The Best Way to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot
Perfect, fluffy rice with almost no attention required.
A simple guide to cooking rice in an Instant Pot, covering water ratios, cook times for different rice types, and how to avoid a mushy or scorched pot.
An Instant Pot takes almost all the guesswork out of cooking rice, but the ratios and timing are a little different from stovetop cooking, so it helps to know the basics before your first batch.
Rinse the Rice First
Rinsing rice under cold water until it runs mostly clear removes excess surface starch, which helps keep the rice from turning gummy or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Get the Water Ratio Right
For white rice, a 1 to 1 ratio of rice to water works well in an Instant Pot, slightly less than the stovetop ratio, since very little liquid evaporates in a sealed pressure cooker.
Know Your Cook Times
White rice generally needs about 3 to 4 minutes at high pressure. Brown rice needs closer to 22 to 25 minutes, since its outer bran layer takes longer to soften.
Let the Pressure Release Naturally
After cooking, let the pressure release on its own for about 10 minutes before opening the valve. A natural release lets the rice finish steaming gently, which prevents it from turning mushy or wet on top.
Add a Little Oil or Butter
A small pat of butter or a teaspoon of oil stirred into the water before cooking helps prevent excessive foaming, which can occasionally trigger the pot's overheat protection.
Fluff, Don't Stir
Once it's done, use a fork to gently fluff the rice from the bottom up rather than stirring it around. This keeps the grains light and separate instead of mashing them together.