This is how to make the perfect Instant Pot white rice in your pressure cooker. How long to cook it, what liquid to use, and tips on serving the best tasting rice are here. Whether you are a beginner or use your Instant Pot daily this basic recipe will become your go to for dinnertime.
Ok so I have been busy creating a ton of easy Instant Pot recipes since I got mine Christmas of 2016 but I neglected to share the most basic recipe, Instant Pot white rice. I guess you just assume it is easy but I remember the first time making it I had to adjust the amount of liquid a bit, and what I used for liquid to achieve what we consider to be the best recipe for rice in the pressure cooker. We eat rice a lot, like probably every other day. I grew up in Hawaii and that was just a staple so I guess I assumed it was for everyone else. For those in the midwest I’ve heard their go to is potatoes with just about everything…ours is white rice. (originally published 1/18, affiliate links present)
I’ve had a rice cooker ever since I was a kid. I watched my mom cook it night after night this way or on the stove top.
In that machine it was always a 2:1 ratio of water to rice (it isn’t the same for the IP). She always just used water and I never thought twice about it as a kid. When I got married the first thing I put on my wedding registry was a rice cooker…a big one. That is how engrained white rice is in my life. lol.
Now I just use this Instant Pot white rice recipe and it’s perfect every time!
At first it was a learning curve for sure and I made rice several times before I figured out the perfect rice recipe, then I wrote this post on how to use an Instant Pot to help everyone else out too!
Why I love pressure cooker rice
- It’s inexpensive to make
- Everyone in my family enjoys it
- It’s a healthy side dish (if you aren’t watching your carb intake)
- White rice really goes with every protein
Is Instant Pot good for cooking rice?
There’s no better way!
It’s quick and turns out perfect every single time.
When I had a family and started cooking rice night after night I never thought differently, but once I got my Instant Pot it didn’t turn out quite the same. I made different versions of Instant Pot white rice in order to figure out the exact ratio of liquid to rice I needed. This was it!
We make 2 cups of uncooked rice for the 5 of us, you could cut this recipe in half if you needed to.
I got tired of swapping liners, or cooking my rice, emptying the pot, and then cooking my main dish in my Instant Pot so last month I broke down and bought this Instant Pot mini 3 qt. and now I can have the entire dinner done and on the table in under 30 minutes flat…I love it….so worth it!
Here are my tips for making perfectly cooked rice in the Instant Pot
- Put the rice in a strainer and rinse it under some running water
- Jasmine is our favorite kind of rice
- Add rice into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- Use a little more than a 1:1 rice to water ratio when making white rice in your pot (we prefer to use a combo of water and this can of chicken broth + uncooked white rice)
- 2 c. uncooked rice + 2 1/2 cup of water seems like the perfect ratio for us to make the perfect Instant Pot rice. Not too dry, not mushy.
- Use the rice setting or button (should automatically set the time to 12 minutes) & close steam valve
- Do a quick release
- Enjoy immediately for best results
I have a recipe for how to make the perfect quinoa in your Instant Pot here too!
Like I said I make my rice now in my Instant Pot mini while my main dish is being cooked in my 6 qt. Instant Pot. I use my Instant Pot almost every night and make something new to add to The Typical Mom every single week.
To make this easy Instant Pot white rice recipe you do not need any additional items.
- However, I HIGHLY suggest you get a non stick pot because it’s 1,000 times easier to clean!
- I do recommend a few Instant Pot accessories here though that have been helpful overall.
If you’re looking to make Instant Pot brown rice, follow these instructions
- Rinse your rice, we still cook 2 cups at a time
- Dump rice into your Instant Pot
- Add 2.5 c. of water with your 2 cups of uncooked brown rice
- Set to high pressure for 20 minutes
- Allow to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes
- Release rest of pressure
- Fluff and serve
** Note – cook times differ depending on how you like the texture of your rice and your altitude, this timing works well for our tastes.
Then you can serve your Instant Pot white rice with a few easy Instant Pot recipes on top!
- Instant Pot sesame chicken seen above!
- Amazing Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs
- Spicy honey Instant Pot chicken
- Mild chili is always a winner
After you make your perfect Instant Pot rice a few times you might want to try some other side dishes
- Instant Pot cheesy bacon ranch potatoes
- Pressure cooker baked potatoes
- Our green chile rice is amazing
- You’ll love these Instant Pot potatoes with Italian seasoning
You can cook this in any brand of electric pressure cooker like we did when we made this Ninja Foodi rice. If you don’t have a rice button then use manual setting, pressure, high, for 12 minutes.
