Easy Instant Pot Fried Rice

When I have leftover rice, I can guarantee you that it will be turned into fried rice the next day. I love cooking fried rice as it reminds me of my childhood days. In the Philippines, it doesn't matter what time of the day it is, you can always have rice..that is a norm. It is never too early to have a bowl of fried rice in the morning and fried rice for dinner is always a good idea. We don't discriminate fried rice for lunch too. Steamed or fried, rice is a staple in every household. I like the versatility of fried rice! You can just add meat and veggies, that is a meal by itself. You can omit the veggies and just opt for garlic fried rice. Pair it with any main course that you prefer. Think fried chicken, grilled pork chop, or sausages. The possibilities are many.

I love packing fried rice for my kid's lunch too! It is filling, an awesome way to get veggies in their system too. Sometimes I make my own sauce for the fried rice but sometimes I also use ready-made teriyaki sauce. You can also just season your fried rice with salt and pepper. I prefer using sea salt or Himalayan salt. I think that it gives nay dish more depth. I provided two options for this recipe. One option does not require you to saute the veggies. Speaking of veggies, you can add any veggies that your family likes to eat. Some ideas are shredded cabbage, edamame, zucchini, bell peppers, and brocolli.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of frozen peas

1/2 cup of chopped carrots

1/2 cup of frozen corn

1-2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tsp garlic powder or 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

For the rice:

2 cups rice

2 1/2 cups of water or broth

1 tbsp olive oil

*If using brown rice, the ratio will 1:2 Use 2 cups of water for every cup.

Materials:

Instant Pot

Directions:

Using the sauté mode, heat the olive oil and saute the rice for about a minute. Add the water or broth, salt, and pepper. Mix and turn the IP off. Place the lid on the pot and don't forget to seal it. Press the manual button and cook the rice for 3 minutes. Do a natural release for 10 minutes then a quick release or vent.

OPTION 1: Mix in the veggies, soy sauce and oil mixture, and garlic powder in the rice right after the quick release.

OPTION 2: Remove the cooked rice from the pot and set it aside. Set your pot again to saute function and heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the veggies, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. After 1-2 minutes, add in the rice.

I used option 2 as I like the taste of sauteed veggies mixed in our rice. On saute function, heat oil and saute your veggies and garlic for about 2-3 minutes. You can also use coconut oil or ghee for sauteeing.

I was scouring the freezer for opened bags of veggies that I need to use and I found a bag of celery. I included that too.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and your sesame oil.

When your veggies and garlic are tender, turn your IP off. Mix in the rice and drizzle with the sauce.

Very simple and satisfying. If you have some protein, you can also add that in for extra flavor. Here are some protein ideas or add-in ideas for your fried rice.