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    Home » Instant Pot

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice Easily Made from Scratch

    Published October 30, 2018. Last modified November 11, 2019 By Gary White

    3.4K shares
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    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    This easy pressure cooker yellow rice recipe is definitely different than most - in the best possible way. With flavors of turmeric, cinnamon, and thyme.

    Yellow rice seen from above in a clear glass bowl.This past weekend, my sister asked if I could bring yellow rice to family dinner at my mom's house. I'm sure pressure cooker yellow rice was not on her radar. But it was actually the most complimented dish of the day. Everyone kept asking... "What's that I'm tasting?" Ah! Music to a chef's ears. Well, I told them. And now I'm telling you.

    Why Yellow Rice From Scratch? (Why not just use the bagged stuff?)

    Wondering why you should try the from scratch method instead of using prepackaged bags of yellow rice? First, while making prepackaged rice that includes a seasoning packet is tempting because there's no need to measure out spices, the amount of sodium in said packet needs a second look. Just 2 ounces of dry pre-packaged yellow rice typically has over 30% of your daily recommended sodium intake. One popular prepackaged brand had 750mg, compared to less than 200mg in this recipe. With homemade, you can control the sodium level and be assured that you're cooking with real, not artificial, ingredients.

    Second, with an Instant Pot, making your own yellow rice from scratch couldn't be easier. Third, the flavor in this rice is amazing! Even my family, who like to stick to the same familiar dishes, loved the new flavors in this rice. We've yet to serve this rice to a crowd who didn't devour it.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    The Process

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Using sauté setting - Melt butter...

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    then add onions and cook for about 1 minute until softened.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Then add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Add rice...

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    and turmeric.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Stir well to coat.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Then lock lid and cook for 12 minutes at low pressure.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    Once cooking is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 10 minutes). Open lid and remove cinnamon stick, thyme stems, and bay leaf. Mix well with a fork to fluff, serve, and enjoy!

    And this is the AMAZING Result...

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice | The Foodie Eats

    More Instant Pot rice recipes:

    • Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice - Chipotle Copycat
    • Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice with Fresh Herbs
    • Instant Pot Sushi Rice
    • Pressure Cooker Arroz con Pollo
    • Grandma B's Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice
    • Pressure Cooker Chicken Broccoli Rice "Casserole"

    FAQs

    Can I make this vegan? Yes! Just swap the chicken broth and butter for vegetable broth and vegan butter.

    Won't my rice be mush if I cook it for 12 minutes? Not at all. Remember you are cooking on low pressure. The rice will be perfectly cooked.

    Can I use dried thyme? Dried thyme would yield a completely different flavor. I highly recommend getting fresh thyme, as the results just won't be the same with dried. If you must use dried thyme, use no more than ⅛ tsp.

    ★ Did you make this Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice ? Please give it a star rating below! ★

    Yellow rice in a clear glass bowl.

    Pressure Cooker Yellow Rice

    Easy and delicious pressure cooker yellow rice from scratch!
    4.80 from 20 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 27 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 224kcal
    Author: Gary White

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tbsp. butter
    • ¼ cup yellow onion diced
    • 1 Tbsp. garlic minced
    • 2 cups basmati rice
    • 1 Tbsp. turmeric ground
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 3 thyme sprigs
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Using sauté setting on Instant Pot - Melt butter, then add onions and cook for about 1 minute until softened. Then add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
    • Add rice and turmeric; stir well to coat.
    • Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Then lock lid and cook for 12 minutes at low pressure.
    • Once cooking is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 10 minutes).
    • Open lid and remove cinnamon stick, thyme stems, and bay leaf.
    • Mix well with a fork to fluff, serve, and enjoy!

    Notes

    To make this vegan, replace chicken stock with vegetable stock and sub vegan butter or olive oil for the butter.
    Use ground turmeric, not fresh. However, use fresh thyme.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @The.Foodie.Eats or tag #TheFoodieEats!

    THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT OUR DISCLOSURE PAGE.

