How To Cook Rice in the Instant Pot

updated Sep 28, 2023

Your Instant Pot is the secret to tender, fluffy rice. Here's how to cook any variety you please.

Serves4

Prep7 minutes

Cook15 minutes to 30 minutes

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We all know and love the Instant Pot for its electric pressure-cooking capabilities, but let us not forget its multitude of other functions. Just to name a few, your Instant Pot can make yogurt, sauté, slow cook, and, yes, cook rice!

If you’ve completely forgotten that your Instant Pot can function as a rice cooker or simply need an easy-to-follow guide, this step-by-step is for you. Here’s how to use your Instant Pot to cook any type of rice.

Note: This method will work with any type of electric pressure cooker, not just the Instant Pot. But if you want to buy an Instant Pot, we’ve linked a model below!

Quick Overview

How Long Does Rice Take to Cook in the Instant Pot?

Use HIGH pressure for the following times, then let the rice natural release for at least 10 minutes:

  • White rice (basmati, jasmine): 5 minutes 
  • Long-grain brown rice: 10 minutes 
  • Wild rice: 15 minutes
Credit: Joe Lingeman

Should I Use the “Rice” Button on My Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot’s rice button is best used for white rice, as it is specifically calibrated to weigh white rice and water and cook the rice accordingly. This is ideal for weeknights when you truly want to set and forget your rice, but not great for cooking different varieties of rice on the fly.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: Pearl Jones/Kitchn

Key Steps for Rice in the Instant Pot

Luckily, you can use your Instant Pot’s manual pressure function to cook white, brown, or wild rice on high pressure in just a few minutes. Here’s how to do it.

  • Rinse the rice before cooking. Rinsing rice before cooking removes any dirt from processing, gets rid of starch that can make the rice sticky, and, I’ve found, makes the rice taste better. According to Instant Pot’s manual, rinsing the rice also makes up for the small amount of moisture lost in evaporation during the cooking process.
  • Use the right ratio of rice to water. Instant Pot suggests any rice can be cooked with a one-to-one rice-to-water ratio, but during testing, we found this wasn’t universally true — both among Instant Pot models and other multi-cookers. Use slightly more water when cooking brown rice and wild rice to prevent undercooking and scorching. Plus, it’s better to err on the side of more water, since most rice varieties can be drained if there’s excess moisture.
  • Pressure cook the rice on high. Lock the lid in place and set to cook at HIGH pressure for the following times:
    • White rice (basmati, jasmine): 5 minutes 
    • Long-grain brown rice: 10 minutes 
    • Wild rice: 15 minutes
  • Let the rice natural release for at least 10 minutes. Using natural release for rice yields fluffy results and less likelihood that the rice on the bottom of the pot will stick or burn.

Fluffing and Serving Instant Pot Rice

After 10 minutes of natural release, most of the pressure should be gone from the pot, but at this point you can open the valve and release any remaining pressure. Use a fork to fluff the rice, and turn the Instant Pot to the warm setting to keep it hot for serving.

Credit: Joe Lingeman
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Instant Pot Rice Recipe

Your Instant Pot is the secret to tender, fluffy rice. Here's how to cook any variety you please.

Prep time 7 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes to 30 minutes

Serves4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For white rice:

  • 2 cups

    white, basmati, or jasmine rice

  • 2 cups

    water

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon

    unsalted butter

For brown rice:

  • 2 cups

    long grain brown rice

  • 2 1/4 cups

    water

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon

    unsalted butter

For wild rice:

  • 2 cups

    wild rice

  • 3 cups

    water

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon

    unsalted butter

Equipment

  • Measuring cups and spoons

  • 6 to 8-quart electric pressure cooker

  • Fork

  • Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice. Measure the rice into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cool running water for about a minute or until the water runs clear.

  2. Combine the rice, water, salt, and butter in the Instant Pot. Dump the rice into an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Note that the water amounts are different depending on the rice you’re using! Add the water and salt to the rice and stir to combine. Toss the butter in, and don’t worry if it floats.

  3. Pressure cook the rice on high. Lock the lid in place and set to cook under HIGH pressure for the following times:
    White rice: 5 minutes
    Brown rice: 10 minutes
    Wild rice: 15 minutes
    The Instant Pot will take 8 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.

  4. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.

  5. Release any remaining pressure, fluff, and serve. Quick release any remaining pressure release. Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftover rice can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for a few months.

Nutritional data: The nutritional data is calculated for white rice.

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