Make Instant Pot Lemon Rice in under 30 minutes for a delicious Side Dish Recipe everyone will love. Don’t get too busy and forget to make a side dish. This quick and easy Rice Pilaf Recipe is a perfect choice to compliment your meal.
I love using my Instant Pot for quick and easy recipes but mostly because I can “set it and forget it” which allows me to get the Dinner Table Set, clean the kitchen or even start a load of laundry. That's a Mom Win right there.
With a few easy steps you will have this recipe going in time to enjoy with Dinner. And trust me, your family will thank you as they enjoy a delicious side dish.
In my home as my children get older they are assigned a night to cook dinner. Of course at first they need a lot of coaching and help. But through the weeks they learn simple recipes that they can be proud of. Lemon Rice Pilaf is one of those recipes.
This recipe doesn’t require a lot of ingredients nor does it have a long list of directions which makes it perfect for busy nights, or teaching the kids how to help with dinner.
Instant Pot Sauté
One of my favorite functions on the Instant Pot is the Sauté’ button. It only takes a few minutes to sauté onions, veggies or even chicken but it adds so much extra flavor to a recipe. So trust me as I show you step by step how to use this feature.
Start by pressing Sauté and allowing the Instant Pot to heat up. The front panel will read “Hot” when it reaches temperature. Add butter and allow it to melt before adding diced onion and crushed garlic.
Cook the onions for a few minutes. Their juices will release and they will soften. You will notice the bottom of the pot will caramelize just a little bit. This is normal but also lets you know it’s time to turn the Instant Pot off.
Deglaze Instant Pot
It’s important to Deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot to release any ‘stuck bits’ from the bottom before setting for pressure cooking. This is super easy to do. Let me explain.
Add about ½ cup of thin liquid from the recipe. And use a flat wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom. The heat with the liquid will lift up anything that might be stuck to the Instant Pot Liner. It’s really that simple and will prevent a Burn Notice as the recipe cooks.
Add the remaining liquid, Lemon Juice and Salt and give a stir. Then add long grain rice. I prefer to rinse the rice to remove starches.
Set to Pressure Cook for 6 minutes and allow a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release.
Top with Parsley if desired and enjoy.
Fluff Rice with Fork
Make sure to use a Fork to Fluff Rice after it has cooked. A fork will lift the rice and separate. It will ensure nice fluffy rice.
A Spoon will crush and smash hot rice which causes the rice to be very sticky.
Have I convinced you yet on how easy it is to make Lemon Rice Pilaf? I sure hope so. Make sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked this recipe. I really do enjoy hearing from you.
I’m often asked a variety of questions, so let me answer those Frequently Asked Questions to help you even more.
What size Instant Pot do you use?
I personally use a 6qt Instant Pot Duo. This recipe will also work just fine in an 8qt too.
Is it necessary to sauté the Onion and Garlic?
It’s not necessary but does enhance the flavor and only takes a couple minutes. It’s worth the time.
Can I add Lemon Zest to the recipe?
Lemon Zest would be a great addition to this recipe. Feel free to add a little as garnish
How much Liquid to Rice Ratio?
When Cooking in the Instant Pot, I prefer using 1 ¼ cup liquid to 1 cup Rice.
Can I use Bottled Lemon Juice?
Fresh Lemon Juice will yield better results and is preferred.
How to Rinse Rice?
Rinse Rice in Cold water and drain. This will remove starches and extra debris.
In case you are interested, I also have a tried and true recipe for Instant Pot Brown Rice as well as Instant Pot White Rice.
Lemon Rice Pilaf Ingredients
- 2 Cups Long Grain Rice
- 2 ¼ Cups Chicken Broth
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- ½ Cup Diced Onion
- Crushed Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Chopped Parsley ~ Optional
I’m often asked what do I prefer to serve Lemon Rice with? Let me tell you there are many main course recipes you can try.
Instant Pot Lemon Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Cup Long Grain Rice
- 2 ¼ Cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbs Butter
- ½ Cup Onion - Diced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic - Crushed
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Parsley - Chopped * Optional
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on Saute' until it reads Hot
- Add Butter and allow to melt
- Add Diced Onions and Garlic to melted butter and cook until Onions are soft and tender
- Turn Instant Pot off
- Add ½ Cup Chicken Broth and Deglaze Bottom of Instant Pot by stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula to lift any stuck bits off bottom liner
- Add remaining Chicken Broth, lemon juice, and salt
- Stir in rice
- Set to Pressure Cook for 6 minutes
- Allow a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release
- Garnish with chopped Parsley
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
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