When I first started eating plant-based, brown rice was my staple carbohydrate. But, like most people, I found conflicting recipes on how to cook brown rice just right. Of course, I failed miserably, threw out batches of chewy, hard, and mushy rice. Then, after a lot of trial and error, I finally mastered brown rice.
Did you know there are different types of brown rice? And, of course, there is a multitude of recipes and ways to cook brown rice. Yet, I quickly learned the best way to cook brown rice with a variety of different kitchen appliances to meet my cooking needs. Lets checkout How to Cook Brown Rice.
KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BROWN RICE
Short Grain Brown Rice
Short grain brown rice, for example, is smaller than other brown rice and is stickier when cooked. Typically, short grain brown rice is for risotto dishes as well as fried rice.
Medium Grain Brown Rice
Medium grain brown rice is large and plump, but not as large as the long grain. When cooked, it becomes moist and tender, making it perfect to add to soup, or warm in a salad.
Long Grain Brown Rice
Long grain rice, for example, is the most common brown rice. Because this variety is so easy to cook, and versatile in use, most people choose long-grain brown rice for stir-fries, as wells as grain bowls.
Light Brown Rice
Brown rice basically is quick-cooking rice. Half the grain, however, is removed to make it cook quickly. Although light brown rice is convenient, it is not as healthy as other forms of brown rice.
DO YOU NEED TO SOAK OR RINSE RICE BEFORE COOKING?
Believe it or not, the answer is no. Rinsing and soaking grains, in the past, was to remove excess debris and dirt. Today's rice, however, is already rinsed.
Soaking, on the other hand, is credited for reducing cooking time and making rice easier to digest. Similar to light brown rice, soaking long-grain rice, for instance, removes a layer of grain.
So, in my opinion, if you want to cook your rice quicker, buy light brown rice for faster cooking. Otherwise, soaking is a waste of time. I hope till now we are good at How to Cook Brown Rice.
HOW MUCH UNCOOKED BROWN RICE YIELDS COOKED BROWN RICE? SERVING SIZE?
Regardless of the type of brown rice you cook, 1 cup uncooked rice yields two cups of cooked brown rice.
Another one of the biggest misconceptions about brown rice is how much a serving size actually is. For instance, 1 serving of brown rice is equivalent to ½ to ⅓ cup cooked brown rice.
The nutritional breakdown for a ½ cup serving of cooked medium-grain brown rice, according to the USDA:
| Calories | 100 |
| Fat | 1g |
| Saturated fat | 0g |
| Unsaturated fats | .6g |
| Carbohydrates | 23g |
| Sodium | 0g |
| Sugar | 0g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Protein | 2g |
| Calcium | 0% DV |
| Potassium | 2% DV |
Sometimes, we assume that because brown rice is healthy, we can eat as much of it s we want. Although brown rice is obviously a better choice than other foods, we should still stick with a serving size of brown rice and load up on nutrient-dense greens and veggies. For those who want to lose weight, brown rice is a healthy grain, but should still be eaten in moderation. Instead, eat ½ cup of rice with 3 cups of veggies and greens, and watch your waistline vanish.
DO I NEED TO USE OIL OR BUTTER WHEN COOKING RICE? FACT OR FICTION?
Again, the answer is NO! Despite recipes claiming oil or butter needs to be used in cooking brown rice, or any rice for that matter, is false. In fact, all you need is rice, water and a little salt (and the salt isn't even required. I just think it makes it taste better.
Because short-grain brown rice and long-grain brown rice are the most commonly used, we will focus on how to cook these types of brown rice.
HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT BROWN RICE EVERY TIME
Since I am old school, I prefer cooking rice on the stovetop as opposed to my rice cooker or instant pot, especially when making a small amount. But, I do use both my rice cooker and my instant pot, so I will give you different options for cooking brown rice correctly.
COOKING BROWN RICE ON THE STOVETOP METHOD
TIPS:
- First, you need to choose the right pan. For instance, it is a game-changer to choose a medium-sized saucepan with a top that tightly fits. If your pan is too small, and the top doesn't fit the pan, the rice does not cook evenly. Instead, it is crowded and cooks unevenly.
- Additionally, if you bring the water to a roaring bubble before adding the rice, stir, cover, and simmer, you only have to cook the rice for 30 minutes.
- And, one step people always skip is to remove the pan covered, from the heat, and allow it to sit, untouched for 10 minutes. This allows the rice to steam.
- Then, fluff it with a fork.
- Even though most package directions say to use a 2-1 ratio, from my experience, that ratio makes mushy rice. So, I suggest the following ratio of water in rice instead:
SHORT-GRAIN BROWN RICE
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice
- 1 ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
LONG-GRAIN RICE
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
COOKING BROWN RICE IN A RICE COOKER METHOD
Although I prefer the stovetop method, I love my Aroma Rice Cooker. When I batch cook, which is often, I always use my rice cooker, because it is simple and always makes perfectly fluffy brown rice.
TIPS:
- All rice cookers are different
- My Aroma Rice Cooker has a brown rice setting
- Add the water first, then stir in the measured amount of rice.
- Close the top, and push the brown rice button.
- When the brown rice is done cooking, DO NOT OPEN THE TOP. Instead, switch to keep warm and wait 10 minutes.
- Then open the top and fluff with a fork.
SHORT-GRAIN BROWN RICE
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
LONG-GRAIN BROWN RICE
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon salt
COOKING BROWN RICE IN AN INSTANT POT METHOD
TIPS:
- Place brown rice and water into the Instant Pot
- Close the lid and turn the venting knob to the sealed position
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then natural release for 5 minutes, and then quick release by turning the venting knob to the venting position.
- Open the lid carefully to avoid burning your hands.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, but then immediately close the top and let sit for 10 minutes for the rest of the water to be absorbed.
SHORT-GRAIN BROWN RICE
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice
- 1 cup of COLD water
LONG-GRAIN RICE
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice
- 1 cup of COLD water
HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES THAT INCLUDE BROWN RICE:
STORING AND FREEZING BROWN RICE
Storing and freezing brown rice is easy, so that is why I generally batch cook brown rice in advance. As long as the brown rice is stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, it should last 5 days. In order to freeze brown rice, I suggest storing in small batches for easy reheating.
And, the best way to reheat frozen brown rice is to microwave it covered for 1-3 minutes.
As a result, cooking, storing and reheating brown rice is easy regardless of what cooking method you choose. Now on know, how to cook brown rice, brown rice recipes with your friends.
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Janet Kenworthy
I have found Alton Brown's baked Brown Rice recipe to be foolproof. I double it in a large oval casserole dish without the butter. I do add some stock cubes for a little flavor. I don't have to think about it at all for an hour while I'm making everything else.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Janet, I have never tried baking it. Thank you for sharing. I will definitely check it out.
Char
Thank you for this email on Rice. Excellent. I am enjoying all your recipes and trying them out.
Much appreciated.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Char,
I cannot tell you how many batches of rice I have thrown out, trying to get it just right. Thank you for the feedback. And, I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes. Let me know which ones you try, and let me know what you think.