Cooking Rice in the Instant Pot
My rice cooker bit the dust shortly years ago and I have never replaced it. I got an Instant Pot shortly after and as soon as I realized I could cook rice in it, I never looked back. My old rice cooker did not cook brown or wild rice well at all and I had no control over the cooking times. The Instant Pot cooks rice evenly, consistently, and quickly. It is hands-down my favorite way to cook plain rice.
How Long to Pressure Cook Rice
The cooking time of rice in the Instant Pot purely depends on what variety of rice you are cooking. White rice only needs a few short minutes. This includes long grain white rice, Jasmine, and Basmati. Short grain white rice such as sushi rice only needs slightly more time. There is a big jump from white rice to brown rice, wild rice, red rice, and black rice. These need a lot more time or they will be crunchy. Cooking times for these types or rice varieties can vary between 23-30 minutes. To make it easier, I made an easy chart as a guide below. Read More: Instant Pot Brown Rice
Instant Pot Rice Cheat Sheet
Here is an easy cheat sheet (below) that you can print off and store next to your Instant Pot. Simply right click on the image and click “Save Image As”. From there you can save the image and then open it on your desktop to print.
Don’t Use the “Rice” Button
Don’t be tempted to use the rice button on your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The rice function may work well enough for white rice varieties but won’t work for any other variety. The “rice” function is programmed to “low” pressure and cooks for 12 minutes which gets the job done but tends to make the rice more sticky (in my opinion). Set your cooking time manually on high pressure for the times suggested above and your rice will simply turn out better.
Rice-to-Water Ratio
The rice-to-water ratio always seems to be the biggest debate when cooking rice. When cooking rice on the stovetop or even in a rice cooker more water may be needed, but not with an Instant Pot. A 1:1 ratio of rice to water is perfect. Nothing more, nothing less. Remember, the rice is being pressure cooked so all that steam and water is staying inside the pot, not evaporating out. I also love this ratio because you can really use anything you want to measure. No measuring cups? No problem. Just use a mug or glass to measure equal measurements.
Do I Have To Rinse Rice Before Cooking?
I almost always rinse my rice before cooking. Rice can be so dirty and can be covered in excess starches and I believe rinsing is necessary. Rinsing doesn’t take that long and it is totally worth the extra step. I like submerging the rice in water in the Instant Pot pot/liner and agitating the rice with my hands. Then I drain off the water continually and repeat until the water runs clear. I prefer this way because any debris that may be present in the rice floats to the top and can be drained off. It also uses less dishes. You can also put the rice in a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear. Either way works. Just drain off all the excess water completely before adding the water for cooking.
The One Exception
The only time I don’t rinse my rice is when I sauté the rice in oil before cooking. I do this when I am making Mexican Rice or Fried Rice because it gives it a better texture for these particular dishes.
How Much Rice Can I Cook?
I usually only like to fill my Instant Pot so it is about half full. This allows room for the rice to expand and also makes it so the water doesn’t sputter out too much before the Instant Pot seals. No matter the size of the Instant Pot or the amount of rice, the cooking time will remain the same.
Reheating Rice
My favorite way to use up leftover rice is to make fried rice, stir fry, or Mexican rice. I just heat a little oil in a skillet and toss the rice with some seasonings or other ingredients while heating. The oil keeps the rice from sticking together and gives it the perfect texture for these types of recipes. However, if I just want to re-heat the rice as is, I simply heat it in the microwave. Sprinkle a little water over the rice and cover with a lightly damp paper towel. Then heat for 45 seconds at a time until hot, fluffing with a fork between each time.
Seasoned Rice
It’s easy to give your rice a little flavor by switching out the water for broth and by adding a few easy ingredients such as finely chopped onion or garlic. If you want to add meat or vegetables wait until after the rice is cooked. Then toss the rice with the other ingredients in a wok or skillet as you would a fried rice or stir fry.
More Easy Rice Recipes
How to Cook Rice in the Instant Pot
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Restaurant Ham Fried Rice
Stovetop Rice Pilaf with Orzo
Lemon Pesto Rice
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