starts and I can plan a day at home each week to make broth). My IP model does NOT have an EGG button. So that’s interesting that you have a model that does have one.
I saw this comment earlier but it wasn’t replied to. You say to use the “rice” button for white rice, but that cooks on low pressure. For your cooking chart on manual, are you still using low pressure, or high pressure? The cooking manual doesn’t specify either.
Hi Andrea – I am using high pressure on manual. Hope that helps!
Absolutely excellent and precise! Making white rice now involves nothing more than a wash, a quick measure and adding of the ingredients to the pot, and the press of a button! Love it!
So happy to hear that AJ!
I have a dumb question: After cooking the rice, and letting pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, do you turn off the warming feature? My instant pot stays on warming by default; does that matter for cooking rice? Many thanks!
Hi Pam – Either will work, but I usually just leave my pot on WARM.
Hello Erin,
I’d like to abandon my rice cooker and use the InstantPot for rice, but I have 2 questions. The rice I use is Brown Basmati Rice, should I consider that brown rice, and to for the 20+ minutes, or should I consider it basmati rice and cook for the lower time?
The second is the water ratio, on the jar it says 1 cup of rice and 2 1/4 cups of water. Should I go with that, or should I use the 1 to 1 ratio because it’s in the Instant Pot?
All clues to the clueless are greatly appreciated!
Cheers, Ray
Hi Ray – I would go with 20 minutes and use 1 1/4 cup water. Hope that helps!
In my 8 quart IP, a 1:1 rice to water ratio always comes out crunchy. I always use 1 1/4 cup water per 1 cup of rice and it comes out perfectly. I also never cook less than 2 cups of rice in my big IP or it doesn’t come out right. I was thinking with bigger pots it takes longer to pressurize which means more lost steam before it seals.
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes, but I felt like this was a great chance to start. I made this recipe EXACTLY per the instructions and it came out absolutely perfect. I have struggled with making rice for my whole life and it was such a relief to open my instant pot and have perfectly cooked rice. The 1-1 ratio is exactly what is needed for instant pot rice. Great work with this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that it worked well for you Leslie – Thanks for the feedback!
Am I able to double the recipe? Same cooking time? Same water to rice ratio?
You can definitely double the recipe. Same cook time and same water-rice ratio!
I’ve made this few times and I am currently making this and I plan on straining it to make the Rice. This Recipe is very good and Thanks for your help!
I enjoy a good bowl of rice, but I can’t stand it when the rice is too dry or mushy. Rice is fantastic i it’s prepared right, but I’ve yet to master cooking a good bowl of rice on a regular basis. I never thought of using an Instapot for rice, but it makes sense. Sometimes I throw in some chicken broth when I cook rice and I might try that.
Hey Erin, such an informative article you had shared.we all cook rice usually but didn’t know how to make that correctly. You described clearly about the process.thanks for sharing this tips.it will help us to cook rice perfectly. Keep posting like this.. 🙂
I’m going to try doing rice in my IP for the first time. As per the advice in comments, I’m going to use the manual setting for 8 minutes on high pressure. 1:1 rice and water ratio with a bit of olive oil. What I’m going to do differently is setting it on a two hour timer while we go to Christmas Eve worship. We hope to come back to rice in the IP and chicken in the Crock-Pot. A set and forget meal. I’ll let you know how it goes. The time to cook is no different than doing it on the stove. The IP advantage I’m looking for is that theoretically it will cook itself while I’m away.
I used 1:1 ratio, and set the Instant Pot for 1 minute (as per the “Perfect Jasmine Rice” recipe that came with my IP) and during the cooking process, my IP said “BURN” on it….so I stopped the process and, after cooling, opened it up to find that most of the rice was pretty close to cooked. Just slightly undercooked but that makes sense as I stopped the process. The rice on the bottom was burned onto the IP (basically like it happens with most regular rice cookers). Anyone else having “BURN” come up? Is the rice on the bottom always going to burn? Suggestions?
The 1:1 ratio didn’t work for me either. I tried it twice before I decided I needed to increase the water to a 1.5 ratio.
Hi Erin
While I’m not a fan of sticky rice I love the idea of rinsing the rice as you do for Quinoa.. I have cooked both with your ratio of water and both have come out perrfectly and I coat my pot with 1 coconut cooking spray. Fantastic.
I’m glad it worked out for you Dianna!
So the 1:1 ratio can change based on elevation. The higher the elevation, the more water. This “no” commenter has a bug up their butt! Modify your recipe and if it doesn’t work, it’s not an absolute science!
We used leftover broth from making carnitas a couple nights before and made Mexican rice. It was incredible!
This is the first time my rice came out light and fluffy. I followed your recipe except I didn’t rinse my rice first (I actually forgot bc never do it), and I used coconut oil. I let it sit 10 min after it was finished then released any pressure left. This is my go to for rice now. Thank you.
I’m so happy it worked for you Arthur!
I added minced garlic, chopped cilantro, and butter instead of the vegatable oil.
1 cup of rice to one 1/8 cup of water, and it was delicious!!! (The extra water was because I like my rice a little sticky) if not, just ommit the extra water. 1/1 rice/water ratio works fine, but you do have to rinse the rice first.
I love your additions Diahna!
I haven’t had the IP long, and after reading all the comments, I wasn’t sure what to do about the amount of water, rice setting etc. But looking at the recipe again, I noticed it said “Select the ‘RICE’ button OR follow the cooking chart below.” (My emphasis added on the “or.”) So I kept it at 1 cup of rice, 1 cup water, and the other ingredients, and used my IP rice setting, which is low pressure for 12 minutes. Rice came out great! It was a little salty for me, so the only thing I would change next time is to halve the salt. Thanks for the tips, Erin!
I’m so happy it was helpful Kristel!
I have a 3Q IP. Thanks! Love your tips in addition to the recipes. Not making it tonight but am interested in tips for cooking black rice. I usually make coconut rice but for this week’s meals that won’t work. Until then never had a successful rice cook so am thrilled with IP. Still a newbie as I am very late to the IP trend.
Thank you!!!! This worked out perfect!!! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that – THanks Marilyn!
When You say what the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, does that mean put it on venting or do nothing?
Hi Kate – That means do nothing for 10 minutes, then vent. Hope that helps!
Hi Erin, I am an expert on ip now that I have cooked in it all of 4 times. Lol. I am following the recipe but the rice keeps coming out sticky. What am I doing wrong?
Erin, bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Erin, it’s really awesome! This will quickly become a favorite in our house!
Thank You So Much For This Awesome Sharing 🙂 By the way, Your Also Best Photographer
Is Jasmati rice white rice? I have no idea what I’m doing! What if I want to cook sushi rice?
Hi Marissa – Yes, jasmine rice is white rice, it has the same cook time.
I am new to the Instant Pot so I am in the learning phase of cooking different foods. The recipe states to see chart for cooking time. I don’t see a chart only a range of times for each type of rice. For white rice, it has a range of 4 to 8 minutes. That is a very broad range for cooking rice. I’m guessing more time for more rice but what is the range of volume of rice? 1 to 4 cups? Am I missing something? Have I overlooked the chart?
This method worked great.
Years ago I read the best way to “fluff” rice is to use the 2 prong meat fork( which shouldn’t be used for meat as it releases the juices) and that DOES seem to do a superior job. Also if rice is done early, place a kitchen towel over the pot then the lid so it doesn’t get mushy with condensation dripping back into the rice. It can stay hot a long time then
Erin, it looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Erin, absolutely loved this! Made a few tweaks, as I literally never follow a recipe 100%, but this was so yummy I will actually make it again! Thank you!
I’m so glad it worked well for you Julia!
Erin, this was wonderful! Never knew that those flavors would come out as they did in this beautiful dish! Follow the recipe word for word!!!
Hi! This recipe looks amazing! I’m so excited to try it! Thanks!
Erin, it’s amazing! I just randomly found your blog looking for this recipe. Awesome! Good for you!
This method worked great.
Years ago I read the best way to “fluff” rice is to use the 2 prong meat fork( which shouldn’t be used for meat as it releases the juices) and that DOES seem to do a superior job. Also if rice is done early, place a kitchen towel over the pot then the lid so it doesn’t get mushy with condensation dripping back into the rice. It can stay hot a long time then
I’m so glad that it worked well for you Anita!
I am cooking Basmati rice with 1:1 1/4 ratio. I also used 8 minutes RICE auto feature. However the rice is not expanding as much as it does when cooking in a normal pot without pressure. How Can I over come this issue?
Making Rice in Instapot is popular. However, I prefer to make Brown Rice in an Instapot. Because they are more delicious and also great for anyone’s health.
I’ve been living away from home for years and my mom is a big fan of instant pot and she bought the Instant Pot Max to my dorm and shared a few links which had few recipes. I made the first bowl of rice (the first time I’ve cooked) by following your recipe. It indeed is a perfect way to cook rice! Thanks a lot for keeping it public for free!
You are so welcome Jacob – I’m so glad it was helpful!
Lovely tutorial on Cooking Perfect Rice using instant pot. Thanks so much for this.
