How to Make Instant Pot Rice- Cooking rice in the Instant Pot is SO easy! The best part is that it’s literally a “hands off” cooking process. Simply rinse the rice and add equal parts rice and water to the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for the appropriate time for the type of rice you are cooking (cook times below) allow Instant Pot to Naturally Release for 10 minutes after the cooking cycle is done and that’s it!
What is the best Water to Rice Ratio when making Instant Pot Rice?
1:1 Ratio Water to Rice
Another reason cooking rice in the Instant Pot is so simple is that you no longer need to worry about what the proper water to rice ratio is by rice type. It’s the same for all rice varieties! Always 1:1 water to rice.
When cooking rice on the stove top, water to rice ratios vary by rice variety. This is because certain rice types (like black and wild) are much denser and take longer to cook. Longer cook times means more evaporation so typically longer cooking rice varieties would have a higher water to rice ratio.
Since we are cooking in a pressure cooker, where the cooking environment is a sealed pot with very little evaporation, no additional water is needed ( because there is very little evaporation). So no matter what type of rice you are cooking it’s always going to be a 1:1 water to rice ratio. Hallelujah!
Rinse the Rice
It’s important to rinse the rice under cool water prior to cooking. Rinsing the rice helps wash away and debris as well as surface starches so grains don’t stick together.
You can rinse rice by 1) using a fine mesh strainer and running water over rice ,using your hands to swish the rice so all grains get washed,until water runs clear. 2) Add rice to a bowl and cover with water. Swish rice with your hands. Tilt bowl and drain water. Repeat (probably 2-3 times) until water is no longer cloudy after swishing rice.
Make a little or Make a lot ( and the minimum amount suggested)
You can adjust the quantity of rice you make in the Instant Pot to meet your needs. Generally 1 cup of dry rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice. The Instant Pot does need a sufficient amount of water to bring the pot to pressure so I would suggest 1 cup as the minimum amount (of both water and rice).
Here’s a printable version of the the chart above Instant Pot Cooking Times
I’ve also included cooking times in the Instant Pot Rice recipe card below (also printable).
How long to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot ( White, Brown, Red, Wild, Wild Blend and Black Rice cooking times)
For each variety of rice you will use the 1:1 ratio water to rice and will cook on High Pressure (Manual/Pressure Cook mode). After the cooking cycle is complete, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes followed by a Quick Release.
- White Rice (short grain, long grain, jasmine) – 3 minutes
- Brown Rice ( short grain, long grain, jasmine)- 22 minutes
- Red Rice- 30 minutes
- Wild Rice- 35 minutes
- Wild Rice Blend- 28 minutes
- Black Rice- 30 minutes
How to Freeze Instant Pot Rice
Time saving hack! Make a big batch of rice and freeze some to use at a later time. Let rice cool to room temperature and then package rice in freezer bags or freezer proof containers. I like to use freezer bags and lay them flat so they are easy to store. Frozen rice should stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To cook frozen rice you can either 1) add to a microwave proof bowl, add a couple of Tbsps of water, cover loosely and microwave in 1 minute intervals (stirring in between) until rice is hot. 2) add frozen rice to a sauce pan, add a couple of Tbsps of water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
High Altitude Cooking Time Adjustments
Cooking times are for elevations below 2000 ft. Don’t forget to adjust cooking times if you live above 2000ft. You can find a more info on High Altitude Cooking Time adjustments here.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup rice
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Add 1 cup water to the Instant Pot
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Rinse 1 cup rice thoroughly and add to Instant Pot. Close lid, set vent to SEALING and set time (see notes section for proper cooking times for different rice varieties) select MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK on High Pressure.
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After the completion of the cooking cycle, allow Instant Pot to Naturally Release for 10 minutes, followed by a Quick Release. Fluff rice with fork and serve.
Cooking Time for different Rice Varieties:
For each variety of rice you will use the 1:1 ratio water to rice and will cook on High Pressure (Manual/Pressure Cook mode). After the cooking cycle is complete, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes followed by a Quick Release.
- White Rice (short grain, long grain, jasmine) - 3 minutes
- Brown Rice ( short grain, long grain, jasmine)- 22 minutes
- Red Rice- 30 minutes
- Wild Rice- 35 minutes
- Wild Rice Blend- 28 minutes
- Black Rice- 30 minutes
Adjust the Quantity of Rice/Water
You can adjust the quantity of rice you make in the Instant Pot to meet your needs. Generally 1 cup of dry rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice. The Instant Pot does need a sufficient amount of water to bring the pot to pressure so I would suggest 1 cup as the minimum amount (of both water and rice).
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