Ever tried to make steamed Japanese rice in an Instant Pot? This post will teach you an easy, fail-safe method for cooking perfectly plump and shiny short-grain white rice every single time with this popular electric pressure cooker!
Steamed rice is an essential part of Japanese meal. If you don’t own a rice cooker but have an Instant Pot in your kitchen, you can definitely consider using this smart device to make rice for your Japanese dinner. Today we’ll go over how to make rice in an Instant Pot, along with some important tips that I’ve learned from my experiments.
The 3 Dilemmas Before Making Rice with the Instant Pot
Before I go straight to the Instant Pot Rice recipe, I want to tell you why it took me a long time to share this post. If you follow my blog for some time, you probably know that I have my Instant Pot for a while and I love using it to make various dishes.
But why haven’t I used my favorite Instant Pot to cook steamed rice? Here’s why I had avoided using the Instant Pot to cook rice:
1. The rice sticks to the bottom of the inner pot.
Having shiny, slightly sweet, plump, and delicious Japanese rice is true comfort and luxury for me, so I am willing to spend a little more to purchase short grain Japanese rice from Japan (currently enjoy rice from the Kyushu region). When I heard from others about rice sticking to the pot, I determined that I would not cook my precious rice in the Instant Pot. Not one piece of rice would go to waste in my house.
2. The Instant Pot is for the main dish.
Since I use the Instant Pot mainly to cook the main dishes, it’s impossible for me to use it to cook rice at the same time. Unless I am using two Instant Pots for this matter.
3. My Zojirushi rice cooker does an amazing job.
A rice cooker is an essential appliance in Japanese households. My Zojirushi Induction Heating Rice Cooker makes perfect rice every time, and I can even schedule the finished cooking time so the rice is always ready for dinner. That’s another reason why I didn’t need my Instant Pot to cook rice for me.
Finally, the Testing
For the past 3 years or so, I’ve received numerous requests from readers who wish to learn how to make perfect Instant Pot rice (pressure cooker rice). Some of you even wrote me a very personal email that I just felt that I had to give a try. After all, if I could save hundreds of people from wasting their rice, it’s worth my effort.
Please note: Different types of rice—such as jasmine rice, basmati rice, long-grain or medium-grain rice, wild rice, and brown rice—have unique characteristics and we can’t cook the rice the same way. The Rice I’m using in this recipe is Japanese short-grain rice.
Also, 1 cup of rice (240 ml) yields roughly 2 servings or 2⅓ cups of steamed rice.
To make the standard steamed rice, we do not flavor the rice with chicken broth or salt. The only exception is that we use a tiny bit of salt when cooking the brown rice.
I’ve tried two methods:
- Manual pressure cooking with different time periods and natural release timing.
- The preset “Rice” mode on the Instant Pot.
5 Most Important Tips to Make Japanese Rice in the Instant Pot
From my experience in cooking Japanese short-grain rice in my Instant Pot (pressure cooker), I learned 5 important tips. Here are my findings:
1. Soak rice for 20 minutes.
After you rinsed the rice, I tried both soaking rice and skipping soaking rice prior to cook rice in the Instant Pot. Whether it’s cooked in manual mode or “Rice” mode, when I didn’t soak rice, it did not become tender all the way through.
This is probably the only difference between cooking other types of rice. I often get asked why we need to soak Japanese short-grain rice. Unlike the other types of rice, Japanese short-grain rice is plump, and it takes time for the moisture to go through. Therefore, we always soak the rice first, giving the dry rice a head start in absorbing moisture.
2. Drain rice really well.
After soaking the rice in water, drain the rice into a fine-mesh strainer and make sure that the rice has no excess water left. If you don’t drain it well, you actually end up with more water while cooking the rice.
3. The ratio of water to rice is 1 to 1.
The golden rule for the ratio of Japanese short-grain rice to water is 1 to 1.1 or 1.2. So for 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml, 150 g), you will need 200 ml water.
