Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice

Instant Pot Rice is one of the few things you NEED to master in the Instant Pot! This post will help answer all of your questions about how to make long grain white rice in your Instant Pot.

INSTANT POT RICE

For this Instant Pot rice recipe, I use long grain white rice. Rice comes in so many different varieties — and they’re all delicious — but this pressure cooker rice recipe is for long grain white rice.

It’s very important to make sure you note the kind of rice you have before you use an Instant Pot recipe for rice!

HOW TO MAKE ALL KINDS OF RICE

I love cooking rice in my Instant Pot — it eliminates so much potential room for error, speeds up the process, and eliminates the mess that conventional stovetop cooking can sometimes cause!

Because every kind of rice cooks slightly differently, I’ve broken down each type in separate articles:

• How to Make 7 Kinds of Instant Pot Rice (the ultimate roundup!)
• Instant Pot Wild Rice
• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
• Perfect Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• Instant Pot Brown Rice
• Cilantro Lime Rice (Instant Pot or Rice Maker)
• Instant Pot Quinoa (it’s not rice, but it’s close)

INSTANT POT WHITE RICE

When you’re cooking rice in an Instant Pot, you want it to end up perfectly light and fluffy. To accomplish that, it’s essential to use the right rice-to-water ratio!

To make long grain white rice in my Instant Pot, I use a 1:1.25 ratio of rice to water.

This is dry, long grain white rice (the “normal” kind at your grocery store) and regular water. 

It also doesn’t matter whether you measure your ration by weight or by volume — just stick to the number ratio!

I prefer the ratio of slightly more water to rice because I think it results in a better texture.

Note: Many bags of supermarket rice will say that you should cook your rice with a 1:2 rice-to-water ratio.

While this is true for cooking rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top, this is not true in a pressure cooker.

If you cook your rice with this much water, you’ll end up with unintended rice pudding — not ideal.

FLAVORED INSTANT POT LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE

One of the best parts of white rice is that it’s so easy to modify. 

If you want to add some flavor to your rice, try some of these tips: 

• Add some lemon juice (remove the volume from the water and replace with equal parts lemon or lime juice)
• Use chicken or beef broth in place of the water
• Add some spices (like garlic or onion powder)
• Add other ingredients like soy sauce, a can of corn or black beans, etc.

Check out this Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe for a perfectly seasoned twist on regular white rice!

Be careful when adding tomato based products to rice. There is a high chance it will burn if it isn’t diluted enough.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BROWN RICE

As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is for long grain white rice.

While many of the basic concepts apply, it’s definitely worth looking at a recipe specifically for brown rice.

Read my post on Instant Pot brown rice or watch my video on Youtube to learn more!

OTHER INSTANT POT RICE-BASED RECIPES

• Instant Pot Cajun Sausage and Rice
• Easy Instant Pot Mango Sticky Rice
• Instant Pot Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding
• Dairy-Free Coconut Rice Pudding (Instant Pot)
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Rice Pudding
• Ritz Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice

FAQS

There’s a surprising number of things that go into making instant pot long grain white rice (and instant pot rice in general!).

To help answer any questions you might have, I’ve researched the most frequently asked questions relating to all things rice and broken down my answers below. The subjects are grouped into four categories: preparation, cooking, common measurements, and troubleshooting. 

And of course, if your question isn’t listed here, please let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to help! 

PREPARATION 

WHICH POT SHOULD I USE TO MAKE RICE?

I use the Instant Pot 6 quart Duo for most of my recipes; however, I always make long grain white rice in the 3 quart Instant Pot.

Since I’m usually making the main dish in the larger Instant Pot, I like making the sides in the 3 quart.

With that said, this recipe is compatible with both 6 and 3 quart Instant Pots.

Note: If I make Japanese sticky rice, which is short-grain white rice, I always use my Japanese rice cooker. To make stickier long grain white rice, add ¼ cup more water to the rice.

If you want to know which Instant Pot to buy, you’ll want to check out my post, Which Instant Pot to Buy, or my Youtube video!

SHOULD YOU RINSE RICE?

Yes or no — the answer depends on the rice. If the rice you bought is enriched, it shouldn’t be rinsed: Washing the rice washes away the nutrients that the rice was enriched with. 

However, if you’re preparing Japanese, basmati, or jasmine rice — or basically any other kind of rice that’s not enriched — you’ll almost always want to rinse. 

I always use this rice rinsing basket that is the perfect bowl to rinse rice. It has special holes and sides to ensure you have the best ratio of water in the bowl while rinsing, but also has a strainer on the top and bottom to avoid waste and inaccurate water ratios when cooking.

If you do rinse your rice, you don’t need it to be perfectly clear (like when you’re making Japanese rice). Rinsing the rice will make it less sticky, as it washes away the starches that make rice sticky.

The package usually specifies whether or not to wash, so it’s usually a safe bet to rinse or not according to package directions.

The rice I buy for this Instant Pot rice recipe is enriched long grain white rice, and the package instructs not to rinse the rice. 

COOKING

HOW MANY CUPS OF RICE CAN YOU COOK IN AN INSTANT POT?

In a 6 quart Instant Pot, I recommend a maximum of 5 cups of uncooked rice.

For a three quart Instant Pot, I recommend a maximum of 3 cups of uncooked rice.

For an 8 quart, I recommend a maximum of 6.5 cups of uncooked rice.

INSTANT POT RICE SETTING

The Instant Pot RICE setting is a preset for 12 minutes on LOW pressure. You may use this setting but I cannot guarantee the results.

I prefer to use the manual/pressure cook setting when making long grain rice in my Instant Pot. The times and ratios have been tested many times, and you’ll get perfect rice every single time!

IS THE INSTANT POT RICE SETTING FOR LOW PRESSURE?

Yes, the Instant Pot RICE setting (preset on some Instant Pots) is for low pressure. It’s the only preset on an Instant Pot that changes the pressure from high to low.

You do not need to change any pressure settings (high or low) for this recipe.

HOW LONG TO COOK WHITE RICE IN INSTANT POT

To make perfect white rice in my Instant Pot, I like to forgo the Instant Pot rice preset and use the manual or pressure cook setting.

I cook my rice for 3 minutes on high pressure with a 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR).

The 10-minute NPR is extremely important when making long grain white rice in your Instant Pot: It’s during the NPR that the rice absorbs the water and turns soft.

After the ten minute natural pressure release, make sure you wet your rice paddle with some water, then fluff your rice by scooping it up from the bottom and incorporating some air into the cooked rice. 

Note that if you allow the rice to do a natural pressure release for longer than 10-15 minutes, it may dry out and burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.

To avoid this, turn off the “Keep warm” setting on the Instant Pot.

If your rice will be kept warm for an extended period of time and it starts getting dry, add a little water to the pot and mix it into the rice periodically.

CAN YOU COOK INSTANT RICE IN THE INSTANT POT?

If you’re using an instant rice like Minute Rice, you can make it in the Instant Pot! Since Minute Rice is already cooked, it is ready super fast — literally, in a minute!

Using the Instant Pot to make instant rice makes it even easier and hands-off.

To make minute rice in the Instant Pot, use a 1:1 ratio of water to rice, and cook on manual high pressure for 1 minute with a quick release.

After the 1 minute is up, the Instant Pot will beep. The Instant Pot will display “L0:00” (for lapsed time). At this point, turn the knob from sealing to venting and enjoy!

SHOULD I ADD OIL TO INSTANT POT LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE?

There’s no need to add oil to your rice unless you like the flavor of additional olive oil. Adding oil to the rice will prevent the rice from becoming too sticky. The oil coats the rice and doesn’t allow it to absorb as much water.

