Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Instant Pot Rice {Easy, Foolproof Recipe!} - Kristine's Kitchen? ›

1:1 – While you generally use 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water for stovetop rice, in the Instant Pot, that ratio drops down to 1:1, aka 1 cup of water for every one cup of rice.

1:1 – While you generally use 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cups water for stovetop rice, in the Instant Pot, that ratio drops down to 1:1, aka 1 cup of water for every one cup of rice.

Mushy Rice – When cooking long-grain white rice you want a 1:1 ratio. That means you should add a cup of water for every cup of rice. Too much water or liquid can cause mushy rice. Overcooking can also make the rice mushy.

Rice can release starchy water as it cooks, and you don't want to risk that starch clogging the vent in the lid of your Instant Pot. Make sure you move the steam release valve to sealing. This is a common mistake, and will result in hard, under-cooked rice that will eventually stick to the bottom of your pot.

For tender grains of rice that easily separate, such as in a pilaf, use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice. You can also use another liquid like stock in this 2:1 ratio. For slightly chewier, fluffy white rice, use 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice, or a 1.5:1 ratio.

A 2-to-1 ratio, liquid to rice, produces soft, tender rice. Chewier rice will result from using a 1-to-1 ratio, or from adding a bit more water. I usually go with a 2-to-1 ratio for cooking a long-grain rice like basmati. Traditionally, basmati rice first is soaked for 30 minutes to as long as two hours.

As a general rule, 1 cup of uncooked rice will equal about 3 cups of cooked rice. Leftover rice can be used later in the week to make fried rice or chicken rice casserole.

Most rice cookers fully cook a batch of rice, whether 1 cup or more, in 30 to 40 minutes. If you're adding extra ingredients or alternative liquids, the time may differ slightly.

The Right Equipment to Cook Rice

Similar to pasta, you'll be using a boiling liquid as a cooking medium, so make sure you have enough room for bubbles to rise without boiling over. A lid with an adjustable steam vent is nice, but not crucial — you can always prop the lid open with a wooden spoon or pair of chopsticks.

What is the one knuckle trick for rice? ›

Place your fingertip on top of the rice and add water until it reaches your first knuckle. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for 18–20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

Bottom line, it works! I've also seen a variation on this where the rice is poured to your first knuckle and the water to your second. In some ways, this makes more sense to me because it's about the ratio of water to rice which is more important that measurements. Do you use the first knuckle method?

A 2-to-1 ratio, liquid to rice, produces soft, tender rice. Chewier rice will result from using a 1-to-1 ratio, or from adding a bit more water. I usually go with a 2-to-1 ratio for cooking a long-grain rice like basmati. Traditionally, basmati rice first is soaked for 30 minutes to as long as two hours.

Combine rice and water in a pot: For most long-grain and medium-grain rice, pair 1 cup rice and 1⅓ cups water. For short-grain rice, use 1 cup rice and 1 cup water. For most brown rice, combine 1 cup rice and 1¾ cups water.

For any type of grain size (short, medium, or long) you can follow a 1:1 ratio of water to rice. If you want to add more rice, you can adjust the recipe in a similar way, 2 cups of rice to 2 cups of water.