We’ve shown you a few different methods for making brown rice. In the oven. Boiling in a lot of water. And there’s always just making it on the stovetop. There are pros and cons to each, but I’ve recently started cooking brown rice in my Instant Pot. We’ve been hearing from a lot of people who got them for Christmas, wanting recipes, and rice is one of those essential ways that you can really put your Instant Pot to work. This Instant Pot Brown Rice is about as fast as the method that involves cooking it in a lot of water, but I also feel like it’s more forgiving. It’s a lot faster than cooking it in the oven (although there are times that I really like that method; it’s very comfort food-y) and cooking it on the stovetop is always kind of iffy…things spill over…rice burns…I say bad words…the rice is either overcooked or undercooked. Basically, I just need to never do that.
The first time I cooked it in my Instant Pot, I used the Instant Pot directions (which are more along the lines of stovetop water to rice proportions). I wound up with mushy, waterlogged rice. The next time around, someone told me that I needed to cut way back on the water, which gave me perfect, fuss-free brown rice. So now I make it likes this a few times a week and freeze any leftovers for easy use in the future.
You’ll need 2 cups of brown rice, 2 1/2 cups water (I use just shy of that because I don’t think I need that much at sea level elevation, but I think in higher elevations, 2 1/2 will be perfect), a little olive oil, and a little kosher salt.
Use the sauté setting on your pan to heat the olive oil, then add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add the salt and water…
And use the manual setting to cook for 22-24 minutes (22 for low elevations, 24 for higher elevations). Allow the pressure to release naturally (so don’t turn the valve) for 5-10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.
Seriously, it couldn’t be easier!
How to Make Brown Rice in an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Use the sauté setting to heat the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds. Add water and salt. Use the manual setting to cook for 22-24 minutes (22 for low elevations, 24 for higher), then allow the pressure to release naturally (don't use the release valve) for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Leftovers freeze beautifully for later use.
Notes
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Questions & Reviews
The proportion of rice to water was perfect. I set the timer for 24 minutes and turned the Instant Pot off at the end of the cycle instead of letting it go to warmer mode. Best brown rice out of my kitchen. Thank you!
Thank you! The rice was perfect. My husband who only eats white rice liked this. The recipe proportions was exactly right!
I used a cup of leftover tomato soup in once of some of the water, along with some onions and spices, and it worked out great. Served with chicken and green beans.
I just used the instant pot for the first time to make two cups of brown rice and was disappointed as it seemed now properly cooked. I think the vent release may have been open and lost liquid. I am trying it again and crossing fingers. My question is – is it 2.5 cups of the rice measuring cup of water or 2.5 regular measuring cups of water? This second batch turned out much better (I had the knob Set to sealed) using same measuring cup for water quantity: i did not use any olive oil so I will continue to experiment with water quantities especially at different altitudes (we travel full time in a motorhome.
Yes, 2.5 measuring cups of water.
How long do you cook if living in Pennsylvania?
Same as me…you only need to adjust if you live at a very high altitude.
Do you cook it on the high pressure setting? How do you know when to use high or low pressure in general and does using lower pressure increase the cooking time?
It depends on the pot–some you can adjust high/low and some you can’t (like on mine). When in doubt, just use high. 🙂
Came out perfect!!!
I tried this tonight and it worked pretty well. I live at 4700 feet and so I used a full 2 1/2 cups of water and cooked on high pressure for 24 minutes. The rice was cooked through, but was a little bit watery still. I took the lid off and let it sit without a lid for about ten minutes to let some of the steam evaporate off and the texture improved. I loved how quick it was to have brown rice on the table. Thanks for giving me the confidence to try rice in the Instant Pot. I had heard too many horror stories and had been scared to try!
Is the ratio still the same for short grain brown rice?
Yep! 🙂
I know this might sound obvious, but would this work as well with white rice? Or would you change the proportions at all?
Let me check on the proportions and get back to you–not dumb at all!