How do you make the perfect instant pot brown rice every time?
There’s something simple and comforting about a hot bowl of buttered rice. I guess that’s why it’s such a popular dish all over the world. And now, with the popularity of the Instapot, you can make Instant Pot Rice faster and easier than ever before.
Read on!
Contents
- 1 Why Make Instant Pot Brown Rice?
- 2 Why Cook Brown Rice (instead of White Rice)
- 3 The Easiest Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe
- 4 Instant Pot Brown Rice
- 5 Short Grain or Long Grain White Rice
- 6 Instant Pot White Rice
- 7 Basmati
- 8 Instant Pot Basmati Rice
- 9 Jasmine
- 10 Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
- 11 Coconut Rice version
- 12 Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- 13 How to Cook Sticky Rice in the Instant Pot
- 14 Instant Pot Sticky Rice
- 15 Wild Rice
- 16 Instant Pot Wild Rice
- 17 The foundation to cuisines worldwide
- 18 Cooking (white) Rice is as Easy as 1-2-1
- 19 FAQ:
Why Make Instant Pot Brown Rice?
Because making brown rice on the stove can be tricky. It’s all too easy to end up with burnt and hard rice grains.
Making instant pot brown rice can be simple, fast, and scrumptious!
Another perk of Instant Pot Brown Rice is that you can actually steam veggies at the same time in a steamer basket and cut down on your clean up.
You can find the steamer and my entire Instant Pot wishlist on the Top 10 Instant Pot Accessories review.
Why Cook Brown Rice (instead of White Rice)
Even though brown rice takes far longer to cook than white rice, it is worth the wait!
My favorite way to eat brown rice is by topping it with black beans, chicken, cheese, salsa, and guacamole.
Brown rice is hearty and makes a great healthy grain to serve with burrito bowls or even as a side to a simple meal of chicken and veggies. Brown rice on the stove can take a white, but in the instant pot, it takes less than 30 minutes.
This instant pot brown rice recipe is so easy to make. Just add water to the brown rice in the pot and stir. Seal the lid and set the timer for seventeen minutes. Once the cook time is over, do a quick pressure release and then serve. The rice comes out perfectly every time and so much faster than cooking it on the stove.
The Easiest Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe
Note: Brown rice tends to be a bit crunchy, to avoid cooking crunchy rice, add a bit more water than you would with other rice types. For brown rice, add about a quarter cup more of water or liquid per cup of rice.
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Place 2 cups of brown rice in the instant pot
- Pour water in the pot
- Close the lid and seal
- Cook the rice for 17 minutes on high pressure
- Do a quick pressure release
- Serve
Brown rice in the instant pot can be easily prepared as you get other parts of your meal together for a fast dinner. You could even prepare brown rice in the instant pot as you get ready in the morning. Pack the brown rice up with some leftover chicken for a cheap lunch on a busy day.
Short Grain or Long Grain White Rice
Short grain white rice is an American staple. It’s sticky, tasty, and goes with everything! When cooking white rice, you can actually use the “rice” setting on your instant pot. Follow the one to one method of one cup of water for every one cup of rice.
Instant Pot White Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place 2 cups of white rice in the instant pot
- Pour 2 cups of water into the pot
- Close the lid and seal
- Set the Instant Pot to the ‘rice’ setting or for 5 minutes
- Cook and then allow it to set and naturally release for 10 minutes
- Serve
White rice can also be cooked with chicken broth or vegetable broth in place of the water for a more savory flavor. Add cheese and some pre-cooked shredded chicken for a quick and easy lunch.
Basmati
Basmati rice is native to the Indian subcontinent. Basmati rice is one of my favorite types of rice. It has a clean taste and is a common side of many Indian dishes.
My family loves to eat tikka masala with naan bread and Basmati rice, but on the stove, I always struggled with overcooking my rice. With the instapot this problem is a thing of the past… plus it only takes 16 minutes!
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place rice and water in the instant pot.
- Close the lid and seal.
- Cook on high pressure for 5-6 minutes depending on how tender you like your rice.
- Do a natural release for 10 minutes.
- Release any excess pressure.