I find that the flavor doesn’t change at all if I add oil or not! So, I save the calories and skip it.

If I want to make a rice pilaf and add some extra flavor, then I will add oil. First, toast the rice on saute mode with olive oil or butter, then add liquid.

SHOULD I ADD SALT TO RICE?

There’s no need to add salt to rice, but it will always add a little flavor. I only use Redmond Real Salt now — I’ve become a total salt snob! It is the most pure, best-tasting, natural salt I have ever had.

You wouldn’t ever think you could tell the difference, but I love it! I find a big difference in my cooking now that I only use Redmond Salt.

You can get a 15% discount on Redmond Real Salt using my code IPCOOKING.

COMMON MEASUREMENTS 

HOW DO I COOK 1 CUP OF RICE IN AN INSTANT POT?

To cook one cup of white rice in an instant pot, you’ll want to rinse your rice, if it’s not enriched, then use 1.25 cups of water.

Combine rice and water in the Instant Pot, and cook for 3 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.

Remember, the ideal ratio is 1.25 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.

HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED FOR 2 CUPS OF RICE?

Using the 1:1.25 rice-to-water ratio, you will need 2.5 cups of water to cook 2 cups of rice.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK 3 CUPS OF RICE?

3 cups of rice will be ready to serve in 13 minutes. 

No matter what amount of rice you cook in the Instant Pot, you’ll use the same ratio and the same time: 3 minutes with a 10-minute natural pressure release.

TROUBLESHOOTING

WHY IS MY RICE ALWAYS MUSHY?

If your rice is too mushy for your taste, it’s because the rice to water ratio is off. Aka, you’re using too much water.

When making rice in your Instant Pot, you need to remember there is no evaporation. This means the rice to water ratio is much less than if you cooked your rice on the stove or in a rice cooker.

WHY IS MY RICE DRY?

If your rice is dry, the ratio of rice to water is off and there’s not enough water. When you’re experimenting with different kinds of rice, keep this in mind! Different kinds of rice absorb different amounts of water.

Another reason why your rice could be dry is if you leave it in the Instant Pot too long after cooking.

The keep warm mode will continue to heat the rice at a low temperature. This can occasionally dry out or burn the rice if you leave it too long.

WHY DOES RICE STICK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE INSTANT POT?

Rice sticking to the bottom of your Instant Pot is so annoying! But in order to prevent rice from sticking, you just need to give it some time and WAIT! Yes, just wait!

When you’re making pressure cooker rice, it’s easy to stress about not really being able to constantly stir and keep things off of the bottom of the pan.

The natural pressure release, however, is actually what’s going to absorb the steam and lift the rice off the bottom of the pot.

Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice

Instant Pot rice is the best — it’s super fast, it’s easy, and it’s hands-free.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 6 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 .5 Cups

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Lisa Childs

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup long grain white rice unrinsed
• 1 1/4 cup water
• dash of salt if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add ingredients to the Instant Pot.
• Lock the lid, turn the knob to SEALING, and cook on manual high pressure for 3 minutes.
• Allow a 10 minute natural pressure release after the 3-minute pressure cook. The display will start counting up to 10.
• When the display says L0:10, release the rest of the steam by turning the knob from sealing to venting.
• Using a wet rice paddle, fluff the rice up and enjoy.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Rice Rinser Basket
• Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart
• Real Salt Fine Shaker (10 oz.)

VIDEO

NOTES

You may adjust the cook time from 2-8 minutes, depending on how al dente you prefer your rice.

If you’d like a bit more flavor to your rice, or if you’re preparing rice pilaf, feel free to add some oil before cooking. First, toast the rice on SAUTE mode with olive oil or butter, then add liquid and cook as usual.

This recipe may be scaled up to make more rice. The ratio of rice to water is 1:1.25. To make 2 cups of rice in the Instant Pot, use 2 cups of rice and 2 1/2 cup water.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1g | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 84mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedtestedandtrue!