Instant Pot Brown Rice

5 from 4 votes
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We love making Instant Pot brown rice because it’s truly foolproof and comes out perfect every time. Make a large batch of brown rice in the Instant Pot using a 1:1 ratio of rice to water and cook on high for 20 minutes.

Fluffy rice in an Instant Pot.
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How many times have I made brown rice on the stove and it’s either bubbled over or stuck to the bottom of the pot? TOO MANY TO COUNT 🫠. But there’s no need to worry about burnt or mushy rice when you make brown rice in the Instant Pot! I love using this method when I’ve got lots of mouths to feed or to free up space on the stovetop.

Our quick and foolproof method: Our Instant Pot brown rice recipe comes together with 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water and cooks on high for just 20 minutes.

top tips from the fit foodie kitchen ⤵️

Always rinse your rice: It is VERY important that you rinse rice before cooking it. You are rinsing off any dirt and excess starch, and it will leave you with a fluffier, less mushy rice.

1:1 ratio works for all brown rice: The 1:1 ratio of water to rice works for both short grain and long grain rice.

Yes, you can double the recipe: we’ve tested this recipe with 1 cup of water, 1 cup of rice and also with 2 cups of water, 2 cups of rice. Both work great with no change in cook time in a standard size Instant Pot.

Pouring water into the Instant Pot with the brown rice.

What type of brown rice can you cook in the Instant Pot?

We tested this recipe multiple times with both long grain brown rice and short grain brown rice.

Our finding is that the long grain brown rice needed that extra time in the Instant Pot with a natural release whereas the short grain brown rice was fine with a quick release.

  • Short Grain Brown Rice: short grain brown rice tends to be more starchy than long-grain brown rice. When cooked, the texture is soft, sticky, and fluffy. Cook time for short-grain brown rice is 20 minutes but you quick release the pressure.
  • Long Grain Brown Rice: long grain brown rice is less starchy than short grain brown rice and when cooked the texture is a bit drier than other rices. Cook time for long grain brown rice is 20 minutes but you must let the pressure natural release for 10 minutes.

Storage

To store Instant Pot brown rice, you want to remove the rice from the Instant Pot and let it cool completely before putting it in an air-tight storage container. Brown rice can last up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze brown rice?

Yes, you can freeze Instant Pot brown rice. Freezing brown rice is a great way to have cooked rice on hand at all times. To freeze Instant Pot brown rice, let the rice cool completely and then place it in a freezer-safe bag and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cooked short grain brown rice in a bowl.
5 from 4 votes

Foolproof Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe

With a 1:1 ratio of water to brown rice, cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot comes together with just a 20-minute cook time.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup brown rice, short grain or long grain
  • 1 cup water, or broth

Instructions 

  • Add the brown rice to a fine sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
  • Add the rice and water to the Instant Pot and stir the rice and water together. Be sure that all the rice is covered in water. 
    A liquid is being poured into a pot of grains.
  • Cover and seal the Instant Pot's pressure valve. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Long grain rice: naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes and then release any leftover pressure from the Instant Pot.
  • Short grain brown rice: quick release the pressure. 

Tips & Notes

  • Feel free to double or triple this recipe.
  • For more flavor, swap the water for broth.

Watch It

Nutrition

Calories: 160 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 1 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Regina
Regina
July 28, 2023 12:56 am

The second sentence has a glaring typo.

“All you need is and Instant Pot”.

I also want to thank you for having a “jump to recipe” option. Really helps with the intrusive ads that are all over even the mobile version of this page.

Last edited 1 year ago by Regina
Shannon
Shannon
August 2, 2022 6:40 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Thank you, Great recipe!
You should join this Instant Pot Tips & Recipes Facebook group. I got a lot of new ideas and recipes. highly recommended! Here is a link to the group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/434020724110015/

Lindsay
Lindsay
September 6, 2021 7:57 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
If you double the recipe do you have to increase the time?

Regina
Regina
July 28, 2023 12:56 am
Reply to  Lee Funke

You don’t know the actual answer?

Tricia
Tricia
April 26, 2021 4:49 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This turned out great! Just wondering if youโ€™ve ever tried doubling recipe?

Sarah
Sarah
January 30, 2021 8:47 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Rice turned out perfectly! I wasnโ€™t sure which type of grain I had, and so I averaged it out a bit!