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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
  • Instant Pot Rice

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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  • The BEST Instant Pot Refried Beans (No Soaking!)

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Browse More Instant Pot Favorites

Did you try out your instant pot rice button?

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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. Andrea
    September 25, 2018

    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.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      September 25, 2018

      Hi Andrea – I am using high pressure on manual. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. AJ Corrales
    September 30, 2018

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 3, 2018

      So happy to hear that AJ!

      Reply
  3. Pam
    October 5, 2018

    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!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 8, 2018

      Hi Pam – Either will work, but I usually just leave my pot on WARM.

      Reply
  4. Ray Wohltman
    October 16, 2018

    4 stars
    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

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 19, 2018

      Hi Ray – I would go with 20 minutes and use 1 1/4 cup water. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      1. Amy
        October 23, 2018

        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.

        Reply
  5. Leslie P
    October 23, 2018

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 24, 2018

      I’m so happy to hear that it worked well for you Leslie – Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  6. NR
    November 7, 2018

    Am I able to double the recipe? Same cooking time? Same water to rice ratio?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      November 7, 2018

      You can definitely double the recipe. Same cook time and same water-rice ratio!

      Reply
  7. alicia purple
    November 23, 2018

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  8. Simon Cooker
    December 13, 2018

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  9. Lucy S. Adkins
    December 15, 2018

    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.. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Lynda
    December 23, 2018

    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.

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Erin!

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