Instant Pot Basmati Rice
This recipe for Instant Pot Basmati Rice is so easy! Say goodbye to overcooked, undercooked, or mushy rice. This pressure cooker method results in perfectly cooked, fluffy white rice every single time with no burning or sticking. Serve your aromatic rice with almost any main dish.
You aren’t going to believe how easy and fast it is to make basmati rice in the Instant Pot. In fact, I gave away my rice cooker after I realized how to make rice in the pressure cooker.
Basmati rice is a long-grain type of rice that originates in Asia or India. I often buy organic California basmati rice, but you’ll also see brands in the grocery store that were grown in India.
Why You Need This Recipe
- All types of white and brown rice are low in fat and cholesterol. Rice is a traditional food that is high in carbohydrates, with varying levels of starch. See my related article on the nutrition pros and cons of basmati rice.
- While Basmati rice is often associated with Indian cuisine, it can also be served with Asian dishes, curries, tofu, or vegetables. I almost always make rice to go with my Air Fryer Crispy Tofu, Sweet Potato Coconut Chicken Curry, Instant Pot Chicken Curry, or Chickpea and Lentil Curry.
- You can even make dessert out of rice! See my recipe for Instant Pot Rice Pudding.
- While it’s traditional to cook rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, the absolute easiest method is to use an electric pressure cooker! You literally just add all of the ingredients to the pot, let it do its thing, and then remove the lid. This process takes just 21 minutes from start to finish (including the time needed to bring the pot up to pressure). It’s like magic.
Key Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray is the key to making Instant Pot rice that doesn’t stick! I figured this trick out a few years ago and have never had a problem since. I recommend using a nonstick avocado oil or coconut oil spray. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the oil and it won’t affect the fluffiness of the rice at all. It really just prevents the cooked rice from sticking to the pot. See my list of the safest cooking oils.
White basmati rice is a type of long-grain rice. I like using an organic basmati rice from California.
Water is the other necessary ingredient to cook the rice. Use filtered water if you don’t want any chlorine taste in your rice.
Recipe Steps
Let me show you how easy-peasy it is to make rice in the pressure cooker.
Step One
Spray the inside and bottom of your Instant Pot with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray.
Next, rinse the rice. Rinsing the rice helps remove any surface starch that might make the cooked rice gummy. Rinse your rice under cool running water in a fine mesh strainer.
For this method, you don’t need to soak the rice, but you do need to rinse it well.
Step Two
After you’ve rinsed your rice, transfer it to the Instant Pot, add the correct amount of water, and set the time to 6 minutes of cook time on high pressure. Be sure the steam valve is set to “sealing.”
You need to allow about 10 minutes for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Three
Once the cooking time is up, use the quick release to release the pressure right away. Be careful of the hot steam coming out of the steam valve due to the remaining pressure. I like to use oven mitts whenever I use the quick release on the steam valve.
I don’t recommend using the natural release for this recipe as the rice will become overcooked.
Step Four
Then, remove the lid and use a fork to help fluff the rice. Serve hot.
I hope your family agrees that this is method results in perfect basmati rice!
How Much Rice to Cook?
- You can cook up to 3-4 cups of uncooked rice at a time in a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot. This is great for people who like to meal prep.
- One cup of uncooked rice provides about 6 small servings, so 2 cups of uncooked rice yields 12 small servings of about 1/3 cup each.
- If you want to adjust the measurements of this recipe, just remember that you will need 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water for each cup of uncooked rice.
How to Serve
Obviously, you can serve the cooked rice out of the pot. It goes great with dishes like my Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal, Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup, or Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki.
Or, you can transfer cooked rice to a container to store in the refrigerator for up to a week. I will also often freeze cooked rice in an airtight container for up to several months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but the cooking time is different. For a long-grain brown rice, cook for 22 minutes at high pressure. Use a 1:1 rice to water ratio.
Yes, just use one cup of rinsed rice with one cup and 2 tablespoons of water.
You don’t need to soak the rice, but you do need to rinse it well.
Spray the pot with nonstick cooking spray before cooking to prevent the cooked rice from sticking to the pot.
Yes, the method is the same. Jasmine rice is very similar to basmati rice, but basmati rice is usually longer and thinner in shape and size compared with jasmine rice.
More Easy Rice Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup with Lemon
- Instant Pot Pork Chops & Rice
- Indian Yellow Rice
- Instant Pot Wild Rice
- Instant Pot Yellow Rice
What to Serve with Basmati Rice
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
This recipe for Instant Pot Basmati Rice is so easy! Say goodbye to overcooked, undercooked, or mushy rice. This pressure cooker method results in perfectly cooked, fluffy white rice every single time with no burning or sticking. Serve your aromatic rice with almost any main dish.
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups white rice, rinsed well in a fine-mesh strainer
- 2 1/4 cups filtered water
Instructions
- Lightly spray the bottom and lower parts of the inside of your pot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the rinsed rice and water in the base of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Lock on the lid and set the time to 6 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cooking time is up, carefully use the quick release to let out any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid, stir, and serve hot.
Notes
- Use an oven mitt whenever you use the quick-release to protect your hands from the hot steam.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, place any leftovers in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- You can easily double this recipe in a 6-quart or 8-quart pot.
- For a long-grain brown rice, cook for 22 minutes at high pressure. Use a 1:1 rice to water ratio.
- The total cook time for this recipe includes 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 cup
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 3.1 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.7 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: two cups cooked basmati rice, pressure cooker white basmati rice
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives over 10 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
I’m about to make this. Would the addition of butter or salt be recommended or no? Serving with kebabs
I do not usually add butter or salt to the rice. But, you can if you want to!
I just purchased basmati rice so this is perfect timing. I never thought to freeze rice. Can you post about that? How do you use frozen rice.
Great question! You would just defrost it overnight and then re-heat the frozen rice.
I make this several times a week. It’s a great meal prep recipe, too!
★★★★★