Instant Pot Wild Rice
Wild Rice is one of my favorite foods, but I don't use it very often because it takes SO long to cook. Not anymore. Instant Pot Wild Rice cuts the cook time down AND produces the very best wild rice that I've ever had.
Instant Pot Wild Rice
Wild rice can either be really really amazing, or resemble something that on a good day looks (and tastes) like dog food. You know what I'm talking about if you've ever had a bad wild rice experience.
It is kind of hard to get it just right sometimes. Or maybe I'm just really particular about the texture of this awesome staple that can be found in any Minnesota kitchen worth its salt.
Either way, you never have to make it another way ever again because I've found the VERY best way that there ever was. (fight me in the comments, I'm here for it. :D)
Different Ways To Cook Wild Rice
There are a lot of different ways to cook wild rice, and I'm going to detail them here.
Boiled
Most people that I knew just boiled the rice until it broke open, and then used it as is. This is pretty easy to do, but it takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and you do have to keep an eye on it. It is also easy to overcook, and overcooked wild rice is not great.
Baked
This is a method that's super popular among the hot dish crew. You put 1 cup of wild rice and 2 cups of boiling water into an oven-safe dish, cover it tightly, and bake it at 350° for an hour.
Steamed
Steaming wild rice is basically just like boiling it, only with about half as much water. This is also essentially what we're doing in the pressure cooker, but in an easier, hands-off way.
Pressure Cooked
This is my favorite way, and the best way to ensure you get no-fail wild rice every time. It uses broth, pressure, and a little bit of magic to make sure the rice is cooked perfectly in less time than traditional methods take. Keep reading for my tips to ensure you have all the wild rice success!
More easy WILD RICE recipes here!
How To Make This Recipe
For this version, you're going to put your chicken broth and rice into your Instant Pot, set it, and let it run.
You give it a 10 minute natural-pressure-release, vent the remaining pressure, drain the excess liquid (cause there will definitely be some), and use in anything that requires wild rice.
More INSTANT POT recipes here!
Ways To Use Instant Pot Wild Rice
I need this prepared wild rice on hand all the time, especially in the cooler months, because it makes such a great addition to soups, bread, stuffing, and salads.
Like my new favorite soup, Minnesota Wild Rice Hotdish Soup (pictured above). Creamy, dreamy, comfort food, in soup form, and any Minnesota grandma would love a big piping hot bowl of this.
I also use this rice in my Corn & Potato Chowder recipe, and it would be perfect in the Beef & Wild Rice Stuffed Zucchini too.
I even throw some in my Chicken Noodle Soup for a little something extra.
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Instant Pot Wild Rice
Easy, delicious wild rice cooked in the Instant Pot! Set it and forget it for perfect rice, every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice, (fancy grade. NOT quick cooking, par cooked, or the cracked stuff.)
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
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Instructions
- Place wild rice and stock into the Instant Pot. Close the lid and set to Manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes.
- NPR (natural pressure release) for 10 minutes, and then vent remaining steam.
- Open and serve! If there is a bit of extra water, THIS IS NORMAL. Just drain it. Keep to add to soups, stews, breads, pancakes, or to make into a hotdish or casserole.
Notes
Don't use "cracked" wild rice in this, or anything that is "quick cooked" or "par cooked". I haven't tested with those kinds of rice.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Sodium: 628mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
This looks great, I can’t wait to try it.
I can’t seem to set mine to thirty five it only goes to ten and there is no manual button. The is a button to add time or take away time but it won’t let me change for rice.
What kind of Instant pot do you have?
Don't use the "rice" button, just use "manual" or "pressure cook"and then 35 minutes.
This rice was so mushy! I used MN wild rice exactly as you stated. Not happy at all!
Hey Pattie! I'm so sorry about that! I've made this a BUNCH of times and it works really well each time, so I'd be happy to help troubleshoot! Do you still have some of the wild rice? Would you send me a picture of the bag you used? orwhateveryoudo at gmail.com
The best thing a long ago boyfriend ever gave me was his Minnesota Mom's recipe for wild rice casserole. It has pork sausage, onion, celery, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, onion soup and of course wild rice. Do you suppose I could use your recipe above and just add the other ingredients? I'm fairly new to the wonders of instant pot cooking.
Yes! I think that would be wonderful. I always am careful with "cream of" soups in there because I've heard stories of them sometimes causing issues, but it is definitely worth experimenting! You can also just cook the wild rice in the pot and then make the casserole in the oven. That would probably be the first thing I did!
