Instant Pot Brown Rice

Instant Pot Brown Rice comes out perfectly fluffy in a fraction of the time as other methods! Make brown rice in a pressure cooker tonight for a tasty side to your meal.

Instant Pot Brown Rice

Cooking brown rice in an Instant Pot allows you to focus your attention on your main dish or more hands-on sides.

Plus, you have the option of a natural or quick pressure release! Either way, pressure cooker brown rice comes out perfectly plump and fluffy every time.

Looking for more flavorful rice recipes? Basmati or jasmine grains cooked in chicken base is a staple in our house, and it pairs well with just about any dish!

You can’t beat this restaurant-style Mexican Red Rice for taco night, or you can recreate Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice for a lighter option.

Tips for Perfect Pressure Cooker Brown Rice

• Rinse the grains!

Swish them around in a bowl of cool water, then drain them through a sieve. Rubbing the grains together with your fingers helps remove the excess starch.

Sometimes there will be dry hull in the bag – these should float in water and can be picked out and discarded.

• Use the right amount of liquid.

Because the grains and broth are pressure sealed, very little liquid evaporates during the cooking process.

This is why the ratio for Instant Pot brown rice is almost 1:1, instead of the ratio you would use for a stovetop method.

• Adjust the flavor.

This brown rice Instant Pot recipe calls for a mixture of fresh herbs to create a lovely, earthy flavor.

Feel free to use any of your favorite combinations or leave them out altogether.

The butter is also optional, but I highly recommend it – either added during cooking or melted over top before serving.

• Want a vegetarian version?

Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock, bullion, or even plain water instead.

You may want to add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (for flavor) with the rice in Instant Pot, if using just water.

Serving Suggestions

Obviously, the flavors in this Instant Pot brown rice go beautifully with chicken.

I love to toss some boneless breasts or lemon chicken bites in the air fryer to cook at the same time.

Include this fiber-rich grain in stir-fries as a healthier alternative, or simply dish it up alongside your favorite veggies!

You can also make a full meal of chicken and brown rice in a pressure cooker!

For this recipe, you will need to use long-grain brown rice, reduce the liquid by half, and double the initial cooking time.

Instant Pot Brown Rice FAQ

Enjoy!
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Other Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Brown Rice

Donna Elick

Instant Pot Brown Rice comes out perfectly fluffy in a fraction of the time as other methods! Serve this easy rice recipe as a healthy side.

5 stars from 1 review

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Method Instant Pot

Servings 6 – 8

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups long-grain brown rice
• ▢ 2 1/4 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, parsley, thyme, oregano, and basil (optional)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons salted butter, optional

Instructions

 

• Rinse rice under running water and drain through a sieve.
• Place rice into the pot of an instant pot cooker. Add chicken stock, chopped herbs, and butter.
• Secure the lid on the instant pot and program it using the manual setting to cook for 22 minutes. The instant pot will take some time to pressurize before the timer begins to count down (be sure the vent is in the sealed position).
• Once the rice has cooked for the full 22 minutes, you can leave it to depressurize on its own or you can move the valve to quick-release the pressure.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve, topped with a pat of butter and some fresh chopped parsley.

Donna’s Notes

Since the instant pot seals the liquid and rice up together, very little liquid evaporates. This is why the rice:liquid ratio is almost equal – different than the ratio you would use on the stovetop or on the package instructions.

Rinse the rice well – use your fingers to rub the grains against one another to help rinse off the extra starch. Sometimes brown rice has some of the dry hull in the bag. These usually float in water and can be picked out and discarded when washing the rice. The extra moisture in the rice after rinsing is not a problem for the recipe – it is accounted for.

You can substitute water for the chicken stock – you may wish to add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the rice and water if you do not use chicken stock.

The butter is also optional. You can cook it in the pot with the rice, just add some to the top, or both!

We used a mixture (equal parts) of parsley, thyme, oregano, and basil in the rice mixture and it had a lovely earthy, herby flavor. Substitute any of your favorite herb combinations. They all go with butter and chicken stock.

You could also use vegetable stock (or bouillon) to keep the rice vegetarian.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 172cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 192mg | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published January 2022, updated and republished March 2023

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