Instant Pot Brown Rice

Fluffy Instant Pot brown rice recipe is here. How to make sure it doesn’t come out dry so you can enjoy this side dish with everything. Make in your Ninja Foodi or Crockpot Express too, any electric pressure cooker works just as great.

We cook white and this Instant Pot brown rice recipe at least once a week. It is an easy Instant Pot recipe that’s a cheap side dish everyone loves. It really is my go to pairing. Here’s a tip to making it moist and fluffy every time. (affiliate links present)

If you’ve never really cared for this style of rice, this may make you change your mind. It did for me. Crunchy and dry is the way it always came at restaurants but I wanted to give it another try on my own! I should’ve tried this so much sooner because now it’s a fave.

Ninja Foodi Brown Rice

You can use the directions and timing below with any brand of machine you have at home. I have them all because I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a difference and there isn’t. The only button change is Crockpot Express says brown instead of saute and Ninja Foodi you use the lid that isn’t attached. That multi cooker can air fry as well but you won’t need that.

Ingredients

1. Uncooked brown rice
2. Water or broth will give it more flavor
3. Salt is optional but suggested

How Long to Cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot

You really don’t need much of anything to make this. Just like making Ninja Foodi white rice, it’s just water and if you want to add a pinch of salt. The biggest difference is the cook time. It is a bit more than double, but worth it. 22 minutes vs. 12 with a natural release so you are really looking at 45 minutes or so.

We always serve this with some soy sauce on the side but that is up to you. My husband prefers butter every time. It’s great alongside Instant Pot fish or salmon for sure.

If you follow the directions below very carefully, including the natural release time you too will likely cook it more and more often. Unlike white rice, this step is a necessity to get this and pressure cooker wild rice light and fluffy.

What Lid do You Use to Cook Brown Rice in Ninja Foodi?

Yes there are two lids for this handy machine, you will use the one that is not attached to pressure cook, always. You will not need the other one at all for this one so just lift it up and leave it there. Remove the basket inside and add your grains right into the pot itself.

FAQ

Should you rinse brown rice?

You can in order to remove any dust on the outside. Alternatively I usually just lift the pot up and “swish” the rice with the water to do the same thing. This helps it not come out clumpy as well. I do the same thing when making Instant Pot Jasmine rice. That just makes it a bit cloudy as the dust washes off.

Rice to brown water ratio

The rice is perfect every time I make it this way. You can double the recipe too if you want. It even fits in my smaller 6 quart with that amount. And any type of electric pressure cooker works, the water to grains ratio doesn’t change. You add a bit more than double, 2 cups:2.5 cups liquid.

• Warm or cold water works just fine.
• It turns out perfect either way.

I use Uncle Ben’s whole grain long grain brown rice for this and when we make slow cooker brown rice but any store brand is fine as well.

Directions

Here are step by step directions for the recipe that works well for us every single week. Of course I have it again at the bottom where the recipe card is in fact printable. You can do that and store it in your recipe card box.

1. Pour uncooked brown rice and water in pressure cooker.
2. Take pot out of inner lining and swirl around a few times with your hands.
3. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Put inner pot back in.
4. Close lid and steam valve and set to manual or pressure cook, high pressure for 22 minutes.
5. When done do NOT touch the pressure release valve, instead leave it for 20 minutes so steam can naturally release and keep rice moist and fluffy.
6. Remove lid, fluff perfect brown rice with wooden spoon and serve plain, with butter or soy sauce on top.

It will stay warm in your pot for a while with the lid ajar. Just remember to unplug it or it will stay on warm and will start to burn the bottom of the pot.

What to add to brown rice to make it taste better?

Instead of water you can use beef or chicken broth. Or drop a bouillon cube in with your water and stir until dissolved. We do this when making Instant Pot couscous too and comes out great.

• Garlic salt is a great and easy addition.
• Add a scoop of salsa in before you pressure cook it to give it a Mexican flavor. Somewhat similar to our Instant Pot Spanish rice.
• Butter and some pepper on top is an option.
• I add soy sauce myself.

Can you reheat cooked brown rice?

Yes, but fresh is always best of course. Rice always tends to dry out when stored, and especially when refrigerated. Add a bit of liquid and cover bowl with a paper towel before microwaving to try and avoid it drying out even more.

Can cooked brown rice sit out overnight?

No. About 2 hours is max once it’s reached room temperature. After that store in airtight containers in the fridge to avoid the growth of bacteria.

What Pairs well

Either way pressure cooker rice has been a game changer for me as far as being able to prepare an easy side dish with meals at dinnertime. Looking for other side dishes to cook on other nights?

• You can make Instant Pot steamed vegetables. Mix a few different ones together and cook all at the same time. We will show you how to do it!
• We make Instant Pot corn on the cob all the time. Fresh or frozen it is a cheap addition to every meal that is always a hit at the table.

And one of our favorite things to serve with pressure cooker brown rice is probably with a frozen roast in the Instant Pot.

This packs our meal with a ton of protein while the rice has the fiber we need in our diets. Many people don’t realize the huge differences between the two styles of rice, but it is pretty big.