After weeks of experimenting, I got it right. Here is your fail-proof guide for Instant Pot Rice. White rice, brown rice, wild rice, and many more, basically an encyclopedia about cooking rice in a pressure cooker.
![8 small bowls with different types of cooked rice placed in front of an Instant Pot](https://greenhealthycooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/How-To-Cook-Instant-Pot-Rice.jpg)
If you’ve followed along for a while, you know I’m a huuuuge fan of pressure cooking. 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?
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 secret to rice cooking is that 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, brown rice and even wild rice need the exact same amount of water as white rice in an evaporation-proof environment. *mind-blown*
What If My Rice Is Too Hard With a 1:1 Ratio?
If your rice is hard or 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 “save” 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. I recommend adding the undercooked rice to a soup or stew maybe 5 minutes before it’s done simmering.
What If My 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 standard American (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.
![8 different types of cooked rice in bowls in front of a pressure cooker](https://greenhealthycooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Instant-Pot-Rice-Image.jpg)
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 on the stove.
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.
This is US standard 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.
If you want fluffy rice, 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 (regular long-grain, Jasmine, or Basmati rice). 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.
Do I Have To Rinse Rice Before Cooking?
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 presented.
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 in a fine mesh strainer if you rinse it. Then use 1:1 ratio.
Instant Pot Rice Cooking Times
Now let’s get to the individual kinds of rice:
![8 bowls with cooked rice with name tags and cooking times](https://greenhealthycooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Make-Rice-In-The-Pressure-Cooker-1.jpg)
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 the 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.
![Cooked white rice in a glass bowl placed inside of an open Instant Pot](https://greenhealthycooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/How-To-Reheat-Rice-In-The-Instant-Pot.jpg)
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!
So here you have it. The longest post in the history of Green Healthy Cooking.
Burn Warning Trouble Shooting
The wicked burn warning, it’s the Instant Pot user’s nemesis! For starters, some Instant Pots are a lot more temperamental than others. You most likely did nothing wrong, however, you are dealing with what we could compare with a toddler with a temper tantrum.
If your Instant Pot is generally one to scream “burn” easily and quickly I recommend you stay close in the beginning phase while it gets the water boiling and trying to get to pressure. When the pot is trying to push up the safety pin but seems to not be able to, that’s the critical moment. Push down on the handle of the lid a little to help it get to pressure.
If the pot tries and tries to get to pressure but can’t too much water evaporates through the valve and thus leaves too little inside the pot and the rice starts to burn.
If even with a little push on the lid, it cannot get to pressure, the sealing ring might not be positioned properly inside the lid. You will have to abort the mission and start over, making sure the sealing ring is still in great condition and placed correctly.
If the Instant Pot was able to pressure cook for most of the time and only showed the burn warning at the end of the cooking time, then just unplug it and wait for natural pressure release. Often times it still manages to cook the rice and just a tiny corner got burnt.
![8 bowls filled with different kinds of cooked rice in front of an Instant Pot](https://greenhealthycooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Instant-Pot-Rice-Square-Image-150x150.jpg)
Instant Pot Rice
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
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 minutesWhite Sushi Rice: 5 minutesBrown Rice (Basmati): 22 minutesShort Grain Brown Rice: 24 minutesRed Rice: 30 minutesWild Rice Blend: 28 minutesWild Rice: 30 minutesBlack Pearl Rice: 30 minutes
- Natural Pressure Release until pin drops. Takes on average 9-12 minutes (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.
Notes
- I use a US standard cup. 236ml in volume.
- I, personally, do NOT rinse or wash my rice.
- Cooking time stays the same no matter how many cups you cook.
Alaine says
I tried your 1:1 ratio on my Jasmine rice, I did have stuck rice to the bottom of pot, so next time I will add either an 1/8 or 1/4 cup to balance it out. As with anything, sometimes it’s trial and error. At least I didn’t get the burnt notice! Whew!
Kyle Peterson says
Ive used your methods before and always turn out perfect, however, my family is upping protein and a recommendation is to use Broth instead of water to cook rice and I am nervous about the rice to broth ratio. Ive had little luck finding anything online to clarify this and with cost of food nowadays, plus we use Organic all Natural non-gmo so even more pricey, I’m nervous to just try it out. Do you have any experience with using broth in Instant Pot or any general advice you could share.
