I’m so grateful to you for posting this. I’ve had the same problem with the texture of the brown rice I’ve cooked at home.

And there’s nothing worse that pasty brown rice. I was in a Thai restaurant the other day. I chose the brown rice option and was served a pasty mess that was sticking together in clumps. I requested another bowl, but it was from the same batch and just the same. (Perhaps I should share the “secret” with them too.)

OHHhhhh.. I’ve been craving brown rice lately!! But like you it never comes out right… I’m always so impatient for it to get finished so I can dig in!! Good info to have, “patience does a perfect cup of brown rice make” D

I usually cook mine in the pressure cooker and it come out delicious, but I have to make a big batch. Your method should be good for smaller amounts of rice. Thank you.

One question. What about the water soluble vitamins that you wash down the drain with this method? Or have I been too indoctrinated by salesmen of the waterless cooking pots?

I, too, have problems cooking brown rice. Thanks for the tips and pointers! Between your recipe and the Saveur article, I should be able to figure it out!

What? You mean brown rice doesn’t have to be gross and crunchy? I should really give it another try!

I loved opening this email–I just served brown rice to my family the other night and it was terrible! I am so glad to get this tip, because I know it’s so good for us!

Interesting- and at high altitude, I imagine your method works better than the standard formula I’ve used. I twittered this post- great for gluten-free folks.

Thanks for this. We have been trying to eat more brown rice and whole grains and I have been struggling with making them taste good.

It is nice to see a post from you. =]

Thank you! These tips are awesome. (And thanks Karina, for tweeting this so I could find it….)

I’ve noticed that my brown rice comes out fine in the rice steamer if I add twice the amount of water I’m supposed to. If I use Brown Basmati and use two cups of water per half a cup of rice, it’s usually pretty good. Occasionally it comes out a little mushy though, but I prefer that to “gross and crunchy”.

ALSO, you can just skip the nonsense altogether and buy the ready-cooked brown rice you get in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s or, if you don’t live near one, order some steamed rice from a chinese restaurant that has brown rice as an option.

I bake my brown rice in the oven and it comes out perfectly every time with no fuss. Alton Brown’s recipe is on Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

Love your blog!

Thank you for this recipe. I usually cook white rice and it comes out delicious every time. However, for health reasons I would like to begin feeding my family brown rice. So many more nutrients and benefits to it. Thing is, I use a rice cooker. Would this same method apply to a rice cooker?

I mix brown rice with white rice in my rice cooker. 3 cups white 1 cup brown. Add a cup more of water than when using all white rice.

Interesting! I saw that same article in Saveur, and I’ve been (mostly) happy with my rice cooker, but this seems even better! Will definitely have to try! Thanks for sharing.

This is really one great post, which i could use. 12 cups! .. 4 cups sounds just right.. & i should try that steaming part next time.

I will have to give this a shot because my normal 2:1 liquid to rice ends up burnt from time to time. Plus I turn into a pot looker because of a paranoid of burning so I am constantly lifting the lid every 5 minutes to stir and make sure water level is good.

Thanks for this article, again. And I agree with you- the first time I tried this, I already started my stir fry and didn’t want to wait the time it would take for 12c of water to boil. So I just filled my pot, which was definitely < 12c, and followed the rest of the directions. It was great, esp the next day – not crunchy or clumpy on the 2nd day!

I’m so glad you posted this! This REALLY IS the best way to cook brown rice. I cut the page of out of Saveur months ago, and have been passing it on to people ever since. It really changes people’s opinions about brown rice–esp. those who thought they didn’t like it. Each piece of rice is fluffy, and there’s no more mush.

One of the commentors mentioned brown rice doesn’t work in their rice cooker. My sister had the same problem and has since given away her cooker and just makes it the Saveur way instead. Nothing sticks and cleanup is quick!

This makes sense why my brow rice turned out best in soups – there is more liquid for it to absorb. Thank you so much for posting this. It’s MOST helpful.

I also cook my rice in the pressure cooker and have pretty much perfected it. It only takes 22 minutes at pressure.

I just read an article about the loss of B vitamins when boiling rice and throwing away the liquid so I am not likely to use the method you describe.

Honestly, though, if it helps people eat more brown rice, I am all for it. And once you’ve conquered and perfected brown, you’ve got to give the various red and black rices a try. There are hundreds of types of whole grain rice in the world. And most of them are quite tasty. Check out my friends at Lotus Foods for some very special types of rice.

Oh man, this is timely! I just made mushy brown rice last night. Ick. But I have problems even with the white stuff.

I’m another fan of Saveur’s method–it really is foolproof. And (for me, at least) another bonus is that you can make it ahead of time and it’ll hold, since it’s got that little bit of hot water underneath the colander. I cook it during my toddler’s afternoon nap (when he takes one) and let it sit until dinnertime.

I happened to look on your blog today while I,m cooking brown rice. We have the same problem because brown cooks different than white. Thanks for the advice. Going to try your coconut lime cake for the family reunion this Saturday.

Best way I have found to cook brown rice is in the rice steamer. Using 2 cups water/broth to 1 cup rice turns out great! This is the only way my family will tolerate brown rice.

When cooking brown rice, it’s a good idea to add some chicken stock or chicken bouillon to the water along with some dried chives. The taste is so much better than just plain rice, no matter what you plan to serve with your rice.

For other recipe ideas and reviews of great places to eat, go to:
http://wheretogoandwhattodo.blogspot.com

I wonder if it changes the nutritional content of the rice at all? I eat it mainly for the nutrition reasons? Anyone know?

