No more sticky, mushy, wet brown rice. Perfectly fluffy brown rice is easy to make, once you stop cooking it like rice. The secret? Cook brown rice like pasta and you’ll get fool proof fluffy brown rice every time!
My dad always made Perfect White Rice.
But we never had brown rice, or at least I don’t remember my dad ever making it. Brown rice is simply white rice before the side hulls and the bran are removed. Because brown rice still has these components, it’s nutritional information differs from white rice. It has more fiber and is richer in manganese.
But I’m not here to give you a full nutritional lesson on brown rice or convince you that brown rice is better than white. We eat both in our house. I figure if you’re reading this post, it’s because you want to know how to make it. And make it well.
Since I’ve already shared how I make Perfect White Rice, today’s post is about how to make Perfectly Fluffy Brown Rice.
You might think that because I grew up cooking rice and learning tips and tricks from my father, I might have the golden rice “touch” and be able to produce a great pot of brown rice. Not so. When I started making brown rice years ago, I knew it was different than cooking white rice and that, at the very least, it would take longer to cook.
So, I dutifully followed the package directions for water to rice ratios and cooked the rice. Needless to say, I never ended up with a pot of rice that was cooked properly. It was either mushy and wet, or sticky, or not fully cooked through.
I kept wondering what I was doing wrong. I changed water/rice ratios and cook times to no avail. It never met my expectations.
Then, I had a breakthrough and learned an entirely different way to cook brown rice. Instead of cooking it like rice, I learned this little secret from Saveur……cook it like PASTA! What?!? Yes. Cook it like pasta!
You know how to cook pasta, right? Lots of water. That means, there’s no 2:1 water rice ratio. Instead, break out your big pasta pot, and bring about 12 cups of water to a boil.
Once you have an idea of what that 12 cups looks like in your pot, I wouldn’t bother measuring again. I would just make a mental note of how high the water level is and fill the pot to about that same level each time.
Or measure it every time, if you’re more comfortable with that. I’m so used to my no measure white rice process, I like using as little measuring as possible with brown rice.
Rinse your rice, just as you do for Perfect White Rice, and when the water comes to a boil, add your rice to the pot and stir briefly, just as you would with pasta to make sure nothing sticks together when it hits the boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes. Then you drain it, just like you do for pasta.
Let it drain for about 10 seconds, then throw it back in the hot empty pot where it was cooked. Cover it with a tight lid and let it sit, off the heat, to steam for about 10 minutes. (This part is not like pasta ;)
When you lift off the lid, you will be greeted by a pot full of Perfectly Fluffy Brown Rice. Not sticky, not mushy, not wet or under cooked.
You will cheer because you will have finally mastered how to cook that tricky little grain. And if you’re me, you’ll make a big batch of Perfectly Fluffy Brown Rice so you’ll have extra to freeze.
I always, always make more rice than I need whether it’s brown or white and I always, always freeze the extra. Rice freezes beautifully and heats up perfectly in the microwave.
No one likes mushy, sticky, wet, poorly cooked brown rice. Yes, the struggle was real.
But this? This is pretty much a fool proof process. It hasn’t failed me even once and I’ve been doing it this way for a good 7 years now. Cooking rice like pasta? What can I say?
It just works.
Would you rather make white rice? Click below to make Perfect White Rice!
Perfectly Fluffy Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup of uncooked whole LONG grain brown rice not instant, not quick cooking
- 12 cups water
Instructions
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Bring 12 cups of water to boil in a large pot.
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Meanwhile rinse the rice in a strainer for about a minute. When water is boiling, add rice to pot and stir once to insure grains are separate and not stuck together.
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Boil for 30 minutes or until desired tenderness, uncovered.
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Drain the rice in a strainer for about 10 seconds, then return to the pot, off the heat.
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Cover with a tight fitting lid and let sit for 10 minutes. The rice will steam during this time.
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When the 10 minutes is up, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and serve.
Recipe Notes
*I have used up to 2 cups of uncooked rice in the 12 cups of water. Just remember, if you cook 2 cups of uncooked rice, you need a strainer large enough to handle straining 8 cups of cooked rice.
