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.
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David Moore says
Reading about how to make perfect rice is making me more confused. The recipe book that came with the IP that I follow says 4 minutes on high pressure for brown rice, which comes out fine. Then I read I need to cook it for 22 minutes, more than 5 times as long! It seems like if 4 minutes is enough, 22 minutes would ruin it.
Lorena says
Hm. That’s weird, my IP recipe booklet says 22-28 minutes for brown rice. Did you maybe read that for white rice? Also, I’ve texted many many different times and the shortest I’ve tried for brown was 15 minutes + full NPR and it was super hard and uncooked then. Have you tried brown rice at 4 minutes and it was cooked??
Dale says
What about plain, white, long-grain, rice? It’s different from Basmati rice. It’a huge gap in the cooker and, considering that I didn’t pay a cent for your article, a minor gap here. My first white rice, at 1:1 ratio and pushing the “Rice” recipe, was tough and chewy, inedible. And I am a big rice eater, having been born in the Philippines and lived as a child in Japan – our family always ate a lot of rice and it’s continued into my adulthood.
Lorena says
Hi Dale, white long-grain rice is often much thicker than basmati so it takes a little longer. I don’t use the rice button at all ever. It simply doesn’t work for me. I recommend 1:1 ratio, 5 minutes high pressure, full natural pressure release. If it’s still too tough try longer (maybe 7 minutes?). You never need more water, you just need more high-pressure cooking time if it’s too tough.
Kathleen says
Thank you so much! I will be cooking at a church camp this summer and need rice for about 80 people. I will be practicing your recipe but so grateful for a starting point. I figure about 10 cups of rice split between to cookers should work. Wish me luck!
Keith Brown says
i have used this method many times and it works. a perfect 10.
Jo says
Just loosely followed this recipe for Golden Rose rice…I made a few guesses and it turned out SO GOOD. I did Pressure Cook on High for 23 mins and did a NPR for 20 (I accidentally missed the 18 min mark). I live at about 100′ elevation by the beach. Thanks for your blog! Loving my Instant Pot. Hopefully this helps your Instant Pot Rice Encyclopedia!
Lorena says
Thank you so much for the info! It will be super useful to others that want to cook Golden Rose Rice. Thank you for sharing :)
Tory says
For sushi rice the cook time is 5 minutes, and for black rice it is 30 minutes … I want to cook Black Glutinous Rice or black sticky rice – How long should this be cooked for? Thanks!!
Lorena says
I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that rice before. I have never cooked it. What does the package say for stove-top instructions?
Sara Craib says
I have been trying to use the instant pot for a year now. I’ve attempted to make white rice on 4 occasions. I do everything the directions say. I use two cups of long grain uncle bens white rice, and two cups of water. I set it on manual for 3 minutes and let it naturally release for 10 minutes. I’ve tried different times I’ve even gone as long as 18 minutes. All that comes out is, hardened wet, burnt rice. I feel like giving up. I’ve wasted so much rice. Not sure what’s going on here. The seal ring seems fine in the pot. I’ve only used it maybe a total of 10 times? All of which have failed miserably.
Lorena says
Oh no!! Ok, let’s get to the bottom of this. Is this brand of rice very thick? Like the individual grain? I’m not familiar with it. Basmati is very thin for example. If it’s very thick I recommend 5 minutes high-pressure cooking, not just 3 and natural pressure release UNTIL the safety pin drops on it’s own. With two cups this can easily take up to 20 minutes. Does the safety pin jump up in a timely manner? Like about 5 minutes? Does NO steam come out anywhere once the safety pin jumped up?
Danny says
Uncle bens is converted rice and I believe precooked. It will not work with these times. I’ve used this as my rice bible for well over a year and whatever kind I make it comes out nearly perfect using Lorena’s times as a baseline. Of course I experiment a bit and make it the way I like. Rice is cheap- experiment a little. Please don’t assume she guarantees perfect rice in your kitchen. Own it a little bit and be grateful for the research she’s done for us.
R K Ripperger says
Could not agree more!! Thx
JoAnn M Lakes says
Thanks for your comment! I completely agree with your comment! Own it. Rice is cheap so try a couple of different times until you get it right.
Donna says
Thanks for your research! I’ve been to rinsing my rice ever since cooking in the Instant Pot. I cook it for 4 mins NPR. Perfect every time!
Crystal Randall says
I am excited to find this post, I have about seven varieties of rice. lol
But for Sara, the very first batch I made was great; one cup each water and rice (converted, like uncle ben’s), the rice button (14min)…and then quick release. It was great. If that doesn’t work…I am inclined to think your pot is wonky… good luck!!!
JoAnn M Lakes says
Crystal, thanks. I’ll add that information to my chart.
