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Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice

August 13, 2020 by Michelle | 2 Comments

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white rice in an instant pot with a wooden spoon with a text overlay that says now cook this instant pot long grain white rice, fluffy, perfect rice every time

This Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice is an easy, hands-off, foolproof way of cooking perfect long grain white rice and getting consistent results every time!

white rice in an instant pot with a wooden spoon this recipe

Do you want fluffy, delicious, perfectly cooked, tender but not mushy or sticky white rice? Do you have an Instant Pot?

If you answered yes to both of those questions, then read on and get ready for a rice cooking game-changer!

First, let me just say that I can’t believe that I’ve had my Instant Pot for several years now, and I only very recently started using it to make rice.

What the heck? The Instant Pot has a RICE button. Why didn’t I try this sooner?

It’s not that it’s hard to cook rice on the stove, but sometimes the heat is too high or low, or the pot boils over, or the rice burns and sticks to the bottom of the pot, or the rice comes out overcooked or undercooked.

Not so when I use the Instant Pot!

And I love that it’s totally hands-off. I just put everything in there, press a button, walk away, and less than 30 minutes later, I have perfectly cooked white rice. Every. Single. Time!

That magic little RICE button automatically calculates the cooking time based on the weight of the rice and water you put in the pot! This only works for basic long-grain white rice, though, so don’t substitute other types of rice.

There’s no hanging around the stove babysitting the pot and adjusting the heat. There are no boil overs, rice burnt on the bottom of the pot, or undercooked or overcooked rice…Hooray!

Using the Instant Pot is now my favorite way to cook up a batch of basic long grain white rice. Are you ready for it to become your favorite too?

Ingredients you need:

  • Long-grain white rice
  • Cold water
  • Butter (optional)
  • Salt (optional)

Here’s a look at how to make it:

two images showing the steps to make instant pot long grain white rice
two images showing the steps to make instant pot long grain white rice
two images showing the steps to make instant pot long grain white rice
two images showing the steps to make instant pot long grain white rice

Tips & Tidbits:

  • Rinse, rinse, rinse your rice! Don’t skip this step. It takes just a few minutes and removes a lot of the starch from the outside of the rice, which is important for getting fluffy, not-sticky rice.
  • The butter and the salt are optional but highly recommended. I think they make the rice extra delicious. Plus, the butter helps keep the grains of rice nicely separated.
  • The ratio of water to rice is 1:1 (equal amounts of each), so if you use a dry measuring cup for the rice, use the same dry measuring cup for the water (liquid measuring cups are slightly different).
    • If you’d like your rice a little softer, add a little more water (I’d suggest starting with 2 additional tablespoons per cup).
  • Using the 1:1 ratio, you can cook as much rice as you’d like – as long as you don’t fill the pot past the halfway line.
  • As written, this recipe is for a 6-quart or 3-quart Instant Pot. Don’t cook less than 1 cup of rice using this method because you need at least 1 cup of water to achieve pressure.
    • For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you need at least 2 cups of water to achieve pressure, so double the recipe (double the ingredients only; the rest of the recipe remains the same).
  • For delicious flavored rice, replace the water with an equal amount of chicken, beef or vegetable broth.
  • Store leftover cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
  • Did you know that you can freeze rice? Just place it in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, and freeze. It should last in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
bowl of white rice with a spoon in front of an instant pot

White rice makes for an easy and delicious side dish that goes with just about anything.

And leftover cold rice is awesome for making fried rice!

Next up, I’ll be sharing my recipe for an easy homemade Shrimp Fried Rice With Zucchini and Mushrooms that is so much better than takeout. Stay tuned!

I hope you try this recipe for Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!

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Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice

This Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice is an easy, hands-off, foolproof way of cooking perfect long grain white rice and getting consistent results every time!
Print Recipe Rate/Comment Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Natural Pressure Release: 10 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 6 (½ cup each – recipe makes about 3 cups total)
Calories: 108
Author: Michelle / Now Cook This!

Ingredients

  • 1 dry cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 dry cup cold water
  • ½ tablespoon butter, optional
  • pinch salt, optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice very well with cool water until the water runs clear; drain. Note: This could take about 5 minutes, but don't skip this step! Rinsing removes a lot of the starch from the exterior of the rice, which is key to getting fluffy, not-sticky rice.
  • Add the rice to the Instant Pot along with the cold water, the butter, and the salt. Give the pot a gentle shake just to make sure that all of the rice is covered by water.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release knob to "sealing."
  • Press the RICE button. The Instant Pot will say "Auto" at first while it automatically determines the cooking time based on the weight of the rice and water you have put in the pot (which usually ends up to be 12 minutes at low pressure). Note: It will take about 6 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before the cooking time begins to count down.
  • Once the cooking time has finished, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
  • After the 10 minutes has elapsed, carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
  • Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Enjoy!

Notes

  • The ratio of water to rice is 1:1, so if you use a dry measuring cup for the rice, use the same dry measuring cup for the water.
  • If you’d like your rice a little softer, you can add a little more water (I’d suggest starting with 2 additional tablespoons per cup).
  • Using the 1:1 ratio, you can cook as much rice as you’d like – as long as you don’t fill the pot past the halfway line. Don’t cook less than 1 cup of rice, though, because you need at least 1 cup of water for the Instant Pot to achieve pressure.
  • The RICE button is just for basic long-grain white rice. Don’t substitute other types of rice, because you won’t get the same results. 
  • Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
  • To freeze, place cooled rice in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, and freeze. It should last in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
  • As written, this recipe is for a 6-quart or 3-quart Instant Pot. For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you need at least 2 cups of water to achieve pressure, so double the recipe (double the ingredients only; the rest of the recipe remains the same).
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!Mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes!

This post was updated on 12/10/2020 with minor changes to the recipe.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brenda Harper

    January 1, 2023 at 8:23 pm

    I followed the recipe to a t and still ended up with sticky rice. Any suggestions on how to change it for my next try?

    Reply
    • Michelle

      January 2, 2023 at 12:34 am

      Hi, Brenda! In general, sticky rice is usually caused by not rinsing the rice, using too much water when cooking, or not letting the rice rest for several minutes before fluffing. Since all of this has already been incorporated into the recipe, I’m not really sure what happened with your batch of rice (sorry!). In my opinion, rinsing is the most important variable that would affect whether the rice ends up sticky, so I would suggest starting there and really making sure that it is rinsed very well. And although the butter is optional (not sure if you used it), I think it can help keep the grains of rice more separated (I always include it). Finally, just a reminder that this recipe is intended for regular basic long-grain white rice only (the results won’t be the same if you used other types of long-grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati).

      Reply

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