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Instant Pot wild blend rice! If you have a package of Wild Blend Rice from Lundberg Family Farm, we will let you in on a secret. You can cook this rice blend in the Instant Pot.
This isn’t a sponsored post, it is just a recipe for a rice blend we love. By cooking it in the Instant Pot we are freeing up space on the stovetop and saving a bit of time. The pressure cooker does a beautiful job at cooking rice and this blend is no exception.
This Wild Blend rice makes a super tasty side dish that goes with literally everything. Serve it with black beans and a crispy fried egg for a vegetarian meal or plate it up with some broiled cod and some steamed broccoli for a more traditional dinner.
The blend of rice varieties in this package creates a medley of color, flavor, and textures. The rice has a firm texture that holds up well in soup and stew and the flavor is phenomenal. Serve it with a smoked beer can chicken for an amazing meal.
What is in this rice blend?
Here is the list of the different varieties of rice in this package.
- Long grain brown rice. True to its name, this rice grain is longer than most brown rice varieties. It is light and fluffy in texture and has a mildly nutty flavor.
- Sweet brown rice. This is a short-grain rice with a mildly sweet flavor and slightly sticky texture.
- Wild rice. Technically, a grass seed, wild rice is high in fiber and has a distinct, chewy texture.
- Wehani red rice. A medium to long grain red-tinted brown rice. It is related to Basmati rice and very aromatic.
- Black rice. Black rice turns purple when it is cooked and it has a mild, nutty flavor.
How to cook this rice in the Instant Pot:
If you cook this blend on the stovetop it will take about 60 minutes (about 5 minutes for the water to boil, 45 minutes to cook and 10 minutes of rest time).
To make this Instant Pot Wild Blend rice, it will take about 43 to 45 minutes:
- About 5 to 7 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to temperature.
- 28 minutes to cook
- 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
The recipe couldn’t be any easier. Simply dump all the ingredients in the Instant Pot, set it to high pressure, select 28 minutes and wait for the pressure cooker to do its thing.
Recipe variations:
The directions in the recipe card below is for the base blend in the Instant Pot. You can definitely add seasonings and other add-ins to give this your own twist. Here are some ideas.
- Garlic butter and herbs: Toss in 3 to 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 to 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and basil.
- Quick rice pilaf: Add 1/4 cup slivered almonds, 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes, 1/4 cup raisins or cranberries, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin.
- Curried wild rice: Add 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder.
- Quick Fried Rice: After the rice is cooked, stir in some fried rice sauce, scrambled eggs, leftover pork chops, and some frozen veggies.
Tips for success:
- Make sure the valve is in the sealed position when you start the Instant Pot.
- Let the Instant Pot do a natural pressure release for at lease 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
- Turn the ‘keep warm’ button off. If you let the rice sit for longer then it will continue to cook on the warm setting. That will make the rice stick to the bottom of the pot.
Some Other Recipes You Will Love:
Wild rice crepes with hazelnut pesto is a terrific meal. You can replace the wild rice in the recipe with this Wild Blend rice if you want.
Serve this rice blend with our recipe for roasted duck legs with orange sauce. The combination of flavors is perfect.
Make some Instant Pot shredded beef tonight and eat for a few nights. Use it in tacos one night then make some beef chimichangas the next night.
Did you try this recipe? Please take a moment to leave a star rating and comment below.
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Pin ItInstant Pot Wild Blend Rice
Ingredients
- 1-½ cups wild rice blend
- 1-½ cups water or broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
Instructions
- Place the rice, water (or broth), and salt in the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid and place the valve in the sealed position.
- Cook on high pressure for 28 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes then release the rest of the pressure manually.
Notes
Cooking times for high altitudes:
- Over 3000 feet= 30 minutes
- Over 4000 feet = 32 minutes
- Over 5000 feet = 33 minutes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
We live at 7,950 feet in elevation in the Colorado Rockies and cooking rice can be nightmarishly hard! I used this method for 37 minutes and it turned out exactly how we like it. THANK YOU!