Thanks
Coy says
I’ve done it before but the taste can be over powering if you do total broth. I recommend doing 1/2 broth half water. And make sure it’s sodium free.
Salegha Parker says
Great recipe thank you. I cooked 2 cups of jasmine rice today, added 1/4 cup extra because I read comments on a other blog where they experienced burning.
Came out perfectly. Next time I will ommit the additional water.
Kristi says
I may have commented before, but this is by far the most useful InstaPot recipe I have ever seen or used. Since I cook all sorts of rice for multiple uses/recipes, it meets all my criterion for perfection. I have NEVER had an issue with ANY type of rice listed here, as long as I follow the directions and “do the time.” Thank you for all the testing time, trial and error, and for proving that perfect rice can be made in my InstaPot 🤗😋
Sierra says
Do you have your pressure on low pressure high pressure less normal more?
And once you let it sit to natural release should we keep it on keep warm or just unplug it and turn it off and let it do natural release?
Rachel says
Excellent, many thanks for the pro-Insta-recipe! :-) *****
Summer says
Hi! I’m using my instant pot for the first time ever and don’t really understand the “natural pressure release”. Do you have to cancel or unplug the instant pot to achieve that slow release, or will it automatically stop cooking and start releasing after the set 3 mins is finished for white rice?
Please let me know if this is correct:
-Pour in ingredients and lock lid on “sealed”.
-Press “Pressure Cook” and use the +/- to turn it to 3 minutes.
-when the timer goes off, press “cancel” or unplug and wait until the pin pops up, signaling released pressure.
Thank you for letting me know if I’m doing this right!
Rachel M. says
Good day Summer! Yes- you are correct. :-) Be sure to click the “warm” button so it disengages once you’ve set you’re time and are ready to cook. I’ve used this recipe many times now and it’s rock star- no fail. Enjoy!
Alex says
Hi Rachel!
I’m a bit confused by your comment and hope you can shine some light on it! Summer’s comment says to cancel or unplug when the timer counted to zero. You say that this is correct but then add to press the keep warm button. I’m sorry but I’m confused by this. What is the point of pressing the keep warm button if you need to cancel for natural pressure release? Thanks!
Gareth says
I think that Rachel is suggesting that you press the warm button before you press start, which disables the warm function – so the warm function won’t automatically turn on at the end of the cooking time. This avoids the need to press the button when cooking is finished (or cancel or unplug).
Alex says
Ah, thanks so much for explaining that, Gareth! It makes so much more sense now.
Gloria Currie says
Works like a charm every time! How many servings per cup of raw rice is your nutritional information based on?
Jim says
Great Article! Thanks!
Christina says
My jasmine rice wasn’t done in 3 mins
Lorena Grater says
did you wait for full natural pressure release? How long did it take? Did your pot come to pressure quickly?
Jon says
2 cups of long grain white rice and 2 cups of water.
Pressure cooked for 3 minutes and did natural release.
Rice is noticeably undercooked. Will resume my search for a usable recipe.
Lorena Grater says
long grain white rice is thicker than Jasmin or Basmati. 5 minutes high pressure plus full NPR would have been better.
Ellen Allard says
Can you add this long grain rice to list?
VeggieT8r says
Why not just use the rice setting, works for me every time.
Susan Philips says
I am trying your Instant Pot method. I am doing a sit down dinner for 14 and trying to figure out how to juggle everything that needs to be made at the last minute. When I cook jasmine rice, I saute garlic, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon in a little oil for about 1 – 2 minutes. Then I add the rice, and stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the liquid.
Can I use the saute feature on the instant pot and do the same steps and then follow you instructions of 1 to 1 ratio and cook for 3 minutes and NPR?
Lorena Grater says
I recommend sautéing the garlic and spices in a separate little pan first and then add to the pot so you don’t end up with a potential burn warning. Stir it into the cold rice and cold water. You’ll get the same result but without a potential burn warning which would be terrible for a dinner party.