*Store rice covered in refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, sprinkle a spoonful or so of water over rice, cover and reheat in microwave. The bit of added water will help create steam in the reheating process. Use your judgment on how much you need. If you've reheated and your rice seems a bit dry, add a bit more water and heat long enough to create some steam.
* For longer storage, place cooled rice in a zipped freezer bag, pressing the rice flat and removing all the air. Freeze up to 3 months. I don't like to reheat in plastic, so I usually just heat the bag briefly in the microwave until I can break it up. I then transfer the rice to a bowl, sprinkle with a spoonful of water, cover and reheat in the microwave. It comes out hot, steamy and fluffy as if you've just made it.
Recipe Source Saveur 2008
The Merchant Baker Copyright © 2015
I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH. My whole life has been a fruitless quest for the perfect simple fluffy brown rice. So easy and it came out perfectly. My new hero! Thank you again and again!
Sue, just coming back to share your success is plenty thanks for me :) And hero status? Well, I’ll just consider that a bonus ;)
Thank you! Works perfectly. Been cooking soggy brown rice for decades, now thanks to you I can enjoy fluffy brown rice for [hopefully] several more decades!
You’re welcome, Jacqueline!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I FINALLY made brown rice that wasn’t sticky!!
You’re so welcome, Jan!
Hot diggity dog!! So glad I happened upon this after just finishing my salmon over rice dinner! That’s why I’m here! Cuz my brown rice seems never cooked,never fluffy. Googled and there you are!! Can’t wait to try this,the best I did was kept adding water and cooked longer. Thanks!!!
Yay! Glad to be found! Just cook it like pasta, Terry, and you will be amazed! (And make a big batch and freeze the leftovers. They reheat SO well!)
I always make you’re perfect white rice recipe. Question, my brown rice bag states it is short grain brown rice, not long. Would I make it the same add this recipe?
Hi Sheila! I’m happy to hear the perfect white rice method works well for you. Now, about the brown rice situation…short grain is starchier and stickier than long grain. I haven’t tried this “boil like pasta” method with short grain rice of any kind. It’s hard to get fluffy brown rice if you’re starting with such a starchy version of it. You’d have to experiment with this cooking method to see if you get the results you want from a stickier rice. It’s all about texture. You can try this method and then try the absorption method, which is likely what the directions on the bag provide and see which one suits you best. If you really want a less starchy version, make your next bag of brown rice the long grain variety. Good luck. Let me know how it works out for you!
Thank you, thank you for sharing this method of cooking brown rice. By following the package instructions, my rice always came out on the mushy side. I followed this “like pasta” method & the rice came out perfect!
Your welcome, Rita! I’m glad you found success!
Do you leave it to cook on medium or low heat?
Hi Ella, when you’re boiling it, you’ll want to maintain the boil as you would for pasta, so keep it on medium or medium high or whatever temperature on your stove that allows for enough heat to continue the water to boil. Once you’ve drained the rice and return it to the hot pot, it will no longer be on a hot burner. The rice will steam from the residual heat from the pot.
First time making brown rice. Trying to get healthy! This is a great way of cooking rice. Turned out great. I make my own broth. So I thawed a quart. Which was six cups. I put that with my six cups of water. Only used one cup of rice. Wish I would of done two! Next time I will. I also diced up some baby carrots, celery, and a little onion. That boiled with the rice. All was done in 30 minutes. When I put back in pot I added one tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Put lid on for 10 minutes, then stirred. Very good. Nice and fluffy!
Lisa, I love all of your savory additions! You can definitely get away with that second cup of rice, possibly more, with some experimenting. I think the basic idea is insuring that there’s enough water to keep the rice floating and moving around, and that there’s enough liquid to drain at the end. I haven’t tried more than two cups, but I’d like to experiment with it more.
I found your recipe yesterday after googling “how to make brown rice not mushy” and I tried it and it was PERFECT and will never go back to cooking (failing) it any other way. THANK YOU!!
Jessica
~Alaska
Hey Jessica from Alaska! You are welcome! I share your joy in shifting from “fail” to “nail” on fluffy brown rice. Who knew the solution would be so simple? Now we do! :)
Do you know how many pots of wet mushy oatmeal brown rice I’ve thrown away. Not realizing the internet had all the answers. You are truly heaven sent. I was once again attempting to make some brown rice and I said to myself “NOT TODAY! You will not be a mushy mess!” So I took to the internet and found your blog. My rice was EVERYTHING you said it would be. I was so happy to be able to see every grain of rice I took the pot to my husband and said “I DID IT, I DID IT!” Thanks so much for the rice lesson. I’ll never ever have wet mushy oatmeal brown rice again!