However, when the rice is cooked in the Instant Pot, the steam does not escape from the pressure cooking (less evaporation). Therefore, the best water ratio is one to one: 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water, or 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) of rice to 180 ml of water.
4. Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
After testing a few different variations, the best cooking time for short-grain rice is 2 minutes on high pressure. I’ve also tried using the “Rice” mode on the Instant Pot, which is set to 12 minutes on low pressure. As both manual and “Rice” mode takes 5 minutes to pressurize, “Rice” mode takes an extra 10 minutes to cook.
5. Natural release for 10 minutes and then release the pressure.
Because we do not want a “mushy” texture for rice, we must release the pressure from the Instant Pot after 10 minutes. The rice is still being cooked during this natural pressure release stage, but 10 minutes is plenty of time for the rice to finish cooking. After 10 minutes, there is not much pressure left, so you don’t need to worry about releasing the pressure. Don’t forget to fluff the rice with a rice paddle or fork.
How to Store Cooked Rice
What’s the best method to store cooked rice? Simply freeze the rice in an airtight container and reheat it to enjoy the perfect Instant Pot Rice later on! This is by far the best approach to keeping your rice fresh and moist. Do not keep it in the fridge!
Final Thoughts
With the above methods and tips, you can make perfectly plump and shiny Japanese steamed rice in an Instant Pot. My personal preference is using the manual mode as it’s 10 minutes faster than the “Rice” mode and the texture of the rice was perfect.
Does the rice stick to the bottom of the pot? Well, surprisingly not when you open the lid right after 10 minutes of natural release. I can fluff up the rice nicely without any question.
The only caveat is that you do have to serve or scoop out the whole pot of rice immediately after it is done cooking. There is enough moisture inside the pot that you can fluff and spoon out the rice smoothly without it sticking to the bottom.
However, if you leave the rice inside the inner pot for some time, the rice sadly sticks due to the starch in the rice. And it’s become a hassle to remove the remnants of cooked rice. You would end up having to soak the inner pot in water. It does come off clean eventually, but there is no way I could save the last piece of rice in the Instant Pot (Update: if you buy this non-stick inner pot, no more waste!).
Would I continue to make rice in the Instant Pot? I would not, because I really don’t like wasting my rice. I prefer to cook the main dish in the Instant Pot and cook rice in the rice cooker. Two important appliances that could go hand in hand.
For those of you who are preparing main dishes with other cooking methods like roasting and pan-frying. you can definitely cook your rice in the Instant Pot. Maybe you don’t cook rice very often and prefer not to invest in a rice cooker. Or maybe you’re cooking a large batch of rice in advance for freezing purposes. Then go ahead to use the Instant Pot. That’s what this post is for, and I hope you find it useful.
Will you cook rice in the Instant Pot? Let me know in the comments below.
Other Rice Cooking Methods
- Cook Japanese rice in a pot on the stovetop
- Cook Japanese rice in a donabe on the stovetop
- Cook Japanese rice in a rice cooker
- Cook Japanese brown rice in an Instant Pot
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How to Make Japanese Rice in an Instant Pot
Video
Ingredients
For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)
- 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
- 1½ cups water (360 ml)
For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)
- 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
- 2¼ cups water (540 ml)
For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)
- 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (4 rice cooker cups, 720 ml)
- 3 cups water (720 ml)
For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)
- 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
- 3¾ cups water (900 ml)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that Japanese short-grain white rice requires a soaking time of 20–30 minutes. The rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1 when cooking short-grain white rice in an Instant Pot. Please read the blog post for more details. To cook short-grain brown rice, see my post on how to make Instant Pot Brown Rice.Also note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice. This is enough for 4 Japanese rice bowls (typically 150 g each) or 6 onigiri rice balls (typically 110 g each). 1 cup of cooked rice weighs about 5.3 oz (150 g).
- Measure the Rice: Overfill a US cup measure (a ¾-cup measure works well for this) or a rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off. Put the rice in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the measured amount of rice needed. Here, I‘m preparing 1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml) of uncooked white rice.
