Instant Pot Egg Fried Rice Recipe - Busy Cooks (2024)

Table of Contents

Can I add meat in it?

Absolutely! Any kind of protein, shrimp, chicken, beef, or pork will work well in this recipe!

Simply cook the meat in the skillet before scrambling the egg. If using rotisserie chicken, add it to the rice along with vegetables and egg mixture and not before scrambling the egg as the meat is already cooked.

What kind of rice is best for this fried rice?

The goal for a good fried rice recipe is to have rice that is cooked perfectly without being overdone. The rice should hold its shape well and not stick together when mixing the dish. It shouldn’t be mushy either.

I have found that medium to long grain rice works well, I used white jasmine rice which always comes out perfectly. Jasmine rice comes out fluffy, fully cooked through and still maintains its structure.

Steer clear of short-grain rice like risotto or sushi rice as they are sticky when cooked and won’t make good fried rice. You’ll end up with a mushy ball of rice and vegetables that is not appetizing at all.

How to make Instant Pot Egg Fried Rice

1. Cook the rice in the Instant Pot: Place rinsed and drained rice into the inner pot of Instant Pot.
2. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix water, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and garlic powder. Add it into the rice.
3. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to “sealing”.
4. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook/Manual for 5 minutes on high. (NOTE: It took about 6 minutes for IP to come to pressure.)
5. To cook the eggs and veggies: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil.
6. When the oil is hot, crack the eggs and scramble around, 1-2 minutes.
7. Add white part of scallions and frozen vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables are thawed and heated through.
8. Finishing touches: Once the IP time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (This means just leave the pot alone. You can unplug the pot, if desired) and then do quick release by turning the valve to “venting”. And carefully open the lid.
9. Using a wooden spoon, fluff the rice and then add the sautéed vegetables and eggs mixture into the rice along with green part of scallions. Gently mix everything together and serve!

How long to cook the rice in a pressure cooker?

I’ve tested different cooking times, and found 5 minutes were just enough time for fluffy and tender rice. 4 minutes yielded slightly chewy undercooked rice.

Note that we’re not using “Rice” setting. Just manually set the time by selecting Manual or Pressure Cook button.

See more details on cooking perfect rice with an Instant Pot on the Instant Pot website here.

How to avoid mushy fried rice?

Having overcooked, mushy rice completely defeats the purpose of a fried rice recipe. Here are some simple tips for getting well cooked, fluffy rice every time.

1. Rinse. Rice is covered with excess starch from the packaging process. Rinse off the excess starch by running cold water over the rice until the water runs clear. If you skip this step, the excess starch will cause the rice to stick together and become mushy when cooking.
2. Amount of liquid. Having too much water or sauce added to the rice while cooking also makes it mushy. This recipe doesn’t add sauce to the rice after it’s cooked but rather cooks the rice in a flavorful mixture of water, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and garlic powder.
3. Don’t overcook it. The last tip for getting fluffy rice is to open your Instant Pot only after 5 minutes of natural release and fluff the rice after cooking. This allows a lot of steam to be released and rids the rice of excess moisture, making the likelihood of mushy rice much lower.

What is the secret to great fried rice?

Fish sauce is the secret to well-seasoned, flavorful fried rice! And toasted sesame oil is another delicious addition.

Do you add egg before or after in fried rice?

I like to cook the eggs separately and combine it with fried rice.

Do you boil fried rice before you fry it?

Yes, you need to use cooked rice to make a fried rice.

Does rice cook well in Instant Pot?

It’s magical how well Instant Pot cooks rice. It comes out perfect every time!!

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