How to Cook Brown Rice - 3 Ways

Learn how to cook perfect brown rice on the stove top, in an instant pot or in a rice cooker! Just follow these tested and perfected methods for cooking brown rice and you'll have light and fluffy rice every time!

Use these proven methods to make brown rice for the base of your favorite bowls. Try it in these Roasted Broccoli Bowls or these Asian Brussels Sprouts Bowls!

Cooking the perfect brown rice at home is so easy. But it's also easy to make not-so-perfect rice that ends up mushy, or hard and dried out! Using the right techniques, timing and ratios is key to making the perfect brown rice every time.

After making a lot of brown rice over the years as the base of hundreds of tasty bowls, I've learned all of the tips and tricks for easily making brown rice on the stove top, in an Instant Pot or in a rice cooker. And I'm here to share them with you today!

Brown rice is a naturally gluten free whole grain packed with lots of nutrients and antioxidants, making it a great choice for the base of a healthy bowl!

Is brown rice healthier than white rice?

Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice. Some quick facts about brown rice vs. white rice.

• Brown rice is a whole grain, whereas white rice is a refined grain. This means brown rice contains all parts of the grain, including the fibrous bran and nutritious germ, which have been removed from white rice. Since these are the most nutritious parts of the grain, this makes brown rice healthier than white rice.
• Brown rice is higher in fiber, magnesium and antioxidants than white rice. Since white rice is lacking most of these essential nutrients, it's considered a source of "empty" calories and carbs.
• Brown rice contains natural nutrients, whereas white rice is artificially enriched with nutrients.

Brown Rice Nutrition

One cup of cooked brown rice contains:

• 229 calories
• 48 grams carbs
• 5 grams protein
• 2 grams fat
• 2 grams fiber

Types of Brown Rice

There are four different types of brown rice, short grain, medium grain, long grain and sweet brown rice. With the two most common types being long grain and short grain.

Within the long grain brown rice family, you'll find traditional long-grain brown rice which is the most widely available type of brown rice, found at almost every grocery store. You'll also find brown jasmine rice in Asian markets and brown basmati rice in Indian markets.

For this post, we'll be using traditional long-grain brown rice in each of the three methods. If you're looking for how to cook short grain brown rice, check out this post on Healthy Nibbles.

How To Cook Brown Rice in a Rice Cooker

1. Rinse the brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear, 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the rinsed rice to a rice cooker with water and salt, making sure all of the rice is covered by the water.
3. Place the lid on the rice cooker.
4. Each rice cooker is different, but if your rice cooker has a "whole grain" button, you'll want to use that. If not, manually set the rice cooker for 60 minutes.
5. After the rice has cooked for 60 minutes, allow it to rest for 10 minutes in the rice cooker.
6. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

How To Cook Brown Rice in an Instant Pot

1. Rinse the brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear, 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the rinsed rice to an Instant Pot with water and salt, making sure all of the rice is covered by the water.
3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the "sealing" position.
4. Use the "manual" button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 15 minutes.
5. Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps 3 times, allow the pressure to naturally release fully before removing the lid.
6. Once all of the pressure has naturally released, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

How To Cook Brown Rice on the Stove

1. Bring 6 cups of water to boil on the stove in a large stockpot.
2. Rinse the brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the rinsed rice to the boiling water, along with salt.
4. Keep at a rapid boil, uncovered for 30 minutes. If the water begins to boil over the pot, turn the temperature on the stove down just slightly.
5. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat on the stove.
6. Drain the rice from the excess water in the stockpot.
7. Place the drained rice back in the pot, cover and let rest, off the heat, for 10 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

How long does it take to cook brown rice?

• In the Instant Pot, it takes 45 minutes, start to finish. This is the fastest cooking method of the three.
• In a rice cooker, it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, start to finish. This is the slowest cooking method of the three.
• On the stovetop, it takes 50 minutes, start to finish.

Which method produces the best tasting brown rice?

While each of these methods will create fluffy, delicious brown rice, the Instant Pot and stovetop actually created the best textured rice. And with the Instant Pot being the fastest method, it is my go-to cooking method for brown rice.

How many cups of cooked rice does 1 cup of uncooked brown rice make?

One cup of uncooked brown rice will result in approximately three cups of cooked brown rice.

How much brown rice should you cook per person?

As a side dish, I would say to plan for ½ cup cooked brown rice per person. If making bowls, I usually add one cup of cooked brown rice to the base of each bowl.

What is the ratio of water to rice?

• In an Instant Pot, the ratio is 1 cup brown rice to 1 ¼ cups water.
• In a Rice Cooker, the ratio is 1 cup brown rice to 2 ¼ cups water.
• Using this stovetop method, where some of the water is drained off in the end, you'll want to use a ratio of 1 cup brown rice to 6 cups water.

What can I add to brown rice?

It's easy to kick up the flavor of brown rice by swapping out the water for broth, or by adding seasonings. Try one of these delicious additions the next time you make brown rice!

• Broth instead of water - using chicken, vegetable or beef broth instead of water will give the rice a ton of flavor! I like to use a 50/50 ratio of broth to water, this keeps the sodium levels down while still adding flavor to the rice.
• Butter or oil - adding 1 tablespoon of butter or oil per cup of uncooked brown rice will add delicious flavor to the rice.
• Herbs – add 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, thyme or oregano, or 1-2 bay leaves. The herbs will steam into the rice for a wonderful flavor. Simply add the herbs on top of the water and rice in either the rice cooker, instant pot or saucepan on the stove. Cook as instructed. Before fluffing the rice with a fork, remove the herbs from the rice.
• Whole spices – when making rice for Indian food, I always add cardamom pods and coriander seeds. Just like with the herbs, whole spices should be added with the water and rice, cooked with the rice, then removed before fluffing the rice.
• Fresh ginger and lemongrass – when making rice to pair with Thai food, I’ll add a small knob of ginger (approximately 1 inch in length) and 1 inch pieces of lemongrass. The ginger and lemongrass cook with the rice, then I remove them both before fluffing the rice.
• Ground spices – if you’re making rice to pair with Mexican food, feel free to add one teaspoon taco seasoning, or a combination of ground cumin, paprika and chili powder.

Ways to use it

Brown rice is the perfect side dish for Chinese food, Mexican recipes or Indian dishes. It's great for making fried rice or pairing with stir fries. It also makes a wonderful base for bowls! Try it in these tasty bowl recipes.

• Roasted Broccoli Bowls (pictured above)
• Crispy Asian Brussels Sprouts Bowl
• Moroccan Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Buddha Bowl
• Thai Chicken Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Learn how to make every kind of base for a bowl in these posts for How To Cook Quinoa 3 Ways, How To Cook White Rice 3 Ways, How To Cook Black Lentils and how to make Instant Pot Sushi Rice for sushi and poke bowls!

Recipe