Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf pairs lemon, butter, fish with a colorful garlic vegetable rice pilaf for a one pot meal.
Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf
Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf is a nice meal for dinner parties. It is so quick and easy, you will have more time to spend with your guests.
The lemon butter infused salmon takes this recipe over the top. Fresh garlic infused rice pilaf turns ordinary pilaf into an exciting eating adventure.
Fish can be very tricky when using an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and cooking under pressure, but I have a trick for you!
Actually, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve!
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf
The salmon and the rice cook all in one Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, but the flavors of each will stay to themselves.
This is especially good when there are people in the house who do not eat fish. They can still enjoy vegetable rice pilaf. Those who follow a low carb or keto diet, will certainly enjoy my Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon!
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Ingredients for Instant Pot Salmon Rice Pilaf
- Salmon
- Butter
- Lemons
- Better than Bouillon Chicken Base – no house should be without!
- Dill Weed, Fresh Dill, or Dill Pickle Juice
- Rice – for this recipe, I love that the rice does not clump and each piece is separate.
- Fresh Garlic – delicious Monviso Heirloom from California.
- Dehydrated Vegetables Soup Mix – get this!!!! Seriously, you won’t know how you lived without.
- Salt
Rinsed Rice Goes Into Cooking Pot
Rinsing the rice is always very important. Not only will it help to remove some traces of arsenic, it will remove some of the starch and ensure the rice will cook more efficiently.
I’ve been using this steamer/strainer basket for rinsing rice, as well as for making Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Instant Pot Potato Salad.
The most popular and best recipe for hard boiled eggs is my Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe. The eggs just jump right out of their shells. don’t believe me? Make a batch with my method and then go and peel one. If you are not careful, your egg will go flying.
Grab a steamer/strainer basket if you don’t have one; you will be impressed.
I’m always running out of my Instant Pot Bone Broth.
We are never without a big jar of Better than Bouillon Chicken Base in our refrigerator. In fact, we use it probably more than my homemade chicken broth. IMO, all kitchens need Better than Bouillon Chicken Base in their refrigerator.
It’s easy to grab a measuring cup and whisk in a couple of teaspoons and of the chicken base and a little salt and make a very rich and delicious chicken broth.
It all gets dumped into the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, along with the rice.
Dehydrated Vegetables Soup Mix
Now for my secret and trick. Do you worry you don’t get enough vegetable into your diet?
What if you could just grab a handful of dehydrated vegetables soup mix and toss then into soups, rice, stews, even a cup of chicken broth and whalaa, vegetables full of nutrients!
The vegetables get thrown in right with the rice and broth and makes a simple, but delicious rice pilaf.
Imagine having rice pilaf at any moment. With a quick cook time and the tools you need readily available, rice pilaf on your plate in under 20 minutes, start to finish.
Dieting and want a quick snack? Heat up a cup of broth with the dehydrated veggies and you have a very filling snack.
Follow my Instant Pot White Rice recipe and toss in half of cup of the dehydrated vegetables with half a cup of water and make rice pilaf anytime without any advance notice or having to shop for vegetables.
Add them to my Instant Pot Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice for a delicious and low carb meal. Toss a handful in my Pressure Cooker Americana Wedding Soup and enjoy a delicious bowl of soup. Hydrate a little veggies and add them to your tuna sandwich. Oh yes, it is good.
Make sure to keep the dehydrated vegetables in an air tight container. You don’t want to chance any moisture or they will start to expand.
Pour Lemon Juice over Salmon
I’m using my Ekovana Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker Stackable Pans Set to cook “pot in pot.”
Usually I use the pans in the reverse way, like you can see in my Pressure Cooker Perfectly Cooked Pot In Pot Rice recipe. If I can turn my main course into a pot in pot recipe and cook the rice, potatoes, cauliflower or veggies on top at the same time, I’m doing it.
