Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of water to rice in an Instant Pot? ›

1:1 – While you generally use 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water for stovetop rice, in the Instant Pot, that ratio drops down to 1:1, aka 1 cup of water for every one cup of rice.

You might even receive a burn notice from your pressure cooker. Mushy Rice – When cooking long-grain white rice you want a 1:1 ratio. That means you should add a cup of water for every cup of rice. Too much water or liquid can cause mushy rice.

This is probably less water than you're used to using for cooking stovetop rice, and that's because there's very little evaporation when you're using the pressure cooker. This ratio produces fairly firm, separate grains—you can add a little more water, maybe about 1/4 cup extra, if you like softer rice.

For tender grains of rice that easily separate, such as in a pilaf, use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice. You can also use another liquid like stock in this 2:1 ratio. For slightly chewier, fluffy white rice, use 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice, or a 1.5:1 ratio.

The Instant Pot's rice button is best used for white rice, as it is specifically calibrated to weigh white rice and water and cook the rice accordingly. This is ideal for weeknights when you truly want to set and forget your rice, but not great for cooking different varieties of rice on the fly.

The Grains Are Mushy

The resulting product is sticky and extra-soft, and the rice might be clumping together. If the rice is only a little sticky, it can be saved. Turn it out into a colander and rinse it under cool water, separating the grains with your fingers.

This process washes away excess starches that can cause the rice to clump, giving it a lighter, fluffier texture once it's cooked. Scale the recipe to your Instant Pot.

Place rice in a pot and rinse with water. Place your fingertip on top of the rice and add water until it reaches your first knuckle. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for 18–20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

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.

Do you seal or vent an Instant Pot when cooking rice? ›

Make sure you move the steam release valve to sealing.

This is a common mistake, and will result in hard, under-cooked rice that will eventually stick to the bottom of your pot. You need to seal the pot so that the steam will be locked in and will cook the rice properly.

The Instant Pot cooks rice fine for most people, though the grains don't come out as fluffy and light as they do from a high-end rice cooker like our top pick, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10. Rice aficionados might want to keep their rice cookers, especially for cooking sushi-grade grains.

To cook long-grained white rice on the stove, use a 2 to 1 water to rice ratio. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. You can add an optional pinch of salt if you wish.

Yes, you can cook Instant Rice in the microwave too, but even though the 1:1 water to rice ratio still applies for this method, the cooking times* will vary depending on the amount of rice you want to cook. 8 servings: we do not recommend cooking more that 6 servings of rice in the microwave.