Written as a guide for cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot, it covers everything from the actual cook time for brown rice, to the water to rice ratio for brown rice in the electric pressure cooker. And includes the recipe for both – cooking brown rice directly in the Instant Pot main pot, as well as using the pot in pot method.

What is Brown Rice?

Brown rice is whole rice, the whole edible component of rice, after the inedible husk of rice has been removed. It’s the reason why it’s considered a whole grain rice.

Difference between Brown and White Rice

If you further process the brown rice, and remove the bran and the germ from the whole grain, you get white rice. Check Out: How to Cook Perfect Soft and Fluffy White Rice in Instant Pot

Is Brown Rice Better Than White Rice?

Brown rice is widely considered to be better than white rice because it contains all the parts of the whole grain – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. White rice on the other hand does not contain the brain and the germ, which are considered to be the most nutritious parts of the grain. It’s the reason why brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, and contains more fiber and antioxidants, as well as some essential vitamins & minerals. White rice in comparison has mostly empty calories.

This Instant Pot Brown Rice is

made from brown sona masoori ricereally soft and fluffy in texturesimple and hassle free to make

How to Cook Brown Rice in Instant Pot

There are 2 main ways to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot. Either you can cook rice directly in the main steel pot (inner pot) of the Instant Pot or use the pot in pot method of cooking rice. I’ve shared both methods in the post below.

Instant Pot Recipe

If you are cooking a larger quantity of rice (anything over 1.5 cups), it’s best to cook the rice directly in the main inner pot of Instant Pot, as outlined below. For this recipe, I’ve cooked 2 cups of brown rice in the Instant Pot.

Method:

Wash 2 cups of brown sona masoori rice till the water runs clear, then drain the excess water. Add washed and drained brown rice to the inner pot of Instant Pot, and 4 cups of water to cook the rice.

Close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 22 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.

Pot in Pot Brown Rice

If you are cooking only a little brown rice (anything under 1.5 cups), it’s best to cook the rice using pot in pot method. This way the main inner pot of the Instant Pot still stays clean, and you can use it to make something else. For this recipe, I’ve cooked 1 cup of brown rice pot in pot.

Method:

Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, and then place the steel trivet in the main steel pot. In a small steel bowl (that will fit inside the Instant Pot) take 1 cup of washed and drained brown sona masoori rice, and add 2 cups of water to the rice. Place this steel bowl on the trivet inside the Instant Pot. This is optional, but you can choose to cover this small steel pot with a steel lid.

Then close the Instant Pot lid, after ensuring the sealing ring is securely in place, and turn the steam release valve to point to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. then let the pressure release naturally. The rice is ready when the float valve comes down on its own.

Video Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani – One Pot Recipe Instant Pot Bhuna Masala – Indian Curry Sauce BaseInstant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs – Perfect Every Single Time

New to Instant Pot? Check out these Instant Pot beginner posts!

Instant Pot Basics for Beginners | Instant Pot 101How to do the Instant Pot Water Test (and Why You Must Do It) As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

📖 RECIPE

This post was first published in Jun 2020, and has been republished with updated notes and recipe video in Sep 2020. If you’d like FREE recipes and meal prep ideas delivered directly to your email inbox every Friday in one short email, then subscribe to the Foodie Friday list HERE, and never run out of ideas on what to cook over the weekend or prep for the week ahead. 🙂

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