Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!}

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Updated on Dec 28, 2023

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

Instant Pot rice is a hands-off way to cook fluffy white rice. This foolproof rice recipe helps to make dinner prep easy!

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (1)

With this Instant Pot rice recipe, you can make the best rice with the least effort!

You’re going to love cooking rice in your Instant Pot. It’s fluffy, foolproof, and the perfect side dish for so many meals, including Beef Stir Fry, Baked Salmon and Pork Tenderloin.

Cooking rice in the Instant Pot is completely hands-off. Once you start the rice cooking, you don’t have to think about it again until you’re ready to serve your rice. There’s no watching a pot on the stove or worry of a pot bubbling over.

You can use this method to cook any long grain white rice. I most often make Instant Pot jasmine rice or basmati rice. If you want to cook brown rice, see my Instant Pot Brown Rice recipe.

This Instant Pot Rice

takes just a few minutes of active prep time.
turns out perfectly cooked and fluffy, every time.
is so versatile, perfect for serving with stir fries or using in your favorite rice recipes, like Fried Rice.

It came out nice and fluffy. Excellent recipe!!
Jennifer

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (2)

Rice to Water Ratio

The rice to water ratio for Instant Pot rice is 1 to 1. This means that for every cup of rice you need one cup of water. Measure carefully, and use the same measuring cup for both the water and the rice so that your measurement is precise. This way, your rice will turn out perfect every time.

Why do you need less liquid when pressure cooking rice, compared to cooking rice on the stove? This is because you lose less liquid to evaporation when you use a pressure cooker.

For more flavorful rice you can cook the rice in chicken broth, vegetable broth or bone broth instead of water. I recommend using a low sodium broth to limit the amount of salt.

How to Make Instant Pot Rice

Here is an overview of the recipe steps. You’ll find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below. If you are new to Instant Pot cooking you can read my beginner’s guide on How to Use an Instant Pot.

Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold running water to remove excess starch. Drain the rice well and then put it in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (3)

Add the water and stir to combine.

Pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. Before setting the cook time, check that the steam release valve is in the sealing position. The pot must be sealed for the rice to cook properly.

Natural release. After the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by just leaving the Instant Pot alone. Don’t skip the natural release – it’s essential for fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. It also helps to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Rice Setting

I prefer to cook rice using the manual pressure cook setting, not the rice setting. The Instant Pot rice setting is a preset program that cooks for about 12 minutes at low pressure. It can only be used for white rice. I’ve tested cooking white rice using the rice button, and prefer to use the 4 minutes at high pressure method instead. It’s faster and I find that the texture of the rice is better.

How Much Rice Can You Cook in an Instant Pot

The recipe below is for cooking 2 cups of dry rice, which will yield about 6 cups of cooked rice. You can scale the recipe down to cook 1 cup of dry rice. The water to rice ratio and cook time stay the same regardless of the amount of rice you are cooking.

You can cook more rice as long as you don’t exceed the maximum fill lines on your pot. Rice will expand as it cooks, so you have to account for this:

You can double this recipe to cook 4 cups of rice in a 6 quart Instant Pot, which will make about 12 cups of cooked rice.
If you have an 8 quart Instant Pot (and need a lot of rice), you can triple this recipe to cook 6 cups rice. This will make about 18 cups of cooked rice.

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (4)

How to Store Rice

Always cool and store cooked rice promptly for food safety. You can cool rice quickly by laying it out in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze rice as soon as possible after cooking (within an hour).
To Refrigerate: Once it’s cooled, store cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
To Freeze: Cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. After that, the rice can start to dry out.
To Reheat: Reheat rice in the microwave, on the stove top, or even in a dish in the oven, covered to trap in the heat and steam. If your rice has dried out you can add a bit of water when reheating.

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

You may also enjoy these Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot Risotto
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

4.93 from 14 ratings

Instant Pot Rice

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 34 minutes mins

Instant Pot rice is a hands-off way to cook fluffy white rice. This easy pressure cooker rice recipe helps to make dinner prep easy!

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Ingredients

▢ 2 cups long grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
▢ 2 cups water
▢ ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, optional

Instructions

Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Drain rice well and put it in the Instant Pot.
Add water to the pot, and salt, if desired. Stir. Make sure that all of the rice is in the water, not stuck to the sides of the pot.
Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position.
Use the Pressure Cook or Manual function to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone.
Carefully move the steam release valve to the venting position to quick release any remaining pressure. When the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.
Fluff rice and serve.