Yay! It’s great to hear about your amazing success!!!
Hello after falling up on hard times I had to reach out to a food pantry and I was given two bags of brown rice. in the past I have had a difficult time trying to get brown rice to taste worth anything .I tried your method and it was awesome thank you so much for this post.
Margo, you are so very welcome!
I just made my first ever batch of fluffy brown rice! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m 40 years old, have been cooking since I was a small girl. Heck I was pulling a chair up to the stove so I could stand on it and reach my pots! However, making a perfect fluffy batch of rice always alluded me. In fact, my efforts usually returned nearly inedible rice. Those days are days gone! This will be my go-to 100% of the time from here on. I just can’t thank you enough for sharing this recipe!
Kristie, you’re welcome, you’re welcome, you’re welcome!!! I grew up on white rice and I’ve always known the secrets to making that exactly the way I like it. But brown rice? Lots of fails. Trust me…I was as thrilled as you are to find this cooking method. I’m glad you’ve found it now, too! :)
I just tried this today!!!! Amazing. Thanks so much… Hopefully sticky brown rice is not in my future… ever again!
Yay! You’re very welcome, Rhonda!
Excited to try this method out, I been struggling with the mixture lvls as well and was aggravating! Quick question, since you stir it once when you place the uncooked rice into the boiling water and Only briefly stir once to placing it in the pot. How do you make sure while boiling for 30 minutes it doesn’t stick to the bottom or burn?
Cory, I haven’t had an issue with the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remember, it’s like boiling pasta so the rice will be floating in the water and cooking, not resting on the bottom of the pot. Feel free to stir it more often if you’re concerned. It won’t harm anything. You’ll see it’s a pretty revolutionary way to cook brown rice. Let me know how it works out for you!
I keep coming back again and again. So I figured it deserved five stars :)
You are a doll! Glad it’s working out so well for you. Don’t forget that rice freezes like a dream. Make a big batch and portion it out for the future. I’m headed to my kitchen now to hit up my freezer for a bag a rice to go with the Asian Peanut Chicken Slaw I’m making for dinner tonight. Thanks for the 5 star review :)
Thank you so much for sharing this! I bought a 5 lb bag of brown rice and my first attempt making it from the package instructions left me with a nasty pasty mess. My first time trying your method I didn’t want to make more than a serving and I believe that affected the outcome as well as one other issue… when you say to strain for 10 seconds, I believe maybe your strainer is faster than mine because I had to cook off the excess moisture after “steaming” it for 10 minutes. I read some comments and realized you meant to strain it thoroughly & my second attempt making a full cup was an absolute success! Looking forward to making more of this now thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Melissa!
What about salt and oil?
I add a little salt and olive oil to my white rice, and i like the way it makes it taste. (I also think it improves the texture of the rice.)
I’m going to try you recipe/instructions with some brown rice that I have, but I think I’m going to throw in a little salt and oil, too. I hope it works.
Well, we’re cooking the rice like pasta. We salt the water we cook pasta in to flavor it. So, I think it would work out just fine. As far as the oil, just remember we pour out the water at the end so you might not get the full added oil effect you’re looking for. It’s worth experimenting. You could always drizzle and toss the finished rice with a bit of oil if putting it into the water doesn’t give you the result you’re looking for. Good luck!
Omgoodness… this is exactly what my sticky brown rice needs! I am so doing this tonight to replace what I just made. And that last high altitude tip helps as well, I too am near Denver. Thanks a bunch!!
You’re welcome, Kris!
Sadly this did not work for me. The rice came out soggy and overly wet. It was unsalvagable. Any ideas?
