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Enjoy perfectly cooked rice every time with this recipe for Instant Pot Basmati Rice! You only need 3 ingredients and 20 minutes to make this light and fluffy side dish.
If you haven’t tried making rice in an Instant Pot yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s pretty much a foolproof way to get perfectly tender and fluffy rice. Just stick to the water to rice ratio and cooking time, and say good-bye to clumpy and sticky rice!
Who says you need a rice cooker to make perfect basmati rice? This Instant Pot version is just as good (like this instant pot sushi rice), and requires no advance soaking to get perfectly cooked basmati rice.
This pressure cooker basmati rice is always good served with these delicious Indian food recipes:
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Why this Instant Pot basmati rice recipe works
- It’s a seriously easy recipe! You only need 3 ingredients (plus water) and the recipe is hands off. The Instant Pot valve is sealed so you don’t need to worry about the rice boiling over and you get perfect rice every time.
- Rice is great for meal prep! Cooked basmati rice will last for days in the fridge and it freezes well too. Just reheat it in the microwave for a quick and easy side dish.
- There’s no need to soak the rice! You just need to quickly rinse it to help remove starches, which prevents the rice from getting gummy. Cooking the rice with a little fat also helps keep the grains from sticking together.
- This recipe makes a large batch and leftover basmati rice is perfect for making breakfast fried rice or Chinese fried rice!
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What is basmati rice?
Basmati rice is an aromatic, long-grain rice, similar to jasmine rice. Basmati grains, however, are slightly longer and they have a nutty flavor when cooked and are not as floral as jasmine rice. There are two types of basmati rice - you can buy white or brown basmati rice.
Ingredients to Make Basmati Rice
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You’ll need 2 cups of basmati rice for this recipe (you can also cut it in half and make only 1 cup with the same white rice to water ratio). Make sure you’re using white basmati rice (instead of brown) and make sure to rinse rice before cooking.
The ghee will help prevent the rice from sticking together. Ghee is a clarified butter with the milk solids removed. It has a slightly nutty flavor, which allows the flavor of the rice to shine.
While you can buy ghee, I usually make my own (learn how to make ghee). You can also substitute melted coconut oil for a slightly coconut flavored rice.
Ingredient substitutions and variations
- Ghee: substitute coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or any oil/fat of your choice.
- Water: For extra flavor, you can replace the water with veggie broth or this Instant Pot chicken bone broth.
- Add-ins: For extra flavor, you can add some garlic, ginger, fresh herbs or pepper to the rice as it cooks.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Rinse the long grain rice using cool water in a colander until the water runs clear.
Step 2: Add the rice, water, ghee and salt in a non-stick Instant Pot pressure cooker insert (or electric pressure cooker) and stir together.
Step 3: Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Release any remaining pressure in the Instant Pot, fluff and serve.
Expert tips for perfect basmati rice
- Keep the 1:1 ratio for the rice and water (1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water) to make perfect rice. If you adjust this ratio, you will end up with sticky and mushy rice.
- Don’t forget to first rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Removing excess starch will help prevent the rice from getting gummy.
- While it might be tempting to leave out the cooking fat to reduce calories, these are essential for flavor and to keep the rice from sticking together.
- To keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot, I like to use a non-stick Instant Pot insert.
- Be sure to naturally release the pressure when the timer goes off. The rice will need this extra time to keep cooking and get tender.
- Once all the pressure is released, remove the insert from the Instant Pot so the rice stops cooking.
- While the rice pressure cooks on high in just 4 minutes, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.
- For softer rice, you can increase the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t have basmati rice, jasmine rice is a great substitute. Just follow this recipe for Instant Pot jasmine rice!
To ensure the rice doesn’t turn out sticky or gummy, you’ll want to rinse it first. This not only helps get rid of surface starch but also any little pieces of debris that can be found in rice. Avoid soaking rice it as this can make the rice too soft.
Place the rice in a mesh sieve or colander and run cold water over it until the water that runs through is no longer cloudy.
When using the Instant Pot to cook basmati rice, I recommend keeping the water to rice ratio as 1:1. So, for this recipe, we're using 2 cups of uncooked rice and 2 cups of water.
If the rice isn't rinsed before cooking, it can become sticky when it cooks. Rinsing the rice rinses away all the excess starch so the rice doesn't become sticky and clumpy. Excess water and cooking time can also cause the rice to be too sticky.
Store cooked basmati rice in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze it for 1-2 months. Just let it cool completely, then store in freezer safe containers or bags. This enables you to make the rice in bulk and freeze portions of it as needed.
To reheat, you can warm the rice in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove top. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the rice as it reheats so it doesn’t dry out.
More pressure cooker rice recipes
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Recipe
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs mostly clear.
- Combine the rice, water, coconut oil or ghee and salt in a non-stick Instant Pot insert.
- Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes.
- Release any remaining pressure, fluff and serve.
Expert Tips:
- Keep the 1:1 ratio for the rice and water (1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water) to make perfect rice. If you adjust this ratio, you will end up with sticky and mushy rice.
- Don’t forget to first rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Removing excess starch will help prevent the rice from getting gummy.
- While it might be tempting to leave out the cooking fat to reduce calories, these are essential for flavor and to keep the rice from sticking together.
- To keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot, I like to use a non-stick Instant Pot insert.
- Be sure to naturally release the pressure when the timer goes off. The rice will need this extra time to keep cooking and get tender.
- Once all the pressure is released, remove the insert from the Instant Pot so the rice stops cooking.
- While the rice pressure cooks on high in just 4 minutes, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release in the Instant Pot.
- For softer rice, you can increase the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Kim
Turned out great! I love the flavor of basmati rice and always struggle to make it on the stove. So glad I found this!
Danielle
Glad you liked it!
Dana Sandonato
This is such a great recipe to have up your sleeve. The rice cooks perfectly! Never cooking it on the stovetop again.
Danielle
It's so much easier this way!
Toni
Thank you so much for this! It turned out really amazing!
Danielle
You're welcome!
Emily Flint
I wasn't sure if this would work but the rice came out perfectly. Will be saving for next time!
Danielle
Glad it worked for you!
Lauren Michael Harris
I found this at the perfect time! I was just thinking i need to start using the instant pot to make rice and basmati is almost always our rice of choice - this recipe is so much easier and the rice came out perfect!
Danielle
The IP is so great for rice!!