Cook up a batch of Instant Pot fried rice for a quick, easy, and flavorful dinner! With soft scrambled eggs, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce and chicken it's a crowd pleaser.
When it comes to quick dinners, the Instant Pot is such a hero. From Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce to Instant Pot turkey chili, there are so many one pot options that can help you get dinner on the table with minimal effort.
This Instant Pot fried rice is adapted from my favorite egg fried rice, but bypasses the need to cook your rice ahead. Instead, we cook our rice up in the Instant Pot, saving time and getting this on the table in under 40 minutes!
Meal prep tip- double the recipe and freeze half, or enjoy for easy lunches through the week!
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Reasons you'll โก this recipe
- it's an easy way to cook fried rice, getting it on your table quickly
- it's kid-friendly and a crowd pleaser
- you can get creative and put your own spin on it
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped Instant Pot fried rice. Itโs so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- rice- you'll need long grain white rice for this recipe, I recommend using basmati
- chicken- optional but adds protein and makes this fried rice more filling. Swap for shrimp, pork, or leave it out.
- soy sauce- I've used reduced sodium soy sauce and found the rice needed a touch of salt; if using regular soy sauce, do not add the extra salt; you can taste at the end and add if needed.
- stock- use chicken or vegetable, or plain water
- vegetables- carrots and frozen peas are used in this recipe; you could clean out your fridge and add them in; add after cooking if they are more delicate or frozen vegetables.
- eggs- we scramble the eggs after cooking the rice through; you won't be able to fit much more than 4 eggs, so if you plan to increase the number of eggs, I recommend scrambling them separately and then folding them in with the chicken.
Step by step directions
1. Sautรฉ onion + garlic- Select the 'sautรฉ' function of your Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the stainless steel insert, and add the onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic. Let it cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
2. Other ingredients- Add the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get anything stuck off of it. Add the carrots, rice and salt. Mix it up and make sure everything is covered with the cooking liquid.
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3. Pressure cook- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Cancel the 'sautรฉ' function and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking cycle completes, allow for a full natural pressure release (around 15 minutes).
4. Scramble eggs- When the pin drops, open the Instant Pot and select 'sautรฉ' again. Make a space in the middle of the pot, really press the rice against the walls as much as you can. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the pot, then add 4 beaten eggs. Cook, scrambling with a spatula, until eggs are fully set and scrambled. They may stick to the bottom of the pot a bit so keep scraping and stirring.
5. Chicken, peas, soy sauce- When eggs are set, stir them into the rice, then add in the chicken, peas and soy sauce. Mix to combine, and remove the stainless steel insert from the Instant Pot (using oven mitts) so it doesn't burn.
5. Garnish- top with sesame seeds and/or green onions and enjoy!
FAQ
In side by side experiments, I found that rice cooked on high pressure was fluffier and had a better texture than rice cooked on the 'rice' setting. This recipe has only been tested on high pressure, so I don't know how it would turn out cooked on the rice setting (drop us a comment if you try it!).
When cooking rice on the stove, we use a 2 cup water: 1 cup rice ratio, however the Instant Pot is a closed environment and very little liquid escapes during cooking. Therefore we use a 1 ยผ cup water: 2 cup rice ratio.
You can, however your carrots will be complete mush if you swap for brown rice or a wild rice blend and you may want to stick with vegetables you can add in after cooking.
If you do decide to swap for brown rice, use a 22 minute high pressure cook cycle, and for a brown basmati/wild rice blend, use 28 minutes. Do a full natural pressure release for both.
Storage & meal prep
Fried rice works great for meal prep, and this recipe can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Consider doubling up the recipe and portioning it out!
- Portion out into meal prep containers and allow to cool *get into the fridge within 2 hours*
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight (if necessary).
- Heat in the microwave until steaming hot, and enjoy!
Find my favorite meal prep containers here!
Variations
- vegetarian- omit the chicken; you can increase the number of eggs for added protein if you'd like (but should scramble them in a separate pan because they won't fit in the Instant Pot).
- vegan- omit the chicken and try adding scrambled tofu for a protein source
- tofu- add crispy baked tofu or scrambled tofu (cook separately)
- shrimp- cook the shrimp in some sesame oil before cooking the eggs; add them back in when you add the eggs back in.
- mushroom- sautรฉe sliced button or cremini mushrooms with the onions & carrots
- Vietnamese- swap the soy sauce for a mixture of fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar to make it Vietnamese-style
More Instant Pot Meals
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Incredible Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Fried Rice (quick + easy!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrots finely chopped
- 1 cup long grain white rice rinsed; see note 1
- 1 ยผ cups stock chicken or vegetable; water can also be used
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 cups chicken cooked, cooled & cubed; see note 2
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ยผ cup soy sauce see note 3
Instructions
- Sautรฉ onion + garlic-ย Select the 'sautรฉ' function of your Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the stainless steel insert, and add the onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the pan and add the garlic. Let it cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Other ingredients-ย Add the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get anything stuck off of it. Add the carrots, rice and salt. Mix it up and make sure everything is covered with the cooking liquid.
- Pressure cook-ย Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Cancel the 'sautรฉ' function and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking cycle completes, allow for a full natural pressure release (around 15 minutes).
- Scramble eggs-ย When the pin drops, open the Instant Pot and select 'sautรฉ' again. Make a space in the middle of the pot, really press the rice against the walls as much as you can. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the pot, then add 4 beaten eggs. Cook, scrambling with a spatula, until eggs are fully set and scrambled. They may stick to the bottom of the pot a bit so keep scraping and stirring. Do not stir right into the rice until eggs are fully set.
- Chicken, peas, soy sauce-ย When eggs are set, stir them into the rice, then add in the chicken, peas and soy sauce. Mix to combine, and remove the stainless steel insert from the Instant Pot so it doesn't burn.
- Garnish-ย top with sesame seeds and/or green onions and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
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Laurence says
Really tasty recipe and easy to follow. Thank you!
Charlotte Roberts says
Are Sesame seeds and Sesame oil required for recipe success? Are there any adequate substitutes for the Sesame oil? I don't want to buy it for only one recipe.