Chimichurri Rice

Tips for Making Chimichurri Rice

Soak the rice 20 minutes before cooking for even fluffier rice. Soaking rice removes starchy residue on the outside of the grains and reduces the cook time. The end result is fluffier, non-clumpy rice. If you don’t have time to soak the rice, at least rinse it a few times, as this will still help remove the excess starches.
Use slightly more liquid than rice . Even though most pressure cooker recipes use a 1:1 liquid to rice ratio, we prefer to add just a little extra liquid to our rice for the best results. We have tried many variations of liquid to rice ratios and found that about ¼ cup of extra liquid consistently results in perfectly cooked, fluffy rice, while using equal parts liquid and rice more often results in crunchy, clumpy rice.
Let the pressure vent naturally when the rice is done cooking in the Instant Pot. Doing so will improve the texture of the rice. Once it is done naturally venting, fluff the rice with a fork and toss with the chimichurri.
Use the right cooking time for the type of rice you’re using. White rice takes only 5 minutes to pressure cook, while brown rice takes 22 minutes (more than four times as long as white rice). If you use Jasmine or basmati rice, you may need to adjust the time as well.

How to Make Chimichurri Rice

Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. While the rice soaks, make the chimichurri sauce.

In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano, red wine vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse until coarsely processed. Transfer the processed ingredients to a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the olive oil over the mixture and let it stand for at least 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

While the chimichurri sits, pressure cook the rice. Combine the rinsed rice and broth in the pressure cook. Set the pressure cooker to “pressure cook high” for 5 minutes for white rice or 22 minutes for brown rice. It may take up to 10 minutes for the pressure to build up.

When the timer goes off allow the pressure to naturally vent (it helps with achieving fluffier rice). Once the pressure has bled off, turn the valve to venting to release any residual pressure and fluff the rice with a fork. Mix the chimichurri sauce into the rice and fluff again before serving.