Making Instant Pot wild rice from a box is about as simple as it gets! Enjoy it as a quick side dish!

You’ll love this foolproof Instant Pot wild rice recipe–it’s simple to make for an easy side dish!

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There’s one thing every mom knows, and that is: the “witching hours” of the evening can seem impossible to survive.

Although I’ve been cooking the majority of our dinners at home for many years now, I still know that there will surely be some kind of drama while I’m trying to make dinner.

So I’m here to tell you that it is totally okay to incorporate convenience items in your meal prep when needed.

You don’t need to feel guilty about it, you don’t need to compare yourself to the gorgeous meals professional chefs post on Instagram. You just need to feed your family, right?

That’s where today’s recipe comes in–I’m going to show you how to make Instant Pot wild rice!

And not just any wild rice–we’re talking wild rice from a box.

Yes, that’s right, we’re going to talk about how easy it is to make a box of good ol’ Uncle Ben’s wild rice in your Instant Pot, so you can get dinner on the table quickly and easily!

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes:

• Easy Instant Pot White Rice
• Foolproof Instant Pot Brown Rice
• Simple Instant Pot Yellow Rice
• How to Make Instant Pot Spanish Rice
• Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
• Instant Pot Knorr Rice Sides
• Easy Instant Pot Rice-a-Roni

Cooking Wild Rice in the Instant Pot

Making wild rice in the Instant Pot is similar to making Instant Pot Rice-a-Roni (another recipe every busy mama needs, if you ask me!), but without the step of sauteeing the rice first.

You know one of my favorite parts of cooking rice in the Instant Pot? There are no messes from boiled-over pots. And there’s no babysitting the pot. This is a set-it-and-forget-it situation.

You can use wild rice as a simple side dish alongside practically any type of chicken, beef, or fish.

You can make Instant Pot chicken and wild rice casserole or Instant Pot chicken and wild rice soup.

You can toss the rice with some steamed or roasted veggies. I like to add in some roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese (and maybe even a drizzle of maple syrup–SO good!).

Regardless of how you serve it, you’ll love just how quick and easy it is to make Instant Pot wild rice this way. 

Perfect for those evenings when you need to get dinner on the table quickly! 

Not only that, but you can also reheat rice in the Instant Pot, which is my favorite method of heating up the leftovers!

How to Make Super Easy Instant Pot Wild Rice

Follow these simple steps to make perfect wild rice in your Instant Pot!

Rice to Water Ratio

I used a 6-oz box of Uncle Ben’s Wild and Long Grain rice, and I used 1 1/2 cups of water.

You’ll notice that this is less water than the instructions on the box call for–that’s because there’s so little evaporation during pressure cooking, so you can get away with less liquid.

This ratio allows for rice that is soft and fluffy, but not too watery. In my opinion, it’s perfect!

I’d recommend keeping this ratio the same if you need to double the recipe and make two boxes.

Cooking the Wild Rice in the Pressure Cooker

Pour the dry rice and seasonings into the insert pot of the Instant Pot.

Add water to the pot and stir to combine. If there are any large clumps of seasoning, try to break them up a bit with a spoon or spatula.

Select a cook time of 5 minutes at high pressure using the Manual/Pressure Cook setting.

Once the cook time is complete, allow at least a 10 minute natural release, followed by a quick release of any remaining pressure. I generally just use a full natural release.

After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve as desired!

How to Make Instant Pot Wild Rice with the Pot in Pot Method

If you prefer, you can make the rice using the pot in pot method instead of cooking it directly in the insert pot.

With the pot in pot method, you’ll mix together the rice, seasonings, and liquid in a small dish that fits down into the insert pot of your Instant Pot.

This method can be ideal if you don’t want to have to clean the insert pot, or if you are cooking more than one thing in the Instant Pot at the same time (as described in this Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas recipe).

You can check out my full list of recommended Instant Pot accessories for pot in pot cooking, but for pot-in-pot wild rice, you’ll simply need a heatproof container that is small enough to fit into your Instant Pot but will also hold the amount of rice you’re cooking (and do keep in mind that the rice expands!).

I generally use this bundt pan.

You’ll simply place the trivet into the insert pot of your Instant Pot, then pour a cup of water into the insert pot.

In your heatproof dish, combine the rice, seasonings, and water according to the same recipe as if you were making it directly in the insert pot. You’ll also use the same cook time and pressure release described above.

Once the pressure has released, carefully lift out the dish and fluff the rice!

More Quick & Easy Instant Pot Side Dish Recipes:

• Instant Pot Au Gratin Potatoes (from a box!)
• Instant Pot Green Beans (from frozen!)
• Simple Instant Pot Macaroni Salad
• Best Ever Instant Pot Potato Salad
• Easy Instant Pot Italian Pasta Salad

How to Freeze Instapot Pressure Cooker Wild Rice

Also, did you know that you can freeze leftover rice and then steam it in the microwave later, just like those little bags of frozen rice you can buy at the grocery store? 

So easy and SO MUCH cheaper!  All you have to do is put leftover cooked wild rice into a zip-top freezer bag, press out excess air, and put it in the freezer. 

When you are ready to warm the wild rice, simply open the bag, add in a couple of tablespoons of water, and put it in the microwave (with the bag open) for about 3-5 minutes.  Voila!

More Delicious Instant Pot Rice Recipes:

• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
• Instant Pot Spanish Rice
• Instant Pot Rice-a-Roni
• Perfectly Easy Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• Instant Pot Yellow Rice

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