Instant Pot Yellow Rice with Lemon
Instant Pot yellow rice is a simple side dish that’s bright, flavorful, and incredibly versatile. Made with fluffy jasmine or basmati rice, fresh lemon, and warm spices, this easy rice pairs just as well with Mexican-inspired meals as it does with Greek chicken, shrimp, salmon, or grain bowls. If you’re looking for an easy rice recipe that’s perfect for meal prep and busy weeknights, this is one you’ll make again and again.
I’ve been making this lemon yellow rice for years, and it’s still one of my favorite rice recipes. It’s the side dish I make when we’re having company because the vibrant yellow color and bright lemon flavor always impress people, even though it’s incredibly simple to make. I almost always cook a big batch because it reheats beautifully and makes the perfect base for quick grain bowls throughout the week.
Looking for something to serve with this Instant Pot yellow rice? Try it alongside my Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos, or Chipotle Salmon Tacos, for taco night, use it as a base for my Vegan Fajita Bowls or serve it with Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs and Greek vegetables for an easy Mediterranean inspired grain bowl.
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Ingredient spotlight
Note, the full ingredient list is below, these are just a few that I thought I would highlight for you:
- Rice – Jasmine or basmati rice works best because it cooks up fluffy and reheats well, making this a great meal prep recipe. I used brown jasmine rice, but white jasmine, brown basmati, or white basmati all work. White rice cooks much faster than brown rice in the Instant Pot.
- Onion – The original recipe uses sautéed onion to build flavor, but these days I almost always use dried minced onion instead. It saves time, helps prevent burn notices in the Instant Pot, and still adds plenty of flavor. You can also use sliced green onions if you prefer.
- Lemon – Since you’re using both the zest and the juice, an organic lemon is a great choice if you have one. No lemons? Lime zest and juice also work well, though you’ll likely need a little more juice since limes are smaller.
- Turmeric – Ground turmeric gives this rice its beautiful golden color and adds warm, earthy flavor. A little goes a long way.
Step by step instructions
Finely chop the onions. Turn the instant pot on saute mode and cook the onions with a little olive oil or avocado oil 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom and scrape any brown bits from the onion off the bottom of the instant pot or you will get a burn notice. Once you do that, add the turmeric, garlic powder, and salt and stir well. Rinse the rise well and add it along with the rest of the fresh water to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes for brown jasmine rice, 3 minutes for white jasmine rice. 
Manually release the pressure, fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Tips for success
- Using fresh onion? After sautéing the onion, pour in about ½ cup of the broth or water while the Instant Pot is still hot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. This helps prevent the dreaded burn notice.
- Want an even easier shortcut? These days I usually skip the fresh onion and use dried minced onion instead. It saves time, eliminates the deglazing step, and still gives the rice great flavor.
- Turmeric stains. Ground turmeric can stain wooden utensils, dish towels, and even countertops. I recommend using metal measuring spoons and utensils, and don’t use your favorite kitchen towel for cleanup.
- Make a double batch. This rice freezes beautifully and reheats well, making it perfect for meal prep, grain bowls, and easy weeknight dinners.
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Instant Pot Yellow Rice
This Instant Pot yellow rice is bright, flavorful, and made with fresh lemon, turmeric, and fluffy jasmine or basmati rice. It's the perfect side dish for Mexican-inspired meals, Mediterranean recipes, and grain bowls.
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Servings: 8 servings
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- olive oil spray
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cup water
- 2 medium lemons, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cups brown jasmine rice (rinsed)**
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion. Turn the instant pot on Saute mode, when preheated, spray with olive oil (or add about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil) and add the chopped onions. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.1 medium onion, chopped, olive oil spray
- Once the onion has started to turn translucent, turn off the saute function and while it's still hot, add about 1/2 cup of the water. Scrape down the pot to dislodge any of the brown bits from cooking the onion. These will trigger a burn notice if not removed. I recommend a wooden spoon for this.
- Zest the lemon into the instant pot, then add the lemon juice, turmeric, garlic powder and salt. Stir well (use a stainless steel spoon to ensure it doesn't stain from the turmeric).2 medium lemons, zested and juiced, 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- Rinse the rice well in a mesh strainer. Add the rinsed rice and the rest of the water (2.5 cups) to the instant pot. Stir well. Place lid on the instant pot and make sure it's set to sealing.2 cups brown jasmine rice (rinsed)**
- Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Note: If using white jasmine rice, only cook 3 minutes high pressure.
- Manually release pressure. After all pressure has been released, carefully remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork (it will look wet when you first take the lid off).
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Recipe Notes
**To use white jasmine rice you will need:
- 2 cups white jasmine rice
- 2.5 cups of water
- Use the rest of the ingredients as written.
- Rinse the rice well. This helps remove excess starch so the rice cooks up fluffy instead of sticky.
- Zest the lemon before juicing it. It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon than one that’s already been cut.
- Fluff the rice with a fork after cooking. It may look a little wet when you first open the Instant Pot, but a quick fluff is all it needs.
- Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge (in a glass container to avoid staining plastic) for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. You may want to store this rice in 1 or 2 cup portions so you can easily get a serving or two at a time. I love my Souper Cubes for this! Once frozen, transfer from a Souper Cube into a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
178
Fat
2
g
Carbohydrates
39
g
Fiber
3
g
Sugar
1
g
Protein
5
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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