Master the art of perfect Instant Pot Sticky Rice! Effortless, flawlessly textured, and a must-have for any Asian meal!
Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, is a unique variety of rice that is notably sticky when cooked. Despite its name, it does not contain gluten. Unlike long-grain rice varieties such as basmati jasmine rice, which are fluffy and aromatic, sticky rice is a short-grain rice with a chewy consistency. This texture results from its high amylopectin content, unlike the lower amylopectin in long grains.
While it does take some time to prep, this sticky rice is quick and easy to cook. It goes perfectly with all your favorite takeout classics like Szechuan Beef, Sticky Asian Meatballs, and Better Than Takeout Sesame Chicken.
Table of Contents
Reasons to Love This Rice Recipe
- Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice saves time and effort, simplifying the cooking process with its one-pot wonder.
- Sticky rice pairs seamlessly with various dishes like savory meats or a variety of dim sums.
- This rice recipe achieves the ideal stickiness and tenderness every time, without fail.
Variations
- Add Protein: Enhance sticky rice with ingredients like shrimp or Chinese sausage, adding seafood or savory flavors. You can also include protein options such as cooked chicken breast or tofu for variety while keeping the fundamental taste of sticky rice intact.
- Savory Twist: For a nutty aroma, add teaspoons of sesame oil for a nutty aroma. You can also add oyster sauce for umami richness. On the other hand, dark soy sauce adds smokiness, while chicken broth or chicken stock infuses savory goodness. These additions bring depth and variety to your sticky rice.
- Garnish Options: Sprinkle chopped green onions on top for a burst of freshness and a pleasant contrast in color. Additionally, consider adding crispy fried garlic chips to provide a savory, aromatic element.
How to Make Sticky Rice
Step 1: Measure rice and place it in a medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup. Add water about 1 inch above the rice. Let soak for at least 4 hours.
Step 2: Add 1 cup of cold water to the Instant Pot. Place a fine colander in (I used the Instant Pot silicone vegetable steamer). Drain the rice and pour it into the colander. Spread into an even layer.
Step 3: Place the lid on and lock it. Check to ensure the valve is set to sealing.
Step 4: Turn the Instant Pot on MANUAL mode (high pressure) for 12 minutes. Once fully cooked, release the pressure manually by carefully switching the valve to the venting position. Once the float valve pin drops, carefully remove the lid.
Step 5: Serve immediately.
No Instant Pot? No Problem
- Stove-Top: Soak your rice and then place it in a colander or a stainless steel bowl. Set a trivet in the pot, and place the colander or bowl on the trivet. Add enough water to the pot to just touch the bottom of the colander or bowl. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for about 10 minutes. Make sure to flip the rice halfway through, like a giant pancake.
- Rice Cooker: Place your rice and water in the inner pot of the rice cooker and let it soak there for 40 minutes to 4 hours. Then, turn your rice cooker to “cook” until it’s done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, you can use any electric pressure cooker for making sticky rice, as it functions similarly to an Instant After the pressure cook cycle, allow the cooker to go through a natural release process. This means letting the pressure decrease naturally, ensuring the cooker’s valve remains in the sealing position for a few minutes. Then, carefully switch the valve to the venting position for a manual release to expel any remaining pressure.
Sticky rice is incredibly versatile and complements a wide range of meat dishes, including chicken and pork. It’s a common accompaniment in Asian dishes and Hawaiian cuisine like Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef Stir Fry, Homemade Massan Curry, Mango Sticky Rice, Thai Chicken, and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry.
Storage Info
To STORE Instant Pot Sticky Rice, let it cool to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container. It will stay good in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. To FREEZE, store in your freezer. our frozen sticky rice can last for 2 months.
To REHEAT, sprinkle a bit of water over the rice to prevent drying out. You can reheat it in the microwave, covered, for 1-2 minutes, or steam it until it’s heated through.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Turkey
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Instant Pot Sticky Rice Recipe
Recommended Products
Ingredients
- 2 cups of glutinous rice/ sweet rice
- cup of water
Instructions
- Measure rice and place it in a medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup. Add water about 1 inch above the rice. Let soak for at least 4 hours.