By cooking the fish on top of the rice pilaf inside of the closed cooking vessel, slows the cooking process of the fish, so that it won’t be over cooked.
Add Butter to Rice and to Pan of Salmon
For a more intense flavor, try marinating the salmon in pickle juice! You could even pour in some dill pickle juice instead of using dill.
Can Other Fish Be Used in Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf?
- Sure. Salmon is just a suggestion.
- Trout, Cod, Orange Roughy would be good here too. Make sure it is a fish, which you enjoy steamed.
- Definitely try Orange Roughy as it is a wonderful fish for this dish.
Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon is so wonderful. You will find yourself using this same recipe for chicken too!
Butter Goes Into Rice and Salmon
Can Reduced Fat Butter Be Used?
- Of course. Any type of butter or butter type product can be used.
- Margarine, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, etc.
Whatever your family prefers is totally fine to use. Melted butter can be poured over the salmon too, if you prefer. Melt the butter and mix in the salt, dill and garlic and just pour it right over. The dill will be evenly disbursed.
Fresh Minced Garlic in Rice and Salmon is Delish
I don’t now many people who do not love garlic. OMG, the smell when it’s being sautéed in butter, oh so good.
How to Mince Garlic.
- Peel off the tough skin of the garlic cloves.
- Use your knife and place it about an inch over the garlic with the blade facing right or left, so that the flat side of the knife is flush with the garlic clove.
- With the heel of your palm, quickly and sharply hit the knife/give it a whack over the cloves. This will smash the garlic. You always want to smash garlic prior to mincing.
- Then just use your very sharp knife and cut the garlic into tiny pieces, which is called minced garlic.
Fresh garlic is always best to use, but if you don’t have fresh garlic in the house, you can buy jars of already minced garlic and store in the refrigerator. Truth be told, we keep a jar in the fridge for emergencies. You never know when a vampire might drop by.
Garlic Rice is Wonderful
So, garlic rice. Have you ever had garlic rice? There is so much yum in garlic rice.
Can Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf Be Frozen?
- If you have started with frozen salmon which was then defrosted, I don’t think it is a good idea to freeze the salmon.
- For fresh fish, I see no problem in freezing Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf into portions for later meals.
Ed loves garlic in his rice and he is hoping I put garlic in this rice pilaf. So, I did.
Sprinkle in a Little Dill Weed
Use your fingers to sprinkle on the dill weed. Otherwise, you might pour in too much like I did.
Give the Rice Pilaf a Good Mix
The rice pilaf is quite colorful.
As the pan of salmon will sit on top of the rice, grab a tall legged trivet and put it right over the rice.
Don’t use this much dill weed. My hand slipped and I poured in way too much!
It easily scraped off and I was able to enjoy my dinner of Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf!
Because I am using the lid with the holes, the fish will nicely steam.
Remove Salmon and Fluff Rice
The pan with the salmon is really hot coming out, so be careful.
Watch the video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf
- Rinse rice until it runs clear, so that it will not be sticky or clumpy.
- Dehydrated Vegetables Mix re-hydrate one to one, veggies to liquid.
- Remove any skin from salmon before cooking.
- Mince garlic really well as cook time is so short.
Time to make a plate!
Ed LOVES the Rice
So much delicious flavor. The salmon is nice and flaky.
The rice pilaf is perfectly cooked and nice and fluffy and full of veggies and flavor.
Instant Pot Salmon Rice Pilaf
Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf makes a beautiful presentation.
More Instant Pot Fish Recipes to Make:
- Homemade Pressure Cooker Gefilte Fish {Jewish Fish Balls}
- Pressure Cooker Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Pressure Cooker Seafood Corn Chowder {Shrimp Stew, Soup, Gumbo}
- Cast Iron Brown Butter Honey Garlic Salmon
Do you want more fish and seafood recipes?
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Salbree 3 quart, 6 quart or 8 quart Steamer/Strainer Basket
- Ekovana Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker Stackable Pans Set
- Stainless Steel Tall/Short Trivet & Egg Cooker Set
- Dehydrated Vegetable Soup Mix – only veggies
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 "rice" cups Rice rinsed well
- 1 cup Dehydrated Vegetables Soup Mix (pure veggies)
- 1/2 cup Butter divided
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt divided
- 2 cups Chicken Stock/Broth (or 2 cups water + 2 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
- 1.5 pounds Salmon Fillet skin removed
- 3/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4 cloves Fresh Garlic minced/divided
- 1/2 teaspoon Dill Weed chopped
- 1 Lemon sliced, for garnish
Recommended Products
Instructions
Prepare Salmon
- Remove layer of skin from salmon and place salmon into a stainless steel pan insert.
- In a separate bowl, melt butter.
- To the butter, add lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic and dill weed and whisk well.
- Pour lemon butter mixture over salmon.
- Cover salmon with lid and set aside.
Prepare Rice in Cooking Pot
- Measure rice into colander and rinse well. Make sure water is running clear.
- Dump rice into pressure cooker cooking pot.
- Add dehydrated veggies, 2 Tablespoons butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and chicken broth to cooking pot.
- Place trivet into pressure cooker.
- Place pan with the salmon and lemon butter on top of trivet in pressure cooker.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high pressure) for 3 minutes.
- When beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove pan of salmon from pressure cooker.
- With a fork, fluff the rice.
- Place rice on plate and serve salmon on top with slices of lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin this Instant Pot Salmon Rice Pilaf.
Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf
Came out perfect! Thank you 😊
What kind of rice do you use? I have brown rice in my pantry that would normally take 45 minutes on top of the stove. Is this the kind of rice that you use in this recipe? Thanks for your help.
I was just looking at this recipe and wondered the same. My brown rice I usually cook for 20 minutes in the instant pot. What did you end up doing?
How much of the butter do you add to the salmon? It does not say. Thanks.
Can I use frozen salmon fillets instead? Thank you.
thank you jill. pilau is one of my favourite dish and salmon to and the combination of these to will be more tasty for me and my family. keep it up.
Hi! I am thinking of making this tonight but I don’t have a long legged trivet or a pan to steam the salmon in. Any tips on how to do it without those? Maybe put the salmon in foil with butter and a little lemon juice inside? Not sure if that would work. I am so new to Instant Pots! If I foil the salmon, should I vent it a little or seal it all the way? HELP, lol!! Thanks for any response. Have a great day
The salmon will overcook if not in some type of vessel. Jill
Delicious and perfect every time!
Awww, thanks, Joyce. Jill
The salmon melts in your mouth. Delicious! As the other comments, add more water than the recipe says,
1+1/4 cup more. Fabulous recipe, thanks Jill!
I did the Salmon and Rice Pilaf tonight for dinner. My rice did not have enough liquid.watched your video again. It appears that according to the printed recipe It said to add my 1.25 cups chicken broth, rice, dehydrated veggies, butter, garlic and salt to my pot. The only liquid amount is the 1.25 cups in the rice.that wasn’t even close to being enough water. In the video, it appeared you used a lot more liquid. My rice burned to the bottom of my pan and what we could eat wasn’t totally done. I want to do this again because we loved the flavor of the salmon. Please check your printed recipe and let me know what is missing here or what I did wrong.
Marsha, did you rinse your rice well? Jill
In the video, you added an additional 1&1/4 cups of water to the rice after adding the chicken broth. The printed recipe does not say to add any extra water. Which way is correct? Dont want the rice to be too dry or too wet.
Both are correct. I had added more veggies in the video. Jill
I just loved the video tutorial! I’m a big salmon and rice fan, and an even bigger Instant Pot fan, so this was right up my alley. I have NOT cooked fish in the IP for fear of over-cooking it, but this makes me want to try it. Thank you for all your wonderful IP recipes!
Thank you, Marysue. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Jill