Meredith, first, check your rice while it’s cooking. You might need to cook it less to get the texture you want. Second, drain it well. Did you put it back in the pot and cover after draining? The heat from the pot should evaporate any remaining water so the rice shouldn’t be wet. If you have any other details, I can try to trouble shoot it with you further.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe – I just tried it for the first time, and my rice came out so beautifully I could cry. YAY!!! I’ve been stuck on eating Trader Joe’s pre-cooked Organic Brown Rice (frozen) like another commenter mentioned because it’s light and tasty and NOT STICKY, but I absolutely hate all of that plastic packaging that has to go in the landfill. Now I can make my own brown rice that’s just as good, with less trash generated, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! FYI – I used short grain brown rice, cooked for about 35 mins (at 5280′ in Denver), and it came out perfectly. Thanks again! :)
Hey Rebecca, thanks for sharing your success! I also love your eco-friendly philosophy. I couldn’t agree more. And, I appreciate hearing about how you found success with short grain brown rice at a high altitude. I know it will help other readers who have those same altitude challenges :)
Hi I’m just wondering if the reason for my mushy brown rice is because I soak it for up to 24 hrs to remove most or some of the phylic acid which stops us from digesting it, but then I try to have chicken broth on hand to cook it in , for nutrition and digestion , so I can’t see me wasting 12 cups of that to strain it down the sink , have you got any advice on this , I don’t think the soaking would have any effect really , what do you think
Soaking would definitely have an effect on the rice. During that soaking time, the rice begins to absorb the liquid. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t still use this method, but I would imagine your cooking time would be less. If you are dead set on the soaking process, I would do that. Then, I would use the recipe process. Feel free to use less liquid and see how that turns out. You basically want the rice to be free floating while it cooks. If you can do that with 6 cups, maybe that will work for you. You can always check for doneness while it is boiling. That should prevent any mushiness. Good luck!
Used your recipe today. It turned out perfectly! Never thought about freezing rice, but I see the value in this. Especially since I always seem to have a lot left over. Thanks a bunch!
Hey Eric! Glad it all worked out so well! As far as freezing, once you start, I think you’re really going to love having rice ready to go when you are. Makes meal prep so much easier!
This recipe hit right on! We eat Asian style dishes frequently. My rice is always too hard or too mushy. This was perfect rice thanks for sharing with us! :)
You are so welcome! Remember that rice freezes well, so make a big batch and freeze some for later. The rice reheats beautifully in the microwave.
Excellent and helpful article. Thank you so much. Does this method work for quinoa? If not, do you know of one that is as good for quinoa as yours is for rice?
Many thanks in advance.
You’re welcome, Bruce. I’ve never tried cooking quinoa with this method, though I have read that it can work. I don’t think you’d need as much water as you use with the rice and you’d have to keep an eye on the cooking time. I’d only cook it until the seed pops open and the germ is revealed. Then, I’d strain and put it back in the pot to steam. You have peaked my curiosity; I definitely need to experiment with it. If you try it, let me know how it works out.
Hey Bruce, I was about to make dinner, so I thought I’d experiment with the quinoa. I used 1 cup (rinsed) quinoa and 3 cups water. I put it all in a sauce pan and brought it to a boil, uncovered. It took about 5 minutes to come to a full boil. I lowered the heat to medium and let it continue to boil. Five minutes later the seeds popped. I drained it and put it back in the hot pot, covered it and let it steam for 10 minutes. I’m going to continue to experiment, but I got a great pot of quinoa that wasn’t mushy, wet or overcooked. And, it has a much better texture. Thanks for the challenge.
I am here for the second time. First time I was trying to figure out a way to cook brown rice properly, so I gave this method a try, hands-down the absolute best brown rice I’ve ever made. So today I’m making it again so I figure Id stop by to leave a comment and say THANK YOU for sharing! It has been life changing :)
Kasandra, I’m so happy to hear that this method is working so well for you! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your success :)
I just tried this! I used 2 cups of rice and 12 cups water and followed your instructions exactly but still somehow ended up with wet sticky rice! I’m dying for some normal rice for once!!!!! :(
Laila, first, are you using LONG grain BROWN rice that is not instant or pre-cooked in any way? Is your strainer allowing enough drainage? I use a mesh strainer for this. If it was wet, then you didn’t strain enough water from it. I can’t imagine how it would be sticky. There’s too much water for that to happen. If you give me more details, I could help you trouble shoot the problem.
I was sceptical about this method but had been consistently unhappy with the “bag instructions” every time I cooked brown rice, and I AM SUPER PLEASED WITH YOUR METHOD! I will never not cook brown rice this way ever again! It was perfect and fluffy. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ava!
