Instant Pot White Rice – reliable every time!

At a glance

What stands out: Cooking dinner is a breeze when you make Instant Pot white rice. Completely hands off, this straightforward method of cooking rice is fool-proof.

How long it takes: 19 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pressure cooker/Instant Pot
Servings: 3 (but it’s straightforward to double or triple)

It seems like everyone has a favorite method to cook rice. There are about as many ways to cook rice as there are varieties of rice. Basically, rice is steamed or boiled, whether it’s in a rice cooker, sauce pan, or in a covered casserole in the oven.

And, of course, there’s always good ol’ Minute Rice, which is parboiled to make the cooking time short or maybe you like the “heat and serve” packets of already cooked rice.

While those methods are all fine, we think you’re going to love cooking rice in your Instant Pot. Start it and forget it! It’ll be ready when you are. It’s much tastier and way more economical to cook your own rice. You all can handle it — it’s straightforward! We promise.

Uncooked white rice can be stored in your pantry for four to five years, making it a practical staple. Go ahead, buy that ten pound bag if it’s a good deal. If you freeze it, rice will last indefinitely!

A Simplified Rice Primer

Maybe you’re a little confused about the different kinds of rice. There are literally thousands of them!

• Brown rice is a whole grain which hasn’t been processed to remove the bran and germ, and is considered more nutritious.
• Long grain white rice can also include basmati and jasmine varieties, and comes out lighter and drier when cooked, reliable for pilafs.
• Medium grain rice, like Arborio, is moist but not overly starchy, and is used for dishes like risotto.
• Short grain rice forms stickier clumps, and is used for desserts, like rice pudding.

What goes in

• Long Grain White Rice: This should be straightforward to find at any market. Make sure it’s long grain.
• Oil or Butter: A little oil or butter adds flavor and helps prevent the rice from getting sticky. We typically use olive oil or butter because we like the flavor.
• Salt: Make sure to salt your rice or it will be bland! We recommend kosher salt.

How it comes together

Rinse the rice well before cooking. Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse until the water runs clear. The goal is rice that is fluffy but not sticky.

Combine ingredients. Add the rinsed rice to your Instant Pot insert, along with water, olive oil (if desired), and salt. Secure the cover.

Set the Instant Pot timer. If you have a newer Instant Pot model, you may have a pre-programmed setting for rice. This program cooks on low pressure, and includes three modes to select from, Less, Normal, and More, depending on how firm/soft you like your rice. But we like to have a little more control over it and follow this recipe!

If you have an older Instant Pot like us (or if you’d also like to have more control over it), cook the rice for four minutes with ten minute natural release. Remember to allow extra time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

Fluff rice to serve. When the pressure has released naturally for 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure, remove the lid, and fluff rice with a fork.

Helpful Tips

Rinse, rinse, rinse! Rinsing removes excess starch from the grains of rice and keeps the rice from clumping together and getting sticky. It also prevents the rice from foaming up and spattering out of the steam release valve as it cooks.

Remember the rice/water ratio. A standby ratio is 1 part water to 1 part rice (1:1). This recipe is written for 1 cup of rice with 1 cup of water. It’s straightforward to double or triple that amount. If you want to cook 2 cups of rice, add 2 cups of water. If you want to cook 3 cups of rice, add 3 cups of water. We’ve doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled this recipe in a standard 6 quart Instant Pot.

Keep the cooking time the same. Even if you are making a double batch of rice or even more, the cooking time will be 4 minutes. Keep in mind that it takes a bit of time for the pressure to build. More rice and more water means that it will take the Instant Pot longer to come to pressure. For one cup of rice with one cup of water, it will take about 5 minutes to come to pressure. For larger quantities, it will take longer. We’ve included those times on the recipe card below.

Let the rice steam. Don’t rush the natural release time. In order to fully cook, rice needs to steam 10 minutes with the lid in place after the 4 minute cooking time has elapsed.

What to Serve Rice With

Rice is so versatile and is an important part of many cultures. Here are just a few ideas but there are so many ways to serve rice!

Side dish: Rice is a good accompaniment to Instant Pot honey sriracha chicken or sheet pan honey balsamic chicken and vegetables. Try it with tarragon chicken with vegetables or orange chicken. It’s reliable with bourbon chicken or spicy garlic shrimp.

Asian dishes: Rice is essential for stir fry dishes, like sweet chili chicken stir fry, sweet and sour chicken, or this straightforward beef and vegetable stir fry. Lately, we’ve been loving this shrimp and vegetable stir fry or shrimp and broccoli stir fry (it has a standby brown sauce!). Serve rice with honey walnut shrimp to soak up that rich sweet sauce. Precooked rice is an essential for making fried rice, too.

Southwestern: Add rice to burritos or stuffed peppers. Our kids love Mexican rice cooked with vegetables and southwest seasoning.

Meal bowls: Rice can be the foundation of a meal bowl, like this BBQ chicken bowl or an memorable salmon bowl.

Flavor Enhancements

• Add seasonings or herbs. Your favorite seasonings or fresh chopped herbs can be added to match your meal.
• Add cheese. Sprinkle sharp cheddar or grated Parmesan cheese on rice for a tasty side dish.
• Add nutrition with vegetables. Mix in sauteéd onions, mushrooms, or another veggie of your choice. Chopped greens are good, too.
• Stir in cilantro and lime to make this cilantro-lime rice, a Chipotle at-home.
• More ideas: Spread rice on a plate, butter it, and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (our grandpa’s favorite way to eat rice) or change it up and make coconut rice. It’s just as straightforward to mix as plain rice and it’s so good!

Make-Ahead Idea

Freezing cooked rice: Make a big batch of cooked rice. Spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet so that it cools down quickly. Scoop it into freezer bags or containers and label it. It can be frozen for up to two months.

To reheat frozen rice: Use a fork or your hands to break up the solidly frozen rice into smaller chunks. Reheat as directed below.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover rice in a covered container in the fridge for four to five days. Leftover rice can be reheated successfully in the microwave, in a saucepan on the stove, or in the oven. Add a splash of water to keep it from drying out when you reheat it. Leftover rice is reliable for fried rice!

• Yield: 3
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 4 minutes
• Total: 19 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain white rice (see note)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon oil of choice or butter (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Method

1. In a fine mesh colander, rinse rice well until water runs clear, about 1 minute.
2. Add rice to the insert of your Instant Pot. Add water, oil, and salt. push down any rice that may be on the side of the pot to submerge in liquid.
3. Secure cover, turn valve to seal, and set Instant Pot on the “pressure cook” (or “manual,” depending on model) setting for 4 minutes on high pressure. It will take about 5 minutes to come to full pressure.
4. When the timer goes off, let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (in other words, leave it alone).
5. Once 10 minutes has elapsed, quick release remaining pressure, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Notes

Increase yield: Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled using same proportions (1 cup rice: 1 cup water). It will take longer for the Instant Pot to come to full pressure (8 minutes for 2 cups rice, 10 minutes for 3 cups rice). Cook 4 minutes, with 10 minutes natural release

Use the pre-programmed setting. Newer Instant Pot models have a “Rice” setting. Feel free to use that, if you like.

Storage: Leftover rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.