Instant Pot Brown Rice

Instant pot brown rice that is nutty, fluffy, tender, firm and delicious. This is a simple step by step guide on how to cook pressure cooker brown rice. This easy instant pot brown rice recipe gives seperate, perfectly cooked rice that can be served with chili, curries, soups and stews. No hard, mushy or burnt rice here.

For someone that cooks and eat rice a lot, it's no surprise that rice recipes keep growing on this blog. Instant pot jasmine rice, instant pot white rice, basmati rice are some of the recipes on the blog already so i'm following up with this perfect brown rice recipe.

Whatever the type of rice i'm cooking, i now always use the instant pot. My pots and rice cooker don't get used for cooking rice anymore because the instant pot is just so much easier and give consistent results everytime with my failproof recipes. Brown rice is one of the rice i like to cook, I especially like it because of it's health benefits compared to white rice. The nutty taste and chewy texture is also one of the reasons i like brown rice. Let me show you how to cook brown rice in instant pot.

WHAT IS BROWN RICE

Brown rice is a whole grain rice that is less processed than white rice (with brown rice, only the hull is removed). It is known for it's chewy and nutty flavour, It's high in fibre, gluten free and a good source of nutrients like b vitamins, folate and magnesium. The high fibre content aids digestion, helps lower cholesterol and keeps you full for longer. There is short grain, medium grain and long grain brown rice but most popular is the long grain brown rice.

WHY I LIKE INSTANT POT BROWN RICE

I like how easy it is to cook rice in the instant pot pressure cooker, so easy that i can cook it as many times and as often as i like.

Quicker than stovetop method. It takes lesser time to cook rice in instant pot than stovetop. It takes less than 30 minutes to cook.

It's packed full of fibre, nutrients and flavour.

I get consistent result. My brown rice comes out perfect all the time in the instant pot with this recipe.

It’s a delicious, healthy side dish that pairs well with chili, sauces and meat.

Inexpensive and filling.

I don’t have to wait around while rice is cooking. I can go about doing other things while rice is cooking in the instant pot and once it's done, it beeps to alert me.

BROWN RICE VS WHITE RICE

Brown rice is whole grain, white rice is refined grain. What this means is with brown rice only the inedible hull is removed while with white rice the hull, bran and germ are removed.

White rice is more processed and with the bran and germ removed, it contains less fibre and nutrients than brown rice (bran and germ are the most nutritious parts of rice).

As only the hull is removed from brown rice, it retains fibre, nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants.

1 cup of cooked brown rice has 216 calories while 1 cup of cooked white rice has 210 calories.

Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.

Brown rice is chewer and has a more nutty flavour.

INSTANT POT BROWN RICE RECIPE

This instant pot pressure cooker brown rice recipe is easy to cook and a dump and go recipe. You get cooked rice in less than 30 minutes making it faster than cooking it in stovetop.

I have the instant pot 7 in 1 duo 6 quart but you can make this recipe in other sizes and other brands of electric pressure cooker like pressure king pro and ninja foodie. Although you can cook rice pot in pot, this is not a pot in pot method.

In this post, i have detailed what brown rice is, ingredients, how to cook, rice to water ratio, cooking time, what to eat with, tips, how to store and more. Do read these important notes before getting the detailed ingredient list and directions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

If you do have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment and I’ll respond as soon as possible.

INGREDIENTS

Detailed ingredient list and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Brown rice

Water

Oil - Olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil , coconut oil or even butter.

Salt

HOW TO RINSE BROWN RICE

You do not have to soak brown rice but it's good to wash it till water runs clear before cooking. Steps for washing are:

• Measure rice in a bowl and add warm water. Rinse and drain.

• Repeat above step at least 2 more times or till water run clears.

• Drain rice and it’s ready to be cooked.

HOW TO COOK BROWN RICE IN INSTANT POT

1)Wash rice till water runs clear and drain.

2) Add rice in the pot of the instant pot pressure cooker, add water, salt and oil. Stir the content of the pot.

3) Cover pot with it's lid, turn the vent to sealing then set instant pot to manual pressure cook high 22 minutes. When the rice is done pressure cooking for 22 minutes, do 10 minutes natural pressure release.

For instant pot terminologies and check my guide on how to use instant pot.

4) When instant pot is depressurised, open the lid and fluff rice with fork.

5) Serve and enjoy with sides of choice.

HOW TO MAKE BROWN RICE ON THE STOVE

Follow these 3 easy steps to cooking perfect brown rice on stovetop

1) Wash rice till water runs clear then add rice, water, oil and salt in a pot and cover pot with lid.

2) Cook on medium heat for 45 minutes or till cooked.

3) Take off heat and fluff with fork.

Serve and enjoy.

WATER TO RICE RATIO FOR BROWN RICE

I use ratio 1:1 for instant pot brown rice, that is 1 cup of rice to 1.25 cups of water and ratio 1: 2 for stovetop brown rice that is 1 cup rice and 2 cups water.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BROWN RICE

HOW LONG TO COOK BROWN RICE IN INSTANT POT

For this recipe, with the rice to water ratio, manual pressure cook on high for 22 minutes then do 10 minutes natural release afterwards. Rice to water ratio i use for brown rice is 1:1.25.

CALORIES IN BROWN RICE

A cup of cooked brown rice contain 216 Calories of which carbs is 44.8g, fiber 3.5g, protein 5g and fat 1.8g.

TIPS FOR COOKING BROWN RICE

• Rinse rice well till water runs clear to get rid of any dirt and excess starch. Excess starch make rice sticky.

• Add salt to rice from when it goes in the pot rather than when it’s cooked. This way the salt is evenly distributed and absorbed by the rice.

• Oil help with seperate grains. I normally use vegetable oil but you can also use butter.

• You can use broth instead of water to add more flavour.

• You can add chopped onions.

WHAT TO EAT WITH BROWN RICE

You can serve with curries, stews, beans, chili, vegetables and more. I like serving brown rice with

Instant Pot chili

Easy Instant pot black eyed peas

Best Instant pot chicken curry

Instant pot salmon

HOW TO STORE BROWN RICE

Brown rice is best eaten immediately but if you have to store leftover brown rice, cool it down quickly before putting in airtight container or freezer bags, label and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat - Brown rice heats up well. If heating on stovetop, add in a pan, add some water, cover and steam for few minutes. If heating in microwave, put a cup of water in the microwave to prevent rice from drying out.

MORE INSTANT POT RICE RECIPES ON THE BLOG

Instant pot basmati rice

Vegan and Instant pot jollof rice

Instant pot Spanish rice

Easy Instant pot white rice

Recipe

Want more ? Check out these instant pot chicken recipes.

If you haven’t already, Subscribe to the blog for free weekly recipes in your email. Also follow recipe vibes on instagram and pinterest. For video recipes, subscribe to recipe vibes Youtube channel.

Are you team white rice or team brown rice? Let me know in the comment below. Also, If you make this recipe, do rate it below.

Happy Cooking