Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice is a fluffy, soft, and wonderfully fragrant recipe. I’ve come to believe that cooking jasmine rice in an Instant Pot is the best way to do it; the rice is less sticky, maintains a slightly chewy texture, and is fluffier than jasmine rice made using other methods. This Jasmine Rice Instant Pot recipe is also so much easier that you’ll never consider making it any other way. So, let’s talk about How to Cook Jasmine Rice in Instant Pot.

So, I made this recipe using both the Instant Pot and a rice maker to determine which method was better. Hands down, it’s so much better using the Instant Pot! The rice turns out fluffier and it maintains a nice chewy texture. Whereas, when I use the rice maker, the rice becomes very mushy and very sticky. Not knocking the rice maker but it’s not my preferred method for this particular recipe.

While Instant Pot Jasmine Rice isn’t a quicker recipe (it takes roughly the same amount of time as other cooking methods) it does (in my opinion) make better rice.

The key to perfect rice is making sure you thoroughly rinse your rice and brown it just slightly by cooking it for a few minutes. I will get into both of these steps just below. But, keep in mind, it’s really all about doing these two steps correctly that will be the difference between great rice and average rice. Let’s make some great rice, shall we?

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice Recipe

• Water – A ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water.
• Jasmine rice
• Olive oil – Use extra virgin olive oil; the flavor is smoother and less imposing.
• Salt – Salt brings out the flavor of the rice.

How To Cook Jasmine Rice In Instant Pot

1. Rinse rice. Pour rice into a large bowl, fill with cold water, agitate rice to release starch, and let sit for 5 minutes. Then pour rice into a handheld strainer and run under cold water until water running out from the bottom becomes clear.
2. Brown your rice. Add oil to Instant Pot and use “sauté” setting to cook rice for 3 minutes. Browning should be barely visible. If rice becomes noticeably brown then you’ve overcooked it.
3. Add water and salt. Add water and salt to Instant Pot, secure with lid, and set valve to seal.
4. Cook rice. Use manual option on your Instant Pot to set pressure to high and cook rice for 5 minutes.
5. Natural release. After cooking has completed leave rice in the instant pot so that the pressure naturally releases for 10 minutes.
6. Quick release. After 10 minutes, use the quick release button at the top of the Instant Pot to release any leftover pressure.
7. Fluff and serve. Remove lid and, using a fork, fluff rice.

For additional operating instructions, consult the manual you received when you purchased your Instant Pot.

Cooking Tips

• Rinse your rice. This is probably the most important tip. Rinsing rice removes much of the excess starch which results in a less sticky rice. The best way to do this thoroughly is my two-step process. First I pour the rice into a medium-sized bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the rice by about an inch. I then agitate the rice with my hands to release the starch into the water and let it soak for a for five minutes. Second, pour the rice into a handheld strainer and run it under cold water until the water which passes through the bottom of the strainer becomes clear.
• Brown your rice. I also brown the rice just slightly which also helps reduce stickiness. I do this by adding a little oil to the bottom of the instant pot and (using the “sauté” feature on the Instant Pot) I cook it for roughly 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The goal here really isn’t to significantly brown the rice, only slightly. If you actually begin to see your rice turn brown you’ve over cooked it.

What Is Jasmine Rice?

Jasmine rice is a fragrant long grain rice. The aroma of jasmine rice is a natural byproduct which comes from the compounds found in the rice. While jasmine rice does become sticky when cooked, it’s not as sticky as other types of white rice, such as glutinous rice, a sticky version grown in Southeast Asia and found in many Chinese dishes. Jasmine rice is Grown mostly in Thailand, southern Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Is Jasmine Rice Healthy?

All types of white rice, including jasmine rice, are processed which means they contain fewer nutrients and fiber than do whole-grain varieties like brown jasmine rice. When rice is processed, the protective shell (husk) and inner core (germ) have been removed thereby stripping the rice of most of it’s nutritional value. However, most white rice still contains some magnesium, B vitamins, manganese, and zinc. So, the question is, do we use Jasmine Rice in our recipes or not? The answer is moderation; as long as you aren’t loading up on white rice, a little isn’t going to hurt. However, if you’re someone who has blood sugar concerns, such as diabetes, you may want to pass on white rice because the absence of fiber (which slows down the absorption of sugars) will potentially cause an increase in blood-sugar levels. (1)

In summary, though I love white rice, use moderation as your guide.

Looking For More Vegan Instant Pot Recipes?

• Instant Pot Quinoa