I know some whole grains have a bad rap for their taste. Breads and pastas come to mind for a lot of people.

But brown rice is just better than white. It has flavor. White is so stripped down and bleached out that it doesn’t taste like much. What fun is that?

Brown rice is fuller, deeper, nuttier and more substantial than white rice. Plus, let’s not forget, more nutritious. Win-win!

I switched us to brown rice years ago and have not looked back once.

However, I’ve also come to find out that lots of people have trouble with it and don’t know how to cook brown rice. Some of my friends are totally freaked by the idea. That would certainly be a reason not to use it. But have no fear, it is oh so simple and oh so reliable with these steps.

I buy brown rice in the bags, not the boxes that sometimes come with extra additives and mysterious “flavorings.”

I don’t know what they tell you to do on those bags. Don’t do it. Just transfer your brown rice to your storage container and throw that bag away without a second glance.

You’re going to cook it with a 2:1 water:brown rice ratio and cook it for 30 minutes. But let’s break that down a bit more.

Easy, right? But to be sure, let’s break that down a little more.

For 2 people, I cook 3/4 cup of rice. That’s a lot. The hubs and I eat a lot. So adjust to your needs. You might use a heaping 1/2 cup for two people.

Let’s say we’re cooking for 4 people and want to have plenty for hungry tummies. We’ll do 1 1/4 cups dry, uncooked brown rice.

(TIP: You can also do extra, because rice refrigerates and freezes great and it’s nice to be able to pull some already cooked rice out on busy nights to make tacos, taco salad, burritos, stuffed peppers, stir fry, fried rice and brown rice Buddha bowls.)

Here’s the step-by-step of how to cook brown rice:

• Measure out 2 1/2 cups of water into a saucepan. Put it over high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add in 1 1/4 cups brown rice.
• Shake the saucepan so the rice settles and is covered by the water. Cover the pan with a lid and turn your heat down to low.
• Simmer the rice for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pan sit for another 5 minutes or so.
• Open ‘er up and there you have it. The water is all absorbed and you have perfectly fluffy, tender, tasty brown rice.

Like I said, brown rice is the way to go. 👍

(Oh and if you have an Instant Pot, you can check out this Instant Pot brown rice, which is another easy, fool-proof way to go!)

Feel good serving this up tonight!

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Perfect brown rice

Print

The easy, no-fail way to cook fluffy, tender, delicious brown rice!

Cook Time 30 minutes

Inactive Time 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice

Instructions

1. Measure out 2 1/2 cups of water into a saucepan. Put it over high heat and bring it to a boil.
   
2. Once boiling, add in 1 1/4 cups brown rice. Shake the saucepan so the rice settles and is covered by the water. Cover the pan with a lid and turn your heat down to low.
   
3. Simmer the rice for 30 minutes.
   
4. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pan sit on the burner for another 5 minutes or so.
   
5. Now you have perfectly fluffy, tender, tasty brown rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Tip: Make a bigger batch than you need and save or freeze the extras to have on hand for a fast dinner another night!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g