Repeat after me: No more mushy rice! No more mushy rice! I’ve been using this brown rice cooking technique for years, and it never fails.
For this technique, you’ll boil your rice in an abundance of water for 30 minutes. Drain off the excess water, return the rice to the pot, cover, and let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Ta da! Perfect brown rice, every time.
I originally found this technique on Saveur, and I’m so thankful I did. Their recipe calls for 12 cups of water (that’s a lot) per cup of rice, and I’ve learned that it really only needs 6 cups.
However, you don’t actually have to measure the water as long as you’re using a large enough pot. If too much water evaporates during the cooking process, just add more and return the water to a boil. Your rice will still turn out perfectly!
Bring the rice to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water has evaporated, 40–45 minutes. Fluff gently and let sit, covered, off heat, for 10 minutes to make it as light and fluffy as possible.
Watch How to Cook Brown Rice
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes (plus 10 minutes for steaming)
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Whole grain
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
4.6 from 251 reviews
Once you try this easy technique, you’ll never want to cook brown rice any other way. You can scale this recipe up or down as needed. The basic ratio is 1 part brown rice to 6 parts water, which yields 3 parts cooked rice. As written below, the recipe yields 3 cups cooked rice.
- 1 cup brown rice (short, medium or long grain brown rice will work, as long as it’s not a quick-cooking variety)
- 6 cups water
- Salt, soy sauce or other desired seasonings, to taste
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, using at least 6 cups water per 1 cup rice. Rinse* the rice in a fine mesh colander under running water to remove excess starch.
- Add the rice to the boiling water. Reduce the temperature as necessary to prevent overflow, but maintain a steady boil. Boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Drain off the remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Cover the pot and let the rice rest, off the heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff, season as desired, and serve.
Recipe adapted from Saveur.
*Note on rinsing: I’ve forgotten to rinse my rice before, and the rice turned out almost as good. The cooked grains are a little more starchy—you can see a thin layer of gluey starch at the bottom of the pot after steaming. If you’re in a hurry, skip the rinse.
Make it gluten free: Rice is gluten free, so just be mindful of your additions. Soy sauce, for example, is not gluten free (substitute certified gluten-free tamari instead).
Wild rice option: For wild rice, use 8 cups water and boil for 40 to 55 minutes, until tender but pleasantly chewy.
How to Soften and Cook Perfectly Nutritious Brown Rice
FAQ
How do you soften hard brown rice?
Does soaking brown rice make it softer?
What to do if brown rice is still hard?
How to cook brown rice?
It’s so easy to remember, you’ll never need to look up how to cook brown rice again. For this technique, you’ll boil your rice in an abundance of water for 30 minutes. Drain off the excess water, return the rice to the pot, cover, and let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Ta da! Perfect brown rice, every time.
What should I use to mix in boiled rice?
Adding veggies like carrots is a good way to vary it up. In addition to making the dish more beautiful and colorful, you enjoy the benefits of vegetables.
How do you make rice softer?
For softer rice, soak the grains in cold water for 45 minutes to an hour before cooking. This allows the water to penetrate the outer bran layers. Optionally, you can heat a little oil in the saucepan over medium heat and fry the rice for a moment before adding the water. This helps build flavor, but is definitely optional. Measure the water.
How do you make brown rice that is never sticky?
This foolproof method makes perfect brown rice that is never sticky. Rinse the rice with cold water for 30 seconds. Bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat in a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid.