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This Instant Pot Rice recipe is a healthier, juicier and flavor packed rice pilaf called plov. It all comes together in 1 pot (the instant pot!) and you won’t believe how quick and easy this is.
Traditionally, beef plov is made with white rice, but we used a brown rice which was perfect for the instant pot because it doesn’t get mushy while the beef becomes melt-in-your mouth tender. Brown rice is also way healthier and your hungry people may not even realize it is brown rice. It works so well in this recipe!
P.S. We’ve included our Amazon affiliate links below for the tools we used to make this recipe.
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Rice Beef Plov:
My husband gave me this Instant Pot for Christmas and I am already completely smitten with it! If you own an instant pot, chances are you are obsessed with it also. Let me know about your favorite instant pot recipes in a comment below. I’m so excited to put this amazing little pot to work!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Rice Beef Plov:
2 1/2 cups short grain brown rice (500 grams), rinsed and drained*
1 lb beef chuck or beef stew meat, cut into 3/4″ pieces
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, thickly julienned
3 cups (720 ml) very warm water
1 Tbsp salt (we used fine sea salt)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 whole head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise.
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley to garnish – optional
*TIPS FOR SUCCESS: We used organic short grain brown rice (I buy the “Lundberg” brand bag sold in Costco). DO NOT USE quick cooking rice, parboiled or white rice – these would all need modifications in timing and water. Use a standard measuring cup or a kitchen scale to measure the rice (not the measuring cup that comes with your instant pot).
If you don’t own an instant pot yet, you can still make beef plov on the stovetop with this recipe and check out the creative grain we used in this newer version – wildly delicious!!
⬇Print-Friendly Instant Pot Rice (Beef Plov):
Instant Pot Rice (Beef Plov)

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups short grain brown rice, 500 grams, rinsed and drained*
- 1 lb beef chuck or beef stew meat, cut into 3/4" pieces**
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, thickly julienned
- 3 cups 720 ml very warm water
- 1 Tbsp salt, we used fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 whole head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise.
Instructions
- Rinse and drain rice and set aside. Set Instant pot to sauté on high heat (push sauté twice to switch to high heat) and add 4 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add beef in a single layer and sauté until lightly browned (5 min), stirring occasionally.
- Add 4 Tbsp butter and chopped onion and stir 3 minutes until softened.
- Add julienned carrots along with all seasonings (1 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp coriander) and sauté 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Spread rice evenly over the top (do not stir). Push garlic halves cut-side-down, halfway into the rice. Pour very warm (or hot) water directly over the garlic cloves so you don't disturb the rice. Use the back of a wooden spoon to poke 5-7 holes through the rice to the bottom of the pot (this helps disburse flavor).
- Cover and cook on high pressure 30 min (I used the "Multigrain" setting). Let instant pot rest and naturally depressurize 10 min before switching to the venting position to release steam. Make sure the steam is fully released and the pressure valve has floated down before opening the pot.
- Remove garlic and set aside. Stir rice well to combine ingredients. We squeeze the garlic cloves back into the pot because they are melt-in-your mouth delicious.
Notes
**The meat will brown easier if you leave it at room temperature 30 minutes before starting to cook it.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This instant pot plov also reheats really well on a skillet the next day so leftovers are a great thing!
Have you gotten on the instant pot wagon? It was actually this recipe that made me fall in love with my Instant pot (ahem 2 hours instead of 15 hours? YES!!!).
What is your favorite recipe to cook in the Instant Pot? I am always looking for new ideas. Thanks in advance my friends. I always love hearing from you :).
This recipe is a good for a hearty meal that lasts a while in the fridge! It’s a little bland for my taste so I double all the seasonings and add some beef bullion for extra flavor!
Will long grain brown rice work with this? I’m having trouble finding short grain brown rice in my area.
I haven’t tested this with long-grain brown rice so keep in mind if you are substituting- long grain requires a little less water and also may cook slightly faster than short grain.
Thank you! I’ll check package directions and go from there. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible to make this recipe with chicken breast instead? I’m looking for a brown rice chicken version.
Hi Oksana, I imagine that will work too. I saw someone else commented that they tried chicken thighs and it was great.
Hello, Would I be able to substitute the meat and use top sirloin steak?
I imagine that will work
I couldn’t find the same short grain brown rice in my local grocery store.
But I tried the sushi rice instead it was amazing!! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Monica!
Hi Monica did you do any substitutions with how much liquid you added?
I have made this several times now! I will say, do not substitute the type of rice that’s recommended per the recipe details above. It does not come out as good. Next time I’d love to try adding some different veggies. Any suggestions for that? I feel like it needs something green in it minus the green onions lol
Hi Jamie! I’m glad you loved the recipe! I haven’t tested any others but some that come to mind are mushrooms (because they don’t break down and get mushy). Broccoli sounds delicious too but it will get mushy. You may try chopping it small and mixing it in at the end if you want it to have crunch. Let us know if you experiment with any.
