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A red bowl of rice pilaf on a wood board with a yellow napkin.
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4.75 from 16 votes

Copycat Near East Rice Pilaf - Instant Pot

Rice pilaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. This Near East copycat is flavorful, light, and made in the Instant Pot - the rice is always perfectly fluffy.
Prep Time1 minute
Cook Time12 minutes
Pressure Release5 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30minutemeal, copycat, instantpot, rice
Servings: 6
Calories: 164kcal
Author: Kari

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter, broken into small pieces
  • 1 cup chicken broth for vegetarian, vegetable broth will work well also
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white or long grain rice
  • cup orzo you can use raw orzo or leftover cooked orzo

Spices

Instructions

  • Add butter, broth, water, rice, orzo, garlic, and all spices to your Instant Pot.
  • Mix everything together.
  • Put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the vent is closed. Press the "Rice" button or set the Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" mode on low pressure for 12 minutes.
  • When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally.
  • Fluff with a fork to serve.

Notes

There are so many variations that you can make with this recipe. You can add extra garlic, diced vegetables, peas, garlic and herb, extra butter, or even a little parmesan cheese.
Instant Pot Disclaimer
I have a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo and a 3 quart Instant Pot Duo. I have made all of my recipes in both of these and they always come out great. I have never gotten a "burn" message on either of these pots and I have been using the 6 quart Instant Pot since I got it in 2016.
I have not ever had to put chicken breasts on a trivet or had to cook rice pot-in-pot - I just throw everything in and let it cook. I have always loved my Instant Pots because of this feature. I believe the newer models have a tendency to get a bit warmer on the bottom and burn things, so if you have a Nova, Lux, or another brand of pressure cooker - use your best judgment when making my recipes. If you know your Instant Pot has a tendency to burn things, place a trivet under your meat after sauteing and deglaze the pot with plenty of water or chicken broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg