Instant Pot Brown Rice

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Perfectly fluffy, hands-free Instant Pot Brown Rice shows you how to make brown basmati rice or any long grain brown rice in the pressure cooker.

Why you'll love this recipe

I never knew Instant Pot brown rice could turn out so fluffy and likable – especially after using a rice cooker for several years. Now, it's the only way we cook brown rice. The Instant Pot makes it so fluffy, nutty, and delicious – and it practically makes itself.

Pressure cooker brown rice is as simple as combining rice, water, and salt, pressing a button on the Instant Pot, and coming back in 30 minutes. Conveniently, the Instant Pot has an auto-stop function and switches into “keep warm” mode once the rice is cooked.

If you love grains for meal prep, check out this Instant Pot Quinoa recipe for more pressure cooker convenience.

Ingredient notes

Ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card below.

• brown rice - any long grain brown rice (brown basmati rice, brown jasmine rice, etc) will work in the Instant Pot
• water - or broth
• salt - optional

How to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot

Step 1. Rinse 2 cups of brown rice until the water runs clear. Add rinsed rice, water, and salt to the electric pressure cooker.

Step 2. Turn the pressure release valve to "Sealing". Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button, then set the cooking time to 22 minutes on HIGH pressure.

Step 3. When the cook cycle completes, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Turn pressure release valve to "Venting" to release any remaining pressure.

Step 3. Press "Cancel", open the lid, and use a rice paddle or other utensil to fluff your perfectly cooked rice.

Recipe tips

• Pressure cooker size - Use any size Instant Pot. For 8- or 10-quart models, avoid reducing the recipe because cookers larger than 6 quarts typically require at least 2 cups of liquid to pressurize properly.
• Rinsing rice - Rinsing removes excess starch, helping prevent sticking and clumping.
• Adding oil - Adding just 1 teaspoon olive oil to 2 cups of brown rice helps the grains glisten and stay separate.
• No-salt option: For low-sodium diets, omit salt and season to taste after cooking.
• Pressure cooker setting - I use Manual settings for all my Instant Pot recipes (except yogurt) because it gives me more control and more consistent results.

Which pressure cooker can I use for this Instant Pot brown rice recipe?

Any electric pressure cooker that has similar manual settings and functions should allow you to make this recipe with optimal results.

How to scale this recipe up or down

To increase the yield of this recipe, the pressure cooker cooking time and temperature stay the same for any size cooker. To reduce Instant Pot brown rice from 2 cups to 1 cup, you’ll need a 3- or 6-quart cooker, since 8- or 10-quart cookers require at least 2 cups of water to reach pressure.

What’s the best brown rice for the pressure cooker?

When cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot, you can use classic long-grain brown rice, as shown in my photos. This pressure cooker recipe is also intended for basmati and jasmine brown rice, with no changes to the recipe instructions.

Why rinse brown rice for the Instant Pot?

Rinsing brown rice helps remove dust and grit. It also washes away excess starch, which prevents the grains from sticking together – this promotes fluffiness, which is important when cooking rice.

Can I freeze pressure-cooked rice?

Yes! Allow the rice to cool completely and package into a freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months, or longer if vacuum-sealed. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight, then heat and serve.

Serving Ideas

Brown rice is a healthy accompaniment to pumpkin curry and vegetable stir fry. Pressure-cooked brown rice is so fluffy that it makes the best cilantro lime brown rice and chicken fried rice.

📖 Recipe