After weeks of experimenting, I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Rice. Instant Pot white rice, Instant Pot brown rice, instant pot wild rice, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking rice in an instant pot.
This literally took weeks. Finding out about water absorption in the Instant Pot and the perfect rice texture. How to achieve different textures and most importantly how to reheat rice in the instant pot.
If you’ve followed along for a while, you know I’m a huuuuge fan of the Instant Pot. My Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe is not only a hit at my house but thousands of others now, too. YAY!
What Is The Best Rice To Water Ratio For Instant Pot Rice?
You’ll be surprised but it is always and for ALL sorts 1:1. Yes, you read that right.
Instant Pot Rice calls for a 1:1 rice to water ratio
You wonder why on the stove different ratios are called for. Well, the darker or wilder the rice the longer it needs to cook and the longer something needs to cook, the more water evaporates during the process.
This leads us to the conclusion, that different kinds of rice do not necessarily need different kinds of amounts of water to “cook” but rather more water to evaporate.
Since the Instant Pot gives a tight seal and high pressure, no water evaporates at all.
So yes, Instant Pot brown rice and even Instant Pot wild rice need the exact same amount of water as Instant Pot white rice. *mind-blown*
What If My Instant Pot Rice Is Too Hard With a 1:1 Ratio?
So, what if the rice is still crunchy and uncooked with the 1:1 ratio after pressure cooking. If your rice is uncooked that doesn’t mean next time it needs more water, that means, next time it needs more TIME. Did you wait for FULL natural pressure release?
Unfortunately, you cannot “safe” undercooked rice in the Instant Pot as putting the lid back on and turning the pot back on just leads to the dreaded burn warning.
What If My Instant Pot Rice Is Too Mushy?
You most likely used too much water. 1:1 water to rice ratio is essential for all rice types.
Use the exact same container to measure both rice and water. Some cups are imperial (236ml), others are metric (250ml) and the little plastic cup that comes with the Instant Pot is neither (160ml). So do not use different measuring cups to measure rice and water.
Does 1:1 Apply For 1 Cup Just As It Does For 4 Cups?
YES! When making Instant Pot Rice you need 1 cup of water for every cup of rice, regardless of if you cook just 1 cup or 4 cups.
This is different when you cook rice on the stovetop where evaporation happens. The more rice you cook the less water you need when using a regular pot. Because the same evaporation happens with 1 cup as with 4 cups, so you don’t need to account for evaporation for each individual cup of rice but rather a “batch” of rice.
How Many Cups Of Rice Can You Cook In An Instant Pot?
In theory: 2.5 cups in a 3-quart Instant Pot. 5 cups in a 6 quart Instant Pot. 6.5 cups in an 8-quart Instant Pot.
In practice: 2 cups in a 3-quart. 4 cups in a 6 quart. 6 cups in an 8-quart.
This is US imperial measuring cups and raw dry rice.
So the mathematical thought for the theory is the following:
- 1 cup of raw white rice gives on average 3 cups cooked rice.
- Instant Pots should not be filled more than 2/3 of its full capacity at any time. So we have to take the expanded rice into consideration.
- A 6-quart Instant Pot’s capacity is 24 cups and two thirds of that are 16 cups.
- There should not be more than 16 cups cooked rice in the Instant Pot and since 1 cup raw makes 3 cups cooked we have to divide the 16 by 3. That makes 5.3 cups.
The calculation is only theory though. I have not tried that many cups in my own 6-quart. 4 cups raw dry rice are the maximum I have cooked myself without any issues and with perfect results.
Natural Pressure Release (NPR) vs. Quick Pressure Release (QR)
What’s better? Hands down, no doubt >> natural pressure release. If you cook rice longer so you can do quick pressure release, with the hope to have the rice cooked faster overall, it gets sticky and mushy.
I encourage you to be patient and wait for natural pressure release. I timed all rice and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the timing. Even the same kind of rice in the same amount has had different natural pressure release times.
What Is The Rice Button For?
The rice button was designed only for white rice (Jasmine, Basmati, or regular long-grain). It works fine with those types of rice. The shorter high-pressure cooking times with natural pressure release work better though in my opinion.
