instant pot orzo

Perfectly cooked Instant Pot® orzo cooks in just 2 minutes! You really only need orzo, water and salt to make this recipe. But if you want the orzo to have more flavor, then add the olive oil and garlic.
Read the blog post above for recipes and ideas that turn Instant Pot orzo into an easy family dinner.
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 5 minutes to reach pressure + 2 minutes at high pressure + quick release

Instant Pot Orzo

olive oil

garlic cloves,

orzo (12.5 ounces)

water

salt (a generous ¼ teaspoon)

Heat the olive oil using the Saute function on the Instant Pot. I like to saute using the “normal” setting instead of the default “more” setting so that the garlic won’t burn. (Read the notes below to learn how to change the heat setting)

Add the garlic, and saute about 30 seconds. 

Add the orzo and mix well to coat in oil. For more flavor, lightly toast the orzo by sautéing it for 3 to 5 minutes, so that the orzo is lightly toasted. Some pieces will turn a darker color, make sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.  

Add the water, stirring well to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. 

Program the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. 

Quick release the pressure immediately when the cooking time is complete.

Stir the orzo with a spatula, loosening any pieces that have stuck to the bottom. The orzo will be just a little watery and have a soft but slightly firm texture.

Turn off the Instant pot and let the orzo sit for another 3 to 5 minutes with the lid set back on until the pasta has fully absorbed the water and has the texture you want. 

Scoop the orzo out of the Instant Pot into a serving bowl so it doesn't keep cooking in the residual heat. Add more salt to taste if needed. 

From here, you can serve the orzo with just grated cheese, or read the blog post above for other serving ideas. You can also chill the orzo and turn it into a cold pasta salad. 

Oh wow, have not made orzo in an Instant Pot. Great idea! Perfect for summer pasta salads!

I love making orzo but have always just made it on the stovetop! I'm excited to try your instant pot version for a quicker and easier way to make orzo!

We love making pasta in out instant pot! This turned out great!

I halved the recipe in a 3qt IP and used broth instead of water. Perfect texture! Thank you!

Ditto on the 3 qt instant pot adjustment. Amazing! I rely on my Instant Pot because I travel full time and it is essentially my 'road kitchen'. I couldn't believe how perfectly the orzo came out. Thanks.

Thank you for the simple and delicious recipe! How much water would I need to make a full pound of orzo?

This orzo was fantastic with some veggies and buttery lemon-garlic shrimp. It’s definitely going in the rotation!

Did you know you can make orzo in an Instant Pot? This rice-shaped pasta cooks in just 2 minutes!

orzo

salt

Add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of orzo pasta, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt to the Instant Pot.

Lock the lid in place and set to manual pressure cook for 2 minutes. It will take a few minutes to come to pressure, then the timer will count down.

Once it&#8217;s down cooking, &#8220;quick release&#8221; the Instant Pot by releasing the pressure then removing the lid and turning off the Instant Pot.

If there is still water in the pot, drain the pasta in a colander.

I too cook my orzo in the Instant pot and save a lot of time and energy.  Never knew there is a chickpea rice available too. I'll look into that.

Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo pasta with garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley is a perfect side dish. It is very quick and easy to make pressure cooker orzo pasta! 

Lemon Parmesan Orzo in Instant Pot

Butter (or Olive Oil)

Orzo

Garlic (minced)

Broth (or Water)

Parmesan (grated)

Parsley (chopped)

Cherry Tomatoes (washed and sliced in half (optional))

Lemon juice

Salt (to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add butter and orzo pasta. Saute for about 3 minutes until some orzo pieces turn brown. Keep stirring continuously, else it can burn.

Add garlic and stir it in with the toasted orzo.

Add broth and stir well. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. 

Pressure cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking time is done, quick release the pressure manually. 

Open the instant pot, then add parmesan, parsley, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice.  Stir well and let it sit for 2-3 mins.

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Lemon Parmesan Orzo is ready to be enjoyed.

Cooking pasta in the pressure cooker is a cinch, and Instant Pot orzo is no exception!

dry orzo pasta

water (or broth)

salt (omit if using broth)

In the insert pot of the Instant Pot,...

In the insert pot of the Instant Pot, combine orzo, water (or broth), salt (if using water), and olive oil. Stir to combine.

Close the lid and set the vent to...

Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 4 minutes at high pressure.

When the cook time is complete, perform a...

When the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.

Stir in any additional add-ins (see note below)...

Stir in any additional add-ins (see note below) or top with sauce as desired and serve.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/hsyygwfckg2yb53xuxbn.mp4

Learn how to cook orzo pasta in your Instant Pot! This versatile pasta can be used in side dishes or main dishes, added to soups, or used in pasta salads. And it's super simple to cook in your pressure cooker!

Top 4 instant pot orzo recipes from across the web

The most viewed instant pot orzo recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Instant Pot Orzo

Instant Pot Orzo

Lemon Parmesan Orzo in Instant Pot

Instant Pot Orzo

Top 4 instant pot orzo recipes from across the web

The most viewed instant pot orzo recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Instant Pot Orzo

Instant Pot Orzo

Lemon Parmesan Orzo in Instant Pot

Instant Pot Orzo

The most viewed instant pot orzo recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine