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Home » INSTANT POT RECIPES

Instant Pot Salmon and Rice

Feb 15, 2020 · Modified: Apr 15, 2023 by Foodies Terminal 25 Comments 1731 words. [feast_sponsored_disclosure before=“”]

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Try this Instant Pot Salmon and Rice for an amazing quick and healthy weeknight meal. Tender, juicy, flaky Salmon with garlic butter sauce and a slightly flavor induced rice cooked all together in the same pot but separately are what delicious quick dinner dreams are made of.

Instant Pot Salmon and Rice served on a black plate with lime
Easy One Pot Salmon and Rice

Instant Pot Salmon and White Rice

Imagine juicy buttery absolutely flaky Salmon doused in garlic, lemon juice, dash of chili flakes and chopped garden fresh Italian parsley that's what you are going to get.

In fact you don't have to prepare a sauce separately and than pour it over the cooked fish. You'll be cooking the fish and the sauce together in a foil packet 😉

To accompany the delicious Salmon fillet you'll have a subtly flavored fluffy rice filled with colorful bell peppers, onion, celery and a big scoop of red pesto. Everything cooked together at the same pot.

Instant Pot Salmon and White Rice with salmon fillet on top of rice
Instant Pot Juicy Flaky perfect Salmon with White Rice

Ingredients

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements way below the post on the "Recipe Card". The list below is just a reference.

Healthy salmon and rice ingredients in bowls on a black surface
Recipe Ingredients

For the Rice

  • Bell Peppers: Red, orange, green and red.
  • Celery.
  • Onion.
  • Red Pesto.
  • White Basmati Rice or any long grain white rice (Not Jasmine).
  • Water or Stock (chicken or vegetable).
  • Salt to taste.

For the Salmon

  • Salmon Fillets or steak (scales removed).
  • Butter.
  • Garlic.
  • Red Chili Flakes.
  • Italian Parsley or Dill.
  • Lemon Juice.
  • Extra Virgin olive oil.
  • Salt to taste.
Pressure Cooker Salmon fillet served on rice with lemon butter sauce
Pressure Cooker Salmon and Rice

Tips & Tricks

  1. Rinse the rice very well and several times until you see clear water running through. This helps to remove the surface starch and makes the cooked rice extremely light and fluffy. No more gooey, sticky rice.
  2. You can slightly increase the amount of red pesto for a strong flavor or even sub it with green pesto. Today's recipe quantity will reward you with a subtly flavored rice, much to everyone's liking 🙂
  3. Fluff the cooked Rice with the help of a fork before serving. This helps the steam to escape quickly hence, preventing the rice from getting over cooked with the residual heat.
  4. Wash the Salmon fillet, remove the scales (this helps if you love to eat fish skin) and pat the fish dry completely.
  5. Tightly seal the foil packet otherwise the fish sauce and the juices will leak all over the rice.
  6. Do not throw the drippings inside the foil packet. Drizzle it over the cooked Salmon while you serve the fish with the cooked rice. The drippings makes an extremely delicious sauce.

Method

**Steps in words below pictures.

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements way below the post on the "Recipe Card".

Step #1 Prep Salmon

Steaming salmon in foil packets in instant pot
Steam Salmon in Foil packets in Instant Pot

Wash the Salmon fillet and pat them dry. Remove scales if you prefer eating the skin of the fish.

Lay the fillet on foil ( cut them into squares or rectangles).

Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, sprinkle red chili flakes, salt and chopped parsley.

Finally top with slices of butter and make a foil packet sealing from all sides tightly (demonstrated in the recipe video).

The Salmon Fish foil packets are now ready.

Step #2 Saute Veggies

Sauteing veggies and onion in instant pot for rice
Saute Veggies

Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE and keep it on NORMAL.

Add oil and saute the onion first just for 1 min and than add all the veggies and saute for 2 mins.

Step #3 Add Rice and Stock

Prepping rice for instant pot salmon and basmati rice
Prep Rice

Add rinsed rice into the pot and gently mix well with the veggies.

Pour the stock or water, add salt, add the red pesto and mix well.

De-glaze the pot really well at this point so that there are absolutely no bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot.

Step #4 Pressure Cook Salmon and Rice

Pressure cooking rice and salmon in one pot in instant pot
Pressure cook salmon and rice in Instant Pot
Pressure cooker salmon and rice on a black plate with a spoon
Healthy Salmon and Rice made in a single pot

Place the steamer basket inside the pot and lay the Salmon foil packets on the steamer basket.

