If you're looking for an easy and flavorful side dish, look no further than this yellow rice made in the Instant Pot! With just a few simple ingredients and the power of pressure, you can have perfectly cooked rice with a vibrant yellow color that will brighten up any meal.
For more Instant Pot recipes, try Vegan Instant Pot Jambalaya and Instant Pot Vegetable Pearl Couscous.
Enhance any plant-based meal with a delicious and speedy side dish of yellow rice. It pairs perfectly with smoked tofu, easy walnut taco meat, chipotle black bean burger, or quick Cuban black beans. Garnish it with a zesty touch of lemon pistachio gremolata for a tasty dining experience.
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Ingredient Notes
- Rice - I prefer medium white rice for this recipe, but any white rice works. The big question is whether to rinse it. Check the package—some enriched rice brands advise against rinsing to keep added nutrients. Rinsing removes excess starch and debris, resulting in fluffier, less sticky rice, but if you prefer stickier rice, you can skip it. For this recipe, it’s up to you! If you are concerned about arsenic in rice, read How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels from NutritionFacts.org.
- Adobo Seasoning - This versatile seasoning is widely available in most grocery stores' spice aisles, although it may also be found in the international or Latin food section. For a homemade version, try All Purpose Adobo Seasoning Recipe.
- Bijol Seasoning - Bijol seasoning, popular in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine, adds a vibrant yellow-orange color to dishes and is often used as a cheaper saffron substitute. Made from achiote seeds and spices like cumin and garlic, it gives rice and stews a mild, nutty flavor. If you can’t find bijol, turmeric works as a color substitute, but it has an earthier taste.?
Setting and Times
Regardless of the white rice variety you choose for this recipe, the amount of water is always the same: 1 cup of rice to 1 ¼ cups of water. However, if you like your rice a little more firm, add 1 cup of water to 1 cup.
Here are the times I find optimal for each kind of white rice:
- medium/short grain - 4 minutes on high with natural release (~10 minutes)
- long grain, basmati, jasmine - 3 minutes on high with natural release (~10 minutes)
- The natural release can range from 8-20 minutes. If the rice has not been released after 10 -15 minutes, you can manually release it. Do not leave the rice on 'keep warm' for long, or it may scorch and stick to the bottom.
What About the Rice Program Button?
The rice button on an Instant Pot can be quite useful, but it's not always the most accurate. The rice setting is programmed to cook long-grain white rice or parboiled, which may not be the best option for other types of rice.
Recipe FAQS
You can use brown rice, but the cooking time will be longer. Follow the cooking instructions for brown rice in your Instant Pot manual.
Yes, you can freeze yellow rice. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Thaw the rice in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it in the microwave.
This depends on the size of your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Rice expands as it cooks, so leaving too little space in the pressure cooker can cause the rice to overflow and create a mess. To avoid this, always use the recommended water ratio and never fill the pot more than halfway with rice and water. It's important to check your Instant Pot or pressure cooker manual for specific guidelines and adjust accordingly based on the type of rice you're cooking.
More Delicious Vegan Rice Recipes
Got a minute? I'd love for you to dive into the comments and rate this Simple Instant Pot Yellow Rice recipe. Your feedback is invaluable—did you love it? Did you make any fun twists? Let me know how my directions worked for you so I can keep improving my recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Simple Instant Pot Yellow Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse Rice: Follow the package directions for rinsing guidance for your rice brand. (see post for more info)
- Add Ingredients: Add all the ingredients to the pressure cooker and close the lid. Make sure the steam release valve is set to "sealing." Set the timer for 4 minutes.
- Cook: When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 - 20 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- Serve: Fluff the rice immediately with a fork and serve hot.
Anonymous says
Amazing!