- I always recommend spraying the inside of your pot with non stick spray. Or put a bit of olive oil on a paper towel and rub the inside so it doesn’t stick. Better yet purchase a non stick pot if your pot didn’t already come with one. They’re life savers!!
There may be slight variations of the amounts of water you use but 2 cups rice to 2 1/2 cups water works for us every time.
My mom on the other hand who lives at a higher altitude says she needs to use close to 3 cups of water to get the same result we have. So…the first time you can decide if you need a tad more liquid or not and then enjoy!
Here is a recipe for Instant Pot Spanish rice too!
How many cups of rice can you cook in an Instant Pot?
- It depends on how large your pot is.
- Rule of thumb is to follow the ratio below and do NOT go above the max fill line inside your pot.
Instant Pot White Rice
Ingredients
- 2 c white rice not instant rice, we prefer Jasmine rice
- 2 1/2 c liquid you can use water or half chicken/beef broth half water
Instructions
- Use a strainer and rinse your rice.
- Pour rinsed white rice into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Pour water or broth on top of your rice.
- Close lid and steam valve, push rice button and wait until it beeps when done.
- Do a quick release
- Best when served and eaten immediately.
Donna says
Thanks, I have a Air Fryer and Insta Pot , the two of them make my life soooooo easy.
Choosing between them would like choosing between children, tonight Shish kebab in the Air Fryer, peas and buttered rice mixed together in Insta Pot. Invest in an Air Fryer you won’t be sorry.
Nancy says
I just got my instant pot not to long ago and have been trying foods here and there. I tried your receipe and it was so good that for three adults eating a double batch of rice was not a challenge. I appreciate your step by step instructions
Thank you. It was a big hit
Ginger says
You say in the first set of instructions to use 2 1/3 cups of liquid, then in the recipe area it says to use 2 cups of liquid — you may want to edit it so that the instructions are the same in both places.
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Here is another way to avoid buying an extra Instant Pot to make rice:
I have a 6 quart Instant Pot, and I make rice in a 1 quart pyrex glass bowl — “pot in pot” style — placed on the trivet with 1 cup of water placed in the bottom of the inner pot (below the trivet).
That way, when the rice is done, all you need to do is lift the bowl out, and the inner pot is clean and ready to use for the next thing.
The recipe that works well for me is:
1. place the following in 1 quart pyrex glass round bowl/container
x (using a volume measuring cup) amount of rice (for example, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, or 1 cup)
x (using the same measuring cup) amount of water/liquid, plus a smidgen more
a shake of salt, if you want
2. put the Instant Pot trivet in the inner pot, put 1 cup of water in the inner pot (below the trivet)
3. put the pyrex bowl on the trivet
4. do not cover the bowl (I find that if it’s covered with foil, it takes longer to cook and the water can foam out over the edges of the bowl)
5. set the Instant Pot to cook on manual for only 5 or 6 minutes (the Instant Pot recipe book that came with my 6 quart Instant Pot in February 2018 says to cook rice for just 3 minutes on manual, but I have tested various times out, and I prefer 5 to 6 minutes)
6. when it’s done cooking, do not take off the lid or let the steam out — let it switch over to “keep warm” for 12-15 minutes (by that time, the natural release will probably have happened, but if it hasn’t, release the rest of the steam)
7. take the bowl out of the pot, fluff the rice up with a fork, then cover the bowl (say, with a small dinner plate or the pyrex plastic lid that comes with the bowl) to let the rice rest and steam for a few more minutes
8. dump out the remaining water that is at the bottom of the inner pot and rinse the pot out with running water
(If using it right away for a subsequent recipe, the inner pot usually doesn’t need to be washed with soap after cooking the rice in the glass bowl, because no food had touched the inner pot. Of course, if you are done using the Instant Pot for that meal, you can wash the whole thing with soap and water before putting it away.)
Linda says
This is terrific! Thanks for sharing it and taking the time to explain it so well.
Anne says
Thanks so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. my rice always seems to burn to the bottom of my Instant pot when I cook it directly in the stainless (and I don’t want to use the non-stick due to the chemicals). I was thinking there must be a way to cook it in the glass pyrex! You saved me some trial and error :-). I appreciate you taking the time to write this up.
Stephanie says
Does the time of 20 minutes include time for the pot to come to pressure?
The Typical Mom says
That includes prep time so if you take that out yes total cook time would be 20 min including time to pressure.
The Typical Mom says
Thanks for the tip!