If you like your rice to be more tender, increase the liquid. Increasing the cooking time may lead to burnt rice at the bottom of the instapot.
Jasmine
Jasmine rice is a delicious, fluffy white rice commonly found in east Asia. it tastes just as good made in an instant pot pressure cooker or instapot as it does on the stove… and it’s definitely superior to instant, one-minute rice from a box!
Jasmine instant pot rice takes a shorter time to cook but requires a bit more water. Some folks prefer to rinse their rice with water before cooking, but in a pinch, just dumping the rice into the pot with some water will do just as well! 1 and ¼ cups of water for every 1 cup of Jasmine rice.
Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups white rice
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Place rice and water in the instant pot.
- Close the lid and seal.
- Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes depending on how tender you like your rice.
- Do a natural release for 10 minutes.
- Release any excess pressure.
Serve the Jasmine rice as a side with dumplings, orange chicken, or any other dish of your choice.
Coconut Rice version
Jasmine rice tastes great with a hint of coconut, as well. If you’re looking to mix up your rice-cooking to spice up a boring Tuesday evening meal, try using a can of coconut milk with 2 cups of Jasmine rice.
Cook it for 5 minutes in the instant pot pressure cooker and follow the 10-minute natural release protocol of the water-method. The coconut milk will add a hint of flavor and tastes great with all kinds of meals!
Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 16 oz. can coconut milk
Instructions
- Measure 2 cups of Jasmine rice and pour into the instant pot
- Open and pour the can of coconut milk into the instant pot
- Close the lid and seal
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes
- Do a natural release of the pressure for 10 minutes
- Release the extra pressure and serve
I’ve made coconut rice as a side with Indian-style butter chicken or even added some lime juice to serve with some spicy chipotle and lime chicken seared in an iron skillet.
How to Cook Sticky Rice in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Sticky Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse 2 cups of Jasmine rice and drain
- Place rinsed rice in the Instant Pot with slightly less than 2 cups of water
- Close the lid and seal the Instant Pot
- Set pressure to high
- Set cook time for 7 minutes
- Use a natural release for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, manually release the excess pressure (if any)
Sticky rice is the foundation of good Chinese take-out… or a delicious home cooked knock-off! It’s also delicious for making homemade sushi or California rolls. You can get that texture by making rice in the Instant Pot.
The first key is to use Jasmine rice… but you also will want to rinse the rice beforehand. Rinsing the rice will help get the sticky quality you hope for and keep it from getting too mushy while it cooks.
Wild Rice
The first time I cooked wild rice, I thought it would never get done! It takes well over an hour on the stove top—but that isn’t the case with the Instant Pot! Thank goodness for that! I am far too impatient to wait over an hour for rice, but using the Instant Pot cuts that time nearly in half!
Unlike the other types of rice, wild rice requires more liquid. Use 4 cups of liquid for every cup of wild rice.
Instant Pot Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild rice
- 2½ cups water
Instructions
- Place 2 cups of wild rice and 2½ cups of water in the instant pot
- Close the lid and seal
- Set to high pressure
- Cook for 17 minutes
- Allow the pot to naturally release for 15 minutes
- Serve
Wild rice is native to North America and areas of Asia, and it’s both hearty and healthy. Thankfully, the Instant Pot makes it easy and faster to make!
The foundation to cuisines worldwide
Rice remains a staple food all over the world and can provide rich sustenance for your family. There are hundreds of varieties of rice and many ways to cook the grain.
The most common types of rice you’ll find in your local grocery store break down into two main categories: white rice and brown rice. Of the white rice varieties, you might be familiar with Basmati, Jasmine, or long grain. Brown rice also comes in long grain or short grain. Finally, wild rice is another type of rice frequently found in the aisles of the grocery store.
From the spicy jolaf rice found on many Nigerian tables to white sticky rice served with mahi mahi. Japanese style or a quick lunch of cheesy chicken rice like my mom used to make, rice is as versatile as you can be creative. That is probably the reason you can find it cooking in pots, pans, or electric cookers in homes all over.
Despite the fact that rice is a staple of global cuisine, many people struggle with making a pot of rice. I don’t know about you, but I have made both soggy, mushy pots of rice in sore attempts to make a simple dinner. The next time around, I would end up burning the rice, trying to compensate for my previous mistake!