I’m so thrilled to hear that the method worked perfectly for you, especially at such a high elevation! Cooking at 7,950 feet can indeed present unique challenges. Thank you for trying the recipe and for taking the time to share your success.
I’m making this recipe today and just put the rice in water to soak for an hour. I put the whole bag in water and then realized it was 2 1/2 cups not 1 1/2. I’m trying to dry the extra rice with paper towels so I can use it later. Do you have any advice? Thanks
If you have a dehydrator then that will dry the rice grains out really well. Otherwise, you can turn your oven on for about 3 minutes then switch it off (just so the temperature gets to about 110°F to 120°F). Spread the rice out on a baking sheet and let it sit in the slightly warm oven overnight.
Great ideas but how much water ? how much rice? This is not a recipe, it is an idea board. Good ideas, but a few more details for beginning cooks please.
The printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post. You just need to scroll back up a bit and you will find all the ingredient amounts and all the details.
Love this recipe! I did add a couple teaspoons of teriyaki sauce instead of butter and salt, used vegetable broth (no salt) and it’s amazing!! Thank you for this!!
Thanks for the comment. The teriyaki sauce sounds great.
Just perfect! I’ve been cooking this wild rice blend in my rice cooker and I’d have run it twice, then it would be too much, etc. This turned out just right, with a little bit of chew but not too much. It freezes great, so I do the whole bag and freeze what we don’t eat. I do it without adding anything extra, then I can customize it once it’s pulled out of the freezer, depending on what we are having it with. This is my favorite side for salmon. Thanks for figuring out the rice/water ratio and the timing!
Thanks for the comment, Laura. I love the idea of cooking the whole bag and freezing the remains.
I left it in the slow release mode an extra 10 minutes and it’s chewy. I’m assuming that’s because it was still cooking right? I’d like to have just normal soft, borderline smushy, so I’m open to suggestions.
Hi Jim, wild rice has a naturally chewy texture but if you want to make the rice softer, you might try increasing the cooking time by 10 minutes and the liquid by 1/4 cup. I haven’t tried that but I think it might give you the texture you want.
I only have a 3Qt Instant Pot, but have a large crowd coming for Christmas Dinner. Can I just double the recipe in a 3Qt and follow the same cook times? I’m excited to try.
You might be able to double the recipe but I have not tried that much rice in a 3 quart Instant Pot. I would suggest only adding 2-1/2 cups of rice (with 2-1/2 cups of water) if you have a 3 quart Instant Pot. The cook time will be the same
I used the amounts listed for rice and liquid. I cooked some onions, celery, sliced bella mushrooms, and garlic on sauté until they started to soften before adding the rice and chicken broth. I also added the thyme and basil. Cooked for the time listed and slow release for 10 minutes. I stirred in 3 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas at that time and let sit for about 5 minutes. Turned out perfectly! Rice done perfectly, nothing burnt to bottom.
That sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing 😉
Using a cup of rice and a cup of broth, The rice came out a little chewy and there was still a little liquid in the pan of our Ninja. After evaporating the excess liquid, the rice was good, but not perfect. We live at 6100 feet above sea level and cooked the rice for 33 minutes as recommended. I am planning on adding a couple more minutes of pressure cooking to see if that cures my issues. Great recipe. Thanks.
Wow, you are at a very high altitude. At 6,100 feet you will need to increase your cooking time by 25% which would be 35 minutes. That will be standard for all your pressure cooking times if you live at that altitude. For future recipes, you can figure out the cooking time for any recipe for your altitude by multiplying the time by 1.25. It can get pretty tricky at your altitude and you may have to adjust your times more but that will give you a good starting point. Hope that helps.
I made this with 1 cup of rice and broth, using the garlic butter and herbs, for 28 minutes. It turned out oh so perfect, and I was quite pleased! I look forward to trying the other flavors. Thank you.
Great to hear! Thanks for the commment