Instant Pot Fried Rice is a 1 pot, 30 minute meal that tastes so much better than take out! This recipe pressure cooks the rice so there's no need to worry about not having cooked rice on hand. Customize it to include your favorite vegetables and add chicken or fish for a complete meal. Easy, quick, and delicious!
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Fried rice is a quick and easy meal made traditionally on the stove. But let's make it even easier and use the Instant Pot!
Chinese takeout is full of additives and msg, and usually leaves me with a heavy bloated feeling, no matter how little I eat of it.
Making fried rice at home is so much healthier and can be done in no time at all— just 30 minutes! You'll need to have a few Asian cooking staples on hand, including sesame oil, scallions, and soy sauce.
With the Instant Pot, there is no need to have leftover cooked rice on hand when you're craving fried rice. We're making it right in the Instant Pot and then chilling it while working through the remainder of the recipe steps.
What a bummer it is to find a recipe that sounds fantastic, only to discover that your main ingredient already needs to be prepared! This has happened to me so many times, and it's a drag.
I've learned to always keep a few "prepared" ingredients on hand. You'll always find a rotisserie chicken in my fridge so I'm able to make these quick chicken taquitos or naan bread for a lazy but fun way to make personal pizzas!
But with this Instant Pot fried rice, there is no need to already have cooked rice from another night's dinner. You'll pressure cook it at the beginning, then chill it while preparing the rest of the meal.
This recipe is easy to turn into a full dinner by adding chicken or shrimp (I tell you how in the step by step directions).
You can even add extra vegetables to make it a double vegetable fried rice if you're a vegetarian and want a hearty full dinner.
I do hope that you enjoy it, however you choose to make it!
Ingredients
To make Instant Pot fried rice you need:
- uncooked long grain white rice (or jasmine rice)
- chicken broth
- soy sauce
- fish sauce (optional)
- your choice of mixed vegetables
- garlic
- sesame oil
- scallions
The best rice to use for fried rice is either extra long white rice or jasmine rice. Brown rice can be used too, but the cooking time and amount of chicken broth needed will be different.
Yes, use cooked rice in place of the uncooked rice. Eliminate the first step where you pressure cook the rice and add the precooked and cooled rice during step 4.
Fish sauce is optional, but recommended because it has an authentic Asian taste that is found in traditional fried rice recipes.
However, fish sauce has a pungent odor— it is not for everyone! Use it sparingly if you've never cooked with it before, or leave it out entirely.
The best part about fried rice is being able to use vegetables that you have on hand (think cleaning out the pantry!) or your family's favorites.
Use my recipe as a guide, but replace my vegetables with the same amount of your favorites. See the variations section below for some great recommendations.
Step-By-Step Directions
In only 4 steps you can have Instant Pot fried rice ready to serve in 30 minutes!
- Rinse the uncooked rice in cool water until the water runs clear. It's important to remove all of the starch from the rice! Starchy rice leads to sticky rice, and sticky rice does not make a great fried rice recipe. Add the rinsed rice to the Instant Pot with the chicken broth. Stir to cover and set the pot to the sealing position. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. When done, do a quick release of the steam. Transfer rice to a baking sheet, spread in an even layer and put in the freezer. The rice must be completely cool before using later in the recipe. Because of the starch, using warm rice will not create a great final fried rice.
- While the rice cools, deglaze with a little water and wipe the inner pot to remove leftover rice. Add sesame oil and set to saute on normal for 5 minutes. Add corn, carrots, and peas to the hot oil. If you're adding diced chicken, add it now. Cook, stirring frequently. Add the garlic during the last minute.
- Move the vegetables to the sides of the pot. Set to saute on normal for 3 minutes. Beat the eggs and add to pot, stirring and breaking them into small pieces as they cook. If adding shrimp, add it to the pot after the egg cooks and saute on each side for 2 minutes.
- To finish, add the chilled rice and mix with vegetables and egg. Set to saute on normal for 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and fish sauce. Saute until the rice is dry, about 4 minutes.
