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This Instant Pot fried rice recipe is probably my number one go-to when I am out of ingredients or don’t have the energy to cook a big meal and it’s one that I truly will never get tired of! As long as you’ve got rice in the pantry, frozen veggies in the freezer, and some soy sauce or a substitute for flavor, you can make some version of this recipe in less than 10 minutes. Bulk it up by adding your choice of protein or simply serve it as is. However you choose to enjoy this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Below is a step-by-step guide to making this fried rice in a pressure cooker, with a full recipe summary, measurements, and alternatives at the bottom of the page.
Here’s an informational list of the ingredients and their benefits:
- White rice or Jasmine rice: I always use jasmine rice, since that’s what I tend to buy, but white rice will work just fine for this recipe. Although, jasmine rice does contain slightly more health benefits.
- Chicken broth: Regular chicken broth or vegan chicken broth work fine. You can also substitute vegetable broth, but it might have a slight effect on the flavor profile.
- Eggs: High in protein, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamins A, B12, D, and E, as well as folate and choline. Eggs contribute to heart health, eye health, and brain health.
- Green onions: Just like any other onion, green onions are rich in nutrients like quercetin, that boost your immune system and that help to fight against cancer, reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol and heart health.
- Carrots: This common root vegetable is a great source of vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and beta-carotene, which is found in many orange fruits and vegetables and supports immune health and eye health.
- Peas: High in Vitamin C. Legumes are packed with protein and fiber as well as other essential vitamins to fight against illness and disease.
- Corn: In it’s purest form, corn is an excellent source of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, such as Vitamins A, C, and B6, and helps to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- Sesame oil: A necessary component to this recipe to achieve the desired flavor profile.
- Soy sauce: Opt for low sodium if you can. You can also substitute tamari or liquid aminos.
- Ginger powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes: According to NutritonFacts.org, spices offer a wide range of benefits and are known to improve health issues such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and they can even be mood boosters! Therefore, it’s important to include at least a small amount of herbs and spices in your daily diet.
Step 1:
Start by preparing you’re ingredients. Slice the green onions and separate the whites from the greens. Measure out your rice and thoroughly rinse it until the water runs clear.
Step 2:
Add sesame oil to Instant Pot and set SAUTE feature to 3 minutes. Add white parts of the green onions and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
Note: Toasted sesame oil has a relatively low smoke point and cannot withstand high temperatures. For this reason, I add it to the pot before it heats up and only sauté the onions until just fragrant.
Step 3:
Add the broth, rice, frozen veggies, soy sauce, and the garlic and ginger powder. Cook on HIGH for 4 minutes and use the manual pressure release as soon as it’s finished cooking.
Step 4:
While the rice is cooking, go ahead and cook your scrambled eggs on the stovetop. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and add the eggs, stir them constantly until they are cooked through and set aside until the rice is done.
Side note: Although this is an Instant Pot recipe, I’ve run in to too much trouble every time I’ve tried to cook the eggs along with the rice in the pot. It’s almost impossible to avoid them sticking to the bottom, so I’ve given up on trying and opt for cooking them separately to save myself the hassle.
Step 5:
Once the rice is done cooking and the pot has depressurized, add the scrambled eggs and green parts of the green onions. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
As you can see, this recipe is quick, easy and foolproof, yet still packed with flavor and nutrients. Feel free to add your choice of protein, or serve it alongside my Vegetable Stir Fry for a fantastic combo that’s better than takeout. This rice will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you try this recipe and enjoy it, share it with a friend and comment down below. I always love to hear your feedback!
Don’t own a pressure cooker?
Cooking rice on the stovetop works just fine, it just takes some extra time. Using a pressure cooker or rice cooker is a great time saver and also allows your food to retain a lot of it’s vitamins and nutrients, whereas cooking in open containers with exposure to oxygen can lead to a loss of nutrients and flavor. I literally use my Instant Pot almost every single day and highly recommend investing in one to save yourself some time and energy! Here’s a link to the one I have been using for years: Instant Pot
Instant Pot Fried Rice
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 4 green onions sliced, whites and greens separated
- 2 cups jasmine or white rice rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup each frozen peas, carrots and corn
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs scrambled (see notes)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE for 3 mins.
- Add sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and white parts of the green onions to the pot and sauté 2-3 mins, until fragrant.
- Add broth, rice, soy sauce, frozen veggies, and seasonings and stir.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 minutes, then use manual release to depressurize.
- Meanwhile, cook the scrambled eggs on the stovetop.
- Once the pot is depressurized, add scrambled eggs and green parts of the green onions and mix well.