Notes

You can substitute low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for the water. If using broth, omit the salt.
To cook only 1 cup of dry rice, use 1 cup of water. The cook time will be the same.
You can cook up to 4 cups of dry rice in a 6 quart Instant Pot. Use a 1:1 rice to water ratio and keep the cook time the same.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 71mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: Asian

Course: Side Dish

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

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posted by Kristine Rosenblatt on Dec 28, 2023

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60 comments on “Instant Pot Rice”

Deb — January 29, 2020 @ 3:52 pm Reply
I followed the recipe. I used 2 cups of long grain white rice and 2 cups of water. I set my IP to manual 4 min. It took about 10 minutes to come to pressure. I let it naturally release for 15 on the dot. I released what little bit of pressure was left. I fluffed my rice plated it and it was still crunchy. To fix it I had to add 1 cup of water now a total of 3 cups used and hit the rice button which is 12 minutes. It set to auto eventually it built up pressure I did not time it but it was at least another 10-15 minutes to do that then I let it go for 3 minutes. I then cancelled it did a quick release and finally it was done. Even in the booklet it says 1:1 ratio 4 minutes for rice which is the same as your recipe, with a natural 15 release, but it didn’t work for me unfortunetly and I am really not sure why.
Seems like not everything that works for 1 person works for another. Any ideas as to why this didn’t work for me?
- Kristine — February 5, 2020 @ 10:52 am Reply
  I’m not sure. This recipe always works for me. It could be the rice you used? Maybe try again with a different long grain white rice? Have you had difficulty with your Instant Pot cooking other foods properly? (I ask because one time I had a defective Instant Pot that I had to exchange.)
- Betsy — September 22, 2021 @ 3:13 pm Reply
  Could this be due to different elevations? We’ve recently moved from sea level up to 5000 feet. I can’t bake here to save my life, so I’m concerned that elevation might be an issue with the measurements for the pot as well. I think that higher elevations might require more liquid, but again, I am just learning to use mine. Good luck, I hope we both get this figured out!
Deb B — February 19, 2020 @ 9:59 am Reply
No problem cooking anything else and the rice button calls 12 minutes when you push it. So how is it cooking yours in 4 minutes setting it manually, but the preset button says 12 minutes and it is perfect everytime for me?
- Deb B — February 19, 2020 @ 10:28 am Reply
  I have made many things in my IP. It isn’t defective. I have had it since Oct 25th 2019. I use it several times a week. I make lots of rice and it doesn’t matter what white rice I use it is still 12 minutes once it comes to pressure with a quick release. My sisters is the same 12 minutes. I will stick to what I know works thanks for trying to help though.
  - Kristine — February 19, 2020 @ 1:49 pm
    If your method is working for you, I would have to agree that you should stick to what works. 🙂
Rachel — February 24, 2020 @ 9:36 am Reply
Though this did not yield fluffy rice for me (I forgot to wash the rice prior to and it might have been too starchy) this made awesome sticky rice!! Instead of making burrito bowls for lunch, I made smoked salmon sushi and my toddler and husband loved it! I’ll definitely try this again but make sure to wash my rice beforehand! When life hands you lemons, make sushi LOL!
Lily — May 15, 2020 @ 6:44 pm Reply
I have a brand new 6 qt Instant Pot
the one with the air fryer anyway
I use it twice now to cooklong grain Jasmine
rice the first time I cook it with 1 to 1 ratio
( 1 cup rice 1 cup water ) and it looks like it’s undercook and the second time I use 1 Instant Pot cup to 1 cup water = 8 OZ and the rice came out sticky ? anyway Im still trying to get use to it so for now Im on training cooking rice LOL
- KCee — June 16, 2022 @ 11:52 am Reply
  This definitely cooked the rice no problem and didn’t heat up my house. However like a previous poster mine was sticky rice not fluffy. I typically boil and then strain rice when I cook it but the weather it so hot I don’t want to use the stove. I did wash the rice a ton before I started so I don’t think starch was the issue. Any suggestions on why mine was sticky?
  - Kristine Rosenblatt — June 16, 2022 @ 12:22 pm
    Hi KCee, When I cook rice in the Instant Pot it turns out somewhat sticky. One thing that you can try is increasing the amount of water a little bit if you want less sticky rice. You could also try my stovetop rice recipe, although I understand not wanting to use the stove on a hot day!
Stephanie — July 20, 2020 @ 1:20 pm Reply
I have an 8qt and it says 1 1/2 cups liquid to come to pressure. So wouldn’t my rice need more liquid than equal measure?
- Kristine — July 22, 2020 @ 1:57 pm Reply
  Hi Stephanie,
  2 Cups each of water and rice as indicated in the recipe works best. You could also reduce to 1.5 cups of each if you want less rice.
Nicole M. — September 9, 2020 @ 10:32 am Reply
I followed this to a T, and my rice came out beautifully! Thank you!
NelsonR — September 13, 2020 @ 3:30 pm Reply
The rice really does come out perfect. I just bought a ceramic inner pot for my 3qt Instant pot just in time to try this recipe. Thank you.
Dee Dyke — September 27, 2020 @ 7:44 pm Reply
Followed instructions as indicated. I used a Jasmine rice. I got the “burn food” notice twice. Wondering what I might have done wrong?
- Kristine — September 29, 2020 @ 4:43 pm Reply
  Hi Dee,
  You might try troubleshooting with my post about the burn warning.
Linda — October 1, 2020 @ 3:53 pm Reply
I leave on my own and cannot decide which size pot to get. I will be using it for rice a lot. So I am wondering if I can do one cup of rice in 6 liter,? I am reluctant to get smaller version as space not s problem and the smaller one is only 10 pound less than the big one.
- Kristine — October 5, 2020 @ 1:01 pm Reply
  Hi Linda,
  Most recipes for the Instant Pot are sized for and tested in the 6-quart pot so that is the one I would get.
  
  See Also
  Low FODMAP Diet Dinner Recipes
Kelli — October 14, 2020 @ 5:54 pm Reply
I have only used my instant pot once, and have not made rice
Normally I use minute rice and I cook it in either cream of mushroom soup, or tomato juice. How would you do that in an instant pot?
- Kristine — October 15, 2020 @ 11:07 am Reply
  I would not recommend cooking minute rice in an Instant Pot. I would worry that you would get a burn warning with using cream of mushroom soup to cook rice in the Instant Pot. You could try replacing some of the water with tomato juice (not tomato sauce) – maybe half? If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Amanda — January 31, 2021 @ 5:10 pm Reply
Turned out awesome..
Wendy Lemay — February 13, 2021 @ 3:37 pm Reply
Excuse me mine came out a little dry. I’m thinking I didn’t quite get the ratio one to one exact. I’m going to try it again and be more careful to see how it comes out. I was able to rescue the rice though by adding in some extra broth and butter and letting it sit in the instant pot on warm for a little while.
Jessie — February 15, 2021 @ 4:09 pm Reply
Oh my goodness! I used my instapot to Cook white rice and I used the rice setting…. How absolutely amazing!
Sonja — April 23, 2021 @ 9:33 am Reply
Recipe looks great…but I was wondering if I could add jarred salsa? Would you change the liquid measurements?
- Kristine — April 23, 2021 @ 1:46 pm Reply
  Thank you! I haven’t tried this with the addition of salsa. If you try it, I would keep the amount of water the same.
Jan G — May 23, 2021 @ 6:03 am Reply
I tried your recipe with long-grain white rice, and it came out perfectly. It says you can follow the same recipe for basmati rice, but what about for brown basmati rice? Would it still be the same? I’m making a recipe with brown basmati rice, and I’d like to cook the rice in my Instant Pot. Thanks, Kristine!
- Kristine — May 23, 2021 @ 6:21 am Reply
  Hi Jan, I would recommend trying my Instant Pot Brown Rice recipe for brown basmati rice. I’m so happy that this came out perfect for you!
- Bethany — November 7, 2022 @ 6:33 am Reply
  My big question is do I want or need to leave the keep warm button on when waiting for a natural release of pressure. I worry about my rice scorching on the bottom.
  - Kristine Rosenblatt — November 7, 2022 @ 7:36 am
    I always keep the keep warm button on. The keep warm setting does not put enough heat to scorch or burn the food.
Stacie Branham — May 29, 2021 @ 9:35 am Reply
I made this and used my rice setting only because it’s new and I need to read the manual for doing a manual start haha. I used jasmine rice and vegetable broth. It is cooked although a bit sticky. It’s fine since it’s going right in the fridge for the night and making fried rice with it in the black stone. I will play around with it and read my manual. Thank you!
Carissa Schroeder — July 7, 2021 @ 4:52 pm Reply
If doubling or tripling the amount of rice for a large batch, do I need to adjust to cook time or the natural release time? Thanks!
- Kristine — July 9, 2021 @ 10:58 am Reply
  The cook time and release time stay the same for a double or triple batch. The Instant Pot will take longer to come to pressure if there is more liquid in the pot. Be sure to not overfill the Instant Pot, as the rice will expand as it cooks. 🙂
Cindy — August 5, 2021 @ 3:52 am Reply
Thank you, this worked perfectly! My rice was in there f on natural release for about 25 minutes while I finished my stir fry, and it was perfectly cooked. We bought a 50 lb bag of rice and I’ve been struggling to find a way to cook it without it ending up mushy or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Thanks!!
Tanya — August 9, 2021 @ 2:08 pm Reply
Ok, this was my 2nd attempt. First one I got the burn notice. Now I know I set the timer wrong. Followed your recipe exactly. Rice is gummy not fluffy and I did rinse it. It tasted ok. But why is my rice sticking so bad to the pot? Do you hit cancel after the 4 minutes to do the natural release? Or leave it on warm? Yes, I am a beginning Insta potter!
- Kristine — August 10, 2021 @ 6:57 am Reply
  I usually leave it on warm during the natural release. Usually gummy rice is a result of not rinsing it well enough, but if you rinsed it I am not sure. I might suggest experimenting with the amount of water to see if that helps.
Lisa Launius — October 31, 2021 @ 4:40 pm Reply
I don’t do plain rice. Since this was going with shrimp etouffee I put in saute mode and sauteed onions, celery and bell pepper with olive oil & salt. Added the rice, mixed with veggies and oil, added chicken stock and followed the 4 minutes/15 minutes recommendation. Came out perfect
Clare — January 8, 2022 @ 3:08 pm Reply
I have a newer instant pot (sous vide model) and it took forever to reach pressure.Just an FYI for anyone with an IP purchased recently.
Ash — January 21, 2022 @ 2:39 pm Reply
Followed the recipe exactly and rice was crunchy. ?
- Kristine — January 22, 2022 @ 7:37 pm Reply
  I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like the pot might not have pressurized properly. This can happen if the valve isn’t set to the sealing position or the sealing ring isn’t fitted into the lid correctly.
Stephanie R. — March 7, 2022 @ 10:04 am Reply
Do we adjust the pressure level to low or high?
- Kristine — March 7, 2022 @ 1:29 pm Reply
  High pressure, as stated in step 4 of the recipe. Enjoy!
Jim — April 23, 2022 @ 11:53 am Reply
“Carolina white long grain extra large”
I have cooked it twice in my 6 qt. IP.
The first time, directions were 10 minutes cook, 10 minutes release time. A clump of mush.
The second time I followed your directions, minus the salt. Not too sticky, pre rinse is a must, slightly firm (to my liking) ready to be added to something like Red Beans ‘n Rice (I prefer to precook the rice).
5 stars, I think your recipe is perfect. Thanks!
Sheila Aitken — July 15, 2022 @ 10:53 am Reply
Followed your instructions exactly and my rice was perfect just as described!
Thank you for posting
Rose Light — July 27, 2022 @ 7:51 pm Reply
I just made white long grain rice. It turned out perfect! I was a little nervous of the outcome but now I have another way to make my rice. Thank you!
Oh, after the rice was done I added chicken (cooked in the instant pot earlier in the day) with teriyaki sauce to make a complete meal.
Petra R — August 9, 2022 @ 8:14 pm Reply
I used your recipe and loved it! Normally I do 1 cup of rice and 1 1/2 cups of water. I modified your recipe and cooked for 4 minutes with 1 1/4 cup of wawater, washing the rice thoroughly. It came out perfect !!! Love it!!! We have a lot of kids practice (sports) during the week and I set it before we leave for practice. When we come back, it’s perfect! Thank you for sharing! Me having my own business and feeding a larger family, it always comes out perfect! Again, thanks for the hack ? love it
Mary Mayes — October 1, 2022 @ 9:55 am Reply