Also, the Rice Button does not work for any other type of rice but white rice.
Does Rice Have to be Rinsed Before Adding To The Instant Pot?
Opinions vary widely and there seems to be no right or wrong answer. It’s all up to personal preference. However, thankfully it is irrelevant for the cooking times.
Both rinsed and dry rice work with my cooking times and method. Nothing has to be adjusted or changed either way. Just make sure you drain your rice well if you rinse it. Then use 1:1 ratio.
Instant Pot Rice Cooking Times For Different Types Of Rice
Now let’s get to the individual kinds of rice for your perfect Instant Pot Rice:
White Rice
I’ve tried both Basmati and Jasmin and both cook in the exact same time, 3 minutes high pressure + NPR. The thicker regular long-grain white rice cooks better with 4 minutes high pressure + NPR.
Brown Rice
I’ve experimented with Basmati brown rice and with short grain brown rice and the Basmati cooked faster than the short grain. From all my experiments it seems like the thicker the individual grains, the longer they need. With exception of wild rice, that one needs long regardless of being a skinny dude. 22 minutes high pressure + NPR for the thin Basmati and 24 minutes for the thick short grain.
Wild Rice
Some people swear the grain HAS to burst open, others swear, it’s best when “just about to burst” and others like it completely unburst. Guess what, you can achieve any consistency you like when you cook Instant Pot Wild Rice. Here are the times for whole unbroken wild rice: 28 minutes (unburst), 30 minutes (some burst some unburst), 32 minutes (burst).
Red Rice and Black Rice
Red rice and black rice is pretty thick and needs quite some time to break down so give it tiiime. It’s round and thick and it takes quite a bit for it to absorb all the water. It’s like a new towel that needs time to get soaking wet ;) 30 minutes high pressure + NPR.
Sushi Rice
I was actually pretty sure this would take just as long as regular white rice but surprise surprise. It’s not as sticky if you cook it or only 3 minutes and this is the only rice you really want to be sticky, right? So increasing the cooking time actually made it stickier and better to work with for sushi. Cooke it 5 minutes on high pressure + NPR.
Wild Rice Blend
Soooo, this one is the trickiest because it has several different kinds of rice that individually cook in different times. I found it cooks best in an in-between time. The wild rice in the mix will be completely unburst but the brown rice won’t be all mushy. Usually, that’ll be 28 minutes high-pressure + NPR. Of course, it will depend widely on what grains exactly are in your blend.
How to Reheat Rice in the Instant Pot
So, I’ve seen a couple of people recommend adding water or oil and stir it in the inner pot and pretty much making a mess, haha.
Um, not my favorite method.
I like things simple. I basically want the same convenience as a microwave but without the waves.
I store my leftover rice in a heat-proof glass container and then place the trivet in the Instant Pot, add a cup of water and place the rice uncovered on the trivet. Put the lid on, knob to sealing and press steam for 5 minutes. Quick pressure release, done!
Instant Pot Rice Better Than Stovetop Rice?
I like Instant Pot Rice (and quinoa and farro, too by the way) soooo much better than stovetop. It’s probably the fact that it absorbs the exact amount of water it needs. Since we have to account for water evaporation on the stove it’s difficult to cook it to absolute perfection.
Instant Pot Rice is the best rice EVER!
So here you have it. The longest post in the history of Green Healthy Cooking.
Instant Pot Rice
After weeks of experimenting, I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Rice. Instant Pot white rice, Instant Pot brown rice, instant pot wild rice, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking rice in an instant pot.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (Basmati white, Jasmin white, Basmati brown, short-grain brown, red, black, wild, wild blend, sushi)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Add all ingredients into the Instant Pot. You can double, triple or quadruple all ingredients in same amounts.
Make sure sealing ring is placed properly in lid, add lid, turn shut and turn knob to sealing position.
