Instant Pot Orzo
Making instant pot orzo is a quick and simple way to achieve fluffy, perfectly cooked orzo every time. Using just 4 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes, you may never make it on the stove top again. Serve this as a simple tasty side, or add your favorite ingredients to make a fantastic orzo salad.
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Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo
- 1.75 cups chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 pinches of salt
- ½ small onion finely diced optional
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the olive oil. Sauté the garlic and (optional) onion for 1-2 minutes, just to release flavors. Add the orzo and sauté for 2-3 minutes, making sure to stir so the pasta doesn’t start to burn in spots.
- Hit cancel on the pressure cooker, and then slowly add the chicken stock or water on top of the orzo. Add a couple of pinches of salt.
- Do NOT stir the pasta before closing the lid. Stirring the pasta in the broth/water may release too much starch, making the orzo come out sticky and gluey.
- Secure the lid, making sure the knob is set to the sealing position, and cook on manual mode high pressure for 2 minutes. Note that it will take approximately 3 minutes for the pressure to build up before the 2 minute timer starts.
- Cook for 2 minutes. Once cooking is completed, place a towel over the knob, and do a quick manual pressure release.
- When the remaining pressure is released, open the instant pot lid and give the orzo a stir, making sure to loosen any stuck pasta on the bottom of the pot.
- Close the lid for 5-8 minutes, allowing the orzo to cook in the residual heat and absorb the remaining liquid. After 5-8 minutes, remove the lid and give it another stir. The orzo should be creamy and cooked al dente.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate to make into a cold pasta salad. Note that there may be a little residual liquid, but it will fully absorb while the pasta continues to cool.
Notes
Total closed pot time = 3 minutes for pressure to build, 2 minutes to cook, release and briefly open lid to stir, then secure lid and keep closed for another 5-8 minutes.
Do not stir the orzo pasta in the broth before cooking! This may result in sticky, starchy pasta.
Make sure to stay close by when cooking! I have made the mistake of leaving the orzo sit too long on “warm” once it was done cooking, resulting in sad, mushy pasta. Total bummer.
If serving cooked as is, stir in about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese to the orzo after allowing it to rest for a few minutes. It will thicken up any residual liquid and immediately turn it into a creamy, lightly cheesy pasta dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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