MG says
Made long grain brown rice (1 cup dry), cooking as you directed for 22 minutes, in an 8 qt IP. I did stir the ingredients when I added them, and I turned off the post-cook keep-warm function. Took about 14 minutes for natural release. Texture and flavor is delish! I assume I could leave out the salt if need be? Just wanted to make sure it’s not needed for texture? Thank you!
Lorena says
I’m so happy it worked for you and you liked it :) No, salt is not necessary at all for texture, just flavor. You can also use broth instead of water to flavor or herbs and spices or nothing at all.
Eric says
Mushy outside. Crunchy inside. 1:1 and 3 min for sea level is NOT the correct ratio for white rice.
Lorena says
Eric, I live at sea level and have cooked white rice in my 6-quart Instant Pot in 3 minutes high pressure + Natural Pressure Release for literally YEARS. It works every time. Did you wait for the full natural pressure release? Did your Instant Pot get to pressure?
Carlita says
Hi – I will be trying this tomorrow. I love Jasmine and Basmati rice but am wondering if you could use uncle ben’s converted rice and how that would turn out? I have a big bag of that in my fridge. LOL! Thanks!
Lorena says
Hi Carlita, I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with that brand or type of rice. How long does it say on the packaging it will take to cook on the stovetop? Maybe I can help you figure it out considering the recommended cooking time.
Eric Castonguay says
I believe it is important to note that “uncle Ben’s perverted rice” and “minute rice” are pre-cooked and look to be already split, thus possibly the inconsistency of cooking methods to what is mentioned in the post.
Mom use to have us kids cook the “minute rice” brand.
I hope this helps.
JoAnn M Lakes says
Uncle Ben’s converted rice
1:1 ratio
hit the rice button (14 mins)
quick release
Lisa says
Do you have a suggestion for “heritage” type rice such as those like Anson Mills Carolina Gold and Carolina Plantation Aromatic Rice? I tried the latter with your method for white rice twice – once at the recommended time/pressure/water and it was crunchy and inedible. The second time I increased the time to 5 minutes and the liquid to 1 1/4 c to 1 cup rice. Natural pressure release ( both attempts) and it was still a bit chewy and generally just not very good and this is absolutely wonderful rice when cooked conventionally. The recipe for this rice is 2:1 water to rice for 18-20 minutes.
I haven’t yet tried the Carolina Gold because it requires cooking then oven drying to get separate grains unless you are ok with sticky or you can make it risotto style. If I experiment with it in the instant pot, I’ll post the results. Or if you have suggestions, I’m grateful!
Your method works great for all the other rice listed. Thanks for your input!
Lorena says
Hi Lisa, literally all grains I’ve tried so far cook with a 1:1 ratio (rice, farro, etc.) so it’s just time you have to add if after the 5 minutes the rice is still crunchy. It IS weird that on the stove it takes 18-20 minutes but your Instant Pot wasn’t able to make it happen in 5 minutes high pressure + NPR. You are using a 6-quart? You are leaving the warm setting on when it’s NPR-ing? It does take around 15 minutes for the safety pin to drop? You did use “high” pressure?
Betsy says
I’d like to make coconut rice using coconut milk. Is it still the same ratio? (sorry if this was an earlier question. I didn’t read all of the comments)
Thanks so much!
Lorena says
Hi Betsy, unfortunately, I haven’t experimented with this myself. My main concern would be the thickness and getting the burn warning but I guess you can try mixing 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk with 1/2 cup water to dilute and make sure it’s really liquid?
Sheila says
I live at 6000 feet and adjusted the white rice recipe to 5 minutes rather than 3 and it was perfect.
Lorena says
Yay!! Thanks for the feedback Sheila. That will be super helpful for others.
D M says
Why dont you own a microwave? Reheating rice in a microwave is totally fine and way faster.
Lorena says
I just never felt I needed one and they are an eyesore in the kitchen :P
Karla L Wooters says
Nice to finally see someone else with the same opinion on microwaves :) also thanks for the great info on the instant pot. I just got my first one.
Catherine Cadogan says
Hi Lorena,
Thank you for sharing your hard work. I cooked the Calrose white rice used for making sushi and sashimi in the Instant Pot. I followed your recipe and it came out perfect!
This is the first time I cooked this type of rice. I usually cook brown rice in the rice cooker or on the stove. Your method is perfect! Again thank you!
Sincerely,
Catherine
Nick says
What do you suggest for saffron yellow rice? Package calls for 20-25 simmer coke time? Thanks so much!
Lorena says
Is it white rice with saffron? I would try 5 minutes HP + full NPR. 1:1 ratio.
Debbie says
I am wondering if you use all the rices listed at once or is it 1 cup of either for this recipe?
Lorena says
I’m a bit confused with the question. You can’t cook different types of rice at the same time. They all need different cooking times. You cook either 1 cup, or 2 cups, or 3 cups ….. of only white rice. OR 1 cup, or 2 cups, or 3 cups …. of only brown rice. Does this answer your question?