Do you have an Instant Pot? We recently purchased one and, admittedly, we were a little skeptical about adding it to our kitchen. It’s clunky, it’s not cheap, and does it really cook food faster?
The verdict is still out, but we’re well into testing and can’t wait to share our experience in a full guide very soon. BUT, in the meantime, we have to say we are SUPER impressed with how well the Instant Pot cooks brown rice, NO SOAKING required.
With an Instant Pot and less than 30 minutes, you can make perfectly tender brown rice every time! Let us show you how.
How to Cook Brown Rice in an Instant Pot
- Add 1 cup water + 1 cup rinsed brown rice to Instant Pot.
- Secure lid, press Pressure Cook – High, and set to 20 minutes. It will take ~8 minutes to pressurize, and then the cooking begins.
- When the timer goes off, carefully press the quick release (steam should immediately stream from the steam valve, so be careful). Once steam has fully escaped — ~30 seconds — carefully remove lid.
- Enjoy perfectly cooked rice! (See recipes below for serving ideas.)
How to Use Brown Rice
- Crispy Miso Chickpea Bowls with Garlic Sesame Dressing
- Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce (30 Minutes!)
- Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Instant Pot Brown Rice (Perfect Every Time!)
A quick & simple method for making PERFECT brown rice in the Instant Pot every time! Just 1 ingredient and less than 30 minutes required!
Servings 6 (1/2-cup servings)
Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain brown rice, rinsed (see notes for long grain rice*)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add water and rinsed rice to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes (it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
- Once the timer goes off, press the quick release (or if not in a hurry, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure). Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped.
- Enjoy immediately. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*For long-grain brown rice, allow a 10 minute natural release for best results.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
Serving: 1 half-cup servings Calories: 100 Carbohydrates: 23.3 g Protein: 2 g Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 0 mg Potassium: 0 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 0 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 0 mg Iron: 0.48 mg
Bailey says
Could you use a vegetable or chicken broth rather than water?
Yes, that would work!
Rand says
I tried this and used 1 1/3 cup water a pinch of salt & veg oil. I set it for 24 min vs the person who used 28min. I have an instant Pot duo plus. It came out perfect
Great! Thank you for sharing, Rand!
Becky says
I made this and it was the best brown rice I’ve ever had! I am so appreciative of the time advice. basically did the 1:1 ratio in my instant pot 8 qt Duo, the modification I made was just a little bit more water, like 1:1.1 haha. I also just added a small splash of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt which is just something I’ve always done with my rice because that’s how my mom taught me to make rice :)
Yum, love your modifications, Becky. Thank you for sharing! xo
Susan R. says
I did this and my Instant Pot read Burn. I opened it and the rice was stuck to the bottom. What did I do wrong?
Hi Susan, sorry that happened! Is it possible you didn’t rinse the rice?
Susan Rodman says
Yes I did rinse the rice well beforehand.
Hm, we’re not sure why it did that then! Adding more water next time should help.
Angie says
Refer to this recipe all the time. Perfect every time
!
Amazing! We’re so glad it’s helpful, Angie. Thank you for your lovely review! xo
Elizabeth says
Oh boy, perfect sure is subjective! I tried this ratio in my Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Instant Pot and ended up with rice I found nearly inedible. Rubbery and unpleasant. Did not absorb sauce and was a chore to eat. I think what would have helped me avoid this waste of rice would have been a description of what “perfect” means to you.
I love so many of your other recipes, though, and while this was a fail for me, at least it was quick and easy to prep.
We’re so sorry you didn’t have success with it, Elizabeth! We haven’t used that model of Instant Pot and wonder if it cooks differently at all? To confirm, you were using the high pressure setting, not low pressure?
Elizabeth says
Thanks for the reply and trying to help figure out why it was such a miss. I wouldn’t think it’d be different from other Instant Pots – it just has more features. But, could be! And yes, I was indeed using the high setting :-(
I see another commenter earlier this month (Joy) found it “a bit undercooked” and found something that worked for her, so next time I’ll try her approach:
1 1/3 cups water + 28 min on high, with natural release.
