by Diana Rattray

The Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker is an excellent way to cook perfect rice. Overall, with pressure build and release, basic Instant Pot rice takes about 20 to 24 minutes. It might seem like a lengthy process for rice, but the ease of preparation is what makes it so fantastic. All you have to do for perfect rice is rinse it, add it to the Instant Pot, and set the timer. It’s an effortless procedure and results are consistent.

a bowl of instant pot rice with chopsticks

What You’ll Need:

  • An Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
  • Long grain rice: Use plain white long grain rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, or Carolina gold.
  • Everyday table salt or a slightly rounded 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
  • Tap water, filtered water, or an unsalted broth for a little extra flavor.
ingredients for instant pot rice

For best texture, don’t skip rinsing the rice. Rinsing cleans the rice removes impurities and some of the surface starch from the grains. It takes a few minutes, but it is well worth it. The strainer with rice is rinsed until the water is relatively clear.

This rice yields firm yet tender grains—if you’re prefer softer rice, add an extra 2 tablespoons of water to the Instant Pot for each cup of rice and add an extra 1 or 2 minutes to the timer. Once you have your ideal texture, the rice will be perfect every time.

You can easily scale the recipe up for a crowd, or you could scale it down to 1 cup for a few. You can always freeze leftover rice and reheat it in the microwave oven, so if you have too much, save some for another meal.

rinsing rice grains in a strainer

Related Recipes You Might Like:

This Instant Pot coconut rice is flavored with coconut milk, cilantro, and green onions. It’s a fabulous choice for an Asian main dish. Or try this Parsi rice, a Persian dish made with brown basmati rice and a fabulous array of spices. There’s no need to stir and fuss with this amazing Instant Pot risotto, or add broccoli and cheese to your Instant Pot rice for a memorable side dish.

A bowl of rice cooked in the instant pot

Tips and variations

  • Toast/sautĂ© the rice before you add the water. To toast the rice before cooking, add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter to the Instant Pot and press the SautĂ© setting. Add the rice and salt and cook, stirring, until the rice is aromatic. For additional flavor, feel free to use an infused olive oil or sesame oil. This is also the perfect time to add aromatics, such as minced garlic or shallots to the rice. Add the water, make sure any browned bits are scraped up, and proceed with pressure cooking.
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Perfect Instant Pot Rice

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The electric pressure cooker makes perfect rice every time and takes very little hands-on time. Enjoy this perfectly cooked Instant Pot rice!

  • Author: Diana
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Pressure Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 12 servings 1x
  • Category: Instant Pot, Rice
  • Method: Pressure Cook

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice in a mesh strainer under running water for about 2 minutes, until the water is relatively clear. Alternatively soak the rice in water for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse for about 1 minute.
  2. Put the rice in the Instant Pot and add the water and salt. Stir to combine.
  3. Lock the lid in place, choose high pressure, and set the timer to 4 minutes. It will take about 5 minutes for the pressure to build and cooking to start.
  4. When the rice is done, let the pressure come down for 12 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
  5. Fluff the rice and transfer it to a serving bowl.

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