Cancel the SAUTE function, close the lid of the Instant Pot, seal the Valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 5 minutes followed by 10 mins Natural Pressure Release (NPR).

Bring out the steamer basket carefully (it's hot).

Fluff the rice with the help of a fork.

Dish out - Serve the Salmon on the Rice with the sauce drippings (inside the foil packet) generously poured on top of the fish.

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Salmon and Rice served and poured with lemon butter sauce
The BEST ever one pot Salmon and Rice with Lemon Butter Sauce

Storing Tips

Fridge: You can store the dish as a meal - means rice topped with Salmon or you may store the fish and the rice in separate containers.Your choice!Keeps good for 3-4 days in the fridge.

The sauce will solidify as it contains butter, but it will liquefy and become saucy when you re-heat 😀

Freezer: The cooked rice freezes well for upto 2 months. However, I have never tried freezing the cooked Salmon as I always run out of the fish 😀

More Easy Rice Recipes

Instant Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice
Instant Pot cajun chicken rice
Hibachi Fried Rice restaurant style
Instant Pot hibachi Fried Rice

Instant Pot Salmon and rice served with lime

Instant Pot Salmon and Rice

5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Natural Pressure Release Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 1077kcal
Author: Meghna

Watch Recipe Video

Instant Pot Salmon and Rice is a quick, healthy and delicious one pot meal that's extremely weeknight friendly. You can make Instant Pot Salmon and white rice at the same time in a single pot.

Ingredients

For Salmon

  • 1 pound Salmon (made into 2 fillets, cleaned and scales removed)
  • ½ tbsp Minced Garlic (or finely grated)
  • ½ tbsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter (Chilled and cut into squares)
  • Salt ((to taste))
  • Aluminum Foil (for making packets)

For Rice

  • 1 cup rinsed White Basmati rice (or any long grain white rice except Jasmine)
  • ⅓ cup roughly chopped onion (white or yellow but not sweet onion)
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
  • ¼ cup finely chopped celery
  • 2.5 tbsp red pesto
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt to taste

Water for Rice

  • 1 cup and 50 ml extra
Want more Recipe Videos?Check out our Youtube channel!

Equipment Used

Instant Pot DUO 6 quart

Instructions

Prep the Salmon

  • Begin by washing the Salmon and removing the Scales if you prefer eating the fish skin. Pat the Salmon fillets completely dry with the help of kitchen towels.
  • Lay the Salmon fillets skin side down on individual aluminum foil sheets that's enough to make individual Salmon Foil Packets.
  • Sprinkle salt on top of the fish fillets, drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, sprinkle chili flakes according to your liking, sprinkle chopped Italian parsley and finally top the fillets with butter squares (3 squares on each fillet).
  • Now, wrap around the aluminum foil and secure the ends tightly so that there are no gaps. While you make a foil packets with the fish inside make sure to leave some space for uniform steaming of the fish. DO NOT Wrap around the fish tightly. Make a foil packet with enough hollow space inside sealing the ends of the packets so that the Salmon juices and the butter sauce won't leak out from the packet. Arrange the Salmon foil packets on the steamer basket.

Prep the Rice

  • Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE and keep it on NORMAL.
  • Add oil and when the oil becomes moderately hot add the chopped onion and saute for just 1 min.
  • Next, add the veggies and saute for 2 more minutes.
  • In the meantime Rinse the rice very well several times until you see clear water running through. This is VERY IMPORTANT and helps discard the surface starch from the rice making it extremely fluffy when cooked. You will not have gooey sticky rice ever. Drain the excess water from the rice after rinsing it.
  • Now, add the rinsed rice back to the pot and mix it gently with the veggies and use a rubber or wooden spatula. The wet and soft rice grains won't break.
  • Add water or stock, salt and the red pesto. Give everything a good mix gently and de-glaze the pot very well at this point so that there are absolutely no bits and crumbs stuck at the bottom of the pot. The rice is ready to be pressure cooked.

