Lebanese Vermicelli Rice Pilaf

5 from 9 votes

This Lebanese vermicelli rice is easy, quick, and delicious! If you are looking for a side dish Arabic rice recipe, this is it!

Servings:

Add the rice to a large bowl and fill it with water. Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Strain the rice using a strainer. Set aside.
Add olive oil to a large pot on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the vermicelli, stirring frequently. Once the vermicelli has browned evenly, add the rinsed rice. Mix to coat the rice in residual olive oil so it doesn't stick together when cooking.
Add liquid and salt to the toasted vermicelli noodles and rice. Bring the rice to a boil on high heat until the water level is flush with the rice (about 5 minutes). Reduce the heat to low heat and cover. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and turn off the heat. Cover and let the rice rest for about 5 more minutes.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, fry the vermicelli noodles in olive oil until godlen brown.
In the Instant Pot, add the rice, water (or broth), browned vermicelli, salt, and pepper. Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the vent is not vented. Hit the "Rice" function. Once the timer goes off, vent the Instant Pot. Once the pressure had been released, open the lid. Mix the rice and replace the lid. let it sit for 5 more minutes.

For short grain rice (Calrose, Egyptian, and Japanese rice), the liquid-to-rice ratio is 1:1. For long grain rice (Thai Jamine rice) the liquid to rice ratio is 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups liquid. For extra long grain rice (like Basmati rice or Sona Masoori rice) use 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid.
Salt is different! I use 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt for a serving size of 8. Adjust the salt to your preference. Iodized salt has a different saltiness than sea salt, so it's hard to give exact measurements, sorry!
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.