15! Updating now, apologies!
I tried it exactly, but had lots of liquid left over. I had to pour it out in the sink. Rice tasted fine though.
Yup! It is totally normal to have water leftover when the cook process is done. I'm glad the rice turned out great! Thanks for letting me know!
@Nicole Johnson,
Way too much liquid leftover. I would double the amount of rice to absorb more of the liquid. I was disappointed with the broth thst I threw away.
Hi Mich - please read the blog post and recipe. The leftover liquid is expected and intentional. Wild rice is not like regular rice and you can't cook it like it is. The broth itself isn't for everyone. I don't typically keep mine either. But the wild rice itself should be perfectly cooked after you drain off the excess broth.
Have you ever doubled this in the instant pot?
Should be fine to double if you have a large pot. I haven't tried it, but there was plenty of room left in my 8qt when I made this recipe so I wouldn't hesitate to double it unless your pot is fairly small.
You have the ratio wrong. It is one part rice one part water.
Disagree. 😀 But you're free to cook your rice however you want. 😉
Does your wild rice have Japonica Black and red in it? I think I should time it by the rice that takes the longest, right?
My wild rice isn't a blend, it is pure wild rice. If you use a blend all bets are off and I'd cook according to the package directions there and adapt accordingly. I hope that helps!
Super easy to make, thank you. Kinda lacking in flavor, but I'll be trying again.
Yeah, it is really meant to be a base to further customize and the base recipe can be built upon in a lot of different ways. Thanks for stopping by!
Gah I tried this and it was wayyyyyy too watery. I ended up having to strain all my rice out of the extra liquid
Yeah, that's normal, and expected, and definitely covered in the post. Wild rice doesn't cook like regular rice because it isn't rice. Typically you would boil it to cook it. This way is better, but doesn't negate the need to drain the excess water.
Your results will also vary depending on what kind of rice you use. If you use "fast cooking" or wild rice "pilaf" you're going to have a bad time of things (also covered up in the post, it isn't just fluff, I promise.)
Can you use 4 cups of water and 1 cup of wild rice in a 6 qt. Pot? Also, how many
does this recipe serve?
This should fit just fine in a 6 quart. How many it feeds depends on what you are putting it into. I don't usually serve wild rice plain, I usually mix it into stuffing, soup, or something like a rice pilaf. 1 cup of uncooked wild rice will yield 3-4 cups of cooked wild rice.
What would you reccomend for the full bag???
The full bag of what? It depends on how big the bag is, and how big your Instant Pot is. Wild Rice tends to triple in volume when cooked, so keep that in mind! You can really make as much as you need to with this recipe. Unlike regular rice, there's no magic ratio and you WANT to add more water than you actually need because you'll be draining it off afterward no matter what.
Wow! At age 63 I finally made the perfect wild rice in my instant pot , thanks to you! This will be a staple in my pantry from now on. Thanks for the recipe and explaining what to expect!
Thanks, Shirley!
This was wayyyyyy too much liquid!! What a waste of chicken broth.
It really isn't. Wild rice is meant to be cooked in an excess of liquid, unlike other rices. It doesn't turn out the same if you don't use the additional liquid.
@Nicole Johnson,
Use that extra liquid in wild rice creamy soup! It doesn’t get any better!
Great idea!
I just made this as part of my recipe for tonight's dinner. It turned out perfect! I used 4 cups of Better than Bouillon Chicken Broth. A little extra liquid leftover like your post stated, going to save it for later.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Karlene! Happy New Year!!!
ADD TWO CANS OF PREMIUM TUNA,1&1/2 STICKS OF BITTER,2 TEASPOONS REAL SALT,1/2 TEASPOON CELERYSALT,1/2TEASPOON RED PEPPER,1TEASPOON GARLIC POWER
USE THIS FOR RICE THAT GOES WELL WITH
SEAFOOD GUMBO...THE KITTY'S LOVE THIS RICE/TUNA DISH ALSO...I REALLY MADE IT FOR THEM...
SO MANY ADS, LITERALLY CANT SEE A THING ABOUT THE RECIPE ON THE MOBILE PHONE
Looks like you eventually found all the information, including the comment button though! Congrats!
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When you cut in half - 1/2 rice to 2 cups broth - is the cook time the same?
