How to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot

Hi, friends! Today we’re going to learn how to cook rice in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. I guarantee you that this is not the first post on the world wide web on this topic, but as I learned in previous tutorial posts, like how to cook perfect quinoa, just because something already exists on the internet doesn’t mean that another version won’t be appreciated by someone (or many someones). So if you are already an Instant Pot rice-cooking savant, feel free to wave as you pass by. 🙂 And if you are indeed looking for an easy-to-remember method to cook rice in an Instant Pot, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s do this thing.

Cooking rice in an Instant Pot couldn’t be simpler.

1:1 Water/Rice ratio (whether white or brown rice)
White Rice – 3 Minutes at high pressure with a natural release
Brown Rice – 22 minutes at high pressure with a natural release

Beth, you mean to tell me you can cook white rice in 3 minutes?

Here’s the thing about the Instant Pot – it doesn’t necessarily make cooking times shorter, and that’s because it takes time for the pressure to build, and only once it reaches high pressure does the actual cooking time start. Typically it takes 5-10 minutes for the pressure to build, depending on what is being cooked, how much liquid is in the pot, etc. What it does do is make your ACTIVE cooking time shorter. Meaning, you can set up the rice to cook, start the timer, and walk away. You don’t have to monitor the rice while it cooks at all. And then when the timer is up, you could be somewhere else, no big deal, because the pressure is going to release naturally and that takes some time (15-20 minutes). So in actuality, cooking white rice in the Instant Pot actually takes about the same time that it would on the stovetop, but it involves next to zero attention from you. I call that a win.

This is one of my favorite things to have cooking while I’m making another meal, because it’s like borrowing time. I’m already in the kitchen cooking or doing dishes or whatever, so it’s easy to throw in the rice and water into the IP and let it go while I’m busy. Then, I pack up the rice in containers or plastic storage bags to keep in the fridge or freezer for later meals. It so SO handy to be able to pull out precooked rice whenever I need it, but without the “convenience tax” that’s added on to precooked frozen rice at the grocery store. It’s a small time investment with a big payoff.

The advantages of cooking rice in the Instant Pot are many, but top of the list is the actual texture of the rice. It comes out perfectly, every single time. Note that this method works for “standard” rice varieties, but if you venture into the world of rice a little further, such as to make sushi rice or forbidden black rice or red rice, then you’d be wise to look up specific cooking times for those varieties. But for standard long-grain white rice and both short and long-grain brown rice varieties (including Basmati and Jasmine rice), this method will work for you.

Here’s a question that might be coming to your mind. To rinse or not to rinse? Some rice varieties (especially white rice) benefits from being rinsed under cool water until most of the starch has been rinsed away. This helps the rice grains hold their shape and keep from sticking together. Basmati rice and jasmine rice in particular both benefit from rinsing. What I typically do is measure the rice and put it in the cooking pot of the IP, then run cool water over the rice to cover. I swish it around with my hand then pour off the water. Then I add more water, swish and pour again, and keep repeating until the soaking water looks mostly clear. If you’ve never done this before, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by the results. When the water is clear, I pour off as much of the water as I can, but there will always be a little left in the pot. In that case, I’ll decrease the water I add for cooking by about 1/4 cup, so that the extra water doesn’t make the rice mushy. Works like a charm!

Here’s a quick and easy reference to cooking rice in an Instant Pot. May I humbly suggest that you pin it? I may? Yay! You should totally pin this for later.

If give this a try, shout out here in the comments or take a photo and tag @eatwithinyourmeans on Instagram! Then you should pour this date-sweetened teriyaki sauce all over your freshly cooked rice. Great, now I’m hungry. 😉