Fluffy, flavorful, and effortless—this Instant Pot rice pilaf is your new go-to side dish for weeknights or special meals! Made with Basmati rice, savory broth, and colorful veggies, it’s healthier and more exciting than plain white rice. The pressure cooker ensures perfect texture every time, with minimal prep and no need to babysit a pot on the stove. Trust us, once you try this recipe, you’ll never go back to stovetop pilaf again!
Making rice pilaf in Instant Pot is not only quick and convenient, but it also produces consistent results every single time. The sauté function lets you toast it slightly for extra flavor, and the pressure cooking locks in moisture and seasonings.
Our rice pilaf Instant Pot method also gives you flexibility. Add-ins like frozen peas, diced carrots, or chopped cilantro let you customize it to your taste or whatever’s in your fridge. Plus, with just a handful of pantry staples—or adding your favorite spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and broth—you’ll create a savory, well-balanced dish that works for any meal. It’s also a great shortcut if you’re used to making rice pilaf on the stove top!
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Why We Love This Rice Pilaf Instant Pot Recipe
- Super hands-off, perfect for busy cooks.
Cooking it in an Instant Pot means no possibility of water boiling over and no rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Just set it to cook and let the Instant Pot do all the work. - Feeds a crowd.
This recipe makes a lot of cooked rice, so it’s great as a potluck side or served with meals all week long. - It’s a quick, one-pot wonder!
No messing around with lots of prep work and no stacks of dishes to clean. Plus, you can add any fresh or frozen vegetables you like, making this a healthy, complete meal.
🎯 New to Instant Pot Cooking?
Read How to Use the Instant Pot first! Then, our Tips and Hacks for the Instant Pot is a great resource for new owners and seasoned IP-ers alike!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- White rice: For this recipe, choose either a medium or long-grain variety, like jasmine or basmati. You can use brown rice as a substitute, but you will need to add 15 minutes to the pressure cooking time. Long-grain rice is lower in starch, which keeps the rice grains individual and gives it the perfect texture. Cooking short-grain rice can result in a gummy pilaf–exactly what we’re trying to avoid.
We love Trader Joe’s rice and always stock up. - Broth or water: Liquid is needed to deglaze the pot and prevent a “burn” notice on the Instant Pot. The choice between broth and water is a matter of personal preference–bear in mind that the dish will take on the flavor of whichever liquid you use. Choose mushroom or vegetable broth if you would like to keep this rice pilaf vegetarian.
Recipe Variations
- Add aromatics: Sauté finely chopped garlic or onions before adding rice for a more savory depth.
- Try a spice twist: Mix in a dash of paprika, cumin, or turmeric for added warmth.
- Swap the veggies: Use chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach in place of peas.
- Make it herby: Stir in fresh herbs like fresh parsley or dill right before serving.
- Include pasta: Add a handful of broken vermicelli or orzo to mimic traditional pilaf texture.
- Boost protein: Toss in leftover rotisserie chicken or chickpeas to make it a meal.
Equipment Used in This Recipe
- Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker
- Wooden spoon: Great for stirring and deglazing the pot without scratching the surface
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Tips To Prevent An Instant Pot Food Burn
Include at least one cup of liquid in the Instant Pot. This helps the pot to come to pressure quicker.
Deglaze the pot after sautéing. Bringing all the cooked food bits up from the bottom of the pot prevents them from burning and adds more flavor to your dish.
Make sure the Instant Pot is sealed correctly. Check your manual and seal the valve so the Instant Pot can come to pressure.
How to Make Rice Pilaf in Instant Pot
- Rinse the rice
Removing the starch beforehand will go a long way towards making sure your rice pilaf instant pot style is perfectly fluffy – not sticky. - Sauté the rice
Turn on the Instant Pot’s sauté function and add butter or oil to the pot. Once hot, add the rinsed rice and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Cancel and add ingredients
Press “cancel” to stop sautéing. Add chicken broth and frozen vegetables (like carrots and peas). Use a wooden spoon to stir everything and deglaze the pot (scrape up any stuck-on bits at the bottom). It may look burned, but trust us; it’s caramelized, which adds flavor!
Be sure to use hot cooking liquid. Using hot water or broth speeds up the entire process of making Instant Pot rice pilaf, helping the IP come to pressure more quickly.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For the best flavor, sauté the grains before adding the broth or water.
You only need to sauté for a couple of minutes. At that point, you’ll notice a nutty aroma; that’s your cue to stop sautéing and cancel the setting.
- Pressure cook
Close and seal the lid, making sure the vent is set to seal. Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. - Release pressure
Once the cooking cycle ends, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Then, do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
Allow the pressure to release naturally. The pressure cooking time for Instant Pot vegetable rice is 5 minutes on high pressure, but the rice will not be fully cooked after those 5 minutes. During the 10 minutes of natural pressure release, the pilaf will continue to cook. Then, when you open the lid, you’ll see beautiful, fragrant, and fluffy rice! - Fluff and serve
Open the lid and use a fork to gently fluff the rice pilaf. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired, and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe pairs wonderfully with a variety of flavorful dishes. For a delightful contrast, serve it alongside sweet and spicy meatballs, which offer a tantalizing blend of heat and sweetness. Smoked chicken thighs add a rich, smoky depth that complements the rice, or if you want something simple, make cast iron skillet chicken breast. Unlike fried rice, which is fabulous the next day, rice pilaf in instant pot tastes much better on the day you make it. But you can use this for chicken and rice bowls.
This pilaf has a mild flavor, so it’s delicious with just about every protein! Our favorite main dishes to serve with this are pork chops, baked chicken tenderloins, crockpot Swiss steak, and baked BBQ chicken tenders. Alternatively, corned beef and cabbage in Dutch oven or a Blackstone shrimp recipe provide hearty and savory options that elevate this versatile side dish.
Want a few more rice recipes?
If healthy grains are your thing, you’ll love our Instant Pot wild rice recipe!
For a flavorful side dish, make our recipes for homemade Rice-A-Roni and chicken fried rice!
Recipe FAQs
To avoid mushy rice, sauté it before cooking the rice in liquid. Also, avoid adding too much liquid to the Instant Pot. Stick to a 1:1 ratio of rice to broth or water.
While both are cooked in liquid, rice pilaf is sautéed first in seasonings to create a more aromatic rice.
Basmati rice has a light scent and is the perfect texture for pilaf.
If you do have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for 4 or 5 days.
To reheat, add 1 to 3 Tablespoons of water for each cup of leftover rice and stir gently while cold. Reheat in the microwave oven. The leftover rice pilaf instant pot style is fantastic to use in a soup pot! Try adding it to navy bean soup or homemade tomato soup with canned tomatoes.
Rice pilaf can be frozen! Allow it to cool completely, then seal up in a freezer-safe container. It can be stored for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw it in the fridge for a few hours before reheating.
More Side Dishes To Love…
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Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
Equipment
- Instant Pot - or any electric pressure cooker
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cups white rice any medium to long grain white rice
- 2 teaspoons butter or oil
- 1 cups broth or water. *See Notes
- 1 cup diced mixed vegetables frozen or fresh
Instructions
- Rinse and drain rice well, and set aside.
- Set the pressure cooker to sauté, then add butter or oil to the pot. When the pot is ready to sauté, add rice and cook for 3 minutes. Press "cancel" to end sauté function.
- Add broth and frozen vegetables to the pot of rice. Use a wooden spoon to stir and combine, also scraping the bottom of the inner pot to deglaze it. Close and seal the Instant Pot lid, and turn or press the vent lever to seal (if needed). Set the pot manually to cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- When the pressure cooking cycle is complete, allow a natural pressure release by leaving the pot undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then, initiate a quick release for remaining pressure, by carefully turning or pressing the pressure release button (refer to your pot's instructions). Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the vegetable pilaf before serving.
Notes
- Add aromatics: Sauté finely chopped garlic or onions before adding rice for a more savory depth.
- Try a spice twist: Mix in a dash of paprika, cumin, or turmeric for added warmth.
- Swap the veggies: Use chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach in place of peas.
- Make it herby: Stir in fresh herbs like fresh parsley or dill right before serving.
- Include pasta: Add a handful of broken vermicelli or orzo to mimic traditional pilaf texture.
- Boost protein: Toss in leftover rotisserie chicken or chickpeas to make it a meal.
You only need to sauté for a couple of minutes. At that point, you’ll notice a nutty aroma; that’s your cue to stop sautéing and cancel the setting. *Liquid is needed to deglaze the pot and prevent a “burn” notice on the Instant Pot. The choice between broth and water is a matter of personal preference–bear in mind that the dish will take on the flavor of whichever liquid you use. Tips To Prevent An Instant Pot Food Burn Include at least one cup of liquid in the Instant Pot. This helps the pot to come to pressure quicker.
- Deglaze the pot after sautéing. Bringing all the cooked food bits up from the bottom of the pot prevents them from burning and adds more flavor to your dish.
- Make sure the Instant Pot is sealed correctly. Check your manual and seal the valve so the Instant Pot can come to pressure.
This pilaf has a mild flavor, so it’s delicious with just about every protein! Our favorite main dishes to serve with rice are pork chops, baked chicken tenderloins, crockpot Swiss steak, and BBQ baked bbq chicken tenders.
- If you do have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for 4 or 5 days.
- To reheat, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water for each cup of leftover rice and stir gently while cold. Reheat in the microwave oven. The leftover rice pilaf instant pot style is fantastic to use in a soup pot! Try adding it to navy bean soup or homemade tomato soup with canned tomatoes.
- Rice pilaf can be frozen! Allow it to cool completely, then seal up in a freezer-safe container. It can be stored for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw it in the fridge for a few hours before reheating.
Nutrition
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