Instant Pot Rice Pilaf is a fast and flavorful side dish made with rice, mushrooms, and onions that are cooked to perfection in a richly seasoned broth.

Bowl of Instant Pot Rice Pilaf next to instant pot.

This recipe for Instant Pot Rice Pilaf is a faster, easier version of my family's favorite recipe for Rice Pilaf.

Making rice in the Instant Pot, be it Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, Instant Pot Spanish Rice, or this Instant Pot Rice Pilaf, is the EASIEST way to prepare rice.

Instead of simmering on the stove, the rice cooks up to tender, fluffy, chewy perfection in the Instant Pot. For this rice pilaf recipe, the rice cooks up with sauteed mushrooms and onions in a richly flavored broth.

Simple. Delicious. Easy. Just the way I like it!

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for mushroom rice pilaf labled on counter.

Rice: Cooking times for both long-grain white rice and long-grain brown rice are included.
Butter: The butter will add a richness that is classic to rice pilaf, but feel free to replace the butter with non-dairy butter or olive oil to keep this recipe dairy-free.
Mushrooms: Use Baby Bella, shitake, or button mushrooms for this recipe. If you don't care for mushrooms--leave them out.
Onion: Use a sweet or yellow onion for best results.
Seasonings: To give the rice pilaf incredible flavor, I use my homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix. It gives the rice so much flavor without the additives.
Broth: Use vegetable broth, chicken broth, or beef broth. Vegetable broth will keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly, chicken broth will keep the pilaf a bit lighter in flavor, and beef broth will make really rich rice pilaf.
Worcestershire Sauce: For additional flavor, I also add in a bit of Worchestershire sauce. Feel free to leave it out if you don't have it on hand.

How to Make Instant Pot Rice Pilaf

Turn the Instant Pot to the Saute function and add in the butter and let melt.
Once the butter has melted, add in the diced onions and saute until the onions begin to soften.
Add the mushrooms to the onion mixture and continue to saute the mixture for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms soften. If you notice your onions and mushrooms beginning to brown too quickly, add in a tiny bit of olive oil.
Add in the garlic and saute just for a minute, to let the garlic toast.

Mushrooms and Onions Sauteed in inner pot.

Once you smell the garlic, turn the Instant Pot off.
Add in a bit of broth and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. This is super important to prevent a burn notice!
Add in the remaining broth, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce, and give the mixture a gentle stir.
Finally, add in the rice that has been well rinsed. Gently push the rice down so that it is fully submerged in the broth.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal the vent knob. Set to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes for white rice and 22 minutes for brown rice.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, before attempting to do a quick release of pressure.
Once the pressure is released, open up the inner pot and fluff the mixture with a fork.

Fork showing rice pilaf being fluffed in inner pot.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh parsley if desired.

Rice Pilaf in gray bowl next to mushrooms and instant pot.

Should You Toast the Rice?

Traditionally, rice pilaf is prepared by toasting the rice in butter before simmering in the broth. Feel free to add the rice to the mushroom and onion mixture when you add the garlic to lightly toast the rice. While it makes a big difference when preparing rice pilaf on the stove, I personally have found very little difference in taste and texture between toasting and not toasting the rice, when preparing rice pilaf in the instant pot, and it can make the rice pilaf more apt to giving you a burn notice.

Storage Instructions

Leftover rice pilaf should be cooled slightly and then transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftover pilaf in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

To reheat leftover rice pilaf, transfer to a heat-safe container and add a splash of additional broth or water to the rice, cover with a moistened paper towel, and heat in the microwave until warmed through. This will keep the leftovers from drying out when reheated.

Recipe Modifications

Dairy-Free Instant Pot Rice Pilaf: Use olive oil of non-dairy butter in place of the butter.
Gluten-Free Instant Pot Rice Pilaf: Use gluten-free Worcestershire Sauce and be sure your broth is gluten-free.
More Decadent: Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter AFTER pressure cooking and let the butter melt into the rice before fluffing.

More Instant Pot Side Dish Recipes

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If you tried this recipe for Instant Pot Rice Pilaf, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

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