Pressure Cook Instant Pot Salmon and Rice

  • CANCEL the SAUTE mode.
  • Carefully place the steamer basket on top of the rice inside the steel pot of the Instant Pot. Press down the basket a bit so that it's position is all secure.
  • Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Seal the Valve.
  • Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set it for 5 minutes on HIGH.
  • When the cooking cycle is over the Instant Pot will begin to beep. Wait for 10 mins Natural Pressure Release and than release the rest of the pressure manually.
  • Open the lid of the Instant Pot and carefully lift out the steamer basket. It can be hot. Use kitchen mittens or towel.
  • Now fluff the cooked rice gently with the help of a fork. This is will allow the hot steam escape quickly and prevent the rice from getting over cooked with the residual heat.
  • Open the foil packets carefully and make sure not to drop the sauce, fish juices or the drippings, whatever you may call it 😀
  • Now, plate the rice and gently place the Salmon fillet on top of the rice, pour a the drippings from the foil packet on top of the Salmon and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Measuring Units Used, 1 Cup = 240 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
  2. Something about the Rice: For fluffy well cooked rice always use 1 cup + 50 ml water to every 1 cup rice.
  3. You can skip the red pesto or sub it with Basil Pesto. However, it's highly recommended as it adds a great depth of flavor.
  4. Seal the Foil Packets very well so that they don't leak.
  5. Yes, you can eat Salmon skin. it's really tasty. Do remove the scales.
  6. The Chili Flakes adds a subtle kick to the flaky Salmon however, if you absolutely do not prefer spicy food do skip it.
  7. You can Sub the chopped Italian Parsley with Dill.
  8. You can also top the Salmon with sliced lemon rings. 
  9. SERVING IDEAS: Serve the Salmon on top of the rice and drizzle the drippings or sauce from the foil packet on top of the Salmon. Squeeze some more lemon juice on top of the fish and rice. Enjoy!
  10. You can Use Water or stock / broth to cook the rice.
 
Calorific details are provided by a third party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Nutrition

Calories: 1077kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 1529mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3251IU | Vitamin C: 138mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4mg
Course :Main Course
Cuisine :American
Keyword :Instant Pot Salmon and Basmati Rice, Instant Pot Salmon and Rice, Instant Pot Salmon and White Rice, Pressure Cooker Salmon and Rice
Hungry for more?Never miss a new recipe follow us on Pinterest @Foodiesterminal & search for recipes using #foodiesterminal on Pinterest.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fay says

    January 08, 2023 at 4:57 am

    5 stars
    Easy & delicious. I'm new to pressure cooker & still trying to find recipes to help me put together a healthy yummy food in short time & this recipe definitely hit the target. Followed the recipe step by step & loved the result.it will definitely be one of our go to recipes

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      January 12, 2023 at 1:39 pm

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe Fay 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  2. Judy says

    November 15, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    Hi, this recipe looks delicious! I'm wondering though if you've ever tried doubling the recipe...or would that cause a problem. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      January 12, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      You can double the recipe Judy. Just double all the ingredients and keep the cook time the same (do not double!). Hope you enjoy the recipe. Thanks much 🙂 - Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  3. Rosemary says

    October 26, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    I upped the time to 8 minutes for 2lbs of salmon and 1 1/2 cups of rice. Added 2 1/2 cups of water. We’ll see how it goes!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      January 12, 2023 at 8:05 pm

      Hoping to hear from you 🙂 Thank you Rosemary. - Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  4. Jennifer says

    August 01, 2022 at 11:19 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! My kids loved it. I loved it, and will be making again. The only thing I need to change for next time is to add a little more water for the rice. My ninja foodie pressure cooker said to add more water when I was checking why it hadn't started letting pressure out after 5 minutes. It was already cooked through so I just served it, but the rice was a little scorched on the bottom. The salmon came out perfect. I used one pat of butter on each fish fillet instead of 3, and that worked.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      June 13, 2024 at 10:39 pm

      Hey Jennifer so glad you enjoyed the flavors of this one-pot salmon and rice recipe 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback, appreciate it. Just wanted to let you know that changing pressure cooker brands might alter the end result of recipes. Sometimes the different brands of cookers heat up and retain the heat in a different way. This recipe is exclusively for Instant Pot brand and we have not tries making it in any other pressure cooker. Your feedback will certainly help my other readers who own a different brand of pressure cooker which is not an instant pot. - Meghna.

      Reply
  5. Kat says

    August 11, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    Hi..
    Your recipe looks very delicious and I want to try it but first I would like to ask you ..Do you have use butter on top of the salmon? I am on a pretty strict low fat diet right now and would like not to use it. Is there something else I could do like a little broth or something in top instead? Or just a light brush of olive or sunflower 🌻 oil?