To Wash the Rice
- Quick Rinse: Add just enough tap water to the bowl to submerge all the rice. Then, discard the water immediately. Repeat one more time. Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so this step helps remove impurities from the rice and prevent it from absorbing the first few rounds of milky water.
- Wash: Next, use your fingers to gently agitate the wet rice grains in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. Using very little water allows the grains to rub against each other. It also reduces the absorption of impurities from the starchy water.
- Rinse: Add tap water and immediately discard the cloudy water. Repeat one more time.
- Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 2 and 3) two more times. When the water is almost clear, drain the rice well.
To Soak the Rice
- Soak: Add more tap water to the bowl to submerge the rice completely, and soak the rice for 20–30 minutes before cooking. Soaking is a must for short-grain rice! Here‘s how the rice looks before and after soaking for 20 minutes.
- Drain: After soaking, drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and set it aside for 10 minutes to drain completely. If you don’t have time to wait, then shake off the excess water the best you can.
To Cook the Rice
- Transfer the well-drained rice to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and add the measured water. Here, I'm adding 1½ cups (360 ml) water for my 1½ cups rice.
- Make sure the rice is level and evenly distributed in the pot. Close and lock the lid.
- Set the program to High Pressure for 2 minutes and it will automatically start cooking. Make sure the steam release handle points to Sealing and not Venting. The float valve goes up when pressurized, after about 5 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode.Pressure Release: Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. DO NOT EXCEED 10 MINUTES (I recommend setting a timer). After 10 minutes, quick release the remaining pressure: Place a kitchen towel over the steam release valve and turn the steam release handle to the Venting position until the float valve drops down. While only a little pressure should remain after 10 minutes of natural release, please take care not to place your hand or face over the steam release valve.
- Once you‘ve quick released the remaining pressure, open the lid. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle and serve warm.
To Store
- Transfer the warm rice to airtight containers and cover with the lids to keep the moisture in. Let cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer. The best way to store Japanese rice is to freeze, even if you use it the following day. Read my tutorial post.
Notes
- Rice Mode: 5 min (to pressurize) + 12 min (to cook on low pressure) + 10 min (let it steam)
- Manual Mode: 5 min (to pressurize) + 2 min (to cook on high pressure) + 10 min (let it steam)
Hi there, thanks for tips on sushi rice – I’ve tried it and it’s great! I was wondering if you have instructions on how to cook in instapot half white rice and half brown rice? I can’t do full brown rice since I’m not too happy with the taste, but mixing both allows me to be healthier. Thank you!
Hi Maricel! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s posts and trying her recipes!
We have not tried half brown and half white rice to cook in the instant pot before and are unsure how the outcome will be.
If we try, soak the brown rice first and mix it with white rice. Then try cooking with white rice instructions first to see how it goes.
If you try it, let us know how it goes!
HI Naomi! I’m studying up on making low carb rice in instant pot – like LOCABO rice cooker. One lady said she uses Presto Pressure Cooker Stainless Steel Basket (where the rice goes) and the low steamer (so water will drip to the bottom after cooking rice = that’s how it gets rid of starch). Trying to figure out what type of accessories I should get. Thoughts!?
Hi Aya! I recently read about Locabo rice cooker (I think a JOC fan, if it wasn’t you, shared the link with me via email or DMs). Very interesting concept, but I am not too familiar with these products. Sorry, I wish I could help!
I tend to use a lot (and I mean a lot 🙂 of Jasmine Rice in my Instant Pot, even for recipes which don’t normally call for it.
To cook:
I first set aside the rice and the water in which it will be cooked, using a ratio of 1:1 (1 cup of Rice to 1 cup of water: if you decide to add any other liquid to the water (I often add a few tiny drops of Mirin) always ensure that the final ratio of Rice to Liquid is 1:1.
I then take the Rice and prewash it using running water and a bowl with some sieving holes high on one side.
Once the water runs clear, I then leave the Rice to drain for at least 10 minutes, with the bowl tipped on its side so as the Rice sits over the small sieving holes.
