Instant Pot Brown Rice
Fluffy, tender, separate-grain brown rice made hands-off in the Instant Pot with just three ingredients and a reliable 1:1 ratio of rice to water.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- About 4½ cups (6 side servings)
Steps
Before you start
- This recipe is written for a 6-quart Instant Pot; it also works in 3- and 8-quart models with the same amounts.
- Use long-grain or medium-grain brown rice. Quick-cook or instant brown rice will turn mushy.
- Allow about 55 minutes total: roughly 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, 22 minutes cooking, and 15 minutes of natural release.
- Rinsing the rice removes surface starch so the grains stay separate.
Rinse the rice
- Place 2 cups (370 g) brown rice in a fine-mesh strainer.
- Rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds, shaking and stirring with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear.
- Shake the strainer well to drain off excess water.
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Ready when: Water draining from the rice looks mostly clear, not milky.
Tip: Drain thoroughly; leftover clinging water adds extra liquid and can make the rice gummy.
Combine in the pot
- Add the drained rice to the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Pour in 2 cups (480 ml) cold water and sprinkle in ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Add the butter pieces, if using.
- Stir once, then spread the rice into an even layer so no grains cling to the sides above the water line.
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Ready when: Rice is fully submerged in an even layer.
Tip: Do not exceed the 1:1 ratio; brown rice absorbs less water under pressure than on the stovetop.
Seal the lid
- Lock the lid in place and turn the steam release valve to the Sealing position.
- Check that the sealing ring is seated in the lid.
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Ready when: Lid is locked and valve is set to Sealing.
Pressure cook
- Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High pressure and set the time to 22 minutes.
- The pot will take about 10 minutes to build pressure before the countdown begins, then it will cook for 22 minutes.
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Ready when: The display counts down from 22 minutes once the float valve has risen.
Tip: If the display reads 'Burn', the rice was likely not drained well or stuck to the bottom; release pressure, stir in 2 tablespoons water, and restart.
Natural release
- When cooking ends, turn off the Instant Pot or let it switch to Keep Warm.
- Do not touch the valve.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: After 15 minutes, carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
Tip: Quick release too early can cause starchy foam to spray from the valve and leave the rice wet.
Fluff and serve
- Open the lid away from your face.
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork or rice paddle, folding from the bottom up to release steam.
- Cover and let it sit 5 minutes if any rice seems wet, then taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Grains are tender with a slight chew, separate, and no standing water remains.
Tip: Fluff gently; stirring hard breaks grains and makes the rice sticky.
Good to know
Tips
- Stick to a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio by volume for firm-but-tender grains; add 2 tablespoons water for softer rice.
- Natural release is key to fluffy rice, so don't skip it.
- Brown rice brands vary; if your rice is old or very firm, add 2 more minutes next time.
- For nuttier flavor, toast the rinsed, drained rice in the pot on Sauté for 2–3 minutes before adding water.
Make ahead
Cook up to 5 days ahead, cool completely within 1 hour, and refrigerate in airtight containers.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 1 hour after cooking. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 5 days. Freezer: flat in freezer bags up to 3 months. Reheat with 1 tablespoon water per cup of rice, covered, in the microwave for 1–2 minutes until steaming hot, stirring halfway.
Substitutions
- long-grain brown rice → short-grain brown rice. Slightly stickier; keep the same ratio and time.
- water → low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. Adds flavor; reduce salt to ½ teaspoon.
- unsalted butter → olive oil. Use 1 tablespoon; also helps reduce foaming.
- kosher salt → fine sea salt. Use ½ teaspoon since fine salt is denser than kosher.
More rice sides
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- Meal
- Dinner
- Main ingredient
- Brown Rice
- Method
- Instant Pot