This instant pot basmati rice is a weekday staple in our home. It's fast and easy and pairs perfectly with whatever protein and veggie you're having for dinner. The leftovers are great too!
About this Recipe
This basmati rice is made in the instant pot in about 20 minutes with a handful of ingredients you probably already have on hand. We love pairing it with chicken, beef, or fish and some kind of vegetable side. It's delightfully buttery and garlic-y and truly the perfect easy, neutral side dish for any dinner.
This is also a great side dish if you're looking for easy leftovers—we usually have quite a bit leftover and use it for lunch or dinner the next night! It heats up well in the microwave or in a pan and only takes a few minutes. You could also throw the leftovers into a chicken soup in the fall or winter.
Looking for more easy side dishes? Try our hearts of palm cilantro rice, mashed cauliflower, or air fryer BBQ brussels sprouts. And make sure to check out our suggestions below for perfect main dish pairings! We especially love this rice with our salmon and chicken recipes.
Main Dish Pairings
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Basmati rice: You can substitute with almost any long-grain rice, such Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice. I do not recommend using brown rice, as the cook times and liquid ratios tend to be different.
Unsalted butter: You can substitute with olive oil or your favorite neutral oil, but the flavor will be slightly different. You can also substitute salted butter—just don't add as much salt to the recipe.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic for best results. Mince it yourself!
Seasonings: Salt, garlic powder and dried parsley
Instant pot: Need instant pot help? This is a great, quick tutorial on how to use one!
See recipe card below for full ingredient list and amounts.
Print📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Basmati Rice with Garlic
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This instant pot basmati rice is a weekday staple in our home. It's fast and easy and pairs perfectly with whatever protein and veggie you're having for dinner. The leftovers are great too!
Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon salt
2.5 cups water
Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse until the water coming out runs clear. Set aside.
- Set your instant pot to "sauté" (on the "normal" temperature). Add the butter and stir until melted. Then add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Hit "cancel" on your instant pot to turn it off. Then add the rice, seasonings, and water and stir to combine.
- Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Let it natural release for 10 minutes, then manual release and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve immediately with your favorite main dish!
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Instant Pot
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛th of recipe
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 149.9 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.1 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 15.3 mg
Mollie says
This is a go to recipe for us, it's so easy and always taste amazing!