Updated on October 14th, 2022
The nicest part about using an Instant Pot to cook rice is that it’s super FAST, much faster than working with a rice cooker. One of the things you’ll appreciate is not having to wait till the water is boiling, or monitor your cooking closely as you would with a traditional pot. All you need to do is set the timer and return to perfectly cooked rice.
If you’re not sure how to use an Instant Pot to achieve perfectly cooked, fluffy white rice, then pay attention to all the helpful tips, guidelines, and cooking instructions we’ve outlined in this article. Also, take note of our recommended timing guidelines for the best results.
White Rice Nutrition Facts
Tips for Cooking White Rice in Instant Pot
We have outlined a number of helpful tips, guidelines and cooking instructions to guide you to the best results when cooking white rice in an Instant Pot:
Ideal amount of rice to cook for best results – To produce nice, even results in a 6-quart pressure cooker, you’ll need to cook a minimum of 1½ cups of rice at a time. This is due to the fact that the base of the pot is somewhat concave rather than entirely flat. If you’re cooking less rice, the grains in the pot’s center will not cook as uniformly as the rice on the borders of the pot because they will not be submerged as much.
On the other hand, don’t stuff your instant pot with too much rice at a time! When cooking grains, pasta, beans or other food items that tend to foam, the pot will need to be half full or less. Cooking 1½ to 3 cups of rice at once yields the best results when cooking in the instant pot.
Rinse your rice for fluffier results – This step may not always come to mind or be feasible, but it is beneficial when it does: Rinse the rice for at least 30 seconds or until the water runs largely clear. Do this in a wire mesh strainer under cold water.
Rinsing the rice makes it fluffy, and it tends to make a bigger impact with white rice varieties over brown rice varieties; brown rice is covered by its hull and doesn’t have as much excess starch adhering to the exterior of the grains.
Ideal water to rice ratio – You should use the same 1:1 ratio of rice to liquid (water or broth works fine) no matter what type of rice you’re preparing. Because there is extremely little evaporation when using an Instant Pot, the amount of liquid needs to be less than you’re probably used to using when cooking rice on the stovetop. This ratio creates fairly firm, distinct grains; if you prefer softer rice, add some more water, about ¼ cup more.
Seasoning suggestions – You may cook rice in the pressure cooker with broth or water, salt (as much as you like), and even introduce extra seasonings, a dollop of butter, or a little olive oil for extra taste, just like you would on the stove.
Before adding your rice and water, you could try sautéing a little garlic in olive oil to turn a plain pot of grains into a tasty side dish! Spices like turmeric and coriander can be used to make Indian-inspired basmati rice, while chili powder can be used to make rice for burritos.
Ideal cooking duration – Water (or another liquid—stock can also be used) should be used in the same amount for most rice varieties. With regard to timing , on the other hand, different rice grains require varying lengths of time to cook in the Instant Pot.
Firm rice takes 15 minutes on low pressure, whereas softer grains need 17 minutes.
Opt for natural pressure release – It’s a good idea to allow the pressure to drop naturally for 10 minutes after cooking before you open the lid of the Instant pot, (do this regardless of the type of rice you’re cooking). Taking this step allows the liquid to uniformly disseminate throughout the grains and also aids in the unsticking of the grains from the pot’s bottom.
You can use a rapid pressure release to open the pot, but you’ll really get better results if the rice is allowed some resting time!
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Cooking Time for White Rice in Instant Pot
Keep the following timing guidelines in mind when cooking white rice in an Instant Pot:
| Cooking procedure | Cooking time |
| Cooking white rice in an Instant Pot (on low pressure) | 15 minutes plus extra 10 minutes for natural pressure release |
Instant Pot White Rice (8 Servings)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of white rice
- 2 cups of water
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice for about 30 seconds in a thin wire mesh colander beneath cold running water. Keep rinsing the rice until the water becomes less hazy (it won’t be completely clear).
- Pour out the extra water for about a minute, or until the colander is no longer dripping.
- Toss the rice, 2 cups of water, and salt into the pressure cooker. Spin the inner pot in the housing of the Instant pot a little to ensure that the rice is evenly distributed in the pot. Set up the release valve in the “Sealing” position, then secure the lid.
- Choose the “Rice” cooking program and set the pressure on the Instant Pot to low. (Use the default “rice” setting if your pressure cooker doesn’t offer high and low pressure settings.)
- The instant pot should typically automatically adjust the cooking time. Set the timer for 15 minutes on low pressure if you’re following manual instructions.
- Allow 10 minutes for the pressure to naturally release before moving the pressure release valve to the “Venting” position on the Instant Pot to discharge any leftover steam.
- Serve the rice; first open the pot and then fluff the rice using a fork before serving it.
- Cooking white rice in an Instant Pot is quite straightforward and easy; all you need to do is follow the correct cooking instructions to get the best results. For this recipe, the entire cooking duration lasted 25 minutes: 15 minutes of active cook time and 10 minutes for natural pressure release.
If you’d like more ideas for cooking white rice in an Instant Pot, then you may want to check out this video recipe.