    More Instant Pot Recipes

    • Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage with Crispy Top
    • Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Curry and Potatoes
    • Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Leftover Ham
    • Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Glaze

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jesse

      April 02, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Quick, easy and very tasty.
      The only thing I will do different next time is actually turn my sauté setting off after my butter melts and just before I add the rice. The heat was too intense when I added the rice and I had to race against time to get the broth in there so I could get the rice off the bottom of the pot to keep it from burning! LOL!

      Reply
      • Chef Gary

        April 02, 2017 at 2:04 pm

        That's a great point. I think I'll add that step into the recipe. Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
      • Michael Frascati

        May 30, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        5 stars
        First time I made this came out fantastic, but seems like 2 tablespoons of turmeric was way too much, for me anyway. I would like to know if I made 3 cups of rice would this work if I just did chicken stock onions and garlic?

        Reply
        • Gary White

          June 01, 2020 at 8:31 am

          Thanks so much for your feedback! One thing I've noticed is that different brands of turmeric have different potencies. I have adjusted the recipe to be 1 Tbsp. now. That should still give great flavor and color.

          Reply
    2. Tiffany

      November 12, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious. Thank you! My bf was raving over it!

      Reply
    3. Robin

      February 18, 2018 at 10:55 am

      How many does this recipe serve? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Chef Gary

        February 23, 2018 at 9:21 am

        Well, you end up with about 4 cups of cooked rice. So it serves quite a few people. Not sure how many servings that is, technically.

        Reply
      • Kathy

        July 13, 2020 at 12:03 am

        I am making rice for 40 people. How much cooking time would I add?

        Reply
        • Gary White

          July 17, 2020 at 12:47 pm

          I would not recommend attempting to cook that much rice at one time. Instead, I'd suggest doubling the recipe, except for the turmeric, and cook for the same cook time. Then do a second double batch separately. That should be plenty for 40 people.

          Reply
    4. Susan

      April 25, 2018 at 1:00 pm

      Is 12 minutes on low correct? I typically only cook rice 2 minutes on low, and then natural release for 10 minutes. I am afraid 12 minutes would make the rice mushy. I typically use the manual function on my instant pot.

      Reply
      • Chef Gary

        April 26, 2018 at 11:58 am

        Yes, 12 minutes at low pressure is correct.

        Reply
    5. Elcee

      June 18, 2018 at 4:58 am

      5 stars
      My husband and I loved this recipe! The flavors were perfect. This is the first time we tried making our own yellow rice instead of using the pre-seasoned yellow rice you can buy. Thank you for the recipe. This will be a staple for us. Next I'll try the arroz con pollo - yummm!

      Reply
      • Chef Gary

        June 21, 2018 at 12:42 pm

        Thanks Elcee! Yeah, this recipe is definitely different than most yellow rice recipes. So I'm glad you guys liked it so much. My family LOVES it!

        Reply
      • BRIGITTE Couture

        July 11, 2019 at 11:10 am

        5 stars
        OMG it's so delicious! Way better than the super salty store bought one! Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Erica

      October 30, 2018 at 11:09 am

      My pot doesn't have a low pressure setting. Normal cook time for plain basmati rice is 4 minutes on manual plus 10 minutes npr. What should I do?

      Reply
      • Gary

        October 31, 2018 at 1:24 pm

        Yes, that method should work just fine.

        Reply
    7. Elizabeth

      December 11, 2018 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      Never made yellow rice from scratch until now. I brought it to a family pot luck and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    8. Kathy

      January 23, 2019 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      I would love to try this, substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Yellow rice is the one thing my vegetarian teen daughter misses eating when I make it. Any suggestions, should I ramp up or add other spices since I'll be removing that chicken flavor? Thanks for this recipe, it sounds amazing and so much better than the box!!!

