Making Instant Pot yellow rice couldn’t be easier! It’s a quick and easy side dish!

You’ll love this easy Instant Pot yellow rice recipe–it’s a super simple side dish!

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Despite my many years of cooking most of our meals at home, I always had trouble making perfect rice.

I have never owned a rice cooker, so I’ve always gone the stove top route.  And it’s always turned out okay, just not perfect. 

Even though I always followed the directions on the package, the pot would boil over or the rice would be too gummy or otherwise just not ideal.

However, that all changed when I learned how to make rice in the Instant Pot!

I started with basic Instant Pot white rice and Instant Pot brown rice, then progressed to Instant Pot basmati rice and Instant Pot jasmine rice.

Then I got even braver and tried Instant Pot Rice-a-Roni and Instant Pot wild rice!

So of course, next up, I had to make Instant Pot yellow rice.

How to Cook Mahatma or Vigo Yellow Rice in the Instant Pot

My first introduction to yellow rice was back in my couponing days.

I would often have coupons for Mahatma yellow rice, which I could double at our local grocery store and get the rice for next-to-nothing.

I quickly learned that it’s a super flavorful rice, since it comes packaged with the seasonings.

Since then, I’ve learned that it’s just plain white rice that gets its color from the seasonings, often saffron or turmeric.

Commonly used in Spanish, Moroccan, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Afghan cuisines, yellow rice is a versatile staple that can be served as a side dish or as the base of other dishes.

I often use the Vigo yellow rice to make Instant Pot Spanish chicken and rice!

Regardless of what brand you use or how you serve it, you’ll love just how quick and easy it is to make Instant Pot yellow rice.

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

New to Pressure Cooking? Check Out These Helpful Resources:

• Everything You Need to Know to Get Started Making Easy Pressure Cooker Recipes
• How to Reheat Leftovers in the Instant Pot
• How to Make Your Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes in the Instant Pot
• Affordable Gifts for the Instant Pot Lover in Your Life

How to Make Failproof Yellow Rice in the Instant Pot

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

Rice to Water Ratio

I like to follow a ration of 1 cup of yellow rice (with seasonings added) to 1 1/4 cup of water.

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

This ratio is also the same if you double or triple the recipe. For instance, if you’re using 2 cups of dry yellow rice mixture, you’ll use 2 1/2 cups of liquid.

In general, yellow rice triples in volume when cooked, so that should help you gauge how much you need to make. Just be sure you don’t exceed the recommended maximum capacity of your pressure cooker!

Since yellow rice comes in different size packages, simply check to see how many cups your package contains.

Cooking the Yellow Rice in the Pressure Cooker

Combine the dry rice and water in the insert pot of your Instant Pot. If there are any large clumps of seasoning, break them up with a wooden spoon.

Select a cook time of 4 minutes at high pressure using the Manual/Pressure Cook setting.

Once the cook time is complete, allow a natural release of pressure.

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 Yellow 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.

In the pot in pot method, you combine the yellow rice and liquid in a small baking dish or pan that fits down into the insert pot of your Instant Pot.

This method can be ideal if you’re cooking a smaller amount, or 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 yellow 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 and cook one cup of dry rice at a time.

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 yellow rice and liquid according to the same ratio 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!

How to Freeze Yellow Rice

Also, did you know that you can freeze leftover yellow 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 far less expensive!  All you have to do is put a couple of cups of cooled cooked rice into a zip-top freezer bag, press out excess air, and put it in the freezer. 

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

Delicious Instant Pot Rice Recipes:

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

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