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    Instant Pot Brown Rice

    March 29, 2021 by Denise Bustard Leave a Comment

    Home / Recipes / Instant Pot Side Dishes / Instant Pot Brown Rice

    Jump to Recipe

    Instant Pot brown rice comes out fluffy each time, and takes less time than the stove! This post shows you how to cook it perfectly with step by step photos.

    Cooking grains in the Instant Pot is so easy because of the 'set it and forget it' factor. From Instant Pot basmati rice to farro, and even quinoa, it works great for many options.

    close up of cooked brown rice on rice paddle over instant pot
    Table of Contents show
    1 You're going to ♡ this recipe because
    2 Recipe video
    3 Ingredient notes
    4 Step by step directions
    5 FAQ
    6 Flavor variations
    7 Storage and reheating
    8 More rice recipes
    9 Instant Pot Brown Rice (perfect + fluffy!)

    Cook up a batch of brown rice in the Instant Pot to use for meal prep, or as an easy side dish for your dinner. It goes great with perfect baked chicken thighs or teriyaki glazed salmon!

    You're going to ♡ this recipe because

    • it cooks quicker than on the stove top
    • the rice comes out so perfect and fluffy each and every time
    • it's versatile and can work as a side dish, in meal prep, or as part of a casserole

    Recipe video

    Watch the video below to see how I make Instant Pot brown rice! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

    Ingredient notes

    ingredients required to make brown rice in the instant pot
    • brown rice- you can use this cooking method with any type of long grain brown rice; brown basmati is pictured
    • cooking liquid- use water, or for more flavor, stock. You could even add homemade bone broth!
    • coconut oil- coats the grains with a bit of healthy fat and helps to fluff it up after cooking; use refined coconut oil or you may swap for butter or vegan butter
    • salt- adding the salt to the cooking liquid helps to ensure each grain of rice is seasoned properly.

    Step by step directions

    • rinsing brown rice in colander
    • brown rice and water in an instant pot before cooking

    1. Rinse- Run the rice under the tap in a colander, or add it to the stainless steel base, cover with water, swirl, then drain off the water (repeat 2-3 times).

    2. Combine- To the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed rice, cooking liquid and salt. Make sure all the rice is submerged in the liquid.

    • instant pot with 22 minutes on the timer
    • coconut oil on a spoon held over an instant pot

    3. Pressure cook- Put the lid on your Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position. Set your Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow for a full natural pressure release- let the Instant Pot sit until the pin drops (around 15 minutes). Set the valve to 'venting', and carefully remove the lid.

    4. Fluff the rice- Add your coconut oil (or butter if you are using that in place), and use a rice paddle or wooden spoon to fluff the rice. Put the lid onto your Instant Pot and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.

    rice paddle in instant pot with cooked brown rice

    5. Serve- Serve your rice immediately, or store for later.


    FAQ

    Why don't we use the 'rice' button on the Instant Pot?

    In a side by side experiment, I personally found that rice cooked using the manual (or pressure cook) setting came out fluffier and with a better texture.

    What is the water: rice ratio in the Instant Pot?

    Whereas the water: rice ratio on the stove is 2: 1, the Instant Pot cooks in a closed environment where very little liquid escapes; therefore we use a 1.25 : 1 water: rice ratio for long grain brown rice.

    Can I skip the coconut oil?

    Yes, you sure can. You can also swap for butter, margarine, or vegan butter.

    brown rice in blue bowl

    Flavor variations

    • herb lemon- zest of ½ a lemon, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano; add ½ juiced lemon after cooking
    • saffron- 1 pinch saffron threads soaked in ¼ cup boiling water for 5 minutes; ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • cilantro lime- zest of 1 lime; add ½ cup cilantro leaves and juice of ½ a lime after cooking
    • pesto- ¼ cup pesto; stir in fresh basil and slivered almonds after cooking
    • turmeric- ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    Storage and reheating

    If not handled properly, rice can be at risk of growing harmful bacteria that can make you sick. If you follow the following steps, you will be perfectly fine:

    • Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking- do not let it sit at room temperature for too long as this is the temperature at which harmful bacteria can replicate
    • Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
    • Reheat until steaming hot
    • Do not reheat more than once

    Read more about rice & food safety here!

    Freezing

    Rice freezes well. You can freeze it in meal prep containers or in freezer bags (I love these re-usable silicone freezer bags!). Some people add a little bit of water when re-heating freeze/thawed rice, as it does end up slightly drier than fresh rice.

    More rice recipes

    • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Pesto Green Rice
    • Turmeric Yellow Rice
    • Herb Lemon Rice Recipe
    • Weeknight Coconut Rice
    • Saffron Rice
    • Easy Mexican-Inspired Rice

    ☆ Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave me a review and star rating in the comments below. Your reviews help so much!

    close up of cooked brown rice on rice paddle over instant pot
    Print Recipe
    0 from 0 votes

    Instant Pot Brown Rice (perfect + fluffy!)

    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Calories: 201kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 4
    Instant Pot brown rice comes out fluffy each time, and takes less time than the stove! This post shows you how to cook it perfectly with step by step photos.

    Equipment

    • 6 Quart Instant Pot
    • 8 Quart Instant Pot
    Prep Time3 mins
    Cook Time22 mins
    Time to pressurize + natural pressure release20 mins
    Total Time45 mins

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup long grain brown rice see note 1
    • 1 ¼ cups water see note 2
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    After cooking

    • 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or butter

    Instructions

    • Rinse- Run the rice under the tap in a colander, or add it to the stainless steel base, cover with water, swirl, then drain off the water (repeat 2-3 times).
      rinsing brown rice in colander
    • Combine- To the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed rice, cooking liquid and salt. Make sure all the rice is submerged in the liquid.
      brown rice and water in an instant pot before cooking
    • Pressure cook- Put the lid on your Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position. Set your Instant Pot to cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow for a full natural pressure release- let the Instant Pot sit until the pin drops (around 15 minutes). Set the valve to 'venting', and carefully remove the lid.
      instant pot with 22 minutes on the timer
    • Fluff the rice- Add your coconut oil (or butter if you are using that in place), and use a rice paddle or wooden spoon to fluff the rice. Put the lid onto your Instant Pot and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
      coconut oil on a spoon held over an instant pot
    • Serve- Serve your brown rice and enjoy!
      close up of cooked brown rice on rice paddle over instant pot

    Notes

    1- you may use any long grain brown rice; brown basmati is pictured
    2- to add extra flavor, cook your rice in vegetable or chicken stock
    3- nutritional information represents ¼ of the batch
    Storage
    Cool rice quickly and get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in an air tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
    Reheat
    Add a tablespoon of water, then heat in the microwave until steaming hot. Fluff the rice back up and enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup *note 3 | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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