A lot of people suggest using a rice cooker, but an instant pot will work just as well!
Cooking (white) Rice is as Easy as 1-2-1
Whether it is on the stove, in a rice cooker, or with an instapot, most rice cooks on the one-to-one principle: one cup of water for every one cup of rice.
This method can be used with most white rice, including white Jasmine and Basmati.
The one-to-one principle will cook the rice so that it is not too mushy and also not too crunchy. I don’t know about you, but I hate crunchy rice!
If you like your rice more on the sticky side, increase the water by about one tablespoon. However, if you do like your rice slightly more crunchy, decrease the water by approximately one to two teaspoons. Keep in mind, if you decrease the water too much, the rice may burn to the bottom of your Instant Pot pressure cooker.
And if you’re a more visual learner, you can find youtube videos on cooking rice in your instant pot too, like one that Ground Leaf posted a few years ago on cooking white rice.
FAQ:
How Much Rice Should I Make?
Your instapot or instant pot pressure cooker can cook quite a bit of rice! One cup of rice will easily serve 2 people, if the rice is a side item. Add one cup of rice for every two people you want to serve. You may want to cook more if rice is the main dish you are serving.
Why Does the Rice Stick to the Bottom of My Instant Pot?
A common problem people have cooking rice is that some of the rice sticks to the bottom of the pan or pot. The first thing to know is that this is an age-old problem of cooking rice.
In Chinese there is even a word for that crunchy rice left at the bottom of the pot. Mi guoba (米锅巴) means “scorched rice.” In Iran, that crunchy rice is even served as a common dish! Pegao, as it’s referred to in Puerto Rico, is found in many homes. Around the world, people have different ways of eating and utilizing the scorched rice from the bottom of the pot.
Rice burning to the bottom of the pan is nearly inevitable if you are cooking rice over an open flame in a metal pot, but rice sticking to the bottom of the pan is still likely when cooking in a rice cooker or even an instapot or instant pot pressure cooker.
But while the crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot is not a sign you’re a bad chef, no one wants to clean out rice that has actually blackened and burned to the bottom of the instant pot!
Add More Liquid
How do you solve the problem of burning your rice? Add a little more water! If you’ve been burning your rice, rather than decreasing the amount of time you are cooking the rice, first try adding a tablespoon or two more water to the pot. Decreasing the cooking time might just make the rice hard on your teeth. Adding water will help the rice at the bottom of the pot to have enough liquid to cook well!
Rinse the Rice Ahead of Time
Others swear by rinsing the rice beforehand. Rinsing the rice before you cook it may add just enough water to keep your rice from burning.
So there you have it. The answer to pretty much any question that you could have about cooking Instant Pot Rice. I would love to know which recipes you’ve tried and what you think of Instant Pot Rice in the comments below.
Happy cooking!
This post is wonderful! Thank you so much!
And in my husband’s native country, Dominican Republic, the crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot is called “con-con.” I’ve also heard his family refer to “Pegao.”
Cheers!
I have always found that using a little less water when cooking large amounts of rice on top of stove worked better. I also browned the rice beforehand until it began to jump/pop. Am currently looking for a way to cook large amounts in the 6qt IP I love. I like to freeze several meals worth of rice ahead to make supper easier. How much can I cook at one time?
Great question, Nancy! As a general rule for rice you don’t want to fill your IP more than half full with rice and broth (or water) because it expands so much. So 3 qts. total for the rice and water.
These look absolutely delicious! You have amazing food photography too :] As much as I know my girl’s will love these, I know I will too!
This cook time was not long enough. My rice came out underdone and crunchy. The flavor was good but the rice was too hard. May need a longer cook time in the instant pot. Did you have your valve turned to seal? I ve made this many times and it always comes out perfectly. Sometimes it s easy to forget to turn the valve to seal. 🙂
On the wild rice it says 2 1/2 cups water in ingredients and then 8 cups in the recipe. Confused.
Laura – it’s 2½ cups water – or broth if you prefer. Sorry about the confusion, but thanks for letting me know so I can get it fixed!