Instant Pot White Rice Recipe

Learn how easy it is to cook White Rice in the Instant Pot that comes out super fluffy, tender, and doesn’t clump together!  With the correct rice to water ratio and timer settings, your pressure cooker will make perfect rice every single time. 

Instant Pot White Rice

Growing up we always made our white rice in the rice cooker.

It was quick, easy, and was pretty much foolproof.

If you’d asked me up until about a year ago I’d say the rice cooker was the only way.

That is, until the magical powers of the Instant Pot were discovered.

Not only do the grains cook up until perfectly tender and ultra fluffy, but it’s also ready in a fraction of the time.

I’m talking like HALF of the time it takes for a rice cooker or a stovetop method.

Instant Pot white rice in only 20 minutes while cooking it in a rice cooker takes closer to 40 minutes!

And the process is so simple to follow, you might even end up tossing that ole’ rice cooker away! (OK – I haven’t gone here QUITE yet, but definitely considering it!)

Types of Rice

This process below is for cooking white rice in the Instant Pot.  If you have a different type of rice, such as brown, wild, or even basmati rice, the length of time for cooking it and water:rice ratios will vary.

Also, the type of rice used is a long grain white rice, not a short grain.

Jasmine rice is a type of long grain white rice that will work with this method.

Learn how to make Instant Pot Basmati Rice and Instant Pot Brown Rice.

Water to Rice Ratio

When cooking rice on the stovetop or in the rice cooker you normally need almost double the water compared to the rice.

Since the Instant Pot retains all of the moisture within the pot while cooking, you’re actually going to be using quite a bit less liquid.

For long grain rice in the Instant Pot you will need a 1:1 water to rice ratio.

The water can also be substituted for chicken or vegetable broth with not variation of the grain to liquid ratio.

How to Cook

You can either choose to cook white rice at high pressure or low pressure in the Instant Pot.

If cooking at high pressure, set your timer for 3-4 minutes and allow a 10 minute natural pressure release.

If cooking at low pressure, set the timer for 12-13 minutes and do a quick pressure release.

Cook the rice for the shorter amount of time if you like your rice more al dente and the longer length of time if you prefer it tender.

Pro Tip: Fluffy Rice

One extremely crucial step to making sure rice does not clump together takes place before you even touch the Instant Pot.

Rinsing rice under cold running water until the liquid runs clear is the trick to getting super fluffy rice.

If you cook the rice straight from the bag it’s still covered in a starchy coating.

That starchy coating when mixed with water forms a glue-like substance which makes the grains stick together.

So always rinse before cooking if you want ultra fluffy rice!

Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few common mistakes you can easily avoid when cooking rice in the Instant Pot:

• Soupy and watery.  If this happens then you most likely used the incorrect water to rice ratio.  Next time, try using less liquid for that same type of grain.
• Hard and undercooked.  Tough grains of rice after cooking means there was not enough liquid used.  To prevent this from happening, use more liquid for that same type of rice.
• Clumped together.  Rice sticking together is the result of excess starch.  Make sure you rinse your rice before cooking to avoid clumpy rice

Additional Ingredients

Once you master the art of cooking rice there are a few additions and substitutions you can make:

• Use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water for added flavor.
• Mix in butter or olive oil for a bit of fat.
• Sprinkle in salt, pepper, or other seasonings.

Serving

White rice goes with SO many dishes.  A few of the best meals to serve it with include:

• Shrimp Creole
• Easy Pineapple Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
• Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Or you can use the cooked rice as the star of the show in these easy recipes:

• Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
• Chicken Fried Rice

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Instant Pot White Rice

Learn how easy it is to cook White Rice in the Instant Pot that comes out super fluffy, tender, and doesn't clump together!  With the correct rice to water ratio and timer settings, your pressure cooker will make perfect rice every single time.

Course Dinner, lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Asian

Keyword how to, instant pot, pressure cooker, quick, side dish

Prep Time 6 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 121 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice long grain
• 2 cups water or broth
• 1 Tbsp. butter or oil, optional
• ½ tsp. salt to taste, optional

Instructions

1. Place rice in a fine mesh strainer. Rinse under cold water for 1 minute, or until liquid almost runs clear.
2. Add rice, water, butter, or oil, and salt to a 6-quart Instant Pot.
3. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and move the pressure release valve to sealed.

4. Turn the pressure cooker to the manual mode.

5. If cooking at high pressure, set the timer to 3-4 minutes. Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.

6. If cooking at low pressure, set the timer for 12-13 minutes and quick release the pressure when done.

7. Move the pressure release handle to the venting position to let any remaining steam escape. Open the lid once the float valve goes down. Use a fork to fluff up the rice and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• 1 cup of dried rice equals 3 cups of cooked rice.
• One serving equals ½ cup cooked rice.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot White Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 121 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 92mg4%

Potassium 35mg1%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 31IU1%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.