Cooking Brown Rice In Instant Pot

Bowl of perfectly tender brown rice cooked in the Instant Pot

Do you have an Instant Pot? We recently purchased one and, admittedly, we were a little skeptical about adding it to our kitchen. It's clunky, it's not cheap, and does it really cook food faster?

The verdict is still out, but we're well into testing and can't wait to share our experience in a full guide very soon. BUT, in the meantime, we have to say we are SUPER impressed with how well the Instant Pot cooks brown rice, NO SOAKING required.

With an Instant Pot and less than 30 minutes, you can make perfectly tender brown rice every time! Let us show you how.

Showing the first step for how to cook Instant Pot brown rice

How to Cook Brown Rice in an Instant Pot

Add 1 cup water + 1 cup rinsed brown rice to Instant Pot.
Secure lid, press Pressure Cook – High, and set to 20 minutes. It will take ~8 minutes to pressurize, and then the cooking begins.
When the timer goes off, carefully press the quick release (steam should immediately stream from the steam valve, so be careful). Once steam has fully escaped — ~30 seconds — carefully remove lid.
Enjoy perfectly cooked rice! (See recipes below for serving ideas.)

Wooden spoon and perfectly cooked brown rice in an Instant Pot

How to Use Brown Rice

Crispy Miso Chickpea Bowls with Garlic Sesame Dressing
Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce (30 Minutes!)
Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Fork resting in a bowl of Instant Pot brown rice

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 6 (1/2-cup servings)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 5 Days

1 cup short grain brown rice, rinsed (see notes for long grain rice*)
1 cup water

Add water and rinsed rice to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes (it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
Once the timer goes off, press the quick release (or if not in a hurry, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure). Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped.
Enjoy immediately. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

*For long-grain brown rice, allow a 10 minute natural release for best results.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Serving: 1 half-cup servings Calories: 100 Carbohydrates: 23.3 g Protein: 2 g Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 0 mg Potassium: 0 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 0 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 0 mg Iron: 0.48 mg

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