Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Rice
Garlic Parmesan Rice is a fast weeknight side dish that the whole family will love! Made in the Instant Pot, this garlic rice is great for meal prep and is delicious even after a few days in the fridge. No pressure cooker? You’ll also find stovetop instructions in the recipe.
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Rice is one of those sides that goes with almost everything. It’s affordable, filling, and beloved by even the pickiest of family members. It’s like the rice version of Cheesy Garlic Bread.
But you don’t need to turn to those heat and serve packets from the grocery store to make delicious flavored rice. I got you boo.
In a perfect world I would serve a side of this garlic rice with a Paleo Roast Chicken, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy, and Roasted Frozen Broccoli. And for my vegetarian friends, try it over this Tempeh Bolognese from Hey Nutrition Lady.
Cooked grains are part of our freezer essentials, so if you’re making a batch of this rice during your easy healthy meal prep, double the recipe and freeze half.
Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Rice Ingredients
Ok, ok, I know the title is Parmesan Rice, but truth be told I totally use Pecorino Romano. Sue me. It’s what I had on hand.
This recipe is rocking:
- Rice (doy), I used Jasmine
- Butter (olive oil to make it dairy-free)
- Garlic and lots of it
- Chicken stock (related: How to Make Chicken Bone Broth)
- Parsley – dried or fresh, you’re an adult. Make the call.
- Finely grated Parmesan (ok, or Pecorino Romano)
Let’s talk cheese, shall we? If your budget allows, I encourage you to go for the real stuff. But…if all you have is one of those green cans in the fridge, that will work too.
If you’re looking to make this dairy-free, use olive oil (or your favorite vegan butter) and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast powder.
The garlic in this rice is pretty apparent, so if you need something more subtle, either dial back the garlic or use roasted garlic. I always have some Instant Pot Roasted Garlic or Air Fryer Roasted Garlic hanging around my freezer.
Making this after the holidays? Use Turkey Bone Broth instead of chicken.
Not a rice fan? You have so many options for what to use instead! Try brown rice, couscous, farro (related: Instant Pot Farro), or quinoa (related: Instant Pot Quinoa).
Need to it be low carb? Sub in cauliflower rice, but steam it instead of making it in Instant Pot.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Rice
*You’ll find a detailed and printable recipe card at the bottom of this post
If you are brand new to the Instant Pot, check out this post on Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners. It walks you through all the tips and tricks you’ll need as well as the common pressure cooking terminology you need to know.
You’re going to set your Instant Pot to “saute” to melt the butter. Once melted, turn the Instant Pot to “off/keep warm”.
Add the rice, broth, garlic, and dried parsley. Stir. This is about much work as you’re going to do in making this pressure cooker rice.
Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>6 minutes. Pro tip: It will take 2-3 minutes to get up to pressure.
When the rice has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep and switch to ”keep warm”. Then use a kitchen towel and flip the switch to “venting”. Pro tip: It will take about 2-4 minutes to depressurize.
Carefully open the lid and add the parmesan. Stir. That’s it…you’re done!
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Want a vegetarian version? Sub in your favorite veggie broth.
- Not enough time to make your own bone broth? Check out this guide on where to buy bone broth.
- Like your parmesan rice more cheesy? Top the finished rice with additional parmesan.
- For even creamier garlic rice, add milk or cream to the finished rice 1 tbsp at a time, stirring with each addition, until it has reached your desired consistency.
- If you need to make this on the stovetop, combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- I do not rinse my rice beforehand
because I’m lazy, but if you choose to rinse, the cooking time and measurements remain the same. - If you have an extra 5 minutes, saute the rice with the butter in the Instant Pot before cooking. It adds an awesome layer of flavor.
Sustainability Tip
If your budget allows, buy organic rice in bulk. We buy ours at Costco or through Azure Standard. Organic rice has fewer or (no chemicals) used during production which makes it better for you and the workers who are growing it.
Want to store some in the freezer for quick weeknight meals? Use reusable silicone freezer bags as part of your zero waste food storage.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Want more fast pressure cooker sides? You’ll love these Easy Instant Pot Side Dishes.
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- How to Roast Frozen Vegetables
- Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes (in the Instant Pot)
- Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Rice
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to "saute" to melt the butter (it will take about 1-2 minutes). Once melted, turn the Instant Pot to "off/keep warm".
- Add the rice, broth, garlic, and dried parsley. Stir.
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>6 minutes. It will take 2-4 minutes to get up to pressure.
- When the rice has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep and switch to ”keep warm". Then use a kitchen towel and flip the switch to "venting". It will take about 2-4 minutes to depressurize.
- Carefully open the lid and add the parmesan and stir.
Notes
Use 1.5 tsp garlic powder in place of fresh If you use instant rice, reduce cooking time to 4 minutes in the Instant Pot. If you need to make this on the stovetop, combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on. I used long-grain Jasmine rice in this recipe. If you prefer brown rice, increase the Instant Pot cooking time to 22 minutes and allow for a 10 minute natural release. I would also recommend increasing the broth by 1/4 cup.
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I made this the other day for lunch and everyone loved it. I did it in my regular rice cooker and used extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. To be sure it turned out good, I used the measurements recommended by the rice cooker. That little dash of cream–Yum! This weekend is a family birthday and this will be my contribution. 😊
I’m so glad it worked in the rice cooker too Mary!
I used regular white rice (rinsed) and followed the directions given and my rice turned out wet and mushy? Had a good flavor, and would like to make it again. I used my duo nova and used pressure cook button, normal, high for six minutes, natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release. Should I have used the rice button or used less liquid?
Hi Pamela, when you say “normal, high” do you mean normal pressure or high pressure? This recipe calls for high pressure. If you used normal, chances are it didn’t get up to enough pressure during the cooking process.
If your Instant Pot is newer, I have heard that they come up to pressure more quickly which means the food cooks differently. The ratio of rice to liquid has never failed me, but I’m wondering if the time it took to get to pressure impacted how much liquid was absorbed.
I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot. It might be easier for you to email me directly (sarah@sustainablecooks.com) and we can hammer this out!
My husband is on a white rice kick, so this was a great way to spice it up! The parmesan and garlic were perfect!
Aww, love it! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much.
Lovely. Not a ton of flavor but would lend itself nicely as a side to so many dishes. Was a welcome change to our standard plain white rice. My jasmine rice cooked up perfect and I come from a pacific island where we don’t mess around with subpar rice.
You may want to up the garlic if you’d like a bolder flavor. I sometimes go hog wild with the minced garlic. 🙂
This is so delicious. I’ve made it several times. It’s so fast and easy. I saute the garlic for a minute in the butter and then add the rice and stir that around in the butter for a minute or two. I use basmati rice and add extra shredded parmesan at the end. My family loves it
It’s one of our favorites too Tracie! I’m so glad you like it!
Simple and delicious- my favorite combo!
I used brown rice and added extra shredded Parmesan cheese.
Thrilled to hear how much you liked it! Curious as to how long you cooked the brown rice in the Instant Pot? I’m not a huge brown rice fan and have not yet nailed it in the IP.
I cooked the brown rice for 22 minutes with a 10 minute natural release – just as you suggested – and it was perfect!
The funny thing is even though I have cooked it that way, I still don’t like it so I always doubt the instructions. HA!
Brown rice sits too heavily in my stomach for too long.