Easy Instant Pot Rice Recipe

There are many ways to make rice, and perhaps the most classic way is to cook it on the stovetop. In the era of trendy kitchen appliances, however, it's a good idea to put them to use — there's a rice cooker, of course, but there's also the handy Instant Pot. Not only can you cook perfectly fluffy rice in the Instant Pot, but it's incredibly easy to do — just ask recipe developer Jaime Shelbert.

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"Making rice in the Instant Pot is my favorite," Shelbert explains. "You just 'set it and forget it.' It is foolproof and turns out every time." She does acknowledge that the Instant Pot method can be a bit more time consuming than other methods — you'll have to give the pot time to build up pressure before releasing it — but you can absolutely count on the mighty appliance to handle nearly all of the work. "It is a no fuss way to prep rice," Shelbert elaborates. "I can set it and not have to tend to it while prepping other food for dinner." If you're preparing rice for lunch or dinner, odds are that you're also preparing something to serve alongside the rice, so you can devote your full attention to the main course, thanks to this easy recipe.

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Grab your Instant Pot rice ingredients

To make Instant Pot rice, you don't need much — in fact, you just need long grain rice, water, and optionally a little bit of salt. Oh, and an Instant Pot, of course.

Rinse the rice

The first thing you'll want to do is get out a fine mesh strainer and add in the rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly under water to remove any excess starch.

Pressure cook the rice

Add the rinsed rice, along with the 2 cups water, and the optional salt, into the Instant Pot. Then, stir it all up. Lock the lid onto the Instant Pot and set the vent to "sealing" before setting the pot to "high pressure" for 4 minutes. Once that time is up, leave the pot as-is for 10 minutes, during which time the rice will cook under pressure. After 10 minutes, carefully move the vent so all the pressure releases.

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Fluff and serve the rice

Carefully remove the Instant Pot's lid and fluff the rice with a fork. You're now ready to serve this easy and classic white rice. 

"Rice is an easy side and pairs with almost anything," Shelbert says. "It goes particularly well with curries and stir frys and can be used in lettuce wraps and burritos, and also alongside sautéed vegetables and a protein." Oh, and if you have leftover rice, Shelbert notes that it makes for perfect fried rice

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Easy Instant Pot Rice Recipe

5 (30 ratings)

Rice is a simple side, no matter how you make it, but if you're looking for an easy version you can "set and forget," you need this Instant Pot rice recipe.

Prep Time
3
minutes
Cook Time
4
minutes
servings
8
Servings
white rice in bowl
Total time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • 2 cups water

Optional Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Add the rice to a fine mesh strainer. Rinse with water.
  2. Add the rice, water, and optional salt to the Instant Pot. Stir.
  3. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place and set the vent to "sealing." Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 4 minutes.
  4. After the 4 minutes are up, allow the "keep warm" setting to reach 10 minutes, then move the vent from "sealing" to "venting" to release pressure.
  5. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 169
Total Fat 0.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Trans Fat 0.0
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrates 37.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g
Total Sugars 0.1 g
Sodium 4.7 mg
Protein 3.3 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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