To steam, boil, bake, or use a rice cooker? What’s the best way to cook brown rice? This foolproof boiling method produces light, fluffy, plump grains every single time. It’s easy, too!
Do you avoid brown rice because it lacks the same light, fluffy quality as white rice? Does it seem dense?
This brown rice will be light and fluffy with separate grains that have a hint of chew. It won’t be mushy, gummy, clumpy, soggy, or otherwise undercooked in the middle!
The following boiling technique has become my go-to method for preparing brown rice, whether long grain, medium grain, or brown basmati. Simple and reliable as it is, you may find yourself reaching for this high fiber whole grain more often!
A few tips worth mentioning:
- This method is not well suited to a short grain or sticky rice. Click here for how to make sushi rice.
- Looking for the best way to prepare white rice? Look to this post for Perfectly Cooked White Rice.
Did You Know?
- Because brown rice includes the bran layer, grain for grain it provides more fiber and nutrients like magnesium, niacin, and phosphorus compared to white rice.
- White rice, however, is lower in arsenic, a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment and in some foods. This should not be a concern if you eat a few servings of brown rice per week as part of a varied diet.
- Brown rice grains are firmer than white rice grains. This makes brown rice an excellent choice if you’re making fried rice and don’t have time to refrigerate the rice overnight, which is typically recommended with fried rice dishes for best texture.
➡ Chicken Fried Rice
➡ Cauliflower Fried Rice (this longtime favorite recipe calls for brown rice and cauliflower…and broccoli, too!)
Best Way to Cook Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) brown rice – medium grain, long grain, or brown basmati
- 8 cups (64oz) water
Instructions
- There is no need to rinse the rice first, unless you’ve purchased it from a bulk bin and are concerned about cleanliness.
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size pot over high heat. Add the rice, give it a good stir, return the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer.
- Simmer, uncovered, until the rice is just tender. Taste to make sure.– Medium and long grain brown rice: 25-30 minutes– Brown Basmati rice: 30-35 minutes
- Important: Check several minutes early, as the cooking time will vary somewhat based on the precise level of simmer and even the brand of rice.
- Drain the rice very well in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Shake to remove as much water as possible, and then immediately return the rice to the pot, which should now be dry thanks to the residual heat. Put the lid on and place the pot back on the stove, which is now turned off. Rest in the covered pot for 10 minutes.
- After the rest, fluff rice with a fork and enjoy.
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