Make perfect fluffy rice every single time with this simple instant pot basmati rice recipe. After making rice in your instant pot, you'll never want to use another method again!
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Why you should cook rice in your instant pot
- There's no risk of burning or overcooking your rice.
- The instant pot keeps the rice warm for a few extra minutes while you cook the rest of your dinner.
- It's a true set and forget rice cooking method. You don't have to keep watching it.
- The water to rice ratio is perfect; no watery or dry rice in sight.
- Don't make your life more complicated than it has to be. Keep it simple!
- Rice is truly one of the most versatile ingredients and side dishes. Make a big batch, and serve it for multiple dishes through the week.
Ingredients
All you need to cook Basmati rice in your instant pot is rice and water. You can also add other optional ingredients to improve the flavor of the rice, such as chicken broth, salt, butter, herbs, diced onion turmeric and other spices.
In this recipe we only use water and rice to keep it simple, but feel free to experiment with any extra add-ins that you like.
Check out my collection of amazing rice recipes for more tasty ideas!
Instructions
- Rinse rice in cold water.
- Add rice and water to your instant pot.
- Close the lid, and set the valve to seal.
- Set the instant pot to manual or pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. The instant pot will take approximately 10 minutes to pressurize before it starts counting down.
- When the instant pot is done, leave it to do a natural release for 10 minutes, before you carefully turn the valve and do a quick release of the pressure.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve!
Top tips
Here are my top tips to help you succeed with this recipe:
- I always find that rice tastes better if you rinse the grains first. It's not strictly needed, but I highly suggest that you try it.
- It's important that you allow the instant pot enough time to do a natural release. Keep in mind that the rice will continue to cook during this time.
- If you like your rice slightly harder or slightly softer, you can adjust the cooking time a little to suit your preferences.
Serving suggestions
Instant pot Basmati rice is best enjoyed as a side dish for lunch or dinner. Rice is really versatile, and can be served with a variety of entrees. You can also use cooked rice is other dishes such as casseroles and soups. Here are some of my favorite mains to pair it with:
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast - You can actually cook chicken from frozen in the instant pot, super convenient.
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs - We love these amazing chicken thighs, and they are really easy to make too.
- Herbed Lemon Butter Cod - This is my favorite easy fish main, perfect to serve with Basmati rice.
- Air Fryer Pork Belly - Serve the rice with crispy air fried pork belly bites.
Variations
If you're looking for something a bit more flavorful or creative, here are some of my favorite ways to add flavor to my rice:
Chicken broth: Replace the water with chicken broth. Vegetable broth can also be used. This simply gives the rice a little extra flavor, and is one of my favorite ways to enjoy rice.
Herbs, lemon, garlic and onion: Diced onion, grated garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and dried herbs will make this rice taste perfect with Mediterranean food.
With frozen vegetables: I love to add a handful of frozen diced vegetables, such as peas, corn, carrots or peppers. The vegetables will be steamed while the rice cooks, and it's a great way to prepare both carbs and vegetables at the same time for a simple dinner.
Leftovers
To safely store leftover rice, you should refrigerate it in a sealed container shortly after cooking. It can then be stored for up to 4 days, and reheated in a microwave, instant pot or on the stove top and served warm.
I like to make a big batch of instant pot rice to serve with multiple meals through the week. This is a great way to meal prep for several lunches and dinners, and really helps to speed up your daily cooking.
Frequently asked questions
Different types of rice require different cooking times. This method is only reliable for Basmati rice, or other types of long grained white rice, such as Jasmine rice.
The cooking time is 10 minutes, plus an additional 10 minutes to get to pressure, and 10 minutes of natural release.
Rinsing rice helps to remove any debris and dust, but also removes some surface starch from the rice. If you don't rinse the rice, it tends to clump together and become sticky or gummy.
You might also like these recipes
- Carrot Rice
- Turmeric Rice
- Mushroom Fried Rice
- Dill Rice
- Pesto Rice
- Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice
- Lemon and Garlic Rice
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy! Follow Hint of Healthy on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest for more healthy recipes.
Recipe
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 2 cups Basmati rice
Instructions
- Rinse rice in cold water.
- Add rice and water to your instant pot.
- Close the lid, and set the valve to seal.
- Set the instant pot to manual or pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. The instant pot will take approximately 10 minutes to pressurize before it starts counting down.
- When the instant pot is done, leave it to do a natural release for 10 minutes, before you carefully turn the valve and do a quick release of the pressure.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve!
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover rice as soon as possible, and store it for up to 4 days. Reheat in an instant pot, microwave or on the stove top, and serve warm.
- This recipe can be used for other long grain white rice types. Do not substitute for short grain rice, brown rice or wild rice as those require different cooking times.
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