Perfect Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

Name: Perfect Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups of jasmine rice; 2 cups of cold water; ½ teaspoon of olive oil; Pinch of salt

Instant pot jasmine rice is so easy to make for fluffy, tender results every time! Just 4 ingredients (including water and salt), 5 minutes pressure cooking time, and 10 minutes release for fool-proof perfect jasmine rice!

completed bowl of instant pot jasmine rice against a light surface

Perfect Fluffy Instant Pot Jasmine Rice Every Time

Rice is a delicious, all-purpose side dish (like Instant Pot mashed potatoes) for almost any meal. When cooked correctly, it’s fluffy, tender, and flavorful. Unfortunately, when done wrong, you can end up with a stodgy, gluey, bland mess (or worse, hard, chewy, and burned!) … yuck! Luckily, after lots of testing, it’s time to share how to cook jasmine rice in an Instant Pot for perfect results every time.

With just 5 minutes of cooking time and 10 minutes to naturally release, cooking jasmine rice in an Instant Pot/ pressure cooker is quick and effortless. Walk away or prepare the rest of your meal and come back to perfect results every time in under 20 minutes—no need for a rice cooker!

Best of all, Instant Pot jasmine rice requires a super simple 1:1 ratio of rice to water, so once you’ve tried it once, it’s easy to repeat the fantastic results repeatedly. Then again, I’m a big fan of making a double or triple batch since the leftovers store marvelously in the freezer for up to 6 months!

The Ingredients

The base jasmine rice Instant Pot recipe requires a handful of pantry staples and water. It couldn’t get simpler than that!

Jasmine rice: This method is for Instant Pot jasmine white rice. To use brown jasmine rice, the cooking time and water ratios change.
Water: For more flavor, you could use vegetable broth/ stock instead.
Olive Oil: This will help prevent the rice grains from sticking together. Coconut will also work.
Salt: To season the water well. Adjust the amount if using stock instead.

ingredients for instant pot jasmine rice against a light background

What Is The Ratio of Water to Jasmine Rice?

Luckily, the water ratio for cooking perfect jasmine rice is a simple 1:1. That means for every one cup of dry jasmine rice, you’ll need one cup of water (or vegetable stock).

Note that the measuring cup that comes with an Instant Pot is just 180ml, not the standard 250ml US cup.

Optional add-ins & Recipe Variations

For those of you who think plain rice is bland (yes, I know there are lots of you out there), you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of ways to boost the flavor of this Instant Pot jasmine rice recipe further.

Vegan butter: Buttered rice rivals that of even buttered mashed potatoes. Use your favorite vegan butter.
Lemon: Add the zest of a lemon while cooking and the juice when serving. Lime would also work.
Herbs: Add a bay leaf while the jasmine rice cooks, or experiment with mixing in thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.
Leafy greens: Add spinach or kale at the end, stirring it in, and then leaving the pressure cooker lid closed for several minutes for it to wilt.
Garlic: Add chopped garlic to the rice while cooking OR sauté the garlic in the IP before adding the rice and liquid. Both will result in different garlicky flavor profiles.
Coconut jasmine rice: Use half vegetable stock or water and half canned, unsweetened coconut milk (I.e., Thai Kitchen, etc.).
Peas: Generally, I’ll cook veggies separately, but you could add in some peas and/or corn fairly easily. Make sure they’re defrosted first, or it will affect the pressure cooker jasmine rice cooking time.
Beans: Add pre-cooked beans to boost the protein and fiber levels.

How to Cook Jasmine Rice In An Instant Pot?

Cooking Instant Pot jasmine rice is effortless. Just measure the ingredients, set the time, and walk away.

First, rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

process shot of water being added to rice in strainer

You can either do this under running water or place the strainer in a large bowl filled with water. Swish the rice around with your hands and when the water is really milky, discard and replace it. Do this 3-4 times (until the water is almost clear).

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2) Then, transfer the rice to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker with the water (or stock), olive oil, and salt. Stir.

process shot of water being added to rice in pot

process shot of oil being added to rice in pot

3) Cook on MANUAL high pressure for five minutes, then allow it to release the pressure naturally.

instant pot settings for jasmine rice shown on instant pot

Do the natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes, then you could carefully open vent/valve to release the remaining pressure.

4) Finally, open the lid and fluff the Instant Pot rice with a fork or soft silicone spatula (the latter will help avoid rice breakage). Enjoy!

If the rice seems a little wet still (it shouldn’t), then just leave it for a few minutes to allow excess liquid to steam away.

FAQs

Is jasmine rice white rice?

You can get both. Regular jasmine rice is usually white rice. However, there are also whole-grain varieties of jasmine rice, including brown, black, and red.

Is jasmine rice sticky?

Yes and no. It is naturally slightly sticky when cooked but definitely not on the same level as sticky rice varieties like sushi rice or glutinous rice.

What is the dry to cooked rice ratio?

One cup of dried jasmine rice will make three cups of cooked rice.

How to serve jasmine rice?

Jasmine rice is the popular side dish for Southeast Asian cuisine. However, you can use it basically anywhere you want to add rice. I.e., with curry, cooked proteins, a stir fry, etc.

How to use leftover rice?

Day-old jasmine rice will work great for making a simple fried rice dish. You can also mix it into patties, add it to salads, make rice balls, etc.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Rinse the rice well: Rub the rice grains with your fingers as you rinse. This is important to keep it from becoming gluey and foamy and making a mess in your Instant Pot.
To avoid the ‘burn’ notice: Scale this recipe to your Instant Pot. A single cup of rice will work fine in a 3qt or 6qt, but if your machine is 8qt, I recommend doubling or tripling the batch (save any leftovers in the fridge or freezer) or using a pot in pot method to cook the smaller batch.
To avoid waste: When rinsing the rice, use the bowl (rather than running water) method, and use the milky water to water your plants, rather than discarding it.
To scale the recipe: There’s no need to increase or decrease the cooking time.
For extra flavor: Sauté the jasmine rice in the instant pot with a bit of oil until it’s fragrant. Then add the water and cook. This adds a nutty depth to the rice.

How To Store Jasmine Rice?

Fridge: Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Transfer it to the fridge within two hours of cooking it to avoid food safety issues.

Fun fact: If you used coconut oil in the recipe, this could help reduce the rice’s calorie content by up to 60% by helping turn it into resistant starch. However, it only works if the rice is cooked and then cooled for 12 hours before eating it.

Freezer: Allow it to cool and then store in portions in either Ziplock/Stasher bags or airtight containers for up to 6 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using/reheating.

Reheat: Use either the microwave or the stovetop to reheat the rice. During storage, it will probably have dried a little, so add an extra splash of water or stock and cover while heating to allow it to steam and fluff up once more.

More Vegan Side Dishes

If you try this Instant Pot garlic Jasmine rice recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla