Instant Pot Salmon and Rice

Instant pot salmon and rice is a complete meal that takes less than 15 minutes to make – from prep to the table!

Making salmon is a breeze in the Instant Pot, and it comes out flaky and flavorful, just like at your favorite restaurant. These salmon foil packets cook on top of a layer the rice, separated by the Instant Pot Trivet.

Why Do Salmon and Rice Go So Well Together?

It’s a great question, but it’s undeniable – there’s nothing as warm and comforting as salmon and rice. When enjoyed together, the fatty, flavorful salmon blend with the basic blandness of the rice and make for an absolutely perfect combo!

Also, salmon and rice can be complemented by similar additives, like lemon, garlic, and dill, so they pair well and make seasoning your dish even easier.

Can I Cook The Salmon from Frozen in the Instant Pot?

Yes! You can cook frozen salmon in the Instant Pot. In fact, you should be able to cook frozen salmon exactly the same as thawed salmon with this recipe. Make sure you leave the salmon in the Instant Pot for the full 5 minutes following your cook time.

If you find your salmon isn’t done enough, remove the rice (don’t worry about cleaning the pot), then return the salmon to the Instant Pot, pour 1 cup of water in the bottom, and cook it again for 2 minutes on high pressure. Then release the pressure and remove.

What Goes Well With Salmon?

Veggies

It’s easy to steam some veggies on the stovetop while you cook your rice and salmon in the Instant Pot. Steaming is a great option because it’s quick, so all your food should be done at the same time.

Here’s what we recommend:

• Broccoli – steam or boil in about 1 inch of water for 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired texture. Remove and serve hot with butter if you like.
• Green beans – steam or boil in about 1 inch of water for 4-5 minutes, depending on your desired texture. Remove and serve hot with a bit of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and salt.
• Asparagus – steam or boil in water for 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired texture. Remove and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Starchy Sides

This salmon recipe uses rice as a side dish, but if you want something different than rice, you can make another. If you omit the rice, however, make sure you add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot before you add your trivet so your salmon steams nicely. You can also add lemon slices or seasonings like dill to the water.

Sides that pair nicely with salmon:

• Red potatoes – you can bake or boil them for a yummy addition to your meal.
• Baked potatoes – use a hearty potato variety like russets. Bake for at least an hour and serve with sour cream.
• Pasta – a very simple penne with butter and parmesan pairs nicely with salmon.

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon fillets
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 springs fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounce package uncooked rice blend

Instructions

STEP ONE: Prep the salmon. Lay out a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray lightly with a non-stick cooking spray. Arrange 5-6 slices of lemon in a row on the foil. Place sprigs of the dill on top of the lemon. Place the salmon on top of the lemon and dill. Brush the melted butter onto the salmon, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Top with additional lemon slices and dill if desired. Fold the foil over the salmon and seal all edges.

STEP TWO: Prep the rice. Add 1½ cups of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the rice blend into the water. Stir to mix. Add the trivet to the Instant Pot and place the foil-wrapped salmon on top.

STEP THREE: Cook. Seal your Instant Pot, turn to venting, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When time is up, leave salmon in the pot for an additional 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure and remove to serve.

Recipe Notes and Helpful Tips

• It’s really important to measure carefully, so your rice cooks properly. If you add too much water or not enough, your rice won’t cook properly.
• If you want extra buttery-flavored salmon, you can place a few small pats of butter on the bottom of your foil packets, then top the salmon with additional butter. At the end, you can pour the butter out of the packets over the salmon or into ramekins for dipping.
• Don’t let your salmon sit in the pressure cooker too long. It will become rubbery if it’s overcooked!

Help! My Rice Didn’t Cook Right

For such a simple food, rice can be so tricky to cook properly. It’s all in the measuring! Measure carefully for rice that’s perfectly light and fluffy every time. If your rice texture is off, here’s a helpful guide to figure out why.

• Rice is watery – This means your rice hasn’t cooked long enough. If your rice grains seem to be swimming in water, reset your pressure cooker for another 2 minutes on high pressure, then release and check again.
• Rice is mushy – This means your rice was cooked with too much water. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to fix mushy rice in the Instant Pot. You can try laying the rice in a single layer and baking it in the oven at 350 for five to ten minutes. You can also try pan-frying it to get a more crispy rice texture.
• Rice is dry or crunchy – You may not have added enough water, or you may have overcooked it. If you know you burned the rice, you may be unable to fix it. But if you think it just needs more water, you can try adding 1/4 cup of water to the instant pot. Give it a good stir and cook for another 2 minutes on high pressure. Release the steam and check it again.

Storage and Reheating

To Store Leftover Salmon:

Store leftover salmon in the fridge for 2 days. Salmon will become more pungent the longer it sits, so expect the flavors to have intensified. Make sure it’s wrapped tightly and placed in an airtight container.

If your salmon sat out for more than 2 hours, it should be discarded, as bacteria may have started to form.

You can also freeze salmon. Individually wrap each piece in plastic wrap or food-grade parchment, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat Leftover Salmon

You can serve leftover salmon plenty of ways! Here’s how I like to use my leftovers:

• Serve cold! You can eat salmon as-is. Just make sure you don’t leave it sitting out before you eat it. Room-temperature seafood can make you sick.
• Serve on a salad. You can top any salad with sliced leftover salmon.
• Make salmon salad sandwiches. Break apart cold salmon with a fork and mix with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Add extra dill for flavor and spread on toast.
• Reheat – Cook salmon in the oven wrapped in foil at 275 for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s hot. After you’ve reheated salmon once, throw away the leftovers.

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