I tried the rice recipe. I put 2 cups rice to 2 cups water. It turn turned out great. My husband loved it. I have never used an instant pot before, I was real pleased. I will be trying some more of your recipes. Thank you greatly.
As a newbie to the InstantPot, I am always a little skeptical. Since we are at a high altitude (7000ft), I did make one minor adjustment. We did 2 cups of rice and 3.5 cups liquid. I never make my rice with just water, but usually do some home chicken stock. I was out of my own so used 1 can chicken broth and one can (almost full) of water. My instructions told me 12 min due to altitude, so that is what we did and then let it naturally steam down for 10 min. Hubby said we are NEVER cooking rice without the instantpot again! He chowed it down and so did my daughter. Thank you!
Made a few tweaks, as I literally never follow a recipe 200%, but this was so yummy I will actually make it again! Thank you!
So happy you liked it!
Hi Miss Erin!
I have a new pressure cooker (bought it 2 years ago) and have never used it…lol. I bought it to make homemade yogurt and yet to have done that. I have been cooking everything on a hot plate because my LG range went wack. One of the burners would not turn off and got stuck on HI. Yikes! So I cut the breaker and it just sits in my kitchen taking up space. Anyway your blog inspired me to dust off the my old/new pressure cooker and try making rice. Thank you for the inspiration – Rinda
You’ll love cooking with the Instant Pot Rinda – I love it and use it all the time! I even own two of them!
I live is Louisiana along the southern coast. Rice is a staple in our life. I really thought hearing how great and fast rice was this would be like 5-10 minutes. Our rice cooker we have had our entire life is faster than the IPot. I think it is just easier to throw the rice in the rice cooker and call it a day. No checking, no building steam or releasing steam. You put it in the pot use the cup that came with it to measure the water, hit the cook button, voila perfect rice. It also has a steam basket. Love the insta pot but maybe not for rice. I think this is why we find they have a rice cooker on the market that I’ve seen. Here in my area I can pick up a rice cooker for $10-$15 and $5 on Black Friday.
I think the issue with the water to rice ratio is dependent on the type of white rice used. We have a bag of arborio white rice (short grain) and it was *very* al dente with only one cup of water. I added another 1/2 cup and it was much better. I’ll try again with 1.5 and 1.75 cups at the start to find the perfect ratio for our type of rice. Using the IP to make rice during our kitchen remodel will be awesome and thank you for the base recipe!
You’re welcome Deb! This could definitely be causing the issues for some!
very helpful thank you
This is just way too complicated for me.
This does not work for me!
i tried this recipe, 1 cup of basmati and 1 cup of water- wash my rice, soak it for 30 minutes and then put 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water in the IP, close it to sealed and pressure cook it for 4 minutes. After a few minutes, not even 4, the IP says burn. I panicked and i quickly switched off and release the pressure. Open the IP and the rice is stick on the bottom of the IP but still hard.
What am i doing wrong? Please help me as I really want to learn how to cook basmati in my IP
Hi – What comes to mind is that maybe the plastic ring isn’t in place correctly? Be sure that it is under the ring all the way around so the pot will seal correctly and come to pressure. Hope that helps!
@erin thanks for reply. I think it was properly close, as usual. It has happened a couple of times now, i am scared to do it again as it is difficult to clean the IP afterwards. will need to try again then
Your recipe is amazing, I have never tried something this tasty and quick, If it would be possible I would let you to taste it.
-@ulnaday
I tried this rice yesterday. Rinsing rice before cooking, wow a lot of starch. I followed directions. Except because I cooked 2 cups of rice and 2 1/2 c water due to my instant pots rice button is 10 min. The most perfect rice. I used to do I the microwave, but water over boiled and made microwave a mess. I will always use instant pot for rice.
you must be health conscious, preparing such nice and healthy recipe.
I used your recipe for my pressure cooker rice. The 1:1 ratio worked perfectly for me. 🙂 I’ve always made my rice in a rice cooker so first time trying before I found this I was dumbfounded. Thank you!
I’m so glad it was helpful Alyssa!
Looks like the best way to cook rice.
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!
You’re welcome Kelly!
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!
You’re welcome Ethelyn! I’m so glad it was helpful!
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?)
I used a cheap rice, rinsed it, lcup to lcup, 3 min. cook, 10min release, came out gummy. what did I do wrong?
Hi Erin, never tried that before. It looks so tasty. Have you tried Brown Rice?
Hi Lora – yep! Brown rice will take 22-24 minutes.
I tried this last night and it was perfect! Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome Eileen!
This was so great ! Thanks for sharing this!