This Instant Pot brown rice recipe makes tender and slightly chewy perfect brown rice every time! Makes a big batch that can be used for meal prep convenience throughout the week or freeze to use over time.
Instant Pot Brown Rice
I’ve been sitting on this recipe for SO long — because hey, it’s kind of hard to get excited about brown rice. Right?! But this Instant Pot brown rice is NOT your mama’s brown rice! Forget about the mushy & bland or still crunchy & oily brown rice of the past…
What you get (every time!!!) is a BIG batch of tender and slightly chewy brown rice that’s the perfect side dish or base for a variety of meals (like this peanut butter chicken or this Instant Pot salsa chicken). AND it doesn’t require you to babysit it on the stovetop to prevent boil overs or scorching. #winning
Now before you freak out about the “big batch” part, let me tell that this works perfectly for any size family. Big batches of everything are a way of life when I’m feeding my large family, but in this case, it’s ideal for smaller families, too.
Here’s why: Brown rice keeps in the refrigerator for roughly a week, meaning you can make a batch early in the week and reheat it for meals as needed throughout the week. You will be amazed at how much of a timesaver this is and totally fall in love with the convenience of having it ready to go.
TIP: Brown rice also freezes well, and I’ll go into detail on freezing brown rice in just a moment…
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Getting Rid Of My Rice Cooker
Another benefit of making brown rice in the Instant Pot? I’ve been able to ditch my rice cooker altogether. I’ve been on a mission lately to streamline my kitchen, and taking a hard look at all of the small kitchen appliances I’ve accumulated is a big part of that. Though I dearly love my rice cooker (and have discovered it’s pretty versatile over the years), I gave it the boot.
Not only is the Instant Pot a fraction of the price of my high end rice cooker, but it makes much larger quantities and offers even more functionality. So for perfectly cooked rice, these days I’m Team Insta all the way…
how to cook brown rice in instant pot?
If you’ve been plagued with mushy brown rice in the past, it’s probably because you’ve been using too much liquid. And you know what? It’s NOT YOUR FAULT!
Most packages recommend a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice, when you really only need about a 1.25:1 ratio. And with pressure cooker brown rice made in the Instant Pot, you need even less — thanks to its closed cooking environment.
So are you ready to learn how to cook brown rice in an Instant Pot? Yeah, I thought so! Step number one is to rinse your favorite variety of brown rice under cold water. This introduces a tiny bit of moisture before cooking and will also help keep your rice grains more separate and distinct. From there, you simply add the rinsed brown rice, liquid of your choice (I like this chicken broth), a bit of coconut oil or ghee, and a touch of kosher salt to the Instant Pot insert.
how long to cook brown rice in instant pot?
As far as how long to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot, I’ve tried several different methods. What I’ve found works best is to cook it on high pressure for 25 minutes, and then do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. At this point you can release any remaining pressure, remove the lid, and fluff your perfectly cooked brown rice.
That’s it! Five minutes of active prep, and you’re on your way to an easy staple that you can use for days upon days.
Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe
One batch of this Instant Pot brown rice recipe yields about 6 cups of cooked rice. I often double it, because yeah, we go through THAT MUCH in a week!
My favorite combo is brown rice + chicken broth + ghee. It provides enough flavor to make it enjoyable as a side, while keeping it neutral enough for use in casseroles and bowls. Of course, you always have the option of using straight up water and any oil you prefer!
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Instant Pot Brown Rice
This Instant Pot brown rice recipe makes tender and slightly chewy perfect brown rice every time! Makes a big batch that can be used for meal prep convenience throughout the week or freeze to use over time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 cups water, stock, or broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pour the brown rice into a large mesh strainer, and rinse well under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Place the non-stick insert pot into the Instant Pot base. Add the rinsed rice, liquid of choice, oil of choice, and kosher salt to the insert.
- Lock the lid on top of the Instant Pot, and make sure the steam release knob is turned to “sealing”.
- Press the Manual (Pressure Cook for the new IP-DUO60) button on the front. High pressure should automatically be selected, but if it’s not for some reason, press the Pressure button to toggle it to high.
- Use the plus or minus buttons to set the cook time to 25 minutes. Wait a few seconds and you should hear a beep. At this point, the display will read “on”, indicating that the Instant Pot is pressuring up. Once it comes to pressure (about 9-10 minutes), it will switch to the timer to cook the rice for 25 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to turn the Instant Pot off. Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes. Then use a thick towel or a pair of tongs to turn the steam release knob to “venting” to release any remaining pressure. If you’ve never experienced this before, it can be pretty forceful, so pull your hands away quickly, stand back, and allow the steam to escape.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 294mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
How long does brown rice last in the refrigerator?
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can you freeze brown rice?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze cooked brown rice! It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
How to freeze brown rice?
Freezing brown rice is an easy way to always have some on hand for an easy side dish or meal component. And freezing it is SO easy!
- Portion cooked and cooled brown rice into freezer bags.
- Flatten out the rice in the bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.
- Lay the bags out flat in the freezer for about 2 hours. Once frozen, you can stack them up for longer term storage.
- To reheat frozen brown rice, place the bag in the fridge to thaw, or simply cook it straight from frozen.
More easy instant pot recipes:
Whether you’re an Instant Pot beginner or a seasoned pro, I think you’ll love these easy staples that can be made in an electric pressure cooker.!
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice — If you love the Mexican red rice that’s commonly served in Mexican restaurants, you will adore this simple recipe that’s ready to serve in just about 30 minutes…
- How to Cook Sweet Potatoes In Instant Pot — No more undercooked sweet potatoes, this one simple secret will produce a perfectly cooked Instant Pot sweet potato every time… Making sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot is a total game changer for meal prep or those doing a Whole30!
- 6 Minute Egg — These Instant Pot hard boiled eggs turn out amazing every time! 6-minute eggs are easy to peel, perfectly cooked, and never have those icky green yolks…
- Coconut Quinoa — Just 3 ingredients and insanely easy prep (use your rice cooker or Instant Pot) make this delicious coconut quinoa with lime zest recipe a go-to side dish or breakfast option… Total winner!
I’d love to see how your Instant Pot brown rice turns out… Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!