Once the Rice is thoroughly drained I add both it and the water in which it will be cooked (which I measured out at the very start), to the Instant Pot (using the 1 : 1 ratio I mentioned earlier).
I then put lid on, ensuring the Instant Pot’s valve is pointing away from me (which guarantees that the valve won’t be accidentally set to Vent).
I then press the Instant Pot’s Steam button, set the timer to 3 Minutes and walk away.
Once the 3 Minutes are up, I then leave it alone for a further 10 minutes whilst it automatically sits on the Warming function.
When the Warming timer reaches 10 minutes, I then Vent the Instant Pot (there’s usually some steam so be careful, but it probably won’t be a lot).
As soon as venting is done, remove the lid. The Rice is ready.
When I open the Instant Pot after using the above method, I always find perfectly cooked Jasmine Rice.
Sticky, aromatic and bursting with flavour .
Hi Niles! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and sharing your cooking tips! 🙂
My short grain rice came out perfect with your instructions – thank you! Now I’m wondering if I can do medium grain with this method.
Hi Lynne! We are glad to hear your short-grain rice came out perfect!🤗 Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.
As for the medium-grain rice, we have not tried it before with this method, and not sure how the outcome will be. Please let us know how it goes!
I love this method for instapot rice. Perfect. Thank you. Could I double the rice and water and still do for 2 minutes?
Hi Dottie! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We haven’t tested with the doubled amount, but it should work with 2 minutes of cooking time.
Let us know how it goes!
This recipe worked perfectly for me. I made 5 (dry) cups in my power pressure pot following your recipe to the letter. My rice turned out perfect and didn’t stick.
Hi Karen! We are glad to hear Nami’s recipe worked well for you!
Thank you very much for trying her recipe and for your kind feedback.☺️
Made the rice in the Instant Pot according to the manual directions, but after the initial rinsing and soaking 20 mins, before putting it into the pot I lightly oiled it with a bit of kitchen paper towel and et voila” as we say here in France……very little rice stuck to the pot. Good result”
Hi Kerrie! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us!
i do cook rice in IPot , but i use the pot in pot method. i usually do prpare 1-1 ratio in a small 7″ saucepan ,that has no handle, also a stainless mixing bowl will work, using your method of rinsing . High pressure 2 min, and get great results, no sticking
Hi Pam! Thank you very much for sharing your cooking tip with us!
I’ve been looking for a way to make rice in an Instant Pot, and yours is the best one I’ve found, by far. Thank you, Nami, for your dedication to Japanese foods and for teaching us all to be better cooks. But like you, I didn’t like all the rice left in the pot, and I felt I was screwing up the rice to water ratio as there was some rice starch residue on the bottom of the pot.
Then I remembered my “rice cooking net” — an unbleached, undyed loosely woven piece of cotton net that is used extensively in sushi restaurants. As I rinsed the rice, I wet and rung out the net, put it in the colander and added the rice to let it sit for 20 minutes, per your instructions. Then I added the net and the rice to the instant pot and continued with your directions. I draped the excess net over the top of the rice, added the water and closed the lid.
I thought the rice was nice and fluffy, and the net made easy work out of getting it out of the pot. The net did seem to take in some of the water, but that didn’t really bother me that much — it’s not like the rice was underdone, but I did notice some grains on top were a bit toothsome.
Anyway, I thought you’d like to test it this way and make any adjustments you think are necessary. I’m sure you’ll appreciate saving every grain of rice without the hassle of chasing them around the pot! And the net is far less expensive than an Instant Pot non-stick liner.
Hi Barbara! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.😊
We want to share Nami’s final thought about sticking. We discover that rice doesn’t stick when you open the lid right after 10 minutes of natural release! Surprisingly, We can fluff up the rice nicely. However, if you leave the rice inside the inner pot for some time, the rice sadly sticks. And it’s become a hassle to remove the remnants of cooked rice. So we recommend serving or scoop out the whole pot of rice immediately after it’s done cooking. There is enough moisture inside the pot that you can fluff and spoon out the rice smoothly without it sticking to the bottom.
