fluffy rice every time in the instant pot
You may be new to the Instant Pot, or you may have had one for a while. Most people think of the Instant Pot as being the end-all appliance for cooking meats and soups and stews But have you tried cooking rice in it? It is a lot simpler than you think, and with the proper ratios, comes out fluffy and perfect every time.
There are a lot of different rice recipes out there, but this one is easy to remember and gives great results. First off… Forget everything you know about cooking rice… this is different!
Let’s start with the rice to water ratio. On the stove, it is usually 1:1.5 or more.
In the Instant Pot it is ALWAYS 1:1 — no matter what type of rice it is.
You may wonder why so little water? Won’t it burn? The answer lies in the fact that this is a closed system, and when sealed properly, NO water evaporates during cooking.
Traditionally cooked, brown, black, red and wild rice take longer to cook, and require more water… because of the evaporation factor. The longer the rice takes to cook, the more water is needed. But in a closed system, the water stays in — no matter how long it is cooked for. So, with the Instant Pot, all rice requires the same amount of water to cook. 1 part rice to 1 part water.
So the softer the rice — like white long grain or jasmine — the shorter the cooking period. I start with one minute. But, if your rice comes out too hard… it doesn’t need more water, but rather more time. And if it is mushy… you probably used too much water.
Also, it doesn’t matter if you are making 1 cup or 5 cups, the water and the times are the same. If you have been using and Instant Pot for a while, you will know this… but as a beginner, I had to let that sink in a bit. Also, I wouldn’t attempt to make more than 5 raw cups of rice at a time in a 6 quart Instant Pot. Rice triples in volume when cooked — ( 1 part water, 1 part rice & 1 part air– because it’s fluffier) 5 cups of raw rice will turn into 15 cups cooked, and that is getting pretty close to the 2/3 line max — which would be 16 cups.
These times are suggestions. If you are at altitude, you may need to add a bit more time. strat with a few minutes at a time.
IGNORE THE RICE BUTTON — IT IS ONLY FOR WHITE RICE.
The rice button is not your friend if you want perfect fluffy rice. Also… ignore the recipe in the instruction booklet that came with the Instant Pot.
METHOD:
- 1 part rice
- 1 part water, or veggie or meat broth
- sprinkle of salt
- 1t – 1T coconut oil (optional)
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS INTO INSTANT POT & SEAL
SET TIMER ACCORDING TO CHART.
WHEN DONE COOKING, ALLOW TO NATURALLY RELEASE FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES, THEN QUICK RELEASE.
OPEN THE POT.
FLUFF RICE AND ENJOY.
I hope you enjoy your fluffy Instant Pot rice!!
For more Instant Pot tips and hacks, go HERE
