Published: · Modified: by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments
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Pressure Cooker White Rice (Instant Pot recipe). Foolproof, fluffy long-grain white rice from an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Looking for an easy, hands-off rice cooking method? Have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker? They make great rice. Give it a try!
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- How Long Should I Cook the Rice in the Instant Pot?
- How Much Water Should I Use?
- Should I Rinse Rice before I Put it in the Instant Pot?
- Tips for Cooking Fluffy Rice in a Pressure Cooker
- What kind of rice should I use?
- What's the difference between extra-long-grain rice and long-grain rice?
- Why don't you use the rice button?
- Instant Pot White Rice
- 💬 Comments
I used to make rice on the stove top. I thought: it takes about the same amount of time, stovetop or Instant Pot, so why bother using the pressure cooker?
Then, one night, I had to make Instant Pot rice because I needed the space on the stovetop. Now my Instant Pot is also my rice cooker. Why? Because I can make rice while I'm only half paying attention. Fill the pot with rice and water, set it for 4 minutes, lock the lid, and listen for the beep. Then, set a timer for 10 minutes, and when that goes off, quick release any remaining pressure. When I'm busy in the kitchen - tossing my way through a stir fry, for example - it's good to have a quick and easy side dish.
How Long Should I Cook the Rice in the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot rice takes 4 minutes at high pressure, with a 10-minute natural release. (The 10 minutes lets the rice in the instant pot finish cooking.) After 10 minutes, quick release any pressure left in the pot.
How Much Water Should I Use?
I use a rice-to-water ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1¼ cups of water. That's less water than I use on the stovetop (1 cup rice to 1 ½ cups water) because the sealed pressure cooker prevents evaporation.
Should I Rinse Rice before I Put it in the Instant Pot?
Please do not rinse enriched rice! In the US, most white rice is "enriched" with a coating of nutrients as part of processing the rice. Rinsing washes away the nutrients, so don't do it! The point of rinsing the rice is to clean it. That was a good idea in the old days, but modern rice producers clean the rice as part of their processing, so it's unnecessary.
That said, if you insist on rinsing your rice, It doesn't change the recipe. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Tips for Cooking Fluffy Rice in a Pressure Cooker
Long-grain rice is the key to fluffy rice. Medium and short-grain rice have more starch, making stickier rice. I use a lot of Jasmine rice, but any long-grain or extra-long-grain rice variety will do.
What kind of rice should I use?
This recipe will work with most types of rice. My favorites are long-grain or extra-long-grain varieties of white rice, so that's what I recommend with this recipe. If you want to cook brown rice, use my recipe for Instant Pot Brown Rice - Jasmine. Or, if you want to cook a wild rice blend, check here: Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend.
What's the difference between extra-long-grain rice and long-grain rice?
I was curious about the extra-long grain rice from brand-name US rice companies. I emailed the three rice producers I can buy at my local grocery stores; only one got back to me, and they referred me to the rice varieties page on USARice.com. But USARice only talks about long-grain rice on that page, and they don't mention extra-long-grain rice. They do say that long-grain rice is 6-8mm long. So, I got out my digital calipers, measured the three extra-long grain rice varieties I had, and compared them to a bag of generic long-grain rice. The extra-long rice grains were about 8mm; the "regular" long grains were more in the middle of the range, 6-7mm. Maybe extra-long grain rice is a specific variety of long-grain rice (like jasmine or basmati rice) that tends to be on the long end. Or, maybe extra-long is a marketing term for long-grain rice that is a little longer than average, kind of like "prime" graded meat. If you know any details about what extra-long grain rice means, please leave a comment!
Why don't you use the rice button?
I don't use the rice button because I like to be in control of my pressure cooker. I get perfectly cooked rice by setting the pot to pressure cook for 4 minutes, so why try the rice button?
Instant Pot White Rice
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 5 reviews
- Author: Mike Vrobel
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Pressure cooker white rice recipe - rice from the pressure cooker in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add the rice to the pot: Stir the rice, water, and salt into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook the rice for 4 minutes with a 10 minute natural release: Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. (Use “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” mode in an Instant Pot.) Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure in the pot. Open the lid away from you to avoid any hot steam. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
You can make this recipe in a stove top pressure cooker; everything works the same. The big advantage I get is the set it and forget it nature of an electric pressure cooker (like my beloved Instant Pot), so if I'm going to use the stovetop, I stick with myBasic White Ricerecipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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