    Thank you
    Kat

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      December 29, 2021 at 2:47 am

      Hey Kat apologizes for such a late reply! You can totally skip the butter and use just a few drops of olive oil, Salmon is a fatty fish and it'll release a lot of fat and juices so that way the fish will remain soft and moist. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 Let me know if you have any more questions regarding the recipe 🙂 - Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  6. Tom says

    March 27, 2021 at 11:31 pm

    Very good Meghna. Successful recipe, except, I did the rice on the stove. Fish in the pressure cooker. Why??? It appeared the steamer basket would be sitting in the rice liquid. And, it looked like the steamer in the video expanded to wedge against the side of the pot..
    What am I missing?
    The finished product was very good. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      April 05, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      Hello Tom! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 You can successfully cook the rice and the salmon both at the same time in the instant pot without any problem at all. I used a foldable steamer basket, so it seemed to expand in the video 🙂 And regarding the steamer basket sitting on the rice liquid - the basket has little feet that makes things easier. the rice will still have enough room to fully cook down and expand. Hope I cleared your doubts? did I ? Do let know if I understood your question well enough and could help you figure out the process, if not do let know, I am always here to help 🙂 You can also reach me out at meghna.me@gmail.com Have a wonderful week Tom and keep visiting our little web kitchen for more delicious and easy recipes 🙂 Thank you very much and take care! - Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  7. Linh says

    March 23, 2021 at 10:28 pm

    Can I substitute it with Jasmin rice and can I use the steam wire rack instead of the basket? Thank you.

    Reply
  8. Linh says

    March 23, 2021 at 10:27 pm

    Hello,

    Can I substitute it with Jasmin rice and can I use the steam wire rack instead of the basket? Thank you.

    Reply
  9. Linh says

    March 23, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Hello,

    Am I able to substitute with Jasmin rice and can I use the steam wire rack instead of the basket? Thank you.

    Reply
  10. Patricia says

    December 06, 2020 at 6:11 am

    5 stars
    Yum, best Salmon I have ever had and it came from out perfect. Thanks for the great meal.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      December 09, 2020 at 8:26 pm

      Thanks a lot Patricia for such a lovely feedback 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much. - Meghna. XOXO

      Reply
  11. Sutton says

    December 05, 2020 at 3:14 am

    5 stars
    This is the best Salmon and rice recipe I've ever made in the Instant Pot. The salmon was so juicy and flaky that husband just could not believe that it was pressure cooked and the rice was so flavorful. I did not change a thing and followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe 🙂 It'll forever stay in our meal rotation.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      December 09, 2020 at 9:38 pm

      So glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much Sutton 🙂 We appreciate your amazing feedback. Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try 🙂 Hope you'll also try our other recipes 🙂 Take care Sutton. - Meghna. XOXO

      Reply
  12. Andrea says

    July 07, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    Hello-
    Interested in making this, looks yummy! I was wondering if I could use parchment in place of foil? Also, could I use frozen salmon, if so would I change anything? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      July 08, 2020 at 7:18 pm

      That's awesome Andrea, hope you like the recipe as much as we do 🙂 Unfortunately, I have never tried cooking Salmon in Parchment packets in the Instant Pot. It might not work well because the sauce and juices from the fish might make the paper soggy and hence, it might pop open! However, you can make the recipe with un-thawed frozen salmon. I would keep the cooking time the same. For thawed frozen salmon 5 mins might be a little too much particularly if the fillets are on the thinner side (wild caught salmon are way thinner in the USA) 🙂 Let me know Andrea if you have any other questions regarding the recipe, would love to answer 🙂 Take care Andrea. - Meghna.

      Reply
  13. Kathryn McCormick says

    May 30, 2020 at 4:42 am

    The recipe turned out delicious and easy to understand, especially since I had not used the steamer for salmon. Thank you, Meghna!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      May 30, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      So glad to hear that Kathryn 🙂 Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and giving the recipe a try 🙂 Keep coming back for more such good recipes and take care Kathryn 🙂 - Meghna.

      Reply
  14. Tracy says

    May 04, 2020 at 6:44 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is so flavorful! Thank you so much, I didn't change anything and the taste was just perfect.

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      May 04, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Thank you Tracy for your lovely feedback. So glad that you loved the recipe 🙂 Keep coming back for more such easy recipes. - Meghna.

      Reply
5 from 10 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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