An ink jet recording ink is provided containing water, a pigment that is self-dispersible in water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a nonionic polymer of which the amount is preferably in a range of about 5% by mass to about 200% by mass relative to the total mass of the pigments. The nonionic polymer is preferably selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyacrylamide, poly N-vinyl acetamide, and the like. The absolute value of zeta potential of the ink is preferably in the range of about 5 mV to about 30 mV.