So easy and delicious. I made it many times and everyone love it. My son in law is a hunter so he ask me to use a deer meat instead of beef. Honestly I am not a fan of venison taste and smell but in this recipe you can barely tell the difference. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it with deer meat, Ludmila!
Can I use diced lamb instead of beef?
I always find lamb more tender and tastier.
I have not tested that to advise. Let us know how it is if you experiment.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is amazing.
I am trying to calculate Calorie content though but there doesn’t seem to be a serving size listed on the nutritional label. Thank you for your help
Hi Ilona, The serving size can be found at the beginning of the print-friendly recipe card (located at the bottom of the recipe post). The nutrition label shows counts “per serving.” This recipe serves 8 so it will be 1/8ths of the recipe. Hope that helps!
Learned this recipe from my Ukrainian daughter-in-law. I have made it at least 20 times as it is a family favorite. In fact I cooking this tonight as it makes for a quick, easy meal. I adjust to my taste by using beef stock instead of water and and adding a few bay leaves. The short grain brown rice comes out perfect with the instant pot set at 30 minutes. Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe.
You’re welcome, David! I’m so glad you love it.
Came across this great recipe and wondering if I can use jasmine rice ? Thanks
Hi Anna! This is what one of my readers said, “ I used Jasmine rice instead and doubled my meat count. Reduced the cooking time by 5 minutes and added 1/2 cup less water and the plov came out just perfect (I experienced with proportions few times before and waited until I nail it to write a review).” I hope that helps.
Hello Natasha
All of your recipes that I have tried has been delicious. I want to know if I did this recipe in an 8 q instant pot Will it be the same measurements and time?
Hi Nichola, I used a 6 quart pot to make this recipe, I have tried it in an 8 quart but I imagine it will work as long as you meet the minimum liquid requirement of an 8 quart Instant Pot.
Thank you Natasha. I am positive it will be delish. I will let you know how it turned out in the 8th quart
Thank you for this recipe. Plov has always been my favourite dish and I was always afraid to make it given the complexity of it. This recipe though is super easy and the food tastes delicious! We would eat with my family for 3 days straight! I used Jasmine rice instead and doubled my meat count. Reduced the cooking time by 5 minutes and added 1/2 cup less water and the plov came out just perfect (I experienced with proportions few times before and waited until I nail it to write a review). Thank you so much for this delicious meal!
I’m so glad you found a family favorite on my blog, Katya! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
If I want to make it 2 portions can I double up on the ingredients. Or I need to make it 2 separate times.
Hi Masha, I haven’t doubled this personally, but I would keep the time the same if doubling. One of my readers doubled it and reported the following: “I did do 2 lb of beef and doubled all seasonings. I also did 5cups of rice and 5 cups of water. Fit to a T in the 6QT. Came out perfectly fine.” I hope that helps!
Did not enjoy this. My first time with brown rice, maybe that’s why. FYI took me 20 minutes to write this review. There are so many adds now it’s just so slow navigating the site. Not pleasant.
Hi Sophie, can you elaborate on what happened with the brown rice, and I can do my best to troubleshoot. I’m not seeing any delays on our site – I do want my readers to have a good experience and I have to balance that with ads to be able to provide for my family, pay my team of 7 and continue providing my recipes for free to readers. I wonder if it’s due to a slow or intermittent internet connection? If there is something specific happening that makes it difficult to comment, please let me know and I can let my tech team know.
Absolutely the best beef tip receipt ever. Beef stew is now a thing of the pasted.
So glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
I made this exactly according to the recipe, and it was wonderful—and tasted absolutely authentic. I lived in Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia for five years, where plov is the national dish. Aside from the use of beef instead of lamb, it is a very close match to the Central Asian version. A couple of notes:
—The first time I made this it failed. I set the Instant Pot to 30 minutes as suggested in the recipe, and the rice was seriously undercooked. But I noticed that the recipe also recommends using the “Multigrain” setting, and when I press that button it cooks for 43 minutes. That turned out to be just right.
—Several reviewers commented that it tasted “greasy.” Authentic plov does taste a little greasy to Western palates. Cut of meat with more fat are considered superior. If you prefer an “Americanized” version, just pour off some of the fat after the sautéed and add less butter. But keep in mind that the butter also contributes substantially to the taste.
Thank you for sharing, David. 🙂
Looks delish!!!! Is this recipe suitable for Crockpot multicooker? Thank you
Hi Roxy! I have not tested it to advise but I do have a stove top method HERE if that helps.
Loved it! I made this last night and it was a win. The only thing I changed was more meat. I drained the extra liquid. Perfect! I love your recipes.
So glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
I’ve loved this recipe for years. Most recently I marinated the stew meat overnight in some red wine and Worcestershire sauce and it turned out amazing. That’s the only alteration I’ve done.
Sounds good, I’m glad that you loved the result!