Please try that next time! Thank you for your kind thought. 🙂
Thanks. I must be waiting too long to open it. The rice net works very well too, and you can pull the rice out in one go.
You are welcome, Barbara! We will try your trick next time! Thank you!
I’d be grateful if you would. I followed your instructions exactly, and except for a few grains on the top of the rice it seemed to work. But I’m sure all your fans (and, especially me!) would like your “seal of approval” on the sushi net version — or at least an explanation of the differences between the two methods. Thanks again for all your help. Even though I live in Japan, I turn to you for all my help with Japanese recipes!
I am not great at following recipes ‘exactly’- I am notorious for tweaking, or not paying attention to details. Having been unhappy with the Japanese rice I had cooked previously in the IP- I decided to try your method. Normally, I would never drain rice for 10 minutes, or soak it for the right amount of time, let alone letting it release for exactly 10 minutes- but I was committed! And-behold, the rice was absolutely flawlessly cooked! I will always use this method from now on. (Better a beautiful batch of rice, shiny and firm- that takes a little more time- than the gummy pasty mess of my previous attempts. Thank you for such a detailed recipe!
Hi Kristy! Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We are so glad to hear this method worked well for you! Thank you for following Nami’s instructions closely. 🥰
Try adding in 2 TBSP of coconut oil to the pot of rice. It adds to ease of removal without really affecting the taste of the rice.
Hi Kendal, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and sharing your cooking tip with us!😊
Hi there. Thanks for the detailed guide and recipe, however I have tried it twice now (once with a 1:1 ratio and once with a 1:1.1 ratio) and both times my IP displays “burn” as soon as the pressure is reached and the 2min timer starts.
I have checked that the valve is in the sealing position. I’m using an IP Duo, so not sure if that’s the same model that you’re using?
Luckily, even though I got the burn message the rice was cooked perfectly after pressure releasing.
Hi Mik, Thank you very much for trying this recipe. We’re sorry that this recipe didn’t turn out for you.
Our recipes have been carefully and repeatedly tested to perfection before we publish them using IP Duo, and we have never seen the “burn” sign. Please check your sealing ring is not damaged, and the float valve is clean. If you are using the 6 Quart, please make sure to use at least 1 1/2 cups / 375 mL of water.
We hope this helps, and your next try will be successful.
Hi Naomi,
Thanks for your reply and tips. I have checked and cleaned the sealing ring as well as the float valve but still no luck :(.
I am using the 6Quart IP with 2.5 Go and the exact same volume of water :/
Hi Mik, I see…
After we received your comment, Nami has tested this recipe with 2.5Go (450 ml rice) with 450 ml of water, the same amount as yours.
The result was perfect rice with no “burn” on display.
It’s very strange, and we don’t know why you see the sig. Sorry…. We think something happens to your display panel.😞
Thank you, Nami! This is the best route to perfect rice if you must use an instant pot. You are my “go to” source for Japanese cooking. I cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on the bottom of the pot. I don’t think it impacted the flavor, but it did make the clean up a bit easier, and there was less wasted rice.
Hi Barbara, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for sharing your cooking tip with us! We are glad to hear you enjoy many of Nami’s recipes and enjoy this website. Thank you!❤️
If you double the ingredients, does the cook time change?
Hi Brendon, We have never made it with a doubled amount, and we are not sure how the outcome will be. This recipe is HIGH pressure for 2 minutes so that if you double the recipe may work with 3 minutes. Please let us know how it goes!
Love your blog! Was wondering if this would be the same method to use to make rice for onigiri?
Thanks!
Hi Kay, Sure. You can make onigiri with this rice!🍙 Thank you for trying this recipe!
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have struggled to perfect my sushi rice for years withbout a rice cooker. The instant pot was better but I never thought about the moisture not escaping as it does on a stovetop. Your ratio is perfect. Best sushi rice I ever made. What a difference properly cooked rice makes.
Hi Mark, We are so happy to hear your rice turned out great! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.🙂