Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice

Cooking perfect rice seems easy, but it can be quite tricky. If the cooking time, cooking method, or water-to-rice ratio are not accurate and correct, sadly you may end up with uncooked, hard, crunchy, burnt, mushy, or gummy rice. 🙁

Plus, every grain has their own personality, each type of rice requires unique care for them to turn out perfect.

There were a lot of discussions on how to make perfect Instant Pot White Rice, and we’re glad that our rice experiment & recipe – Instant Pot Rice has helped many readers find success in making white rice!

Many readers have asked us how about brown rice? What’s the best cooking time and method for cooking brown rice in Instant Pot?

So, it’s time for another Instant Pot Rice experiment (Jump to Experiment)! 🙂

What is Brown Rice?

Brown rice’s literal meaning in Chinese (糙米) is “rough rice”. It’s an unpolished whole grain rice – the bran, germ, and aleurone layer are not removed like the regular polished white rice we eat.

Brown rice is the same grain as white rice, but it’s more nutritious with more nutrients and high in fiber.

Normally it takes almost an hour of simmering to make a pot of brown rice on stove top, but it’s super easy to cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot with just half the cooking time! 😀

Time to cook brown rice in Instant Pot!

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Brown Rice

Prepare Ingredients for cooking brown rice in Instant Pot:

Tools for Instant Pot Brown Rice

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker (10.15~11.6 psi)
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup
• Smart Weigh Digital Kitchen Scale

Instant Pot Brown Rice Experiment

We conducted 5 tests with brown rice in Instant Pot using different amounts of liquid, cooking time, and pressure release methods. Here are the results! 🙂

Brown Rice Test #1

• Brown Rice: 1 cup of brown rice
• Liquid: 1 cup of cold water
• Cooking Method & Time: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + 5 minutes Quick Release
• Result: a bit too crunchy and chewy

Brown Rice Test #2*

• Brown Rice: 1 cup of brown rice
• Liquid: 1 cup of cold water
• Cooking Method & Time: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 15 minutes + 5 minutes Quick Release
• Result: very similar to the result we get from our Asian rice cooker – fully cooked & chewy

Brown Rice Test #3

• Brown Rice: 1 cup of brown rice
• Liquid: 1 cup of cold water
• Cooking Method & Time: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + Full Natural Release
• Result: very similar to Test 2’s result

Brown Rice Test #4

• Brown Rice: 1 cup of brown rice
• Liquid: 1 ¼ cup of cold water
• Cooking Method & Time: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 15 minutes + Full Natural Release
• Result: the additional water produced a softer texture

Brown Rice Test #5

• Brown Rice: 1 cup of brown rice
• Liquid: 1½ cup of cold water
• Cooking Method & Time: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 15 minutes + Full Natural Release
• Result: the additional water produced an even softer texture than Test 4’s result, and slightly watery. The extra water also diluted some of the nutty flavor of the brown rice.

Experiment Conclusion

The Instant Pot Brown Rice texture we preferred the most is the result from Test 2 – fully cooked & chewy. If you like softer brown rice, follow Test 4’s ratios & methods.

Which brown rice texture do you prefer? 🙂

Pressure Cook Brown Rice

First, place 1 cup brown rice (200g) and 1 cup cold water (250ml) in Instant Pot.

*Rinsing Rice – Pro Tip: If you rinse the brown rice before cooking, be sure to drain well and ensure the water-to-rice ratio is accurate (roughly reduce 3 tablespoons from the 1 cup of water).

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

• Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure cook at High Pressure for 15 minutes (see experiment results for your own preference), and Natural Release for 5 minutes.

Then use Quick Release (turn Venting Knob to Venting position) to release remaining pressure in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

Open the lid carefully.

Serve Instant Pot Brown Rice

Finally, fluff the perfectly cooked brown rice with a rice paddle or fork.

*Pro Tip: If the rice is a bit wet, let it rest a bit for the moisture to escape before serving.

Enjoy your tasty & perfectly cooked pressure cooker brown rice~ 🙂

*Leftover Rice Storage Tip: Let leftover brown rice cool completely before storing in the fridge.

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes

Instant Pot Rice

Instant Pot Basmati Rice