I've never tried halving this particular recipe, so I'm not sure! I think it'll also depend on what size pot you are using. My best guess is that the cook time would be the same. Will you stop back and let us know if you try it? I'll also put it on my list of things to test as well. <3
I grew up on wild rice - only thing my mother ever used to stuff a turkey. Your directions are confusing to me. At one point you say to NPR for 15 minutes - another place you say 10. The recipe says to cook for 15 minutes and some of the comments say 35
Hi Susan! Thanks for your feedback. I've updated the post over the years, and I missed a spot, it looks like. The good news is that it'll still turn out whether you NPR for 10 minutes or 15 minutes. The 35 minute comment has been removed to prevent further confusion. Happy holidays!
I just used this recipe,very tasty! Yes, there is a lot of water left and I went with just 2 cups broth to one of rice. I don't have a strainer in my tiny RV so just used a slotted spoon. But the rice still came out perfect, full of flavor and really yummy in such a short time! Could not make it in here on the burner because of lack of fuel to run it. Thank you!
Just made this recipe and the wild rice came out perfect. Chewy, but thoroughly cooked. I used Lundberg's organic wild rice: 1 cup of rice with 3 1/2 cups water and no salt (only because I forgot the salt. On pressure cook for exactly 15 minutes and released the steam manually after waiting 13 minutes. Still had some water left over which is EXACTLY how you should cook a grain like wild rice or rye. Very excited to have this new method for wild rice ... thank you!
@Anne, Way too watery. I wasted beautiful expensive Lundberg wild rice in Instapot for 15 minutes then rest 10 minutes. It was drowning in water. I tried cooking it for another 15 minutes - still was too watery and mushy and tasteless. I had to throw it out. I am truly sorry. 1 cup rice to 4 cups stock does not work for me.
Am I missing something?
Yes, you are missing the fact that the recipe and the post say several times that there is supposed to be excess water, and you are supposed to drain it off at the end. Cooking it for more time wasn't going to ever absorb the water, it just overcooks the rice. 🙁 I'm sorry you had a bad experience! If you follow the instructions, it should turn out just like the photos.
What if I soak the rice overnight before cooking it, would that change the time required?
I'm not sure! I haven't done it that way before. Let us know how it goes if you do!
I have the 3 quart. how much water and how much wild rice can I cook in it and how long do I cook it?
I'm not sure! I don't cook with a 3 quart. You should be able to make the recipe as written, but I'm guessing and haven't tested it in that size pot. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Im trying wild rice 1 cup with 3 cups water in my pressure cooker.. You never gave instructions on how long..
Sandy
Hi Sandy! The complete instructions are down in the recipe card.
Instructions
1. Place wild rice and stock into the Instant Pot. Close the lid and set to Manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes.
2. NPR (natural pressure release) for 10 minutes, and then vent remaining steam.
3. Open and serve! If there is a bit of extra water, THIS IS NORMAL. Just drain it. Keep to add to soups, stews, breads, pancakes, or to make into a hotdish or casserole.
Hi! I made this and my rice was not fully cooked. I'm eating it anyway!
Strange! If that happens, I'd just shut it again and run it for 2-3 additional minutes. That should do the trick!
I love how my rice turned out! whoohoo!
I followed your instructions : 1 cup wild rice, 4 cups water. i added 1 tsp garlic salt to taste ( my preference) . Set it up Manual, high pressure x 15 minutes using Instapot. When the timer went off, there's a lot of water left. No surprise for me, because you indicated this is "normal".
i drained the water out and the rice is way better than cooking it in the stove top method. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your results!
This worked fantasticly!! Woo hoo! Thank you for a quick and easy way to cook wild rice. Other sites said 2 to 1 liquid to rice ratio and 40 minutes! I went with you because you were so self- confident and adamant that it would work and hey,look at that it did. I think the lady that claimed hers turned into mush was using instant or par boiled shhhh...
Thank you! I used to use instant wild rice for my soups but it's near impossible to find. Even on the web. Cooking wild rice on the stove top took way more than and hour. I think like an hour 45 minutes to get it really soft. I was excited to find your post! Yay me! Yay you!!
Thanks, Gwyn! I'm so glad you liked it.
I'm dumbfounded as to why this isn't a full 5 star!?! Because it should be!! Heck I'd give it 50 stars I'd I could!
I think people assume wild rice is going to cook like white rice, and the liquid gets absorbed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Despite all my disclaimers that it isn't how wild rice works. What do ya do. 😀
This the absolute best and easiest way to cook wild rice! It came out perfectly!! Thank you for sharing this!
OMG Nicole thank you for this! I've used it several times for soups etc. It makes perfect wild rice every time!!