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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:

February 3, 2026

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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
  • Hibachi Fried Rice
  • 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
  • Hibachi 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 

More Instant Pot Recipes

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Browse More Instant Pot Favorites

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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. LilGin
    March 20, 2018

    Beautiful pictures!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      March 21, 2018

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Curly
    April 18, 2018

    4 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 19, 2018

      Thanks for pointing that out Curly – I’ve revised the recipe to reflect that information.

      Reply
  3. Jan
    April 19, 2018

    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

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 19, 2018

      Hi Jan – I would cook 3 cups of dried white rice. It should take the same amount of cooking time. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. E
    June 6, 2018

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 7, 2018

      I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply
  5. Rosa
    June 14, 2018

    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!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 15, 2018

      Hi Rosa – I do not adjust the water. Because it’s cooked under pressure, much less water is lost during the cooking process.

      Reply
  6. Monica
    June 24, 2018

    I’m interested in making coconut rice. Is the recipe 1 can coconut milk to 1 cup of rice?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 24, 2018

      Hi Monica – I’ve never tried this, but here’s a recipe for Instant Pot Rice with Coconut Milk.

      Reply
  7. Sion
    July 20, 2018

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  8. mohit kumar
    July 31, 2018

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe.
    Going to make this in the upcoming days.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 31, 2018

      I hope it works well for you Mohit!

      Reply
  9. Michelle G
    August 11, 2018

    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?

    Reply
  10. Nancy
    August 19, 2018

    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.

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Erin!

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