How to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot
Did you know you can use a pressure cooker as a rice cooker? Here’s how to make Instant Pot rice, including both brown rice and white rice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: About 6 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: International
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups white or brown long grain rice (American long grain, basmati, or jasmine)*
- 2 cups water
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Then add it and the water to the Instant Pot and stir. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
- Cook on high pressure for EITHER: 8 minutes (white rice) or 20 minutes (brown rice): Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 5 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
- Natural release for 10 minutes: After the Instant Pot beeps, set a timer and wait for 10 minutes to let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure. Then vent any remaining steam by moving the vent to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. (The pressure indicator in the lid may drop on its own during this time, meaning that there is no remaining steam in the pot.)
- Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (Note: When reheating leftovers, it’s helpful to add a tiny bit of water and then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave — adding the water helps to rehydrate the rice so it’s not dry!)
Notes
*A note on quantities: we’ve found cooking 2 cups rice works the most reliably in our Instant Pot. If you’re making a recipe that only calls for 1 cup rice, you can freeze the leftovers and reheat. 1 cup of dry rice makes about 3 cups cooked.
