Instant Pot brown rice is such an easy hands-free recipe! Just pop your favorite brown rice into the pressure cooker with a liquid of your choice, and your Instant Pot will do the rest. Stove top brown rice takes a long time, often burns or turns out hard, and has to be watched. My tested recipe is a set-it-and-forget-it dream—it is ready much faster and produces consistently fluffy, perfect rice. In this post, I share easy tips for the best Instant Pot brown rice, as well as simple ways to add different flavors.
A reader, Vicki, says: “Perfect fluffy, delicious rice! Thank you.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make brown rice in a pressure cooker. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Brown rice — you can use your favorite brown rice for this recipe (long grain, short grain, and brown jasmine rice all work). The liquid ratios and cooking times are all the same! However, this recipe does not work for white rice because the liquid to rice ratio is different.
Water — water works great for cooking the rice, but you can swap it for broth for extra flavor. If I’m serving the rice plain, I like to cook it in a flavored liquid so the rice grains absorb the flavor during cooking.
Salt — salt is optional, but enhances the flavor of the rice. I like to add it if I’m just cooking the rice in water, especially if serving the rice as a plain side. You can leave it out if you use a salted broth.
The Perfect Ratio Of Water To Rice
Stove-top brown rice generally uses a 2:1 ratio of water to rice. Since cooking rice in the Instant Pot traps moisture, you need less water for the perfect brown rice. I found that the right amount of water for the pressure cooker is 1¼ cups (300ml) of water per 1 cup (180g) of rice.
Some recipes swear by a 1:1 ratio of water to rice, but I tested this and found that a little extra liquid helped the rice turn out more tender, and worked for more varieties of brown rice (long grain, short grain, jasmine, etc.)
Can I Make ½ Cup Of Rice In The Instant Pot?
No. The Instant Pot requires a minimum of 1 cup of liquid to build pressure and cook without burning. Using ½ cup of rice would require less water than 1 cup, so cook at least 1 cup of rice. You can always freeze half the batch for later (details in the Storage section below).
Flavor Variations
If you want a more flavorful side than plain Instant Pot brown rice, try one of these easy variations.
- Coconut brown rice: Replace half of the water with canned coconut milk for a creamier, richer rice side. Stir in toasted coconut when fluffing the rice in Step 4 for crunch and more coconut flavor.
- Cilantro lime rice: Toss 1 minced garlic clove into the Instant Pot insert with the rice before cooking. Add the juice and zest of 1 lime and ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro when fluffing the rice in Step 4.
- Mexican rice: Replace the water with half chicken broth and half plain tomato sauce for the cooking liquid, and add 1 teaspoon taco seasoning before cooking.
Pro Tips For Making Instant Pot Brown Rice
Rinsing the rice is optional. Though rinsing is not required, you can rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear before cooking. This removes some starch from the rice, helping it turn out fluffier and less sticky. Let the rice drain completely before cooking, and stir it a few times in the strainer to expel more water. If you have rinsed the rice, I recommend only using 2¼ cups (540mL) of water in the Instant Pot since the grains are already wet.
Avoid the burn notice: The burn notice usually happens when there is food stuck to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Before you start cooking, stir the rice and water just to make sure no rice is stuck to the pot. This is especially important if you didn’t rinse it first.
Set the Instant Pot to naturally release the steam. In the recipe, I wrote to let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes. In that time, the rice will finish absorbing the water and steam in the pot, and will soften properly.
Scale the recipe! You can scale up the recipe using the same rice-to-water ratio I use in this recipe (1 cup of brown rice to 1¼ cups of liquid). Just don’t pass the max fill on your Instant Pot insert, which will damage the pressure cooker. The cook time under pressure remains the same (22 minutes), but the pressure cooker will take longer to come up to full pressure before then with added volume.
How To Make Brown Rice In The Instant Pot
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making pressure-cooked brown rice. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Prep the rice: You can rinse and drain 2 cups of brown rice if you would like, or add it straight to the insert of your Instant Pot.
2. Add the water: Add the water or cooking liquid of your choice and stir to ensure there isn’t any rice stuck to the bottom of the pot.
3. Cook: Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Turn the steam release valve to “Sealing”. Set the pot to High pressure for 22 minutes. Then allow a natural release of steam for 10 minutes. After that, do a careful manual or quick release for the remaining pressure.
4. Fluff: Remove the lid and fluff the Instant Pot brown rice with a fork. Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice (360g)
- 2½ cups water (600mL)
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- If desired, place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water. Drain well. Place the rice in the insert of an Instant Pot and add the water. Give it a quick stir to make sure no rice is stuck to the pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and twist to seal and lock. Turn the steam release valve to “Sealing” if needed. Set the Instant Pot to cook under High pressure for 22 minutes.
- Let steam release naturally, for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining manually.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
Notes
- If the rice is still slightly crunchy after the pressure has released, place the lid back on top and seal it. Don’t turn the pressure cooker on; just let it sit for 5 to 10 more minutes. The rice grains will continue to absorb water and steam in the pot and soften.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating (Meal Prep)
Fridge: Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate the rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Spread the Instant Pot rice on a lined baking tray, let it cool if needed, and freeze until solid. Break it up into pieces and place in a freezer bag, pressing out most of the air to avoid freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Freezing brown rice is a great option if you want to make a bigger batch for meal prep.
Reheating: You can reheat the rice in the microwave, covered, in 30-second intervals, or in a pot on the stovetop over low heat (stir occasionally). Add a splash of water to the rice before reheating it with either method.
Ways To Use Brown Rice
Instant Pot brown rice is so versatile and a great option for meal prep because you can use it in various dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Top it: Generously top the rice with Mongolian beef, garlic shrimp, turkey meatballs, or French onion chicken for a simple, satisfying meal.
- Make burrito bowls: Whip up simple burrito bowls with Instant Pot black beans and Instant Pot shredded chicken, and add your favorite toppings like cubed avocado, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and salsa.
- Make fried rice: Cold leftover rice is perfect for making fried rice or chicken fried rice!
- Use it in other recipes: I love using leftover Instant Pot brown rice in air fryer stuffed peppers, chicken and rice soup, and stuffed acorn squash.
More Instant Pot Recipes To Try
Try one of these Instant Pot recipes next! I have lots of pressure cooker recipes for sides and mains!
Instant Pot mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for simple family dinners and special occasions! They are so fluffy and creamy.
Tender whole Instant Pot sweet potatoes are ready in a flash, ideal for busy weeknights and meal prep.
You won’t believe how succulent and tender an Instant Pot whole chicken is! Pro tip: Use the chicken drippings to make a flavorful homemade gravy.
Instant Pot chicken thighs are a delicious way to have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes! Serve them with air fryer asparagus, kale salad, roasted potatoes, or your favorite sides.
Make taco night a breeze with my Instant Pot chicken tacos! They’re so easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot brown rice recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vicki says
Perfect fluffy delicious rice! Thank you