Turn the pot off and season with salt, ½ teaspoon at a time. Taste between seasonings. You may not need all of it. You can also add extra soy sauce or sesame oil here, if the meal is dry for your liking. Then top with chopped scallions and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Fried Rice Recipe Variations
Add Meat or Fish
Turn Instant Pot fried rice into chicken fried rice or shrimp fried rice.
To make chicken pot fried rice, dice chicken breasts into small pieces and add them with the vegetables.
To make shrimp fried rice, add whole shrimp to the recipe after the egg cooks. You can also use cooked shrimp, and add it to the pot when you add the cooked rice. This will warm the shrimp but not overcook it.
Use Different Vegetables
Stir fry meals are perfect for customizing with the vegetables that your family loves.
Some suggested replacements for the peas, carrots, or corn are:
- broccoli
- spinach
- asparagus
- bell pepper
- red cabbage
- snow peas
- baby corn
Whichever vegetables you choose, make sure to cut them into small pieces for quick cooking. Since you don't pressure cook the vegetables, you want them small enough to cook through in a short amount of time to keep the meal quick and easy.
Make it Low Carb
For a low carb version of Instant Pot fried rice, replace the white rice with cauliflower rice.
Add frozen cauliflower rice to the pot with the vegetables.
Add fresh cauliflower rice to the pot during step 4, after cooking the eggs.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Let's recap!
- always make sure the rice is chilled completely before adding to any fried rice recipe
- to quickly cool just-cooked rice, spread into an even layer on a baking sheet and put in the fridge for 20 minutes
- for best results, use extra long grain white rice or jasmine rice (for jasmine rice, increase the pressure cook time to 5 minutes.
- chop vegetables in small pieces for the quickest cooking
- use any canned or fresh vegetables, but add a few more minutes of cooking time if using fresh
- use fish sauce sparingly (or not at all), as it has a pungent odor and a strong taste
- make it a complete dinner by adding chicken, shrimp, or tofu
- do your best to use sesame oil, but if you don't have it on hand peanut oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil are good substitutes
Recipe
Instant Pot Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups long grain white rice (uncooked)
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup sweet corn
- ½ cup peas
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 eggs
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- scallions, for serving
Instructions
- Rinse uncooked rice in cool water until the water runs clear. Add to the Instant Pot with the chicken broth. Stir to cover rice. Set to sealing position. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. When done, do a quick release of the steam. Transfer rice to a baking sheet, spread in an even layer and put in the freezer.
- Wipe the inner pot to remove stuck rice. Add sesame oil to pot and set to saute on normal for 5 minutes. Add corn, carrots, and peas to hot oil. Add diced chicken now as well, if using. Cook, stirring frequently. Add the garlic during the last minute.
- Move the vegetables to the sides of the pot. Set to saute on normal for 3 minutes. Beat the eggs and add to pot, stirring and breaking them into small pieces as they cook. If adding shrimp, add it to the pot after the egg cooks and saute on each side for 2 minutes.
- Add chilled rice to pot and mix with vegetables and egg. Set pot to saute on normal for 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and fish sauce. Saute until the rice is dry, about 4 minutes.
- Turn the pot off. Season with salt, ½ teaspoon at a time. Taste between seasonings. You may not need all of it. Top with chopped scallions and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Storing Instant Pot Fried Rice
Fried rice keeps in the fridge for around 5 days.
It can also be frozen for later use. Store in freezer bags for around 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or in the microwave for a quick defrost.
I hope you enjoyed learning to pressure cook your fried rice! Please let me know what you thought in the comments below. I'd love to hear how it turned out and how you made it your own.
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IF YOU ENJOYED THIS RECIPE, TRY THESE INSTANT POT RECIPES NEXT:
Emily Flint
This was delicious and so easy to make!
Natalie
Great dinner idea. I love all the added veggies. I must make this for my family. Thanks for the recipe idea.