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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 :).
Can you use white rice?
Hi Crystal, white rice is not ideal because it would become overcooked by the time the beef was tender. 30 minutes in the pressure cooker is much beyond the recommending pressure cooking time for white rice which is why brown rice works so well. It cooks perfectly when the meat is tender.
I made your recipe and it was very good and I will be making it again.
I’m glad you like it Cathy! Thanks for sharing your review!
Will this recipe works with chicken?
Thx
Hi Neela, I think chicken would still work. I have made a chicken plov before and it worked well. Chicken thighs will give you a little more flavor than chicken breast meat.
Instead of rice would pearl barley work?
Hi Gail, I haven’t tried pearl barley, but according to this chart from Cook’s Illustrated, the pressure cooking time is very similar to brown rice so possibly it might work. Sorry I can’t give you a more concrete answer.
Hi, if I half the ingredients, will that alter the cook time? If so, how long? Thank you
Hi Nicole, since the rice and beef will require the same cook time, I would keep the cook time the same.
I made this plov today and it turned out perfect! I will be making it only this way from now on. My husband loved it. Great recipe! Thank you Natasha!
You’re welcome Elena! I’m glad to hear you both love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
I am so happy you got an instant pot! We made this in ours and all loved it! Love all your recipes, keep the instant pot ones coming…..:)
I’m glad you love the recipe Sheri! There will definitely be more Instant Pot recipes, count on it! Thanks for following and sharing your review!
Would this work in a crock pot?
Hi Kim, the slow cooker would probably require some modifications and much lengthier cooking. I haven’t tested plov in a slow cooker so I can’t provide specific instructions. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. I do have a few stove-top versions as well if you don’t have an instant pot. They are also very good 🙂
Hi Natasha could you please leave directions for the stove top versions? This sounds delicious.
Jodie, I would recommend checking out our stovetop plov recipes. We have our classic beef one and another one with buckwheat (my personal favorite).
Love the sound of this recipe. Would it work with par-boiled brown rice, which usually cooks in 20 minutes on the stove. If so, should I adjust the amount?
Look forward to more Instant Pot recipes. Love it.
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested it but par-boiled brown rice would probably be overcooked in this recipe so I wouldn’t recommend using it here. You could use it in our regular stove-top plov recipes instead of white rice but for the pressure cooker, regular brown rice is best.
I made this for dinner this evening and it was a hit with my husband and all three of my kids. I had beef broth in the fridge so I used 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of water. I left the salt out and let everyone salt to taste after it was served. GREAT INSTANT POT RECIPE and just as good as Natasha’s regular recipe.
I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a hit! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
Made it today — so good! I used boneless short ribs and increased cooking time to 35 minutes.
Looking forward to more instant pot recipes from you. I’m thinking borscht next maybe… 😀
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Vlad! Thanks for sharing and I will definitely add more instant pot recipes!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you so much for your blog! You taught me how to cook and my family is grateful! I am looking forward to making this. I see that it is served as a side dish. Could you give me some suggestions what to serve with it?
Hi Debra, Hi Susan, I love serving plov with a fresh side salad (any of our cucumber and tomato salads), or the marinated tomatoes we have would be a wonderful match, or these cucumber spears.
Hoping to make this tonight. Not a fan of cumin or coriander. Can you recommend some other spice blends? 🙂 Thx
Hi Lawrence, if it helps, the flavors are very mild once it is cooked up, but the only other plov that I make without the cumin and coriander (which give the plov a little more authentic flavor), was in my chicken plov where I used some ketchup and cayenne pepper to flavor instead. I hope that helps! Pulling those two seasonings out would change the flavor profile, but I think it would still taste good 🙂
I didn’t see your reply until now and I’ve already cooked and ate. I used 1/2 tsp garlic powder and it was fantastic!! My 13 month old had his mouth open wanting more more more like a baby bird!!!!! 🙂
I’m glad the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing your delightful review Lawrence!
I usually use bay leaves in my plov recipe and I really like the taste it adds. Can it be added to your instapot recipe?
Hi Shelly, I think that would still work to add 1 bay leaf to the plov.
Hi,
Do I need to change the time if I cook this in a Power Pressure XL PC?
Thank you!
Hi Jack, I am not familiar with that machine. Maybe someone else has experience with it and can chime in? Thanks in advance! If that is just a kind of pressure cooker, it will work in a pressure cooker (it doesn’t have to be an Instant Pot).
awesome recipe! love the instant pot! would love to see more recipes for instant pot!
I’ll keep em coming Helen!
Made this tonight,,,absolutely delicious! New to the instant pot purchased one January 31st with the thought to use it in a RV. Bought a three quart, the recipe fit no room to spare. Just so you know we purchased a 6 quart pot today for the house! Keep the recipes coming!
Thank you for sharing your amazing review and it’s great to know it still fits into a 3Qt!!
Hello Natasha.
Thanks very much for this receipe. I just made mine. It turned out delicious but a little too moist to my taste. Do I add less water next time? On your picture/video, looks like plov, mine looks more like kasha.
Thanks much
Hi Helen, if you make it with plain brown rice (not instant rice, white rice, or converted or semi-cooked rice), it won’t turn mushy. I’ve never had that experience with using brown rice. Did you substitute the rice?
Hi Helen,
Mine too turned out like kasha, but it’s not Natasha’s fault. 😉 I’m assuming it’s because I used white rice instead of brown rice. When I make just the rice in my instant pot, I use 3 cups rice to 2 cups water ratio. I’m going to try that next time for the plove.
Can you use white rice?
Hi Vera, I haven’t tried using white rice but here is what one of the readers wrote: “Mine too turned out like kasha, but it’s not Natasha’s fault. 😉 I’m assuming it’s because I used white rice instead of brown rice. When I make just the rice in my instant pot, I use 3 cups rice to 2 cups water ratio. I’m going to try that next time for the plove.” I hope it helps.
So, i finally made this today. It is soooooo good! I just added a little bit of vegeta seasoning on the meat & a sprinkled some fresh chopped dill at the end. Delicious!😋
I’m glad you love the recipe Estera! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!