Raise your hand if you love white rice 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏼♂️ if you follow me on Instagram, you see it is a staple in our house. Today we are stepping up your typical white rice with 6 instant pot rice recipes!
Don’t get me wrong, we love classic white rice. It’s versatile and goes with so many things. But we eat a lot of it, and sometimes it can get a little mundane. And we all know variety in food is so important for sustainable and healthy eating.
So we are spicing it up with 5 flavors you can add to meal time, plus an easy way to make white rice in your Instant pot (or your favorite electric pressure cooker).

Why we love these instant pot white rice recipes
- quick and easy – all you need is an instant pot and a few ingredients. Just dump, mix, and cook for most recipes besides the saffron rice, which requires about 10 minutes of steeping the saffron.
- adds some variety – the flavors add a nice change to mealtime instead of our usual white rice and can be used for different occasions. Coconut with an Asian-inspired meal, Mexican with tacos, pesto with grilled meats and veggies. Get creative!
- great for meal prep – we usually double the recipes to have leftovers for the week
- all recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan
Is white rice healthy?
Rice can be a healthy addition to most people’s diet. It is high in carbohydrates, which are your body’s preferred source of energy and are important for active people.
White rice is more processed than brown, meaning the germ and all of the bran layers (hull, husk, and bran) are removed so that what remains is a simple starch (the endosperm). Because it is just the endosperm, white rice can be easier to digest for some.
Both white and brown rice are good options, it just depends on which one you prefer more.
We eat rice a few times a week because it’s super affordable, healthy, and an easy carbohydrate for meals. It’s also a great source of post-workout carbohydrates for active individuals to replenish muscle glycogen stores (energy) and help with recovery (carbs and protein are important post-workout).

Instant pot rice recipes
All instant pot rice recipes call for jasmine rice, water, and salt. Then you can get creative with the flavors. Each flavor only requires 1-3 additional ingredients.
- classic white rice – a classic addition to any meal
- pesto rice – bright and fresh with a little pesto mixed in
- curry rice – made with curry paste and curry powder
- Mexican rice – made with fire-roasted canned tomatoes, canned green chiles, and taco seasoning for a little kick
- saffron rice – cooked with saffron infused water
- coconut rice – rich and also a little sweet since it’s made with coconut milk



How to make instant pot white rice
- Rinse your rice. Place rice in a nut milk bag or in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until water runs clear, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add all your ingredients. Add your white rice, water, salt, and any other flavor additions depending on what variety you are making in your instant pot. Stir well to combine.
- Pressure cook your rice. Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to seal. Place on the manual setting on high pressure and set to 3 minutes. Once done, let the pressure naturally release for 8-10 minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure.
- Enjoy! Fluff rice with a fork and enjoy.


What is the ratio of water to rice in an Instant Pot?
For cooking rice in the instant pot, you want a 1:1 rice to water ratio. That means 1 cup of water for every cup of rice. This will give you rice that is fluffy and tender. You can easily double this ratio to make more rice.
How do you make rice not sticky in the Instant Pot?
If your instant pot rice is sticky, you did not let it cook (or rest) long enough. Rice only needs 3 minutes to cook at high pressure, but if you quick pressure release, it does not give it enough time to absorb all the liquid. You will be left with somewhat moist and sticky rice. Rinsing your rice before cooking also helps it not be as sticky (more below).


Do you have to soak rice before cooking?
You do not have to soak white rice before cooking it in the instant pot. Soaking helps speed up the cooking process, but since white rice doesn’t require a lot of time, it doesn’t make a big difference.
Soaking grains, nuts, and legumes can also help them become more digestible by removing anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients include phytic acid, lectins, and other enzyme inhibitors. They can interfere with and block how your body absorbs other nutrients and affect digestion.
White rice does not have as many lectins as other grains (such as brown rice) and is easily digested by most. For these reasons, I don’t soak my white rice, but you can if you want.
Do you have to rinse rice before cooking?
Yes, I suggest rinsing rice before cooking. This helps remove the excess starch which can cause your rice to stick together when cooking. It can also help remove any coating that some companies will put on rice (to make it shinier).
I simply add the rice to this nut milk bag and run it under water until the water becomes clear.


Natural release vs quick release
When using an instant pot, you can control how you release the pressure when a recipe is done. How you release the pressure will affect the final product of what you are cooking.
- natural release – this allows the pot to reduce pressure naturally by slowly releasing it. If your recipe needs a little more time to cook or absorb liquid, this can be helpful. I suggest letting the pressure naturally release for 8-10 minutes when making instant pot white rice to make sure the water is fully evaporated.
- quick release – with the turn of a knob, you can immediately release the pressure in the pot so you can open it up. This will not allow the recipe to cook anymore, so you want to make sure it is done if doing so. If you quick release this instant pot white rice, the final product will be a little wet and all of the water might not be absorbed.
Meal prep tips
We love prepping a bunch of rice at the beginning of the week and then having it on hand to pair with some protein and veggies for a quick meal. The thing is, it can dry out as time goes on. I find that leaving your rice a little moister can help with this.
If making it for meal prep, here are my tips:
- use a little more water – using a little more water will leave you with a little wetter rice. You don’t want it mushy, but simply adding 1/4-1/2 cup more water (1/4 for making 1 cup and 1/2 cup for making 2 cups) when cooking can help stay moist as the week goes on (because it will be a little moister when done). You will still want to naturally release the pressure for 8-10 minutes if adding more water.
- less time for natural release – if you don’t add more water, you can simply release the pressure quicker. Try only letting it sit for 5 minutes instead of 8-10 for a little moister rice.



