Instant Pot Brown Rice – step by step guide to make the perfect brown rice in your Instant Pot each time.
You won’t believe how easy it is! Perfect to enjoy with your favorite curries or stir-fry!
Is rice good for you?
This is like a never ending debate!
I grew up in a family where rice was eaten every day. A meal would just not be complete until there was rice on the table. That’s because we belong to a region in India where rice was grown in abundance and my grand-father was a farmer, so we had rice farms! And since there was so much rice, it was obviously eaten all the time.
Growing up I never thought if rice was good or bad. However in spite of growing up in such an environment I never became a rice fan. I don’t know why! While no one in my family could finish their meals without rice, I chose to avoid it whenever I could.
I always preferred my roti (flatbread) and eating rice seemed like a chore. All the rice in my home was always white. I didn’t even know about brown rice until I grew up and it became a trend!
And hence came the debate that which rice is better for you – brown or white?
Both white rice and brown rice are high in carbohydrates. White rice is basically brown rice minus the germ and the bran. Because brown rice contains the whole grain it is said to be a healthier alternative. It has more fiber, minerals and vitamins than the white counterpart.
But according to some studies, white rice is more easily digestible and hence a better alternative for the gut.
So which team are you? Brown or White?
I make white rice very often since Sarvesh would only eat that but ever since I got my Instant Pot, I have been making brown rice quite frequently too. Obviously I eat it all by myself!
Actually, I always prefer brown rice over white rice while eating out especially Asian food. Yes for my dal, I need white rice since I grew up eating it this way and it’s hard to change habits.
But for everything else, I do prefer the brown rice over the white rice. Like with this Thai Peanut Tofu Curry or this Sweet Potato Curry!
Even though I always liked brown rice, I never made it very often and the reason was that I could never get it right on the stove top. Also I didn’t like to baby sit and stand in front of the stove while it cooked. But not any more!
It’s just so easy to make brown rice in the Instant Pot! I thought it will be nice to share my full-proof recipe with you guys since I have been making it regularly. Hope you guys find it useful.
This Instant Pot Brown Rice
✓ is really easy to make in the IP!
✓ full-proof method which results in perfect brown rice every time
✓ no need to baby sit, just add everything to the IP and you’re done.
Ingredients
The recipe has only 4 ingredients.
Brown rice: you can use whichever brown rice you prefer here. I like the one from Trader Joe’s and that is what I have used in the recipe.
Olive oil: addition of oil helps flavor the rice and also improves the texture. You can use any oil here, I prefer olive oil.
Salt: just like the oil, salt helps in flavoring the rice, so I do recommend adding some of it.
Water: and of course you need some water to cook the rice.
These are pretty much the basic ingredients you need for this recipe. You can of course add some spices to it like turmeric, paprika etc. if you want to add some flavor to the rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I half this recipe?
Yes easily, use 1 cup brown rice (195 grams) , 1.25 cups water (10 oz), 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
The pressure cooking time remains same.
Does this recipe work with all kinds of brown rice?
I have made this recipe with brown jasmine rice, short brown rice and it works well with both. Haven’t tested with brown basmati rice but I am pretty sure it will work with the same ratios.
Method
Rinse brown rice under running water. Drain the water and then add it to the inner steel container of your Instant Pot.
Then add water to the pot.
Add olive oil and salt.
Then give it a quick stir.
Close the Instant Pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 24 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is in the sealing position.
Once the 24 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally. Open the pot and fluff the brown rice with a fork and enjoy!
What is your favorite way to eat brown rice?
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in June 2018.
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice 390 grams
- 2.5 cups water 20 oz
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse brown rice under running water. Drain the water and then add it to the inner steel container of your Instant Pot.
- Then add water to the pot along with olive oil and salt. Give a quick stir.
- Close the Instant Pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 24 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is in the sealing position.
- Once the 24 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally. Open the pot and fluff the brown rice with a fork. Enjoy with any curry or your choice!
Awesome thanks. Started to look for a rice cooker and thought I’d check how to use my instant pot since there’s a new pressure cooking rice cooker out now that $500.
I had been putting the rice in the drain dish inside the pressure cooker and the water underneath it before! I still had to google that to make sure I was doing it right since your post doesn’t describe how to setup the instant pot exaclty(I wanted to be sure I was doing it right!).
I did use your timing and portions (I halved it for just myself). It I set it for 24 min and came back later after it had naturally depresurized and it was awesome. I just wanted to come back here and say thanks since I won’t be buying a new rice cooker anymore!
I am glad it helped!
2 cups of rice is too much for myself or the family. Do you know what the smallest amount is that can be cooked in a 5.7L Instant Pot? I currently have a basic pressure cooker and it is great but having to cook a minimum of 2 cups of rice when you can only eat 1 is not really practical.
you can cook 1 cup easily, timing will remain same, just half the recipe
I have cooked 1 cup of rice in my 8 qt. instant pot and it came out fine.