It's SO easy to make Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend! This simple recipe uses Lundberg wild rice blend, but you can use your favorite brand. It results in nutty, delicious, and perfectly cooked rice every single time!
One of the best ways to make use of your Instant Pot is to make easy and delicious side dishes dishes. Sometimes the focus can be solely on the main dish, with sides just being a last minute idea. This is where the Instant Pot shines the most!
You can make everything from frozen veggies to rice, pasta, and potatoes in the Instant Pot in mere minutes. Best part? Those things are almost entirely hands free, meaning you can tend to the main dish or even sit down and relax for a minute before dinner. It's seriously made dinner prep that much easier.
Sometimes you want a side dish that is a little less plain, and a little more exciting. This recipe for Instant Pot wild rice is just that. The delicious and nutty wild rice blend goes perfectly with salmon, salmon patties, or chicken with a silky sauce (like my red pepper or creamy garlic chicken skillet recipes). It's the ultimate healthy, flavorful, and textured rice dish. We can't get enough!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's easy to make, cooks quickly, and is completely hands off!
- Wild rice goes with a variety of dishes, including fish, chicken, and vegetarian and vegan options.
- It's a healthy side dish that is full of fiber, and is incredibly filling.
- Wild rice is nutty and flavorful, and is the perfect alternative to standard white rice.
Ingredients
- Wild rice: We really love the Lundberg wild rice blend, but there are many varieties available that you can use.
- Water: Make sure you add cold, clean water in a 1:1 ratio with your wild rice.
- Salt: A little bit of salt helps enhance the natural flavors in the rice.
- Avocado oil: This is optional, but encouraged. Oil added to rice tends to make the texture a little nicer, but it's totally fine to go without.
How to Cook a Wild Rice Blend in the Instant Pot
- Add the rice to the insert of your Instant pot.
- Add in an equal amount of water.
- Add salt and oil (if desired).
- Stir everything together. Then, place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to "sealing". Cook on manual pressure for 27 minutes.
- Once the time is up, allow the pot to do a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. Flip the valve to "venting" and allow the steam to release completely. Once the pin drops, it's safe to open the Instant pot.
- Open the lid away from your face and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Using the warming function is a great way to do a natural pressure release (NPR) without needed to set a separate timer. As soon as the pot switches over to the warm function, a timer starts counting the time elapsed (displayed like L0:09). Once the timer reaches 10-15 minutes, you can perform a quick pressure release.
- Wild rice blends can be purchased in standard grocery stores, or in warehouse stores. We like to buy ours from Costco, since the price per pound is much cheaper than the grocery store.
- You can easily reheat your wild rice blend in the microwave or on the stovetop with a tablespoon or two of water.
Reheating and Storage
Storage: Allow your rice to cool completely to room temperature, and then add to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Allow your rice to cool completely, then store in plastic freezer bags. Seal and remove any excess air. Label the bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
Reheat: When you're ready to reheat your rice, you can do so in the microwave in 30 second intervals (use an ice cube if desired), or in a pot on the stovetop with an additional tablespoon of water added in.
Making Larger or Smaller Batches
Larger batches: You can make larger batches of this Instant Pot wild rice by increasing all of the ingredients to scale. The important thing to remember is that you do not want to exceed the fill line of your Instant Pot, and I would even recommend you stay far below it since rice can expand quite a bit.
Smaller batches: 6qt Instant Pots need a minimum of 1 cup of liquid to come to pressure, and the 8qt model needs a minimum of 1 ½. So if your model is the 8 quart model, keep the recipe as written, but if your pot is a 6qt model you can scale down to a minimum of 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water.
What to Serve with Wild Rice
- Salmon
- Fish
- Chicken
- Steamed vegetables
- Corn
- Soup
- Chowder
- Salad
- Autumnal fruits and additions like: dried cranberries, apricots, apples, pears, walnuts, pecans, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
A wild rice blend is a collection of various types of wild rice, sold together as a sort of medley. The varieties included will have similar cooking times, so all of the types of rice finish cooking at the same time.
Wild rice does not need to be soaked before cooking, since it does not have a hull like typical white and brown rices do. Instead, just add the rice and water using your desired cooking method.
If your wild rice is mushy, it's likely been overcooked, or you used too much water in the process. The next time, try reducing the cook time (or pressure release time) by a few minutes and your rice should be perfectly done.
More Easy Instant Pot Side Dishes
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli
- Instant Pot Creamed Corn
- Instant Pot Mushroom Rice - Little Sunny Kitchen
- Instant Pot Vegetable Rice Pilaf - Running on Real Food
Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Add the wild rice to the insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot.
- Add in 1 ½ cups of cool water, the salt, and avocado oil. Stir well to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to "sealing". Set to manual pressure and set the timer for 27 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps to indicate pressure has been achieved, it will cook for the 27 minutes and switch to the warm function.
- Allow the pot to do a 15 minute natural pressure release (NPR). This is done by allowing the time clock on the warm function to count up to 15 minutes in elapsed time.
- Once the natural pressure release time is up, flip the valve to "venting" and allow any excess steam to escape.
- Once the pin drops, indicating the pressure has been released, carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Fluff the rice with and fork and taste. Adjust the salt to your taste, or add any desired seasonings.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Steve
I've been making this blend that I get at Costco on the stovetop, but it is SO much easier to make it in the Instant Pot like this.
Katie S.
I love your recipes. Thanks.