I tried something a bit different. This worked perfectly for time, measurements for ingredients, etc. I always rinse my rice thoroughly before cooking. But this time, I sprayed the IP with avocado oil spray, added 1Tbsp grass fed butter, added and briefly cooked the rice on sauté for a couple minutes, then added the water, salt, and switched to the manual for 4 minutes as directed. After the 15 minute release, it turned out to be the fluffiest and tastiest Jasmine rice I’ve made. Prior use, without butter, produced a stickier rice, but also very good. The avocado oil spray on the pot prior to cooking made a really easy clean up. It didn’t stick to the pot and require me to soak it before washing.
Angie — November 24, 2022 @ 5:55 am Reply
I’ve been looking for a pressure cooker recipe for cooking for than 2 cups of long grain white rice. I decided to try this one on Thanksgiving morning, of all mornings! It came out perfectly in my Ninja Foodi!!! Thank you.
Pat Callahan — February 14, 2023 @ 1:24 pm Reply
2 cups of rice, 2 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt.
4 minutes on high pressure, natural release.
Opened up the pot at 25 minutes.
Came Out Perfect.
Thanks Kristine!
Marlene Hooton — February 15, 2023 @ 3:10 pm Reply
My rice was sticky and “clumpy” but I forgot to rinse it before I put it in the Instant Pot. Could that be the reason?
I followed your instructions to the letter!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — February 16, 2023 @ 10:09 am Reply
  Instant Pot rice does stick together some, but not rinsing the rice could make this happen even more. I’d suggest rinsing the rice next time.
Tricia — March 18, 2023 @ 1:51 pm Reply
Worked beautifully! I blended the water with garlic, scallions, dill and spinach ala Jamie Oliver. Delicious.
Patti Wissore — April 16, 2023 @ 6:59 pm Reply
I did 4 cups each of rice/water, but added about 1/2 cup extra water. Set it for 5 minutes then let is natural release for about 20 minutes while finished up grilling my chicken. It made perfect sticky rice for me, which I prefer! Using this recipe from now on!
Jennifer — April 21, 2023 @ 1:48 pm Reply
It came out nice and fluffy. Excellent recipe!!
Abbey — May 31, 2023 @ 6:52 am Reply
Followed instructions but forgot to rinse and it turned out perfect! Thank you!
Jill — June 26, 2023 @ 12:40 pm Reply
Why do I not need to add more cooking time if I’m doubling the recipe? I guess I’m just thinking more rice needs more time. Thanks for any info!
Jill
- Kristine Rosenblatt — June 27, 2023 @ 8:57 am Reply
  Hi Jill, When you double Instant Pot recipes the cook time stays the same. (The pot will take a bit longer to reach pressure when there is a greater volume of liquid, but you should use the same amount of pressure cooking time.) Think of it like this: if you were cooking twice as much rice or pasta in a pot on the stove, would you need to cook it longer? You wouldn’t. 🙂
Nanmac52 — July 24, 2023 @ 2:59 pm Reply
My go to rice recipe because it’s perfect every time
@jennifercwood — October 19, 2023 @ 3:41 pm Reply
Rinsed and followed 1:1 as recipe said. Worked perfectly! Thanks!
William — November 28, 2023 @ 7:25 am Reply
My wife and I plan to use an Instant pot to make Mexican rice.
The recipe uses a rice cooker and calls for 8 cups of uncooked rice and 10 cups of broth/water plus (3) 14.5 oz. cans of fire roasted tomatoes.
Total liquid required is about 15.5 cups.
Am thinking we should reduce the total amount of liquid (broth/water plus tomatoes) by half if the ratio of liquid to uncooked rice is 1:1 when using and Instant Pot.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
WPT
- Kristine Rosenblatt — November 28, 2023 @ 8:57 am Reply
  Hi William,
  I suggest following my Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe. I tested it many times to find the perfect rice to liquid ratio when making Mexican rice in the IP. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)