My two cents, a bit late:
Another no-fail way to cook brown rice perfectly is to soak it in water w/ lemon juice or whey overnight. It neutralizes the phytates, making it more digestable, and it cooks up in a flash. Mmmm…delish and filling. The cookbook “Nourishing Traditions” has all the details. I swear by it!

btw, I always love checking in at PMS…mouth watering and a feast for the eyes, too. =)

I just made brown rice last night! I wish I had read this post before I did it, it came out slightly mushy

Thanks for the brown rice cooking tip.

Hi,

Thank you for this post and for a great food blog! This is my first time visiting and I’ll be back often. As a nutritionist, I always recommend brown vs. white rice. But it’s not easy to “get it right.” I can’t wait to try this cooking method.

P.S.> As someone else mentioned, I often add chicken broth to my rice for a great flavor, depending on what I am serving with the rice. (Half broth, half water).

Thanks again,
Vonalda-naturalhealthywoman

I cook my short grain brown rice in the rice cooker using a 1 cup rice/2 cups water ratio but never was too happy with the result. Thanks for posting this tip!

Yes the 12 cups of water seem over the top for me also.

Gabi

I finally perfected brown rice in my rice cooker… adding extra water is the trick! (as noted in a lot of the comments here)
It seems to work better in bigger batches, so I freeze the left-overs.
2 c. brown rice, 4 1/2 c. water, 1 veggie boullion cube… perfect every time.

HI i tried doing this and all the water pratically absorbs by the 30 mins is that supposed to happen?? and also the bottom is all burnt rice i dont know what im doing wrong any suggestions

hi yeah i did i used 4 cups of water because i used only 1 cup of water do u think it would matter the type of pot i used?

This really works, just finshed eating it now. I used 2 cups of water from the kettle with 1 cup of brown rice. I didn’t use a sieve at any point and I added a bit of butter.

Thanks so much I can now finally cook brown rice!!!

Fantastic. I too have never been that happy with brown rice at home. Gonna try this tonight. Lovely photos BTW.

what an awesome recipe/technique! i tried it with my short grain brown rice today and it produced the best brown rice i’ve ever had, hands down! thanks for saving me from mushy or hard brown rice for the rest of my life

thank you thank you thank you ! ! ! the only thing i did differently was I started out with cold water and kept it covered for the 1st ten minutes (only because I forgot what I read the first time around). i used your 4 C water to 1 C brown rice method and this is actually the first time we’ve ever enjoyed brown rice! ever! thank you again! i don’t normally comment online, but, i just had to share. it was the perfectly-textured flakey brown rice I’ve ever eaten! I used a small 1 1/2 qt. pot that was just barely big enough.

The amount of water you need to use depends on the “age” of the rice. If it is freshly harvested and packed, it is likely to have a higher inherent water content. Older rice that has been stored for a few months before packing needs a tad more water.

We, in India, never throw away the water in which the rice is cooked. You lose all the water soluble nutrients that way. You have to adjust the amount, so it just about gets absorbed.

This may seem like a silly question, but when you return the rice to the pot, do you keep it in the strainer sitting on top of the pot? Or dump the rice back in? Thank you!

Lovely recipe. A perfect al dente rice- not mushy or crunchy, but ‘just right.’

I wanted to mention that I too use only 4 cups of water for this recipe, but instead of tossing it down the drain, I capture it in a bowl and then drink it like a tea. There are tone of nutrients form the rice that are in the liquid, and it’s actually quite delicious. I add a few pieces of kombu and bull whip (seaweeds), which add to the flavor and the nutrition. It’s delightful.

In some japanese soba places, they give you the broth the soba was cooked in after you have eaten your (cold) noodles. You usually add some of the dipping sauce and some scallions. These would both make a nice addition to your rice-broth.

Enjoy!
D

I know this is way late but i finally tried to make the rice again..ive been just taking the easy way out and getting brown rice and the chinese restaurant…i took your advice and used 6 cups of water and it worked…thank you so much i will never have to get take out rice again…this actually tastes a lot better

Thankyou. I much prefer brown rice and would love the family to eat it more but it’s not nice when you have to eat it crunchy or worse soggy! LOL.
I’ll have to give this method a try and see if we can overcome the great brown rice debate in my household!

PERFECT! Just used this recipe and I will never try any other method for brown rice again. Thank you, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for

I have a method provided by a 5-star chef.

1. Finely chop 1 onion
2. Finely chop 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
3. Add 3 tablespoons to bottom of fry pan
4. Add onion and garlic for 3 to 6 minutes until tender lightly cooked
5. Add 1 cup of brown rice
6. Fry the brown rice until all the oil is absorbed
7. Add 1 cup of white wine until it is absorbed
8. Add 6 to 8 cups of chicken broth just one cup at a time, allowing it to absorb before adding another cup.
9. Rice will be done perfectly
10. Add butter, salt, pepper and grated parmesan if you want to make it creamy.

Good article, but I really wish you were more specific on the instructions.. you said 30 minutes for 1 cup of rice, but this quantity changes depending on how much rice, half a cup doesn’t stay 30 minutes, that will burn it (and i’m talking from experience here).

Can you please add these details?

[...] rice and found that our own Nicole, of Pinch My Salt fame, had a blog entry with directions for perfectly cooked brown rice. I knew I needed look no further. If Nicole said it worked, that was good enough for me. I followed [...]

Great tip, thanks for sharing. I made this last night, and am having it again for lunch as we speak. Not only was it fluffy and flavorful for dinner, but it didn’t dry out in the fridge overnight and is just as good today.

I used the 4c water/1c rice ration and also added a pinch of salt to my water.

Wow, it works…thank you sooo much! Brown rice always seems to be such an impossible cook. I’ve tried so many methods (even the one where you measure the water according to the first line of your index finger) but it either ends up to mushy or crunchy, but this is the only method that works every time. I was always afraid to cook anything that revolved around rice when having company over..but now I can! Thanks for sharing!

Shame on you, David! How can you ask us to toss out the water that contains so many nutrients?

I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board to correct the recipe.

[...] I picked up three bags — brown, red and forbidden (black). I cooked them all together using Nicole’s foolproof method. It is, of course, impossible to cook a few ounces of rice, and I didn’t even try. Instead, I [...]

I don’t know why I was surprised after reading all the glowing reviews but I still was astounded. I have never once made even a vaguely satisfactory pot of brown rice but this method yielded perfection! I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Great instructions! I tried it tonight and made the best brown rice I’ve ever made!

I live at about 9000 ft above sea level and this method is the best I’ve come across, although i did need to boil the rice for an hour instead of 30 minutes, and then let it steam for 20 minutes or so for it to be perfect, but thanks for the tip!

HOORAY! I quickly searched for a non goopy/sticky/mushy method of making brown rice last night and this was quite the winner! I was very pleased it came out perfect on the first attempt, however I am going to try and alter the amount of water so that I don’t have to dump any out. I just don’t want to waste the nutrient rich fluid, and the whole point of eating brown rice vs. white is for the extra nutrition! Thanks again for this! I just love making black beans and rice, and now that I can make the rice perfectly, the dish won’t be so goopy!

These directions were perfect. I wanted to use 3/4 cup of brown rice for a casserole and I wanted to pre-cook the rice, because it takes forever to get cooked in the oven. I used 2 cups of water and it came out perfectly. I brought water to boil, put in the rice, cooked on Medium for 30 minutes, drained the rice in a strainer, added the rice to my casserole and popped it in the oven. Thanks so much for a great recipe.

So pleased with the way it cooked. I just followed instructions exactly as directed. AWESOME. THUMBS UP!

Hi, thank you for the recipe and i followed the instructions exactly like you wrote here. It turn out perfectly! Thanks again and I put your link in my blog..

Thank you so much for these instructions! I was skeptical but, like everyone else experienced, the rice turned out perfectly! Best brown rice I’ve ever made.

Nicole, Great Recipe….cooked it twice so far and 1 to 4 cups works great for me..
Awesome….Thanks so much,

This was my first attempt at cooking brown rice. You’re right, it turned out perfect! Thanks.

I bought a rice cooker with a brown rice setting and I feel like a fool for not buying one a decade ago. There is no secret to brown rice, just push the button and enjoy it – no need to be a martyr.

I was about to give up on cooking brown rice altogether until I came upon your site. So I decided to give it one more shot and my goodness it was PERFECT!!!! Thank you so much for this tip!!! Now I don’t ever have to give up on cooking brown rice! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Last year I bought a rice cooker at Costco with a setting for brown rice. But it tends to burn the rice, even when I add extra water.

Got any suggestions, Morgan?

Wow! I was a total skeptic when I read this technique, but I tried it and the brown rice is perfect. Nutty and fluffy. Thank you for posting.

WoW! This is the first time my brown rice came out perfect. My family finally like brown rice. Thank you so much.

Great technique! I shared it on wikiHow, crediting your blog and Saveur as a source:

http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Brown-Rice

Thanks so much for sharing this! It is absolutely the best way to cook brown rice. I’ve passed it along to several family members – even those who haven’t liked brown rice in the past – and they all love it.

okay so tonight I tried brown rice again, and again was unhappy so that’s when I found this tip that makes sense and I will try for sure next time. BUT… I actually want to make like a Mexican type rice so my family will eat it with me so what kind of suggestions might you have there?

Hello there and thankyou for showing me the right way of cooking brown rice!! I couldn’t get the grains to seperate but atleast it was not crunchy and I can now really enjoy my brown basmati rice.
I actually added it to some stir fry vegetables and it was delicious!

[...] Problemet har imidlertid vært at brun ris (naturris) er litt vrient å koke. Den må koke lengre enn hvit ris, men selv om jeg har holdt på og kokt og kokt så ble den liksom ikke særlig bra likevel. Inntil nå, for nå har jeg funnet en en idiotsikker måte å koke perfekt brun ris: [...]

[...] (either follow your rice cooker’s instructions, or follow Nicole’s super-cool instructions for perfect brown rice) and cooled to room [...]

Help please.
#1 How can I cook the perfect brown rice in a small 3 cup rice cooker? It’s either too mushy or hard partially uncooked.

#2 Also one other problem, I am used to cooking awesome perfect every time white rice in Latin style aluminum pots. But I just bought a new glass stove top, and the warranty and service reps told me I can only use stainless steel flat bottom pots and pans. No copper bottoms, iron skillets, or aluminum anything. Is there anything out there that has a stainless steel flat bottom, but has an inside like an aluminum pot where I can cook rice stove top once again? Thanks Feed Me

[...] one of my not-so-successful attempts, I came across a recipe for Perfect Brown Rice on Pinch My Salt, which adopted an unusual cooking technique from Saveur magazine. Basically, the trick is this:  [...]

Thank you so much for this post! I prepared this last night and I felt like a miracle happened in my kitchen. Holy-Bejesus…I finally did it right! You have shown me the light! Thank you!

This process didn’t work for me. Still sticky and clumpy. I’m very disappointed because I really want to eat healthy but don’t want the clumpy rice.

[...] By the way, have you seen this amazing technique for making brown rice?? No more gooey mess. Pinch My Salt is [...]

[...] How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice @ Pinch My Salt [...]

I tried it yesterday and it was great. I followed your suggestion and used less water, but I got worried about 5 minutes before it was done because it absorbed so much. So, I added 2 more cups. I can’t believe I’ve been struggling so long with brown rice.

I just used this method and I must say: Amazing! This is the best brown rice I have ever made. I didn’t use quite enough water for how much rice i made so it was still a little damp (totally my fault LOL) but I still have never had it come out so well before! I’m truly impressed.

[...] http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/04/06/how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/ Leave a [...]

Outstanding post! The rice comes out as good as any high-end Chinese or Thai restaurant I’ve been to. I bookmarked this months ago and always return for a quick refresher anytime I cook brown rice. (It’s an easy recipe, but I make a few other types of rice and each style, especially sushi, is quite different in its preparation.) Thanks!

I am trying to shift to a healthier lifestyle and shifting from white rice to brown rice is a part of it. I got a packet of brown rice today (raw ) and was lookin for the recipe to cook it when i came across this page on the net… m gonna give it a shot tmrw itself… thanks in advance

I am 54 years old and have tried to cook perfect brown rice for 30+ years! I hit the mark maybe 6 times during that period : ( But I just made the best batch of brown rice EVER using this method. Thank you SO much!

I just made my first batch of brown rice ever and it tastes so good! : ) It is fluffy and soft, just what I was craving. Thanks for the advice.

[...] over long-grain brown rice, cooked “perfectly,” thanks to Pinch My Salt author’s helpful post, and with the cornbread from King Arthur Flour’s Whole Grain [...]

Yes!!!
I don’t know what possessed me to try this but it worked; I made perfect brown rice for the first time in my life. In the back of my mind I kept wondering what else I could serve for dinner if this didn’t work out, but my fears were unfounded, lol!
Thanks

It is so!!!
I just cooked 3 cups brown rice exactly according to this recipe and it came out perfectly just like in the photo. I love the texture of brown rice and this recipe enhances it well without the stickiness. Now I’ll save some for another day and make some stir fried brown rice. Mmm mmm good!!!
Thanks so much for this perfect recipe.

[...] How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice [...]

I just made the perfect brown rice, thanks to you! Would it be okay if I link to your blog from mine?

[...] brown rice by steam, bake or slurry [...]

I’ve been cooking soggy sticky brown rice for years. I tried your method this evening and can’t believe it , myself and my family have enjoyed the best rice I have ever cooked! Thanks a lot for the tip )

Wow. I tried this tonight. How simple. The rice was a bit crunchy but I don’t think I had the heat high enough during cooking. Next time. Anyway, the rice was not mushy and it didn’t stick together. I thought (too late of course) the the rice water left over could be used to saute a vegie or two to put over the rice. We learn by doing, eh?

THANK YOU! I have ruined so many batches trying to make brown rice! It came out great! I appreciate your effort!

Searching for a better way to cook brown rice is how I found your site. I tried this method and it was fantastic! I don’t have to use white rice at all anymore! The texture is appealing to everyone in the house! I don’t measure out the water though. I get my biggest pot and nearly fill it, and it works every time. As long as you don’t cook it all off you’re golden! Thanks for sharing.

I love your site by the way!

[...] need a little extra brown rice cooking guidance, here is a great blog post from Pinch My Salt for How to Make Perfect Brown Rice on the [...]

Thanks sooo much it turned out amazing! I did a slight modification and used two cups of water and two cups of organic low sodium chicken broth. Also when I steamed it for ten min I cut up some organic tomatoes and threw the chunks in after I drained the water out. Amazinggg!

I was wondering why following these instructions all the water was boiling away before 30 minutes were up. Then, I discovered a hole in my pot…

[...] red onion (spiced with taco seasoning from Jumbo) – Spicy pepper – Lettuce, tomato, parsley – Perfectly cooked brown rice – Lentils – Burntish cheese – Homemade Ranch [...]

I just had to say thank you. I’ve looked up how to cook brown rice at least a dozen times and this is always where I end up and my rice is always perfect! One of these days I might just write it down, but until then I’ll keep coming to your blog several times a month.

yep, perfect. thanks for the tip!

Thank you so much! I found this site yesterday and made PERFECT brown rice last night! I love brown rice — I actually gave up on cooking my own and had been purchasing frozen pre-cooked brown rice from TJ’s. I eat brown rice at least once a day, so this cooking technique is going to same me $$$. Thanks again!

September 27 20010
This method of cooking brown rice really works well!
I have been searching a way to properly cook brown rice but didn’t think that it existed. I am so grateful for this article. Thank you!!!

I never cooked good tasting brown rice before, but today they came out perfect! Thank you so much for the tip. The only change I made was using broth instead of water.

I use this concept but with this thought in mind…think Pasta, not rice. I never measure the water…I just put enough in so that the rice cooks the way pasta would. I boil it for 30 minutes, drain, put back in the pot and cover for about 5 minutes. That’s it. It comes out perfect every time.

I didn’t believe this method would work so I checked out the original Saveur recipe as well as Cook’s Illustrated. It was great and I apologize for doubting you.

Apparently, I lack the attention span to cook rice. I managed to let the water boil off and burned the pan (sigh). I’ve ordered the $15 rice cooker.

Easy recipe. 2 gallon pot with tight lid. Large bag of brown rice. 2 pounds of water (trust me, not one drop more, use kitchen scale) for every 1 one pound of brown rice. Bring water to boil and reduce temp to real low. Add rice, stir and cover tight. Don’t even think about looking. Time 45 minutes exactly. Remove from heat and transfer to large bowl to cool off (avoid too much stirring).
When cool, use a plastic storage box for round Christmas ornaments, spoon level in rounds and place in freezer (20 rounds holds about a 2 lb. bag of rice).

This method throws the nutrients in the water away, unless more water or broth is needed in a recipe. What I find works perfect is an Oster steamer and put a small amount of extra water in the rice basket – 2 1/4 cups water to 1 cup rice. It probably also absorbs more water from the steam.

I followed this precisely and my rice still came out very sticky and wet. Just a big goopy mess I’m very disappointed, but moreso confused because everyone else’s rice seems to have worked. I don’t understand what I did wrong? I used long grain brown rice and everything looked good but after the 10 minute steaming was done it was not fluffy at all.

The way I cook brown rice, it comes out perfect every time. I soak it overnight, then the next day drain it, lay it out on sheet pans and lightly salt it with sea salt, not sodium chloride! Then into the oven at 350 degrees for a good roasting. I rotate my pans turning them around from rear to front and rotate from level to level, top to bottom, middle to top and bottom to middle. the main dynamic of the rotation is doing the rice itself. As I am pulling a pan, I check it and STIR the rice around so the roast is evn and not just the outside getting the most roast. After 15 mn I do the crunch test and chew a fer. if they are (1) crunchy to bite and (2) browned some then they are ready for the pot of boiling water. I then remove them from the oven and into the water. My water ratio for the rice is simple, I have none since I began cooking my rice with the method used with spaghetti. I fill the pot, bring to a boil and in goes the rice. there is no room for cling or scorch and I can stir it, check it just like I would my pasta. Its done when it has a slight crunch yet softness to it. {I hate over cooked rice which is what most people get and dont know they are getting. If it has a slight crunch to it they think its not done.} Next I dump the rice in a colander and rince the rice with hot water. Place it in an insert pan and have it ready to serve.
This is by basic way.

Marilyn:

Can u plz share your method of using pressure cooker to make perfect brown rice? I would be so grateful!

Nilo

I use the pressure cooker to cook my brown rice all the time. It comes out a little softer than on the stove top ;but it’s very good. The ratio is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water but as you increase rice do not just double water. Decrease liquid by 1/4 cup for each additional cup of rice. Cook for 22 minutes at pressure with a natural pressure release for regular long and short grain rice. Some Basmati types can cook in less time.
Read the whole post at http://bit.ly/gor3AQ on my now abandoned blog.

Having just cooked a big bowl or brown rice mess in my rice cooker, I am happy to find this.

I look forward to making more educated rice tomorrow!

I finally found the solution to years of disappointment and garbage cans showered in burnt and/or under-cooked faux pas. I cannot thank you enough! I used this recipe tonight, and literally for the first time my family enjoyed the rice at dinner… it truly is Perfect Brown Rice Recipe is logged into the memory bank, and never to be forgotten.
Thank you, thank you and thanks again!

This is the Real Deal!!! Works like a charm! Thank you very much!~Jennifer

Thanks – It worked.

Just made brown rice using this recipe and it was OUTSTANDING! Thank you!

I followed the instructions but did not result fluffy rice. It’s a bit hard. What should I do? boil it longer?

[...] 2 cups cooked brown rice (I like the method Nicole uses here) [...]

What to tell you ?…

U made up my day, i am from kuwait, me and my husbnd dieting i was soooo hopless that no way i can coock brown rice ,i failed twice, then i met your lovely way i trusted you and i did it ) perfectly peeeerfectly

Many thanks sweety.

Wow! I have not too much experience cooking, but with your recipe, this rice has been cooked perfectly!!! It is not a pasty mess, it is simple perfect! Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Sergio, California, USA

[...] that I should learn how to do it on my own. I will never make that mistake again. I followed these instructions on how to properly cook brown rice. Fact: Brown rice is harder to cook than white rice. I [...]

[...] Barely adapted from Pinch My Salt [...]

it did not work out at all for me, the rice did not get done:(

thanks to you i’ve just done a real perfect brown basmati rice!!!thank you….

I have had trouble w/ brown rice ever since my rice maker pooped-out… this is the very best method I have ever tried! It was perfect from my first attempt! Glad I don’t need to use all 12 cups of water, either. Thanks so much for the info!

Brown rice (as does white rice) cooks just fine in the microwave and it’s less trouble.

I have yet to get a bad batch of rice using this recipe. Thank you so much!

[...] over at Pinch My Salt, gives some great directions on how to make perfect brown rice every time. Perfect Brown [...]

I want to thank you for the recipe. My husband said it looked like white rice to him . I wanted to share that I posted the link on weightwatchers.com in the community section so that everyone there can enjoy it as well.

[...] brukte brun rundkornet ris som jeg kokte etter denne oppskriften. Oppi vannet hadde jeg en teskje Vitam Kørnig, noe som ga risen en kjempegod smak. Ved siden av [...]

Thank you for sharing! This was perfect! And so easy.

Great advice on this site…thanks

I become a vegan after recent quad heart bypass and brown rice is a huge part of my diet now. I use a rice cooker because its ease of use. Finally after reading many posts here what works best me in a rice cooker….

1 to 2.25 ratio 1cup rice 2 cups and 4oz liquid. I like me rice firm but not crunchie or too gooie either. This ratio seems to work best. More firm rice just try 2cups liquid. Little softer rice 3cups of liquid per cup of rice.

I don’t like bland tasting rice either and i don’t use any table salt and limit my sodium intake because of heart issues so what taste good is…

1cup rice…1cup water and 1cup and 4oz of FatFree veggie broth. Taste good…gives it a little pop.

Hope this helps anyone

Healthy eating!
Jack

[...] Cook the brown rice according to the package instructions or using your preferred method. I used this method, with the adjusted water measurements, and liked the [...]

I was skeptical but this is just PERFECT! Thank you for making ME a PRO!

This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

Oh, yummm! I just tasted the finished product, and it’s the best brown rice I’ve ever tasted! It’s been a struggle, especially as I live at around 7000 feet. I hope subsequent batches are as good!

Thank you!!! Finally, the formula that works. I don’t know a single person who can make brown rice correctly. I can’t wait to tell everyone about this!

Thank you!!! Just finished my first batch….. Perfect! I think that I may get rid of all the white rice in the house.

I tried this following the instructions down to a T. (30 mins on medium, stirring) My rice ended up being burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pot…

[...] How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice, from Pinch My Salt [...]

I need recipes for seasoned rice, my family wants spices and stuff. When would I add seasonings, if I cook the rice with this method?

I noticed some comments regarding the nutrition values lost in the water we pour out. On the Saveur post, someone left this comment and I thought it was worth sharing here. The problem with losing nutrients appears to be for white rice. I am so excited to try this method tonight. This is my first time to ever cook brown rice!! Thank you!

from saveur.com: by COWPUNK123 on 2010-12-15
The water rich material found in roots, stems and fruits do aid to the transfer of their fluid nutrients into the hot or boiling water around them. While you get the nutrients of the solid materials, varying amounts of water bound nutrients are lost. Most (not all) grains, however, act quite differently. The moisture bound nutrients in grain are found in the oils in the aleurone layer and the endosperm which are too dense to permeate the pericarp. Any nutrient loss from dumping the water is negligible. Of course, this does not apply to white rice or any other grain that has had its bran layer removed.
Hope that helps.

I was also a little skeptical since I live at a relatively high altitude… but it’s pretty good. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced “perfect” brown rice, and mine is still just a teeny bit crunchy; however, it certainly beats the half-mush, half-crunch that I’ve been making before. I might try boiling it for just a few more minutes (since the water boils at a lower temperature?) next time to see what happens, but over I am very satisfied. Thanks so much!

I just cooked brown rice today using this method and it came out PERFECT!! Thank you for posting this. I have always had trouble cooking brown rice even in a rice cooker. It would come out mushy kind of crunchy. Not nice and fluffy.

[...] How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice — Pinch My Salt. [...]

Thanks for this Now I can really enjoy brown rice… I could never make it right..

[...] (either follow your rice cooker’s instructions, or follow Nicole’s super-cool instructions for perfect brown rice) and cooled to room [...]

I just soak Black Forbidden Rice( almost like Brown Rice) in water for severals days. Comes out almost cooked.

I just tried this, using a 4:1 ratio of water to rice. It worked perfectly, and I am very pleased with the results. Thank you.

Hi, I’ve used your recipe 3 or 4 times and always perfect rice. What I do is include a can of chicken broth as part of the liquid, and add garlic powder, some minced (dried) onion pieces and paprika (or whatever spices you like) to the water. It really jazzes up the flavor. I make a big batch and put it in small containers and store in the freezer. I can then just pull one out for a meal and warm it up (I add a bit of water) in the microwave, easy and fast. Thanks for this great recipe!

[...] I recently started eating brown rice once I realized I was not cooking it correctly!  Follow this recipe for tasty brown [...]

love this recipe–no more complex measuring like 1-1/4 c vs 2-2/3c–rice is perfect every time. Thnx!!

FINALLY, a brown rice recipe i can love – thanks so much for posting this, i made it last night and it was perfect – gone are the days of that awful chewy uncooked texture i thought was normal in brown rice. I used an organic long grain brown, it turned out exactly as promised, and my family could not believe it was brown -

[...] work that way.  I started with this recipe from Saveur.  And then I tried this variation from Pinch My Salt.  They are o.k. but my results are just [...]

[...] not even good :/ Thankfully, that did not happen with this rice. I did my research and found the best brown rice cooking method ever!! The rice really did turn out perfect and the extra draining was worth the final [...]

I made 1 cup of brown rice and used 4 cups of water as suggested. After the 30 minutes of stirring occassionally not all the water was consumed by the rice. Is this normal?

Hi Vanessa, you only need to stir it once or twice. Then simmer for 30 minutes (though I make a lot at one time-you can freeze it in batches and use it in additional meals). THEN, drain it, then put back in the pan, without heat, with a lid on it. That absorbs the remaining water. Sounds like you forgot the drain/let sit part??

2-2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of short grain brown rice. If you use more water, you will get soggy rice. Even using 3 cups renders soggy rice. I don’t know where you all get 4 cups, much less 12!

I also use 2 cups per cup of rice. works great. Sounds like that was what caused Vanessa’s problem, using 4 cups.

I made this for dinner tonight, with instant brown rice (which for me never never never takes the box’s alleged 15 minutes to cook) and it came out perfectly. I expected it to be at least a little messed up since I was using instant, but no….it was perfect. Thank you!

[...] that look delicious?? I served it over some brown rice I cooked up using Pinch My Salt’s method, which really did turn out nice and non-gummy! [...]

This method sounds great and I can’t wait to try it. A few tips I’ve picked up over the years though. In the US, white rice is fortified (by law) with additional nutrients to replace the nutrients lost when removing the bran and germ. Those added nutrients will be lost with this method, just like they are if you wash the rice, but the nutrients inside the rice itself remain.

Also, if you are going to serve the rice cold I would suggest using a short grain rice or you will definitely have to wash the long grain rice. That’s with most cooking methods, maybe not with this one because of all the water used. Long grain rice, and many medium grain ones, have an outer starch shell that crystallizes when it cools off. Properly washing it at least 7-8 times removes that starch coating so it doesn’t feel like you’re chewing sand when it’s cooled. Short grain doesn’t ever have this problem.

I have a good rice cooker, fully automatic and can hold the rice perfect for hours. My method for cooking brown rice in it is to wash or rinse the grains thoroughly in a wire mesh strainer then leave that over a bowl for at least 15 minutes. Spread the grains evenly up the side of the strainer so they can drain. This pre-soak hydrates the grains, an important step. For 1 & 1/2 cups brown rice, leveled with a knife blade and packed down to measure, add 2 2/3 cups of water or other cooking liquid, salt and a tablespoon of butter. Let the rice cooker do it’s thing, it’s worked for me every time. Rice is peculiar though, that the water to rice ratio decreases as the amount of rice increases. I’ve never tried to scale this recipe so I don’t know how the ratio will work but I have heard 1/4 less per extra half cup is a good ratio.

This recipe is (barely) adapted from an original by Tyler Florence and uses the exact amount of rice produced by the method I described above. Brown Rice Salad with Apples

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

* 3 cups cooked brown rice
* 1 Granny Smith Apple, diced
* 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup walnut pieces
* 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
* 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and pepper

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine cooked rice with all other ingredients. Toss
mixture lightly. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

My Variations

I try to use a short grain brown rice to avoid the necessity of washing the rice before cooking. I usually substitute Turkey for the Chicken. The proportions are just guidelines, I use a lot of the fresh leaf parsley for example (approx 1/3 – 1/2 cup) because I think it looks better and tastes good. I also put the chopped granny smith apple in the lemon juice and cider vinegar until I’m ready to mix since that helps prevent browning. Make it early and refrigerate so the ingredients have time to harmonize for best results. You probably knew this but…. never assume. (^_^)

Before I read this, I was making brown rice that didn’t taste very well. The other night I made some with your guidance and I couldn’t believe how good it was! Thank you!

Holy shit– I can attest– this method is a game changer– Thank you for this– no more sloppy brown rice and clean up– fluffy wonderfulness. Follow directions precisely cant go wrong. Thank again

YES! You don’t even know how much I appreciate your sharing this method! I made perfect brown rice for the first time EVER! I’m a pretty adventurous cook and can make all sorts of “hard” things, but let me tell you, I can’t make rice! I just can’t! I don’t know what it is, every time I begin with the best of intentions only to end up with undercooked or mushy or wet rice. Blech! Tonight I literally googled “fool-proof way to cook brown rice” and your post came up and informed me how to do this and YES! I finally, FINALLY was able to make a perfect pot of brown rice! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will definitely be making my rice like this every time! Can you tell how excited I am?

I’ve been cooking brown rice for 40 years and it’s really quite simple. I don’t understand all these problems?? For every cup brown rice add 2 cups cold water( ratio stays the same no matter how much you make). Cover and bring to boil ( usually takes 20 minutes for 4 cups rice with 8 cups water). Reduce heat to low and simmer the rice for 20-25 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam covered for another half hour. Perfect!! You can add butter, herbs etc at the beginning for extra flavor, or substitute broth for water. This is for medium or short grainbrown rice. Follow package directions on other types (ie Brown basmati, etc) for rice/ water ratio. Aloha

muchísimas gracias por la receta, agradecidisima pues me encanta el brown rice y me ha quedado perfecto a mi gusto.

Never having cooked brown rice before I naturally assumed the rice to water ratio was the same as white rice – “rice is rice” – right? Wrong! The finished product was like chewing a bunch of pebbles. So for my next batch I’ll be using your 2:1 ratio of water to rice. I learn something new every day. Thanks for the tip.

[...] the original recipe here, a wonderful website called pinchmysalt.com.  This is the stove top method and it didn’t [...]

Pinned this page to Pinterest. Worked like a charm. Great tasting Basmati Rice for dinner later this week. Thank you!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Until this blog my brown rice has always turned out mushy and starchy. The moment I discovered this article I jumped up and tried this recipe, I am typing this 40 min after reading this and my rice turned out PERFECT. Even my son is ranting and raving about it, he is 11 and does not like anything healthy. I will pass this info on to all my friends. Thank you again!

Thank you!! My rice never came out so perfect!

Followed these instructions to the T, came out hard as hell. Definitely needs to be covered with less water.

Thank you for the recipe! No more squoodgy brown rice!

Thank you for sharing this! I’ve had struggle with my transition into brown rice and this worked perfectly for me!

[...] your rice.Don’t know how to cook rice? Here : How to cook white rice  and brown rice. Sidenote: The recipe in the Broke-Ass Cookbook says you should use that chicken soup base to cook [...]

If any of you are worried about the loss of vitamins left in the water after cooking, consider using the leftover cooking liquid as a base for soups or making chicken stock.

okay maybe its me… but whenever i try to do this the rice does not come out light and fluffy. it’s heavy and has a little extra water in it no matter how i drain it. what could the problem be? I’m doing everything exactly as you say…. i think…

Brown rice is never going to be light and fluffy. By its very nature, the fact that it’s whole-grain, not devitalized white fluff, it’s dense and filling.

Tried this recipe today as my brown rice usually comes out to mushy. Recipe works great. Still a litlle water at the bottom of the pot but my company and myself enjoyed the rice. Came out much better than my usual episodes. Thanks for posting this easy recipe.

[...] Source This entry was posted in Rice Cookers and tagged -, Brown, Brown Rice, Cook, How, MY, Perfect, Pinch, Rice, Salt, to. Bookmark the permalink. ← Brown Rice Curry [...]

Used this recipe today….brown rice came out perfect. I can’t tell you how much brown rice I have thrown out, because it was either to waterly or too mushy.

This is most important if you do not want mushy rice.. just follow the instructions as stated above: “Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes (if your pot lid isn’t extremely tight, place a piece of aluminum foil over pot then place the lid on top of foil for a tighter seal”

Finally, I can cook brown rice perfectly! If one follows the recipe as given, it’s worked for me. I am so glad I found your site. I have to say also that I really like reading comments from people who have actually tried a recipe…rather than those who say it looks great, I’ll try it someday.

Followed instructions word for word still had terrible rice! Get a clue before you call your post “Perfect Brown Rice!” I’ll figure it out with out you. Thanks for nothing!

BD

Wow. Just tried this tonight and the rice was perfect!! I’ll use this method from now on – thank you!! One question: does this work with wild rice too?

I am excited to try this method. I want my little boys to eat brown rice but it usually just ends up undigested in their diapers. I am going to try it tomorrow!

I love to make spanish rice but I am not very successful at it using brown rice. Obviously, I can’t use this method making spanish rice. I tried making it last night using brown jasmine rice. I simmered it while covered for about an hour and the water still did not absorb all the way and it was still crunchy. Any tips on making spanish rice with brown rice?

this worked perfectly! i have not been able to get my rice cooker to do justice to brown rice – came across your recipe and tried it tonight. it turned out exactly as you described – tender not mushy, and fluffy not stuck together. thank you!

I used a rice cookerand added 4 cups of water(1 cup of rice) and it was a disaster like always, I still ate it and my stomach hurts…

[...] found this cooking method  from “Pinch My Salt” who adapted it from Saveur magazine. It works very well! Let me know if you like this method [...]

[...] from Pinch My Salt Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]

Thank-you! I will try this.

[...] r) Buddha’s Hand Citron (fruit) s) Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich t) Wild Rice (plain) u) Brown Rice v) Basmati [...]

[...] then let it simmer. Walk away, and then come back about a half hour later. For the rice, I follow this method and it comes out perfectly every [...]

Hi
Someone may have already asked this but I didn’t see this question in the first 30 min of reading. When you put the rice in the boiling water do you bring it back to a boil before turning it down to med or let it come back to a boil at med. Do you cook it 30 min once it is boiling or from time of entrance or rice in water. thanks for clarifying

[...] cups of brown rice or quinoa, prepared (here are my personal go-to recipes: (http://pinchmysalt.com/how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/ and [...]

Trying to get the right ratio of water is always difficult so this recipe is perfect. Just drain off the excess water, return to pot and let steam for 10 minutes – so easy!

[...] Source: found via Pinterest on Pinch My Salt, originally from Saveur (I decreased the water amount in my [...]

I followed this recipe to a T – exactly the way it was written. Crunchy, not even close to done brown rice.

Followed this recipe but after 25 min the water was gone had to add more I will up my water from 4 cups to 8 cups next time. Still made good brown rice. Thanks

I’m so disappointed. This did not work for me and I followed the instructions to the letter.
The rice was undercooked (crunchy). Back to the drawing board.

[...] Saveur (original) and pinchmysalt (adapted, made brown rice [...]

I was doing a little research to find out why the original Saveur recipe called for 6 cups of water, instead of the 3 cups used in this recipe and aha! In Nov 2012 Consumer Reports reported on the high levels of arsenic found in rice. These levels were higher in brown rice vs. white rice. In order to “cut your arsenic risk”, one recommendation is 1. rinse rice thoroughly before cooking and 2. use a ratio of 6 cups water to 1 cup of rice and drain afterward. This ratio removes about 30% of the inorganic arsenic. Here’s the link: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm#chart
The article was posted years after the Saveur recipe appeared, but the cook no doubt knew about the arsenic risk.

Remarkable! Its actually remarkable post, I have got much clear idea regarding from this article.

Stumbled upon your post while looking for an alternative way to cook brown rice. It made perfect rice that was not mushy, soggy, or crunchy. My 6 year old said she loved it plain ( I did salt the water prior to adding the rice) and had two helpings! I served it along with cooking light milk braised pork chops and steamed asparagus. My new go to way to cook rice! Thank you for posting.

AWESOME! Thank you so much! I was skeptical but had nothing to lose since my brown rice always turned out crunchy & mushy (wth!). This worked PERFECT! Delicious and fluffy!!

[...] when used to I cook it, it always came out chewy. But then I read this article at Pinch My Salt on how to cook perfect brown rice, and I finally managed to cook brown rice that I love. And now the kids won’t eat anything [...]

Thank you so much it work perfectly. I tried 6 cups of water and it was perfect.

Hello there! I just wish to give you a big thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post.
I’ll be returning to your website for more soon.