Instant Pot® Basmati Rice

Love basmati rice, but don’t like cooking it on the stovetop? Here’s an easy tutorial on how to make Instant Pot basmati rice!

For years, I've been gazing longingly at rice cookers.

I both wanted one and also refused to take up precious kitchen space with an appliance that only does one thing.

When your apartment is tiny, every inch of counter space (and cabinet space) counts.

And so, when I heard that the Instant Pot "makes perfect rice," I was intrigued.

This past summer, I took the plunge and I bought an Instant Pot (instead of a rice cooker) but (at least at first) it did not make perfect rice.

I tried the rice button.

I tried recipe after recipe-- all with different tricks-- and each time I was unsatisfied and left with raw, crunchy rice.

It was sad.

But finally, my friend Julia, who runs the site Imagelicious (and is an Instant Pot genius), told me to use the recipe in the little recipe booklet that came with my Instant Pot.

Julia was correct, and so was my mom, who sent me her favorite Instant Pot rice recipe later the same day.

Thank you both for your rice skills.

This Instant Pot basmati rice recipe is based on the techniques in the recipe booklet included with the Instant Pot, with some recipe tweaks to add more flavor.

No Instant Pot yet? Learn how to make basmati rice in the microwave!

Do I Have to Soak My Basmati Rice?

No-- but do it if you have time.

Soaking basmati rice helps elongate the grains, so if you skip soaking, the rice grains will be slightly shorter.

The good news is that you can soak the rice for much longer than the twenty minutes the recipe calls for.

If you remember to put the rice in water an hour or two before you want to cook your rice, go for it.

That said-- I often skip soaking basmati rice.

The rice is still delicious.

Want more rice? Try making Instant Pot jasmine rice!

Do I have to rinse the rice?

Yes.

Rinsing the rice gets rid of some extra starch, but also-- importantly-- this recipe uses a rice-to-water ratio for rinsed, wet rice.

If you use dry rice, the rice-to-water ratio will be off, and your rice won't cook properly.

How to Cook Basmati Rice in an Instant Pot

Add rinsed rice, water, oil (or ghee or butter), salt, and bay leaves to the Instant Pot.

Close the Instant Pot, turn the valve to the sealing position, and press pressure cook (or manual). Set the timer to three minutes.

Some model Instant Pots have a pressure cook button, and others have a manual button. They do exactly the same thing.

It will take about six minutes for the Instant Pot to build pressure, and then it'll start counting down.

When the countdown finishes, your pot will beep and begin counting up.

Let the Instant Pot do a natural release for ten minutes. In other words, don't touch the Instant Pot-- let it do its thing for ten more minutes.

After ten minutes, carefully release any remaining pressure.

Remove the bay leaves, stir, and the rice is ready to serve!

Can I Double or Triple This Recipe?

You sure can!

Check the recipe card notes for directions, and make sure that you don't fill the Instant Pot past the halfway mark.

The rice needs room to expand while cooking.

Did you try this Instant Pot basmati rice recipe? Let me know in the comments!

Need a meal to serve with this rice? Try slow cooker vegetable masala, palak paneer with feta, and vegetable korma.

Want more Instant Pot ideas? Check out all of my Instant Pot recipes!