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!
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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.
How to Make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot
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?
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Instant Pot Brown Rice
Step by step instructions on how to make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot. This full proof recipe results in perfect brown rice every time!
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!
Recipe Notes
You may skip the oil and salt. I like the texture and flavor more with the salt and oil and hence add it to mine.
Just cut the ingredients by half and cooked for 24 minutes in my instant pot. Regular store-brand long grain brown rice turned out wonderfully… fluffy and perfectly cooked!
Followed the recipe (added a little bit of spices) – but mine still came out kind of mushy. I rinsed the rice very thoroughly beforehand.. not sure what I need to change. Looking for rice that each grain is separate rather than stuck together. This recipe was far better than others I have tried, though (even using a rice cooker). Any advice? Thanks !
I am not sure, because this recipe has been made so many times (by me and also my so many others) and it gives perfect brown rice which isn’t mushy at all. Maybe it is the brown rice that you are using?
I made this but put the rice in a bowl and swirled it with water for about a minute, then drained and added fresh water about 3-4 times. Then soaked the rice for 30 minutes in fresh water. That helps with the starch 🙂
Try reduce a little bit if water. How about 1 rice: 1.1 water.
Excellent instructions and really good rice. I had to let mine sit a bit longer, because I am not a fan of al dente, but the proportions were perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe!
My rice came out perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing.
This worked perfectly for me! Delicious. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
New to using an instant pot. Ratio of rice to water is 1:1.25. (2:2.5). typically it is 1:2, using an instant pot changes that?
for brown rice this ratio works best!
Yes. No steam escapes so you need less water. I’ve read some that say all rice is 1:1 ratio in instant pot.
Thanks for this recipe! While you are doing the natural release, do you leave it on the “keep warm” setting or turn it off completely? Thanks!
either is fine. I leave on keep warm
Thanks! It turned out great!
Sigh I was in a rush and didn’t rinse the rice. My guests are coming in about an hour and the rice is still cooking. Now I don’t know what will happen 🙁
it will be done by the time they come, hopefully
It was definitely ready on time but I was more worried about the consistency… that it would be too sticky or mushy. But apparently mine was short grain brown rice so it turned out perfect and my guests loved it! I was so worried but it turned out wonderful. Thank you for posting your recipe!
I used brown basmati and cut the recipe in half. Turned out perfect. Thanks for sharing the Instapot rice:water ratio. It sure worked.
I thought for sure this was too much cooking time, but my rice came out near perfect. Thank you.
how long does it take to “natural release”? It would help to know the total time to allow so it is ready when I want it. Thank you
around 10-15 minutes. You can quick release the pressure after 10 mins!
I followed the recipe exactly but halved it. I cooked it for the same time (24 minutes) and let the steam release naturally for 20 minutes (only because I forgot it – I think it would have been fine to steam release at 10 minutes too!) The rice came out perfectly and was incredibly flavorful – not mushy or bland or al dente. Thank you for sharing this recipe – I can finally make delicious brown rice now!
Made this last night exactly as written. Some trepidation because cooking time is much longer than some other recipes. Rice was PERFECT. Thank you!
Turned out just perfect . I even added some cumin seeds . Thank you
I’ve ever had any luck with brown rice on the stovetop, but this worked perfectly. I loved the addition of the olive oil. Thank you!
Perfect every time! Thank you!
Perfect rice. Thanks