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This Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice recipe cooks perfect rice every time. Perfect for cheap dinners and simple meal prep sessions!
White rice is often the cheapest and most widely available grain, making it the perfect base for a variety of budget-friendly meals. While it's not as nutritious as whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, white rice is still a staple food in many cultures because of its versatility, cost, and long shelf life.
So in addition to adding it to your Pantry Staples List and Long Term Food Storage, get ready to serve this hot fluffy rice with one of these Cheap White Rice Dinners!
What You'll Need
- Long grain white rice: This Instant Pot rice recipe is specifically developed for long grain varieties like basmati rice. I always recommend purchasing white rice in bulk from cheap grocery stores like Costco. When stored properly, white rice can last for decades so buy in bulk and enjoy the savings!
- Water: I typically cook my rice in water because it's cheaper than using broth and allows me to use leftover rice in sweet recipes like Breakfast Rice Porridge. However, if you know you're only cooking rice for a savory recipe, feel free to add vegetable broth or chicken broth for additional flavor.
- Pressure cooker: I've only ever used the Instant Pot brand of pressure cookers, but this recipe should work in any kind of electric pressure cooker. I own two 6-quart Instant Pots, but this recipe will work in an 8-quart Instant Pot as well.
How to Make Instant Pot White Rice
- Rinse rice. Start by rinsing the rice under cold water using a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming too sticky.
- Combine the rice and water in the Instant Pot. Add 2 cups of rice to the stainless steel pot of your Instant Pot along with 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir to ensure the rice is evenly distributed.
- Cook on low pressure for 12 minutes. Secure the lid and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Pressure cook on low for 12 minutes. Turning off the “keep warm” setting will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Quick release the remaining pressure. Once the cooking time is complete, switch the valve to the “venting” position to quickly release the pressure.
- Fluff and Serve: Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately as desired!
Serving Suggestions
I have 50+ Ideas for What to Serve with White Rice on the blog, but in short, it's an easy side dish that can pair well with virtually any meal.
Add it to a stir fry, wholesome casserole, curry, crispy tofu dish, fried rice, red beans and rice, and more!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to cook this type of rice on LOW PRESSURE not HIGH PRESSURE. Almost all of my Instant Pot recipes are cooked using high pressure, but to make the perfect white rice, I highly recommend using this low pressure method. It prevents the rice from being too soft and mushy as well as prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Don't do a natural release of pressure. The benefit of cooking rice in a rice cooker is that the rice can stay in the pot with the lid closed without overcooking. This is not the case for Instant Pot Recipes. If you leave the lid on and do not release the pressure promptly, the rice will overcook and go mushy.
- Rinse the rice thoroughly! Unlike short grain rice that benefits from being sticky, long grain rice is best when you remove the excess starches.
Instant Pot Long Grain White Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water using a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming too sticky.
- Add rice and water to your instant pot.
- Set the valve to the “sealing” position and pressure cook on low pressure for 12 minutes. Once the time is up, move the valve to the “venting” position and manually release the pressure.
Notes
- Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can double or triple this recipe without increasing the cook time.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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Recipe FAQs
Can I use other types of rice with this Instant Pot method?
You can use the Instant Pot to cook all different kinds of rice, but each grain will have a different cook time and water ratio. If you're interested in learning how to cook other grains, check out my Instant Pot Brown Rice and Instant Pot Quinoa recipes.
What can I add to the rice for additional flavor?
Plain rice requires a bit of added flavor if you're planning to serve it as a simple side dish. After cooking, I like to add 2-4 tablespoons of butter (we do dairy-free) or olive oil for added moisture and richness and slightly creaminess. Then, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
You can also add a bay leaf or two to the water before cooking to infuse additional flavor.
How much cooked rice does 1 cup of dry white rice make?
One cup of dry white rice yields about 2.5 cups of cooked rice.
Do I need to adjust the cooking time if I double the recipe?
The cooking time remains the same even if you double the recipe. The pot may take a bit longer to come to pressure, but the actual cook time does not change.
Storage Instructions
Storing leftover rice has become quite controversial because “uncooked rice may contain bacteria called Bacillus cereus” and this particular bacteria has the potential to make you sick.
With that being said, if you cook the rice properly and store it promptly after cooking, the concern for sickness is low.
Personally, I have been reheating rice for meal prep for 3 decades and never caused any sickness.
If you feel comfortable storing white rice, allow the rice to cool and immediately store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions
I recommend freezing rice in 2-cup portions using Souper Cubes. Reheat directly from frozen in the microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until soft and fluffy. If you have a 6 qt Instant Pot, you can triple the recipe; for an 8 qt, quadruple it.
This method will save you tons of time on weeknight dinners and makes it so you only need to cook rice from scratch about once a month.
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