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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Deanna Tolman says
Any adjustments to the time or water for altitudes? I’m at 4,000 feet.
Lorena Grater says
No water adjustment, maaaaybe one extra minute of pressure-cooking time. I would try my times first though.
Peg says
How long for brown jasmine rice?
Lorena Grater says
22-24 minutes depending on how thick it is. 24 minutes + full NPR it’ll for sure be cooked through.
Jeremiah says
Please, is natural release when it stops cooking or when I turn it off and it releases? Can you please tell me the step by step on natural release?
Lorena Grater says
Hi Jeremiah, did you watch the video? There is no better way to explain this than on video.
Theresia Goey says
Hi, any advice for mix of short grain brown rice and white rice? Thank you!
Lorena Grater says
I don’t recommend cooking them together because of the vast difference in cooking time. I recommend cooking separate and then mixing together.
Amanda Williams says
This was my very first instant pot recipe. I was so nervous as I was the one responsible for New Years Day rice. Other than adding a little olive oil I followed your instructions exactly and it came out PERFECT!!!!!
Nancy Berger says
I’m new to the instant pot so wondering if the cooking times include the 15 minutes or so for the pressure to come up. I’m always confused by this.
Lorena Grater says
The minutes stated as cooking time are the minutes you enter into your timer they don’t include the time the cooker comes to pressure or the time the cooker needs for natural pressure release because every cooker is unique and takes a different amount of time. Did you watch the video? I think that will help you see how I set the cooker.
Mandy says
Hi, any recommendations for reheating the rice in a microwave. I love your rice right out of the IP but need to batch cook some for lunches at work and don’t have an IP there ☺️ Thank you!
Lorena Grater says
I always recommend microwaving in a glass container or on a plate directly covered with the little hood that is available for microwaves. I don’t add water or anything special to it when I reheat rice.
Shanna Hanson says
I have had my IP for almost 2 years and failed at rice every time until now! I have made posts and gotten lots of advice that didn’t work. Even the official IP rice cheat sheet failed me. I was determined to succeed and you made that possible! Thank you! My husband and son are my biggest rice critics and both approved! Highly recommend!
Lorena Grater says
yeeeeeeeeey!!!
Deborah L Seaton says
I cooked 6 cups of Jasmine rice in 6 cups of stock for 3 minutes High Pressure, natural release 25 minutes. I am at sea level. The rice was stuck (some parts burnt) to the bottom and although eatible it was not fluffy and rather stuck together.
Lorena Grater says
Hi Deborah, I’m sorry my method didn’t work for you. I’m so surprised. May I ask what size Instant Pot you used? Can you also tell me what type of stock you used? (homemade, carton, cube and its fat content). Did the cooker get to pressure fairly quickly or did it let a lot of steam out having trouble to get to pressure?
chiara says
Hi !! thank you so soooo much for this recipes !! I try all the rices and every time are perfect!!!
a question… have you every trief the delay function with rice ?? I wanted to try it for the black rice since we had guests and no time … but I didnt cause I was afraid to habe soaggy rice … any idea ? reduce the time ?
if yes how much ? thaaaaaanks a lot for your work :)
Lorena Grater says
Hi Chiara, I’ve never tried that but the other day I was wondering the exact same thing. I will have to play around with this. I hope I will have an answer for you soon.
MJ says
Great to have these all in one place!
Should you disable or keep on the “Keep Warm” function during natural release?
Lorena Grater says
Either works :)
Lori Frank says
Great article .. appreciate it :)
Chris Rule says
FWIW, cooking white rice at my altitude (7900 ft) takes just slightly more water, like maybe a tablespoon for 3 cups (perhaps because water boils at a lower temperature than at sea level and more steam escapes before the pot will seal?), and we must cook it for 5 minutes. Then it comes out perfect. Keep that in mind if you’re above 6500 ft.
Michelle622 says
Agree! We are at 6100′ and i found after a few tries that adding a tad more water makes it perfect. I still do 3 minutes cook time, but we always go to the max on natural release before opening.
Toni says
I do love cooking it like this but I wish I could get a fluffier consistency. Sometimes I buy the packets of Uncle Ben’s and any way I cook rice it never turns out like that.
Thanks for all the information you give how ways to cook all varieties of rice.
Thanks
Barbara says
I’m cooking for one person. Can I cook 1/2 dry rice in the Instant Pot? If yes, for how long?
Lorena Grater says
In a 3-quart Instant Pot you can I believe, unfortunately, a 6-quart requires a minimum of 1 cup liquid to get to pressure. The pot-in-pot method I find works with one cup but not so well with 1/2 cup but maybe that’s just my particular Instant Pot. Remember you can refrigerate rice for several days and you can also freeze rice if needed.
Robert Marshall says
Hi Barbara,
I use an 8 qt instant pot all the time for making small batches of rice.
What I do it add 1 1/2 cups water to the bottom of the pressure vessel. This is only used to come up to pressure. Then I insert the steam rack that came with my instant pot, and one top of that I put a Pyrex bowl, though you could use a metal bowl if necessary. Inside the bowl I put 1 cup of rice along with 1 cup of water. This is is the liquid for cooking. So if you wanted to make 1/2 cup, just do a 1/2 cup of the rice and liquid inside the bowl. But, make sure you keep the “pressure liquid at 1 1/2 cups. Let it naturally release and you’re ready to fluff it up when its done.
Personally, I rinse the rice to get rid of the excess starch.