- Add 1 cup of cold water to the Instant Pot. Place a fine colander in (I used the Instant Pot silicone vegetable steamer). Drain the rice and pour it into the colander. Spread into an even layer.
- Place the lid on and lock it. Check to ensure the valve is set to sealing.
- Turn the Instant Pot on MANUAL mode (high pressure) for 12 minutes. Once fully cooked, release the pressure manually by carefully switching the valve to the venting position. Once the float valve pin drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Serve immediately.
Perfect sticky rice in our new Instant Pot! I’ve made this twice in the last two weeks and it’s turned out perfect every time. I served it with your Orange Chicken recipe, and it was amazing.
You can shortcut the soaking step relatively easily too:
See, white rice takes a sort og but-kicking before it makes its way to the table. Sushi rice (short grain white), especially: it’s been de-hulled, de-bran’d, de-germed, then thrown into a 150lb sack with countless of its peers, whereupon it, along with hundreds of similar sacks, are schlepped across the ocean, broken down STILL farther into smaller sacks, which finally make their way to our groceries.
…to be thrown in a sack. Typically on top of my break or eggs.
Anywho, this results in a talc-like powder coating each grain, as the near-constant agitation the grains have been subjected to (they play nothing by Lady Gaga on the transport boats) has warn them down, little by little. Think month 5 after a new baby.
Interestingly enough, this serve to make your rice less amazing in two ways: 1 porridge-y sludge. Yes, that cake-flour-fine rice… well, flour, for that’s exactly what it is, when wetted serves the exact same issues as throwing a half cup of rice flour in with your dish on purpose: it thickens and gums it up! More ofthen than not, your rice was probably fine (after all, 5 year-olds in Asia make it daily. It’s NOT that hard). You just added spackle into the mix.
The other, more insidious reason is equally fascinating: there’s a sort of static charge that builds up within the hemp-like sacks the grain is transported in. This functionally serves to electro-plate the grains in this hyper-fine dust, whereupon it’s compacted again and again until it forms an M&M-like colorless candy shell. It’s thin, but it’s there. Cut an uncooked grain in half and examine the cross section!
The reason the soaking works is it softens the slurry-sludge armor and allows us to rinse it off (“let the water do the work for you!”). But you can bypass all that!
Here’s How:
1. Pour your rice directly into rice cooker’s pan.
2. Add enough COLD water (warm makes it start to coagulate) to cover the rice, then double it.
3. Set the pot flat on your countertop and, using either your fist or your palm, GRIND the grain into the bottom of the pan. Put your back into it. You won’t hurt it.
See how the water promptly turns milk-white? That’s what we want rid of.
4. Dump the lot of it into a fine colander. Strain and RINSE THOROUGHLY (still COLD water!).
5. Back into the pot with it. 2x depth water. Bump and grind. RInse and repeat.
6. After the 4th or 5th iteration, you’ll note the water is running clear! Give it one more good strain and rinse, then back to the pot.
7. Jiggle the pot until the rice settles to form a single layer.
8. This time, GENTLY set your flat palm atop the surface of the rice.
9. Fill with cold water until it just covers your largest knuckle.
10. Chuck her in the cooker and turn it on. No waiting. You’re done. You can thank me later.
How do I know all this? I have the dubious honor of having grown up one of a half-dozen white kids in an all-Asian neighborhood, having married and divorced a Korean girl and then later a Chinese one, and having lived overseas myself. Making the rice is usually a kid’s job. So quick: what task do you give the oafish white guy while the adults are talking? You guessed it.
The soak approach works fine; don’t get me wrong. But typically when I’m making rice I don’t want to wait until 11pm to eat. Once you get practiced with a technique like this, you can literally throw one of those Costco Orange Chicken bags on a baking sheet, start the preheat, start the rice-rinse cycle. For me the over’s at temp between rounds 3 and 4. Shove in the meat. Finish your rinsing, into the InstantPot, turn on. Your rise will actually be done before the meat.
Thanks so much for all of your suggestions and sharing your experience with us! I appreciate it!
Thanks so much for this! My new favorite way to cook sticky rice!
This type of rice is my kids’ favourite. I am so glad I got the perfect recipe to prepare it at home! Thank you!
This is the first time I have ever successfully made sticky rice that I was happy with! Great recipe!