an ink jet recording ink comprising water , a coloring material , a water - soluble organic solvent and a plurality of dispersants each having a different hlb , and an ink jet recording method using this ink jet recording ink are disclosed . preferably , given that respective hlbs of n kinds of dispersants are such that hlb 1 & lt ; hlb 2 & lt ; . . . & lt ; hlb n , at least two dispersants satisfy the following formula : 1 ≦ hlb . sub . x - hlb . sub . x - 1 ≦ 30 . the ink jet recording ink and ink jet recording method of the present invention do not clog a nozzle , have an excellent dispersion stability , discharge responsiveness and discharge stability , and provide uniform images having high resolution and high optical density stably .