Tender Brown Rice . . . How to Cook Instant Pot Rice—brown & white

We like whole grain brown rice but even cooking it in a rice cooker often yielded rice that had a little more “bite” than I prefer; even extra cooking time did not change the result. However, the Instant Pot method yielded tender brown rice! I found this basic recipe at Simply Recipes blog and followed it as listed below except that I cut it in half, making 4 servings — enough for one-time leftovers. Yes, I could freeze the excess if I’d followed her original recipe, but the beauty of the Instant Pot is that I can make fresh rice without a lot of extra work.  

I also added an optional step at the beginning—sautéing veggies in the Instant Pot before adding the rice and water. This added another level of flavor and more vegetables to our meal. 

Tender brown rice topped with Chicken West  

Basic Instant Pot Rice in 3 qt. pot   4 servings 

1 cup rice (brown or white)

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional veggie addition: Heat about 1 tablespoon+ olive oil to the inner pot  and push Sauté button; add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of finely chopped veggies (onions, peppers, celery, cabbage, etc.). Sauté until veggies are tender; once this is done proceed with step #1.

1. Rinse the rice: In a fine wire mesh colander, rinse the rice under cold running water for about 30 seconds, until the water is less cloudy (it won't be quite clear). Drain off the excess water for a minute or so, until water is no longer dripping from the colander. (Note: If you’re using brown rice, you can skip this rinsing step.)
2. Add the rice and water to the pot: Add the rice to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, along with the 1 cup of water and salt. Swivel the inner pot a little bit so that the rice settles into an even layer in the pot. 
3. Secure the lid with the release valve in its “Sealing” position.
4. Cook the rice on low pressure: If cooking white rice, select the “Rice” button on its low pressure setting. (This default “rice” button  will automatically set the cooking time for 15 minutes on low pressure.)
5. If cooking brown rice, select the “Multigrain,” “Pressure Cook,” or “Manual” setting and set the cooking time for 20 minutes at high pressure for chewy, separate grains of rice. For slightly softer rice, increase the cooking time to 22 minutes.
6. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes: When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the pressure release valve to its “Venting” position to release the remaining steam.
7. Finally: Open the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve. 
    

Recipe without photos . . . Basic Instant Pot Rice in 3 qt. pot   4 servings 

1 cup rice (brown or white)

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional veggie addition: Heat about 1 tablespoon+ olive oil to the inner pot  and push Sauté button; add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of finely chopped veggies (onions, peppers, celery, cabbage, etc.). Sauté until veggies are tender; once this is done proceed with step #1.

1. Rinse the rice: In a fine wire mesh colander, rinse the rice under cold running water for about 30 seconds, until the water is less cloudy (it won't be quite clear). Drain off the excess water for a minute or so, until water is no longer dripping from the colander. (Note: If you’re using brown rice, you can skip this rinsing step.)
2. Add the rice and water to the pot: Add the rice to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, along with the 1 cup of water and salt. Swivel the inner pot a little bit so that the rice settles into an even layer in the pot. 
3. Secure the lid with the release valve in its “Sealing” position.
4. Cook the rice on low pressure: If cooking white rice, select the “Rice” button on its low pressure setting. (This default “rice” button  will automatically set the cooking time for 15 minutes on low pressure.)
5. If cooking brown rice, select the “Multigrain,” “Pressure Cook,” or “Manual” setting and set the cooking time for 20 minutes at high pressure for chewy, separate grains of rice. For slightly softer rice, increase the cooking time to 22 minutes.
6. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes: When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the pressure release valve to its “Venting” position to release the remaining steam.
7. Finally: Open the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.