      Reply
      • Gary

        January 23, 2019 at 2:59 pm

        Nope, just swap out the broth! We've actually made this vegan for our vegan family members by swapping the broth and using vegan butter and it's just as delicious as the original recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

        Reply
    9. James McCurry

      January 30, 2019 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      This one is going in the bookmarks! I was low on supplies, but figured I'd still give it a shot. Used 1 TBSP of garlic powder instead of garlic, white rice instead of basmati and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder and it still came out great! Can't wait to explore the rest of the site. Thanks!

      Reply
    10. Jessie Gable

      February 06, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      Help, mine burned within minutes .

      Reply
      • Gary

        February 06, 2019 at 1:43 pm

        Did you remember to add the stock? We've made this rice at least 20 times, never with a burn notice.

        Reply
    11. KarenD

      February 23, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      3 stars
      Way too much turmeric! I’m trying to find ways to work it into my diet, but this was much too strong. It’s probably good if you are accustomed to the taste, but for those who are not, use less! Also, the rice was a little dry. I will make it again, but will probably halve the turmeric, and add a little more stock.

      Reply
    12. Victor

      May 22, 2019 at 10:43 pm

      Have you ever tried it with brown rice?

      Reply
      • Gary

        May 24, 2019 at 9:33 am

        No, but I bet it would work just fine. 22 minutes at high pressure, with NPR for 10 minutes. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    13. Whittney

      August 05, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      How long would you say for doubled recipe?

      Reply
      • Gary White

        August 06, 2019 at 9:48 am

        Same time should work.

        Reply
        • salliemae

          September 08, 2019 at 5:24 pm

          what changes to half the recipe?

          Reply
          • Gary White

            September 10, 2019 at 10:17 am

            Halve everything except the time. Cook time should remain the same.

            Reply
    14. BlueKarma

      August 14, 2019 at 11:58 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious. Only used 2 teaspoons of turmeric, as mine is very fresh and pungent. Increased cooking time to 14 minutes + NPR as we live at mile high altitude. All other instructions followed. Will definitely repeat, and add to the guest-worthy recipe file. Thanks!

      Reply
    15. Joe

      March 08, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      3 stars
      Too much turmeric, my rice was very dark and Had a VERY strong turmeric flavor. I feel like it should have been 2 tsp instead of 2 tbsp, that was a hardcore flavor.

      Reply
      • Gary White

        March 09, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        Sorry to hear that! Was the rice darker than the picture? Did you use fresh turmeric instead of dried?

        Reply
    16. Sarah

      May 20, 2020 at 10:48 pm

      5 stars
      I don’t usually leave reviews but thought this recipe deserved it! For some reason I can never make fluffy yellow rice, always mushy. I can make fluffy jasmine, white, and basmati, but for some reason never turns out when I attempt yellow rice. I followed the directions exactly and doubled the recipe because I was having a dinner party for Ramadan. I had to change cinnamon stick for a good dash of ground cinnamon, and dry thyme for fresh because that’s all I had. I also used only 2T of turmeric instead of doubling it like everything else. It was so aromatic, fluffy, and delicious! I get more of an Arab style rice vibe instead of Hispanic style, but it still paired well with black beans, fajitas, and sweet plantains. Thank you for this great recipe!

      Reply
    17. Kim

      July 06, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This was so easy and amazing! I found your recipe while searching for a Mediterranean rice recipe for the instapot. I made it for our small 4th of July socially distanced cookout with my brother-in-law’s family and everyone devoured it! It was a great accompaniment to the chicken shawarma we made on the grill but honestly the flavor profile of this rice is amazing and it will be in the regular rotation.

      Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
    18. Matt

      February 08, 2022 at 10:33 am

      Could you just use the rice setting on the instapot after doing all the needed sautéing?

      Reply
      • Gary White

        February 14, 2022 at 8:53 am

        Yes, I think that should work. But some models may have different times, so I cannot be sure about it.

        Reply

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    I believe that food is meant to be enjoyed! Whether creating a simple recipe or taking the time to cook a recipe that's more involved, this is my goal: Creating delicious food that everyone can enjoy. Read more about me...

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