Just made this recipe. It was so perfect. I’m fully switching over to brown rice and was struggling with how to cook it. Your recipe was so easy and foolproof. Just wanted to say thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Cecily!
Hey thank you for sharing this recipe! I was just wondering, if I was to use half a cup of rice, would I then only use 6 cups of water? Thank you :)
Yep, Chloe, I think that would work just fine.
We make a lot of brown rice and sometimes I’m tempted to use the steam bags because brown rice never comes out perfect! I’m so glad I tried this recipe! Now I never need to use the steam bags. Thanks for sharing.
You’re so welcome Taniere!
This is amazing!!! My rice always turns out mushy or undercooked with traditional methods. This time, my rice is PERFECT. Fluffy, not wet at all, and definitely not undercooked. I will never cook rice the old way again. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Shannon! I was skeptical until I tried it and it’s pretty fool proof, if you ask me. Don’t forget how easy it is to freeze! Make a big batch and stock up your freezer and you’ll always have perfect rice ready to go!
Thanks for sharing this, i will try this
You’re welcome. I hope you find that it’s an easy process!
I would exactly call this “fool proof”. I followed the recipe exactly and It cMe oit too firm/chewy. Will keep adding to the boil time in 5 min increments until I achieve perfection.
John, you can test the texture while it’s cooking so it’s done to your liking, just like pasta. I have to say though, I’ve never ended up with anything resembling firm or chewy when cooking it this way. I’m wondering if it’s the type of rice you used? Hard to say. I’m sure you’ll find the cooking time down that achieves the texture you want. Good luck!
So,years ago I mastered white rice, even on an electric stove. My current electric stove top needs replacing (but,ya know,that domino effect? Not ready for that!) I’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes. So I’m told if any rice at all,not white. I feel like I’m learning to cook all over again. I have been about 80% successful with the package directions. But that’s with removing from heat,then putting it back,it’s crazy,it’s just good at it,lol. My fiancé hasn’t been successful with it yet,not once!
I am sooooo looking forward to trying this. It seems so simple in comparison to my current rice acrobatics!
Nancy, it IS so simple. Almost fool proof. I’ve never made brown rice that worked out as well as this method. Good luck!
Omg that is amazing you have saved my life I’m on a diet that requires brown rice I have never in my life eating brown rice because it’s been hard and could never get it so off like the white rice I am Puerto Rican and I love white rice so now I need to learn to eat brown rice so thank you thank you thank you
Esther, you’re welcome!!! I’m so glad this cooking technique is going to help you :)
omg so glad your link came up when I googled brown rice! I have always hated the 55 min cook time and the bottom coming out burnt. Your instructions made it perfection and I was able to make a huge pot
Thank you
I’m glad you found the link and that the instructions were helpful. No more burnt rice! :)
Question:Salt? I’m missing the salt. I usually salt my rice during the cooking process.
Hmmmm, well, I always salt my pasta water, so I imagine you could continue adding salt during the cooking process, much as you do now. Some foods benefit from salting later in the cooking process, but I don’t think rice has that issue.
Hi Ramona, Thank you for your post! Can you tell us specifically the brand name of rice that you use? As an inexperienced cook, I find that good ingredients are half the battle! When I was growing up in Latin America, my grandma would be able to identify “old” rice and beans because you can cook them for a long time and never get soft. Arrowhead gets great reviews but I was hoping you would share your fave. Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Ingrid, that’s a great question. I’m so picky about other ingredients, I have to say I can’t tell you I have a go to brown rice. I mean, I generally buy Carolina, only because I happen to like their white rice. I do like Arrowhead Mills for their other products (mostly flours) so I would assume their rice would be good quality. I feel the same about Bob’s Red Mill’s products. So, now you have me thinking…I may have to start experimenting with more rice brands!
Sorry for reviving a dormant thread, I know that can be in rather poor taste. My question is about nutrition. By draining most of the water, there is almost certainly going to be inevitable vitamin and mineral loss. Nutrition is the main reason
to eat brown rice. Any ideas on how significant or insignificant this might be?
No worries, Matthew. I don’t have a specific answer for you. There have been many studies on what nutrients get lost in the general cooking of many foods. I’m sure you could do a search on the best way to preserve the nutrients when cooking brown rice. Perhaps that will lead you to your perfect way of cooking brown rice.
Finally, perfectly cooked brown rice. Thanks for steering me in the right direction. Will always be grateful. Cheers Daryl.
You’re welcome Daryl! I struggled with brown rice for years before this process. Now, it’s so easy!
Hi,
I have not understood the below point. Could you please clarify?
“” Let it drain for about 10 seconds, then throw it back in the hot empty pot where it was cooked. Cover it with a tight lid and let it sit, off the heat, to steam for about 10 minutes. (This part is not like pasta ;) “”
Are you saying to heat/steam the rice again for about 10 minutes without adding any water covered with tightened lid???
Bala, yes, I think you are understanding correctly. You don’t turn the heat back on and you don’t add any water. What happens is the residual heat from the hot pot creates steam from the water still left on the rice. Since you just drained the rice, it’s not completely dry. The steam step helps evaporate any leftover moisture still hanging around the rice grains so that it’s nice an fluffy, not wet. Does that make sense?
Hi Ramona,
Thank you for your prompt response.
And, Sorry for my late response.
I got your clarification given above.
I will try your method and update you the results !!!
Thank you,
Bala
This literally changed my life. Thank you so much!
Well, Jessica…I guess I couldn’t hope for more than that! ;) I’m thrilled this recipe has been so helpful to you!
I am a 69 years old man and as long as I remember this is a method everybody has cooked rice in Iran for many centuries with more elaboration. They normally put the lead covered with a towel on the top after returning the rinsed rice (with cold water) to the heated pot in order to remove the steam (the steaming stages takes at least 30 minutes) . For big occasions when people cook rice in huge copper pots (around 20-kilogram rice per pot), the specially designed cover lead is filled with charcoal or wood fire to keep the pot hot all over, helping steam to evaporate. The bottom of the pot is lubricated with oil and forms a brown-golden crust (called tahdigh) which is most favourite part of rice for many peoples.
Ali, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. As I am reading your comment, I am visualizing the huge copper pots and craving that toasted bottom crust, which, I can only imagine, would also be a favorite of mine :)
Hello! Ive been trying your recipe and my pan will only fit 8.5 cups so Ive been using that much water with 1.5 cups of brown rice and its coming out too crunchy for me.
First time I cooked for 25 minutes as some of the comments stated and [not realizing i could taste it before the steaming part] it was way underdone after steaming for 15minutes.
Today I tried again, boiling for 35 minutes, and it was still a bit crunchy, but tasted a lot better. Is brown rice supposed to be a bit crunchy because of the extra layers or should I try cooking it a bit longer than 35minutes?
Thanks for your help! this technique has gotten the best tasting brown rice ive had so far!
Hi Danielle! I would say that your brown rice should be as soft and tender as white rice. Obviously, people will have different opinions on how they like their rice. Some like it wetter and almost mushy, some like it drier. Let’s just try to get you to a basic tender fluffy rice. I might try just 1 cup of rice to your 8.5 cups of water and yes, I would boil it until it’s tender. If it needs more than 35 minutes, that’s fine. Pretend you’re cooking pasta. You want enough water so that the rice has plenty of room to float around and you want to cook it until it’s tender, with no crunchy issues at all. Then drain it and let it steam per the recipe. Don’t be afraid to let it cook longer. Just find your perfect amount of time that gets you the texture you love and then that will be your guide from now on. Good luck!
You are amazing! thank you so much! I will try that next time! thank you!
I will be trying this tonight. My brown rice is always a disaster. This is genius! Thank you!
Good luck Kris! After years of disastrous brown rice, this is the method that finally works for me :)
Wow, this was so easy and it turned out amazing! Thank you again!
Oh, yay! Success!
Oh, yay! Success! Thanks for coming back to share it!
Awesome! I have been using a small inexpensive rice cooker for white rice without fail and wanted to try brown rice for all the reasons. I tried everything but this and failed. Today I followed these instructions and it was foolproof. Don’t over think it. Just boil drain, wait, then use with your recipe. For the first time, my brown rice was soft if not exactly fluffy. I will experiment with letting it rest with lid off spreading it in a pan and letting it rest in the oven etc. but I am very happy thank you!
John, I’m happy to hear this method worked well for you too!
Hi do I cover the rice with lid when boiling for 30 minutes??
Thks,
Elizabet
Nope! It says right in the recipe to leave it uncovered :) You don’t cover it until after it’s been cooked and drained. Good luck!
Any idea if this will work with a pressure cooker, using the 18 minutes recommended cooking time? 1 cup rice/2 cups water results in sticky rice.
I don’t have any experience with pressure cookers. This method is like cooking pasta in lots of water, draining it and then steaming it. If you’ve cooked pasta successfully in your pressure cooker, perhaps you cook adapt that method with this one. Otherwise, I’d just boil a pot of water normally and follow the directions as written. If you experiment with combining methods and it works out for you, please come back and share your process for other readers to learn from. Thanks!
Voilà! La Perfecion. Succès fou!
It does require more cooking time at higher altitudes, Denver.
I increased the time by 10%, approx. 33 minutes total. My wife and I have been trying to get perfect brown rice for some time. I did my rice and sausage (I make Italian & other sausages) dish. Now, we have no reason to use white rice. Thanks.
Ed, thanks for sharing high altitude adjustments. Your rice and sausage dish sounds delish! Glad this method was a success for you :)
Sounds very easy, thanks for the tutorial ! Although, this way totally defeats the purpose of the whole nutritional elements the brown rice has to offer ! ?
It was my first time making brown rice so I was worried it would turn out a disaster but thanks to your amazing recipe mr brown rice came out fluffy and delicious:) I also boiled it for 26 minutes! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ! Will definetly be recommending to all my friends !
Anna, you scared me when the first word I saw in your comment was, “disaster.” lol! The fact that this turned out perfect on your very first time is fantastic. Cheers to you on mastering the “art” of fluffy brown rice!
I was using I cup medium brown rice to three cups water ..
I cannot even imagine 12 cups water to one cup rice. This is crazy and what used ro be easy and worked perfectly now has become a nightmare of watery mush st the bottom of the pan.
I think the issue is that you used a medium grained brown rice. Medium grain can be stickier and more tender than a long grain rice. This method works best with a long grain rice. I will adjust the recipe to be more specific. Also, this is a pasta cooking method which is why there is much more water. It’s supposed to boil and have enough room to move around freely in the water. In the notes I used up to 2 cups of rice in the 12 cups of water. I assume you could then try 6 cups for 1 cup of rice. It shouldn’t be mushy. Cook it like pasta. Check it along the way for doneness. Perhaps you won’t need the full 30 minutes. Others have commented that theirs was the perfect texture at 26 minutes. The kind of strainer you use might also have an effect. I used a mesh strainer that strained most of the water out quickly. If you use a strainer that strains more slowly, you might need to strain longer. When you put the rice back in the pan, there should not be any pool of water collecting in the bottom. The rice is simply slightly wet and will continue to steam in the hot pan. As you can see from my pictures, my result was not watery mush, but fluffy rice. In the end, though, I’m sure the issue was the medium grain rice. Thanks for the comment. I’ll adjust the recipe to be more specific.
I tried the directions on the bag and got gross mushy wet rice. This was my first try. After reading your method, I tried it and it came out perfect but 26 minutes was enough because I tasted it along the way. Excellent method!
Laura, the directions on the bag never worked out for me. I love this method because you CAN taste it along the way, as you did, and achieve the perfect consistency. Glad it worked out for you!
So I gave it a try and the rice was still abit lumpy and on the mushy side….ugh! I’ll give it another try maybe I didn’t drain it long enough before putting it back in the pot. I was really hoping your advice would work for me☹️
Hmmm…Let’s start with the lumps. When you put the rice in the water, you need to stir it once or twice to make sure none of the grains are sticking together. Once you do that, there should be no more risk of sticking together. The rice should be boiling freely and separately in lots of water. I drained mine in a mesh sieve which drains faster than a colander. You can even see in the pictures that it’s already fluffy and not sticking together. So, definitely drain it longer. It shouldn’t be mushy or lumpy. It’s definitely moist when it goes back in the pot, but there’s definitely no water pooling in the bottom of the pan. That last bit of heat from the pot steams the rice and should get rid of all of the excess moisture. Don’t give up Amber! Once you get it, you’ll know how to do it forever :)
this works really well, thanks, however I must say I altered the recipe a little, used more like 8-9 cups water, and only boiled for 26 min and even w that rice might be a bit mushy, but overall very good, will be experimenting. was about to buy a rice cooker, but maybe this will stop that purchase. along w the nice consistency after all that boiling the rice even looks like white rice!
also like the suggestion for freezing, trader joe’s has k frozen brn rice that you heat in microwave and its excellent, this looks to be a tj killer.
also have been using basmati brown, overall it seems to work better than regular brown
bon appetit
Bob, thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sure your experimenting will result in the perfect water ratio and cooking time for you. Once you nail that, it’s just too easy to make a big batch and freeze. I almost always have frozen rice on hand in the freezer.
Hey! I made this rice for dinner this week and shared it on my #whatsfordinner story: http://www.juniperinherhair.com/blueberry-chicken-fried-rice-meatball-bowls-and-brinner-recap/
Thanks for a great recipe! This is my new favorite way to make rice.
-Jen
It’s a fool proof process. Glad it worked out for you!
May be a dumb question, but do you boil on high, or a “lower boil”?
Lindsay, you know what they say…there are no dumb questions :) Boil it as you would pasta. I usually bring the water to boil on high and then maintain the boil at medium/medium high. You want an active boil so that the grains are constantly moving, but you don’t have to have it so high that it’s sputtering. Does that make sense?
do you know if cooking brown or white rice like pasta cuts down starch/carbs in the rice? if yes by how much?
Nimee, I’m afraid your question delves into food science and topics like digestible and resistant starches. There are plenty of articles out there covering experiments on changing the starch make up of both rice and pasta that you could read to help you decide on a way to cook rice that works for you. This method simply provides an easy way to cook brown rice with great results. Good luck with your research!
YES, I am finally a follower of your blog! Check that off my list of things I want to do!! I cannot wait to try this way of cooking brown rice! Steve always cooks the rice around here, and every time I try, I fail (edible, but not delish). So this might be the trick! Thanks Ramona…can’t wait to read more of your blog! Congrats!!
Hey Jenna! Welcome! So glad you decided to check out the blog and subscribe. This cooking process is pretty fool proof, but if you have any issues…you know where to find me ;) It works great for brown rice…but if you need to make white rice..then check out the Perfect White Rice post for lots of tips on that. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for the tutorial. I have never been particularly good at cooking even white rice, even with a rice cooker, but I want to master brown rice. And perhaps one day even black and wild rice, but for now just being able to make brown rice that’s not crunchy would feel like a victory! I will be giving this method a try.
Cooking rice of any kind can be tricky, but this method is so easy, not tricky at all… I think you’re going to be surprised how well it turns out for you.
I also could never get brown rice to come out right, or even close–it was either like mush or too hard. Just yesterday I was admonished by a trusted health authority to emphasize brown rice and vegetables in my diet, so this recipe amounts to a wonderful insight for me.
Layne, I hope this cooking process works out well for you :)
This recipe is for 1 cup of brown rice… what’s the ratio for 2 cups of rice?
Hey Gem, if you look at the recipe notes, you’ll see I use the same amount of water for 2 cups of rice. I think the most important thing is that there is enough water for the grains to move around freely without getting stuck together. As I mention in the note, however, make sure you have a strainer big enough to accomodate all the rice.
I’m confused after emptying the water letting drain 10 min put back in pot. There wouldn’t be any steam because turned off burner , no water wouldn’t want to dry burn pot and after 10 min wouldn’t be any steam left. Please help ?
Hi Jason, you’re just going to empty the rice into a strainer to drain the water for 10 SECONDS, not minutes. It’s quick. Just drain thoroughly and put the rice right back into the pot. The pot will still be hot. Just put the rice back into the hot pot and put a lid on it. No more burner, no more cooking necessary. The residual heat will help evaporate any remaining water left on the rice. Does that make sense?
Not sure if I can reply but an Armenian lady taught me to grease the bottom of the pan and when it was cooked and drained fit a cotton cloth under the lid you are placing on top. It absorbs all the moisture.
Great idea, Carol!