I appreciate you and all the lovely people who post their experiments!
Thank you for your kind words and follow up, Elizabeth! Keep us posted!
Jessica says
Those who were having slightly under cooked rice, were you sure to rinse the rice? The rice must start already moist before you begin adding one cup of water per cup of rice. The recipe is taking into account that the rice is already moist from the rinse. It actually makes a big difference. :-) Thought I would throw that one for one more problem solving option.
Thanks for sharing that idea, Jessica!
Diane says
I’ve been using my Instant Pot for all manor of food items and mostly for beans in recent years. I usually do rice on the stove but decided it’s about time I tried brown rice in the Instant Pot. Your method works perfectly! I will never do it on the stovetop again. Thank you so much.
The Instant Pot really is so awesome for grains and beans! We’re so glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it, Diane! xo
Marie Groizard says
I would like to know how to cook brown rice in a normal pot, on the stove.
Hi Marie, we have a recipe here (with a couple stovetop cooking options). Hope that helps!
Joy says
I followed the recipe using short grain brown rice and it was a bit undercooked. After trial and error I discovered that the perfect ratio for my rice and Instapot is 1 cup rice to 1 1/3 cups water, a dash of salt, time the high pressure cooking for 28 minutes, let it release naturally with “keep warm” setting turned off, and it’s amazing…. perfect every time! Possibly different rice is slightly different so one has to tweak the basic recipe but after a few trials, it’s easy to find what works consistently. Thank you for your guides to grains. I’m going to try wild rice soon.
Thank you for sharing, Joy!
Migdalia says
Just made a double batch and followed the directions. Perfection! I’ve never had a problem cooking rice on the stove, however, the Instant Pot version allows me to make larger quantities in less time.
Your recipes are always consistently delicious. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Migdalia! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Gail says
Thank you!!! Finally a good way to cook brown rice that doesn’t require boiling water for 35-50 minutes! Came out perfect!
We’re so glad to hear it, Gail! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
john says
I find the directions confusing. I’m using a pressure cooker. No settings. So, if it takes 8 minutes for the “cooking” to begin, does that mean that the entire process should take 28 minutes?
Hi John, this recipe is specifically designed for the Instant Pot and may not work the same with a traditional pressure cooker. We’d suggest finding a recipe specific to what you’re using for best results!
Jen says
Sadly, this didn’t work for me. I followed the recipe exactly and the rice was watery and hard, even after 12 minutes of natural release. I put it back in for 5 for minutes in high pressure. Fingers crossed.
Sorry that happened, Jen! Is it possible you’re using the LOW pressure setting, are at high altitude, or the sealing ring is leaking steam?
Sean says
Loved it! Came out perfect. First time I have ever been able to cook brown rice other than instant. I think next time I’ll try some cooking spray in the pot so rice doesn’t stick.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sean!
Karen says
This rice turned out perfectly! I used long grain and followed your note for the 10 minute release. I’ve used the pasta boil and steam method for brown rice for years and this instant pot recipe is far better, easier, and faster. You are my first go to for all instant pot recipes. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Aw, we’re so glad to hear it, Karen! Thank you so much for your lovely review! xo
Paul Swindlehurst says
Hello! Great website. This recipe calls for a quick release after 20 minutes cooking.
Your “Instant Pot Guide” PDF for brown rice calls for 20 minutes cook time, then a release time of 10 minutes.
Please help me with the discrepancy. And thanks for the good work on the site!
Hi Paul, either way works and doesn’t make a different in how the rice turns out. It’s just a matter of personal preference! If you do a quick release, it saves time, but will spray steam when releasing. If you wait 10 minutes, most of the steam releases naturally so it’s less messy.
Rita says
Perfect e v e r y single time! This is the only way i cook rice when im pressed for time or NOT LOL. THANKS!!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Rita. Thank you for sharing! xo
Carol Parker says
Absolutely perfect every time!
Thanks so much.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carol. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kat says
I followed this for short grain brown rice, and it was still watery and crunchy.
Hi Kat, sorry to hear your rice didn’t soften! Confirming you set it to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes? Is it possible it didn’t come to pressure or the seal was not in place correctly, causing the steam to leak?
Jo-Anne says
This was my first attempt at making rice in the instant pot. I followed the directions exactly and the rice was not cooked enough. It was still chewy. Why would that be please?
Hi Jo-Anne, sorry to hear that! What type of rice did you use? Is it possible the silicone ring was out of place, causing steam to come out around the lid?
Susie says
My rice bag says “Organic Brown Rice” How do I know if it is short or long grain?
Hi Susie, it should specify somewhere on the bag, but if it doesn’t the recipe should still work. Hope this helps!
Mike Parsons says
Did the rice and it was still not cooked, did not rinse it prior but is for my dogs. Does it make a difference when finding it? I release the pressure immediately should I have waited 10 min?
Hi Mike, The quick release vs. natural release doesn’t make much difference in terms of the texture. For softer rice, we’d suggest using a little more water and cooking longer. Hope that helps!
Susan says
Just tried this – and doubled it – and it came out perfectly! This method has really transformed our meal plans!
Yay! So glad to hear this recipe is helpful, Susan. Thanks for the great review!
Valerie says
This recipe made Perfect short grain brown rice!!! I followed instructions to a T which I’m sometimes not so great at. #troublefollowingdirections 😂 Thank you!!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Valerie! Thank you for the lovely review!
Sophie (Sally) says
What about the rice cooker style plastic cup measure that came with my IP? it seems to be a little less than a cup, which is standard for rice cookers, but I’m unsure if I should keep it or just recycle it?
Hm, we aren’t familiar with that accessory, sorry!
Bryn says
Doesn’t matter what size cup, so long as you use a 1:1 ratio. Another way of saying it; use the same cup for measuring both the rice and the water and you’ll be good!
Mary says
Has anyone tried this with SOAKED rice? If not, I’ll experiment, but y’all seem to know EVERYTHING, so thought I’d check here!
(I feel better soaking rice if I’m not boiling is a ton of water. What changes does it need for soaked?)
Thanks Dana, for this and IP quinoa! No more soggy grains, OR watching the pot?!? HEAVEN!!
Hi Mary! We haven’t tried this with soaked rice, but it might work! Other readers might have experience with soaking as well!
Pamela says
is it 20 minutes time in instant pot regardless of how many cups of rice?
Is it always 1:1 regardless of amount?
Yes =) Enjoy!
Ellie says
Perfect everytime. I followed the recipe but left it to steam about 3 minutes after cooktime had completed. It turns out perfect. FYI: Adding salt increases cook time for almost every food item. If you plan to add salt, do so after cooking is complete otherwise the food doesn’t finish cooking.
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for sharing, Ellie!
Mady says
Wanted to share I made this for a large family gathering, 8 cups of long grain brown rice and 8 cups of liquid (4 cups of veggie broth, 4 cups of water) in my 8 quart instant pot and it came out perfect. I let the pressure naturally release for about 7-8 minutes and the rice was the perfect consistency. I’ve made it before in smaller portions and have had equally great results. Thanks so much for tried and true recipes!
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, Mady! xo
Cokey says
I use broth too. Really tastes great!
Yay!
Denise says
I’ve made this recipe many many times. Had absolutely no issues.
The past 2 times it burned. 3 mins left and I got the “burn food” display. No idea why, followed every instruction. 🤷🏻♀️
So sorry for the difficulty! Could it have to do with slightly different rice? Even different varieties of brown rice absorb water differently. You could try increasing the water by a couple tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup extra the next time to see if it helps! xo
Dana Brook says
Used cal rose brown rice. Rinsed it and measured 1:1 as instructed. Leftover water- rice was ok. Hm.
Hi Dana, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected! A couple ideas here- after releasing the pressure, you could remove the lid and turn it to sauté to evaporate the remaining water. Or if the rice isn’t as soft as you prefer, you could pressure cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Hope that helps!
Eve says
Hi, new to Instant Pot. Any reason not to use the automatic rice setting that’s on the IP?
Hi Eve, that setting only works with white rice. Hope that helps!
Carol Bradstreet says
I bought an Instant Pot Duo, and it does have a brown rice setting. I used the 1:1 ration, and it burned a little bit on the bottom. Any suggestions?
Sorry about that – ours doesn’t have a button for brown rice, so we aren’t certain. But perhaps try increasing the water by a couple tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup extra.
Rina says
Hello, what brand rice do you use?
Hi Rina, we don’t have a preference for a certain brand. We typically choose short grain brown rice from bulk bins at health food stores or Lundberg brand.
Megan Haase says
Turned out perfect!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Megan!
Aneila says
I cut the recipe in half since I only had 1/2 c of rice in my pantry. I used long grain brown rice and rinsed it before adding. It turned out perfect! I’ve always struggled with getting brown rice to turn out on the stovetop so I’m really happy to find a method that will turn out well every time!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it with this recipe. Thank you for sharing, Aneila! xo
Betty Cassady says
I see you add no salt. Why? For more flavorful rice how much salt should I add per cup of brown rice?
You could definitely add salt! Perhaps 1/4 tsp?
Betty Cassady says
I made this with 1 tsp salt per cup of rice. This might be a little salty for some so go with 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.
Also, my rice was too crunchy for me. I put the pot on for an extra 5 minutes.
Erica Palmer says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have the Pampered Chef Quick Cooker, and while I have been very pleased with the appliance, I was not pleased with the brown rice made using Pampered Chef instructions. This recipe works perfectly in the Quick Cooker! I used long grain brown rice with great results. I have also doubled and tripled the recipe without alteration to the rice/water ratio and it came out perfectly. Other folks using the quick cooker should note to choose a high pressure setting – brown rice works for me, as did the custom setting. Thanks again!
We’re so glad it worked well! Thanks so much for sharing, Erica!
Lindsay says
Would you change the cooking time for a longer grain of brown rice? The one I have on hand def isn’t short grain :) Thanks!
Hi Lindsay, we aren’t sure as we haven’t tried long grain rice. Let us know if you try it!
Tessa Rosalie says
Thanks to your “simple” as in “clear and doable” recipes and all the comment I finally bought myself an IP to cook beans and rice. My favorite rice, not sure if it’s available in the US, is Italien or French red rice(not the Thai one). It turned out great!!!!!!!!! Black beans as wel, white beans little soggy. Merci!!!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Tessa. We are so glad you found our recipes helpful! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Tessa says
O shoot I thought I did that. Well, as we speak then…
So my rating is 5 stars. ?
Thanks Tessa!
J.J. says
My only problem with this rice is that I cannot stop eating it!
So good that I make it every day and most days just add a little Earth Balance to my bowl. This has become my comfort food during this time of stayIng at home. Thank you so much.
xo!
Mike says
Hating sticky rice, I wish I could say this was a success for me. I usually have great success with your recipes. But this came out super sticky on my long grain brown rice.
?
What could I have done wrong? I did 1:1 water to rice for 20 minutes on High Pressure in the pressure cooker and depressurized at the “ding”…
Hi Mike, we wonder if the issue could have been the type of rice? We used short grain.
Pierre says
Could it be that Mike didn’t rinse his rice? Rinsing washes away the excess starch, which otherwise makes the rice sticky.
Sierra says
Perfect! Minimalist Baker does it again ???
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Sierra!
Anne says
Thanks for this! I have been using frozen brown rice from Whole Foods because it’s so convenient. But I can’t get it anymore! (out of stock… ). I checked my pantry and I have some raw brown rice so I’m glad. I also have a couple of bags of raw black beans so I’m glad for that recipe too.
Just a side note: this didn’t show up in my rss feed (I use Feedly as a reader), but I did see it when I looked at the website. Same with the bean recipe and some of the pickle recipes. Not sure why. Just mentioning it because I don’t want to miss any recipes! :-)
Hi Anne, we’re so glad you found it helpful! And thanks for letting us know- it’s probably because those are pages instead of posts. To make sure you don’t miss anything, we would recommend subscribing by email.
Aaron says
it didn’t work for me:( The rice wasn’t fully cooked and it stuck to the bottom of the pot. I’m having really bad luck with everything in the instant pot so far:(((
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Aaron. Did you make sure to rinse the rice? Rinsing provides extra moisture to help prevent that.
Liz M says
Ahhhh PERFECT brown rice!!! Finally!!! Although I only had long grain brown rice in my pantry, this recipe still worked out perfectly. THANK YOU, Dana!!!
Whoop! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Liz! xo
Jeanne Rozman says
HELP! I put in one cup of a rice blend using brown, red, and wild
brown rice with I:1 ratio of water/rice. The “burn” message went in, I had it on “high” pressure. What happened; should it have been on “low”?
What was wrong?
Jeanne Rozman
Hi Jeanne, we think it probably has to do with the rice blend. We’ve only tested this recipe with brown rice.
Jenna says
Perfection. I used Organic long grain brown rice. I just got an instantpot and plan to try out all of your recipes! Black beans are up next. 😋
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jenna! xo
Rachael Randall says
I agree with everything above?????? This is the only recipe that my rice has turned out PERFECT! Thank you!
Thank you, Rachael! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Libby says
This really is a perfect and foolproof method! Thank you! It worked doubled. 2 cups of brown rice is my usual amount and it was a breeze. Your cookbook and the recipes on your website are my family’s “go-to” source!
Thanks for sharing, Libby!
elizabeth joseph says
I have had one for about three years; sometimes it is great and sometimes it isn’t; rice I found out that if it says so many minutes I cut it by two minutes because of the release valve time. Still working on it especially with beans; that is when either they become mushy or not cooked. I guess it can be me. But it does cut the time in half and the best part is I don’t have to worry about it burning, like when I use my stove.
We shared our bean method here! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth.
Sneha says
Makes it so easy to have brown rice at the ready on weeknights, and I no longer feel the need to prepare brown rice in advance and freeze it if I make too much for a night. Love this cooking hack!
Lee says
Last night I threw out a crunchy batch of brown rice by using the recipe included with my Instapot. Yay, it finally worked. I, too, was skeptical about Instapot, but after making mashed potatoes in it at Thanksgiving, I am sold. Thanks for a recipe that we can actually enjoy!
Thanks for sharing, Lee! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Julia says
Hi, can I use long grain brown rice ? Will it work the same?
Thanks
I think so! Based on our research it’s the same as short grain cook time.
Tammy L Dolce says
I use long grain brown rice and, yes, it works the same. The only thing (after looking this up!) is that shorter grained rices are more starchy (think sticky rice type of thing). To me, long grained yield a fluffier rice:)
Thank you for sharing, Tammy!
Faith says
I have tried about fifteen “failproof” brown rice recipes for the instant pot. THIS is the ONE. I even doubled it and it still turned out PERFECT. I’m printing this out and glueing it to my counter. (?)
Five stars. Ten stars. All the stars.
Whoop! Thanks, Faith!
Denise says
I have read so many conflicting suggestions on cooking times and could never get it right. Your recipe came out perfectly! Thank you! :D Also, if I double the rice do I also need to double the water?
Oh great! Yes, always increase the ratio. Our recipe box has a serving size adjuster which will automatically adjust the ingredient measurements for you!
Halle says
Hello Dana! I’m going to try this ASAP. Is it ok to double the recipe? Cooking time the same? Thanks and will report back.
It should be the same!
Kristen says
What are your thoughts of using broth or broth concentrate for flavor instead of just water? Would it change the texture or cooking time?
You definitely can! It should work the same. Just make sure you like the way the broth tastes :D