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While writing The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, I spent a lot of time learning the best way to cook rice in the pressure cooker. Brown rice, in particular, is something I’ve avoided cooking too often, simply because it’s time-consuming to keep a pot on the stovetop for that long.
However, that’s no longer the case, thanks to the Instant Pot. You can press a button and walk away while your rice cooks to perfection, without watching the pot or worrying about it burning to the bottom of the pan.
Today, I’ll show you two methods for cooking it: either directly in the stainless steel insert or in a separate bowl for easier cleanup.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Wonderful! Thank you SO much – SO EASY & fast – the brown rice tastes so much better cooked in the Instapot compared to stovetop.”
– Tina
Ingredients You’ll NEed
- Brown rice. This variety of rice is available in both short-grain and long-grain forms. Either option should turn out well with this cooking method.
- Water. Use a ratio of 1:1 brown rice to water when cooking in the pressure cooker. Since there’s no evaporation with this cooking method, you don’t need as much water as you would when cooking on the stovetop.
- Salt. I like to add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 2 cups of dry brown rice. This boosts the flavor, without being overpowering.
How to Make Brown Rice in the Instant Pot
Step 1:
Place the dry brown rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under running water. You’ll likely see foam or bubbles on top of the rice at first. Continue rinsing until the bubbles disappear, which typically takes about 60 seconds.
Transfer the rinsed rice to the stainless steel bowl of the Instant Pot and cover it with an equal amount of water. (So, if you rinsed 1 cup of dry rice, add 1 cup of fresh water for cooking.)
Step 2:
Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the steam release valve is in the “sealing” position. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 22 minutes.
It will take 8 to 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize, so the screen will read “ON” until then.
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Step 3:
When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for at least 10 minutes. This means you don’t have to do anything right away; wait until the screen reads L0:10, indicating that 10 minutes have passed. It’s okay if you wait a little longer, too.
Move the steam release valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid.
Fluff with a fork, and it’s ready to serve warm.
“Pot-in-Pot” Instant Pot Rice
If you’d like to cook brown rice in a separate bowl in your Instant Pot, that’s called “pot in pot” cooking. This method is often used when you want to cook two dishes simultaneously, such as chicken on the bottom and rice on top.
Here’s how:
- Rinse the rice. Just like the directions above, place the dry rice in a strainer and rinse well until you see no bubbles or foam on top.
- Use the right bowl. Transfer the rinsed rice to a heat-safe bowl that is no bigger than 7 inches in diameter when using a 6-quart Instant Pot. There must be at least an inch of space around the bowl when it sits in the stainless steel pot so pressure can properly build in the pot.
- Arrange the trivet. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the stainless steel Instant Pot liner, then arrange a trivet over that. (My machine came with a trivet, so that’s what I use– no extra equipment needed.) Place the heat-safe bowl of rice on top of the trivet. There should be plenty of room around the bowl for steam to circulate in the pot.
- Pressure cook. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release valve is in the “sealing” position. Cook at high pressure for 22 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release.
When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to open the pot. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl of cooked rice, as it will be very hot. Fluff the rice with a fork, and it’s ready to serve.
Instant Pot Brown Rice (Easier than the Stove!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under running water until you see no bubbles or foam on top. Add the drained rice and water to the bottom of the Instant Pot, then secure the lid and move the steam release valve to the "sealing" position.
- Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button on your machine and cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. The pot will take roughly 8 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking cycle begins.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. (In other words, don’t do anything right away.) When the screen reads LO:10, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
- When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve warm. Leftover rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Protein Rice Crispy Treats
- Socca Pizza with Roasted Veggies
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it works for you.
The instructions don’t say anything about pot-in-pot or using the bowl and trivet listed under equipment. I used the “jump to recipe” button so I must have missed something. Also a bit confused about the cook time of 22 min vs pressurization of 18 min, but it came out alright (tiny bit wet) with the rice in the bottom of the pot and timer set to 22 min. 🙂
Thanks so much. I wanted to use the pot-in-pot technique but didn’t have the size pot you advised us to use so I cooked right in the instant pot. The rice came out perfectly and I noticed that it actually was easier to clean the pot than when I steamed and used pot in pot recipes as my hard water leaves mineral traces that are more difficult to clean up than a little rice residue. Also so glad to find your website. My very healthy diet of the past 8 plus years has been falling apart and I need some inspiration. Thanks again.
Hi Megan! I’m new to cooking in the IP, so maybe this is common knowledge, but… is the “keep warm“ button supposed to be on or off? You don’t mention it in your recipes, so I wasn’t sure. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! 😊
The keep warm setting is automatically on when the Instant Pot cooking cycle completes. I leave it on during the natural release, but you can turn it off if you know you’ll eat your food as soon as the natural release is done.
How would you adjust the timing for parboiled brown rice?
Ew, no. Don’t cook Uncle Ben’s in the IP.
Lovely
Perfect!!!
Perfect Brown Rice!
Thank you ❣️
Hello. I tried your recipe step by step and even though the rice cooked through, it was also a bit firm and sticky (I did rinse it before). And it was not fluffy or anything like that. It was kinda like a less sticky sushi rice. I added the water you said. The time and pressure you mentioned. I don’t know why this happened. Could you give me a heads up? Thanks a lot
I had the same problem. Any advice would be great!
Can 1 cup broth be used instead of 1 cup water in cookinging 1 cup rice.
Thanx so much for this recipe.
I fried onions and used half grated lemon zest for my brown rice and my kids of all the other people loved it.
Will try 4mins white rice.