Looking to cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot? Try this simple recipe for perfectly cooked, fail-proof Instant Pot Brown Rice – every single time.
Written as a guide for cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot, it covers everything from the actual cook time for brown rice, to the water to rice ratio for brown rice in the electric pressure cooker.
And includes the recipe for both – cooking brown rice directly in the Instant Pot main pot, as well as using the pot in pot method.
What is Brown Rice?
Brown rice is whole rice, the whole edible component of rice, after the inedible husk of rice has been removed. It’s the reason why it’s considered a whole grain rice.
Difference between Brown and White Rice
If you further process the brown rice, and remove the bran and the germ from the whole grain, you get white rice.
Check Out: How to Cook Perfect Soft and Fluffy White Rice in Instant Pot
Is Brown Rice Better Than White Rice?
Brown rice is widely considered to be better than white rice because it contains all the parts of the whole grain – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.
White rice on the other hand does not contain the brain and the germ, which are considered to be the most nutritious parts of the grain.
It’s the reason why brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, and contains more fiber and antioxidants, as well as some essential vitamins & minerals. White rice in comparison has mostly empty calories.
This Instant Pot Brown Rice is
- made from brown sona masoori rice
- really soft and fluffy in texture
- simple and hassle free to make
How to Cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot
There are 2 main ways to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot. Either you can cook rice directly in the main steel pot (inner pot) of the Instant Pot or use the pot in pot method of cooking rice. I’ve shared both methods in the post below.
Instant Pot Recipe
If you are cooking a larger quantity of rice (anything over 1.5 cups), it’s best to cook the rice directly in the main inner pot of Instant Pot, as outlined below.
For this recipe, I’ve cooked 2 cups of brown rice in the Instant Pot.
Method:
- Wash 2 cups of brown sona masoori rice till the water runs clear, then drain the excess water.
- Add washed and drained brown rice to the inner pot of Instant Pot, and 4 cups of water to cook the rice.
- Close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
- Pressure cook on high for 22 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.
- The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.
Pot in Pot Brown Rice
If you are cooking only a little brown rice (anything under 1.5 cups), it’s best to cook the rice using pot in pot method. This way the main inner pot of the Instant Pot still stays clean, and you can use it to make something else.
For this recipe, I’ve cooked 1 cup of brown rice pot in pot.
Method:
- Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, and then place the steel trivet in the main steel pot.
- In a small steel bowl (that will fit inside the Instant Pot) take 1 cup of washed and drained brown sona masoori rice, and add 2 cups of water to the rice.
- Place this steel bowl on the trivet inside the Instant Pot. This is optional, but you can choose to cover this small steel pot with a steel lid.
- Then close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
- Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. then let the pressure release naturally.
- The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.
Video Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, the Instant Pot’s automatic rice setting is for white or parboiled rice, not brown rice. Always use the manual setting for pressure cooking brown rice.
Yes, brown rice takes significantly longer time to cook than white rice, no matter the method used for cooking the rice. Instant Pot can cook white rice in 4-6 minutes, and brown rice in 22-25 minutes.
It’s ideal to soak brown rice before cooking for at-least 8-10 hours to reduce the quantity of phytic acid and arsenic in it. It also helps with the cooking process and the texture. Though if you are using the Instant Pot, you can get soft, fluffy texture even without pre-soaking the brown rice.
1:2 rice to water ratio works best for cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot. Especially if you want soft, and fluffy rice that is not too dry or chewy.
Cooked brown rice does not retain grain shape like white rice. Due to pressure, the outer bran ruptures, and the grain opens along the longer axis. This is a characteristic of brown rice.
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New to Instant Pot? Check out these Instant Pot beginner posts!
Instant Pot Basics for Beginners | Instant Pot 101
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As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cup brown rice sona masoori
- 4 cup water
- 1-2 tablespoon ghee optional
Instructions
Cooking Rice in the Main Inner Pot (ideal for cooking MORE than 1.5 cups of rice)
- Wash 2 cups brown sona masoori rice till the water runs clear, then drain the excess water.
- In the Instant Pot inner pot, add water and rice in 2:1 water to rice ratio. Which means 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice.
- Then close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
- Pressure cook on high for 22 minutes.
- The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.
Pot in Pot Method for Cooking Rice (ideal for cooking LESS than 1.5 cups of rice)
- Pour 1 cup water in the main inner pot of the Instant Pot, and then place the steel trivet in the main pot.
- In a small steel bowl add 1 cup washed and drained brown rice and 2 cups of fresh water.
- Place this steel bowl on the trivet inside the Instant Pot. This is optional, but you can choose to cover this small steel pot with a steel lid.
- Then close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing.
- Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.
- The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.
Notes
- Instant Pot Rice Setting: The auto setting for rice is for white or parboiled rice. Always use manual setting for cooking brown rice.
- Brown Rice Cook Time: Brown rice takes significantly longer to cook than white rice, in general. In Instant Pot it takes about 22-25 minutes on high pressure to cook brown rice (vs 4-6 minutes for white rice), and then there is time to build and release pressure. So it’s best to plan ahead.
- Pre-soaking Brown Rice: Soaking brown rice for 8-10 hours helps with reducing the quantity of phytic acid and arsenic in it, and also with the cooking process and texture. Though with instant pot you can get the soft fluffy texture even without pre-soaking.
- Water to Brown Rice Ratio: 2:1 water to rice ratio gives soft, fluffy brown rice that is neither too dry, nor too sticky or mushy.
- Splitting of Rice Grain: Cooked brown rice does not retain grain shape like white rice. Due to pressure, the outer bran ruptures, and the grain opens along the longer axis. This is a characteristic of brown rice.
- Quantity vs Method: Technically you can cook any quantity of rice in the main inner pot, so long as the water and rice are under the halfway mark of the inner pot. But for smaller quantities of rice, it’s best to use the pot in pot method, so the inner pot stays clean, and you can use it for cooking something else.
- Optional Additions: Adding ghee to rice will make it really aromatic.
Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.
Nutrition
Video Recipe
This post was first published in Jun 2020, and has been republished with updated notes and recipe video in Sep 2020.
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JMO
Where does the ghee come in?
The Love of Spice
It’s optional, you can add it along with rice, before pressure cooking.
Damyanti
Is brown rice really healthier?
Shantala's Kitchen
Brown rice is healthier than white rice when it comes to nutrients, but we need to soak it to get rid of arsenic and phytic acid.