Cook on high pressure for the number of minutes instructed below depending on the type of rice:
White Rice (Basmati or Jasmin): 3 minutes
White Sushi Rice: 5 minutes
Brown Rice (Basmati): 22 minutes
Short Grain Brown Rice: 24 minutes
Red Rice: 30 minutes
Wild Rice Blend: 28 minutes
Wild Rice: 30 minutes
Black Pearl Rice: 30 minutes
Natural Pressure Release until pin drops (max. 18 minutes for 1 cup and max 30 mins for 4 cups).
Remove all rice from pot immediately to avoid it sticking to the bottom. If needing to keep warm, leave rice in pot after natural pressure release without opening the lid to avoid steam being released and drying out the rice > making it stick to the bottom.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- I use a US standard cup. 236ml in volume.
- I, personally, do NOT rinse or wash my rice.
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Frauke says
Love your clear and concise instructions! Thank you!
Sam Locke says
What a great guide!
How would you cook sticky (or sweet) or glutinous rice?
Lorena says
Thank you :) I’m not familiar with that kind of rice but is it maybe like sushi rice? That one is pretty sticky.
Joyce says
How do I cook just 1/2 cup of rice?
Lorena says
With the pot in pot method. You need to add 1 cup water to your 6-quart instant pot or 2 cups water to your 8-quart, then add the trivet, then find an ovenproof container that fits on top of the trivet. Add 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup water to the container, leave uncovered. Put on the lid on the instant pot. Seal and proceed as instructed in the recipe card above.
France says
Sorry for my bad english. What is the Time for the rice Uncle Ben?
Lorena says
Your English is perfect :) Unfortunately, I am not familiar with that rice. Is it regular white rice? Then use the Basmati white rice times.
Mle86 says
I think Uncle Ben is just a boxed rice blend
Kevin says
Is the cooking time per 1 cup of rice or is the initial cook time the same no matter the amount of cups?
Kristy says
I would like to know this answer too
Lorena says
1 cup, 2 cups, 3 cups, 4 cups of white basmati rice all need 3 minutes on high pressure + full natural pressure release. The amount is irrelevant for the cooking time.
Eddie omens says
When rice is done , will it automatically keep it warm ?
Will the instapot just turn off and not keep on heating the rice ?
If I’m not there to take rice out
Is there a way to just have the pot shut off ?
Thank you
Eddie in San Diego
Tessa says
If you click the manual button, put on high pressure, set your cooking time: after it’s finished the instant pot will automatically set to keep it warm (which I find overcooks things).
Instead, press the manual button, set to high pressure, set your cooking time, then press the manual button again (you should notice the tiny orange light on the keep warm/cancel button turn off). So when it finishes cooking it will switch off.
You have to do this everytime you cook something though, finish by pressing the cooking setting button again that you are using (manual, soup, rice, etc. )
Lorena says
Hi Eddie, once the instant pot beeps it automatically switches to “keep warm”. As long as you don’t open the pot the rice won’t stick to the bottom. I’ve left rice in there for as long as an hour. It’s just important that as soon as you open the pot you remove all the rice so it doesn’t stick. Basically, as soon as the steam leaves the rice it starts sticking.
ruth says
can you make rice with beans in the insta pot I’m Spanish and would like to make Spanish rice with beans or meat in it the the ratio the same
Lorena says
With brown rice yes. With white rice I think it will be difficult because white rice cooks much faster than most beans. I have the same post as for rice for beans as well. Check it out to see which beans take as long as which rice.
Brandi says
Perfect. I just finished my Wild Rice Blend, and your recipe is 100% accurate! Thank you!
Lisa says
Ty for this great reference! Any Advice on using a stainless steel vessel within the pot? Same water proportion & cook times?
Lorena says
Yes! For the Pot in Pot Method you add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot, then the trivet, then you stainless steel of oven-proof ceramic dish and 1:1 ratio into that dish. Do not cover the dish. Just add the lid to the instant pot and then cook as instructed.
Genia says
My rice turned out perfect! I used long-grain white rice. I can’t wait to try other kinds. Thanks for this blog post.
Samantha says
I’m just commenting to say THANK YOU for this guide! I’ve made three different kinds of rice in my IP in the past couple of months and it’s always perfect!