How to reheat leftover rice
The key to reheating rice without drying it out is adding liquid to the rice. This will help keep it moist and tender.
- microwave – add rice to a microwavable safe bowl, breaking it up some. Then add 1 tablespoon of water for every cup of rice you are heating up, sprinkling it over the rice evenly. This will help rehydrate the rice. Cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on how much rice you have, stirring halfway through. I find this to be the easiest and fast way to reheat rice.
- in a pan – heat up a skillet over medium-low heat with a little oil in it. Add rice, breaking it up in the pan, with a little water (again, about 1 tablespoon or so per cup). Place a lid on the pan and steam for 5 minutes until cooked through.
Storage
- refrigerator – store rice in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- freezer – cook according to directions and let the rice cool completely. Add to a bag (we love these silicone reusable ones) or a freezer dish – you can use a large container or freeze in individual servings. Defrost for a quick and easy side dish. Rice should last up to 3 months in the freezer.


Substitutions or additions
- jasmine rice – any kind of long grain white rice should work for these instant pot rice recipes. I have not tested brown rice and you will need longer cooking times if using it.
- water – any kind of broth (chicken, vegetable…) or bone broth can be used instead of water.
- coconut milk – you can try to use lite coconut milk instead of full-fat if you want to reduce the amount of fat. It won’t have as strong of a coconut taste.
- oil or butter – feel free to add a little (about a tablespoon) of olive oil or butter/ghee to give the rice a little more flavor.
More easy side dishes
- air fryer carrots
- fried sweet plantains
- arroz verde (green rice)
- rosemary roasted radishes
- cilantro lime coconut rice
- 6 cauliflower rice recipes


6 Instant Pot Rice Recipes
ingredients
Instant Pot White Rice
- 1 cup white rice (I used jasmine)
- 1 cup water
- pinch of sea salt
Instant Pot Pesto Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup pesto
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instant Pot Curry Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/4 cup canned green chilis
- 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk
- pinch of sea salt
Instant Pot Saffron Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup water, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- pinch of sea salt
instructions
Instant Pot Rice Recipes (except saffron rice)
- Rinse your rice. Place rice in a nut milk bag or in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until water runs clear, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add all your ingredients. Add your white rice, water, and salt, and any other flavor additions depending on what variety you are making in your instant pot. Stir well to combine.
- Pressure cook your rice. Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to seal. Place on the manual setting on high pressure and set to 3 minutes. Once done, let the pressure naturally release for 8-10* minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure.
- Enjoy! Fluff rice with a fork and enjoy.
Instant Pot Saffron Rice
- Rinse your rice. Place rice in a nut milk bag or in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until water runs clear, about 1-2 minutes.
- Steep your saffron. Add saffron threads to a small bowl and break up with the back of a spoon (I just used the back of my 1/2 teaspoon). Heat up 1/4 water in a separate bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour hot water over saffron threads and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Add all your ingredients. Add your white rice, saffron water, remaining 3/4 cup water, and salt to your instant pot. Stir well to combine.
- Pressure cook your rice. Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to seal. Place on the manual setting on high pressure and set to 3 minutes. Once done, let the pressure naturally release for 8-10* minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure.
- Enjoy! Fluff rice with a fork and enjoy.
notes
- all recipes make 3 cups, except the Mexican rice which makes 3 1/2 cups
- the serving size is 1 cup
- nutrition info for pesto rice depends on what kind of pesto you use (I used Trader Joe’s Vegan Pesto)
- all instant pot rice recipes can easily be doubled or tripled
- nutrition for pesto rice (makes 3 cups/425 grams): per 1 cup/5 ounces – 273 calories 50c/4.7p/6f
- nutrition for curry rice: (makes 3 cups/377 grams): per 1 cup/4.5 ounces – 226 calories 50.5c/4.6p/.3f
- nutrition for Mexican rice (makes 3.5 cups/520 grams): per 1 cup/6 ounces – 239 calories 53c/5p/.1f
- nutrition for coconut rice (makes 3 cups/490 grams): per 1 cup/5.8 ounces – 349 calories 52c/5p/14f
- nutrition for saffron rice: (makes 3 cups/335 grams): per 1 cup/4 ounces – 213 calories 48c/4p/0f
Dan says
Have to try some of the flavors
Kelly says
Lots of flavors to pick from! Hope you enjoy them!
Dan says
They all sound good have to try
Kelly says
Hope you enjoy!