Instant Pot Brown Rice

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Instant Pot Brown Rice is done in half the time and turns out perfectly. If you haven’t made rice in the Instant Pot you are missing out. So easy and so much quicker than cooking it the traditional way.

I love using the Instant Pot. You can throw the rice in, set it for 20 minutes, and go about your day. Once you make rice like this you will never turn back. It cooks just the way you want rice to turn out.

Instant Pot Brown Rice

Brown rice is nutritious and full of fiber. It is rougher in texture but adds so much to a meal. If you cook brown rice on the stovetop you are looking at an hour cook time. Making it in the Instant Pot cuts the time in half.

Cooking rice can be tricky. If you don’t get just the right ratio or cook time it can either be too mushy, hard, or crunchy and nobody has time for that!

I was skeptical of cooking rice in the Instant Pot for a long time but as soon as I hopped on that train all of my rice woes were over. Cooking brown rice is so simple now and it doesn’t take forever to cook. Total win.

Ingredients

Brown rice
Water or broth

Keep scrolling to find a full, printable recipe with a detailed ingredient list.

Recipe Instructions

Spread the rice evenly in the Instant Pot insert. Add water and shake gently to ensure even distribution.
Place the insert back into the Instant Pot, close the lid, and set the valve to "sealing."
Select the "pressure cook" button and set the cook time to 20 minutes on high pressure. Allow the Instant Pot to reach pressure and begin cooking.
After the cook time, let it rest for 18 minutes for natural pressure release.
Release any remaining pressure by flipping the valve. Carefully remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to rinse brown rice before cooking?

Rinsing rice can help remove excess starch and any debris that may be present. It can also help prevent the rice from becoming sticky. However, rinsing rice can also wash away some of the nutrients and natural flavor. . Ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether or not to rinse the rice based on your desired outcome and personal taste preferences.

Is brown rice healthier than white rice?

Brown rice is higher in fiber, magnesium, and other natural nutrients than white rice is. Brown rice is more nutrient dense and heartier in taste too.

How many cups of rice can you cook in an Instant Pot?

In a 6 quart Instant Pot you can cook about 5 cups of rice. If you are using an 8 quart don’t exceed 6.5 cups.

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📖 Recipe

brown rice in a pressure cooker on a red spoon

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How to Make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot

Prep Time5

Cook Time38

Course: Side Dish

Servings:

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups brown rice
▢ 2 ½ cups water or broth

Instructions

Add the rice to the Instant Pot insert and shake the insert just a little so that the rice spreads all across the bottom of the pot (and is not just in a pile in the center).
Add the water the the Instant Pot insert, and shake the insert just a little so that the rice spreads evenly along the bottom of the pot. (Sometimes when you add the water, it'll wash a hole in the rice, so by shaking it the rice will cover the bottom of the pot again.)
Place the insert back into the cooking portion of the Instant Pot, place the lid on, push the valve to "sealing."
Press the "pressure cook" button and set the cook time for 20 minutes. It should be on high pressure. (Sometimes using the rice button will not be the high pressure option, so I don't use the rice button.)
Let the Instant Pot come to pressure and start the cook time.
Once the cook time has gone by, let it rest for 18 minutes at natural pressure release (on mine, it'll starts counting up the minutes since the cook time has ended, so I just wait for it to get to 18).
Once the 18 minute natural pressure release has gone by, you can flip the valve so that any remaining pressure is released.
Remove the lid carefully, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Notes

The ratio of rice to water is 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cup liquid (water or broth) use that to scale this recipe up as needed.
You can rinse your rise in a mesh strainer before cooking it, you’ll end up with a less sticky rice.
This recipe works for long, medium, and short grain brown rice. This will not work for white rice or instant rice, it has a much shorter cooking time. Find my recipe for cooking white rice in the Instant Pot here.

Nutrition

Instant Pot Brown Rice is my favorite method now. The rice turns out tender, delicious and is done in under 30 minutes! You can’t get better than that.