These days many of us are swapping in brown rice for white in all sorts of ways. When cooked well, brown rice is absolutely delicious — firm, nutty, toothsome, and chock full of some nice health benefits. Badly cooked brown rice can be grainy and mushy, but perfectly cooked brown rice results in plump, chewy little grains with loads of flavor and great texture.

Follow the directions exactly, and use a high-quality heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid to get perfectly cooked brown rice. A flimsy pot with a loose lid could cause the rice to turn out underdone and scorch. Keep reading for more tips on avoiding brown rice mistakes.

Once you’ve learned how to get perfect brown rice every time, you’ll find yourself swapping it in for white rice on the regular. Pretty much everything under the sun goes with rice! Think about stir-fries, chilis, fish and seafood dishes, Asian food, Mexican food, and anything that needs a simple side to soak up some sauce.

And make extra for sure! Then you can make Kimchi Stir-Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, or Vegetable Stir Fried Rice. Also, check out How to Reheat Leftover Rice and 10 Ways to Use Leftover Rice.

Types of Brown Rice

Which type of brown rice should you buy? Pretty much every rice comes in a brown version, from short-grain to basmati. Long-grain rice or medium-grain rice is best for most preparations, including simple cooked brown rice. Short-grain rice can be stickier and is sometimes preferred for Asian rice preparations.

Perfect Brown Rice to Water Ratio

The basic brown rice to water ratio is 2 ½ cups of water for every 1 cup of brown rice. Consider cooking your rice in a light broth instead of water if you want to give it a boost of flavor. Use vegetarian broth if you want to keep the rice vegetarian or even vegan.

Brown rice can get seriously mushy if you use the wrong water-to-rice ratio. Too much water can make brown rice mushy, especially if you cook it too long. If your rice has become tender, and there is excess water left in the pot, drain it instead of waiting for it to absorb. The perfect water-to-rice ratio for brown rice that you make on the stovetop is 2 ½ cups water: 1 cup brown rice.

The best foolproof brown rice recipe: Mistakes to avoid, the ideal brown rice to water ratio, and everything you need to know to get perfect brown rice.

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How to Prepare Brown Rice Before Cooking

People ask me a lot whether you need to soak or rinse rice before cooking it. Traditionally, in most Asian cultures, it’s looked down on not to rinse your grains — rinsing your rice before cooking cleanses it of dirt and dust, which generally is not something you want to be ingesting, and it makes the rice less starchy, which means it cooks more evenly.

Brown Rice Ingredients

• Brown rice – Choose short-grain or long-grain.
• Water or broth – You can use water or broth to simmer rice. Using broth will add flavor to your brown rice. Cooking brown rice with chicken or vegetable broth results in rich, complex rice. I also love diluting broth with additional water for a more delicate infusion of flavor. Try adding a smaller amount of Better than Bouillon; instead of 1 teaspoon per cup of water, use 1/2 teaspoon. Make sure to use vegetable broth for vegetarian and vegan recipes.
• Salt – Brings out the natural flavor of the rice.
• Butter – Optional! It’ll make your rice taste a bit richer, but it’s not necessary.

How to Cook Brown Rice in a Pot on the Stovetop

1. Rinse the rice (optional).
2. Bring to a simmer: Combine the rice, water, salt, and butter (if using) in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat.
3. Lower heat and simmer: Reduce the heat so that the rice stays at a low simmer, and cover the pot. Simmer, without lifting the lid, for 45 minutes.
4. Check on rice and let it sit: Lift the lid and see if the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If so, replace the lid, remove the pan from the heat, and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the water is gone, but it seems like the rice isn’t quite tender, add a few tablespoons more water or broth, return to a simmer, and let it cook for another minute or so. If there is just a tiny bit of liquid left and the rice is tender, just leave it while you let the rice rest for 10 minutes — and it should absorb. If the rice is just about tender and there is excess water in the pot, drain the rice, return the cooked rice to the pot, replace the lid, and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Fluff and serve: Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

How to Store Brown Rice

Because of the natural oils brown rice contains, it can go rancid more quickly than white rice. Always store your rice in a cool, dark, dry place. If a bag is unopened, it will have a “Best Used By” date on it. Once it’s opened, you should transfer it to an air-tight container and use it within about 4 months.

The same applies if you bought your rice in bulk; use it within 4 months.

How to Freeze Cooked Brown Rice

Place the cooked rice in freezer-proof zipper-top bags. Use whichever sizes you most likely will want to defrost in the coming months. Press the bag to squeeze out all excess air, then seal it. Label the bag with the date and also write “Brown Rice” on it. Really! You might think it’s barley or something else when you encounter it in its frozen state months later, and you shouldn’t have to guess! It will keep in the freezer for at least 4 months, up to 6.

Brown Rice Nutrition

As for the nutritional difference, with brown rice, more of the grain remains intact. In the process of removing the outer layer and cereal germ of white rice, some vitamins and minerals are lost. When you see enriched white rice, that means they were added back in.

Brown rice, however, has more fiber (this is the biggest nutritional advantage brown rice provides over white rice), magnesium, folate, and some other minerals. The higher level of fiber keeps you fuller longer. Some studies have shown a lot of health benefits associated with the consumption of brown rice and other whole grains.

Both white and brown rice have similar amounts of calories and carbs per cup, with brown rice being slightly higher at 44 grams of carbs per cup, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. A cup of brown rice has 216 calories and 1.8 grams of fat.

FAQs

What to Serve With Brown Rice

You can serve anything with brown rice that you would serve with white rice! Once you’ve made your pot of perfect brown rice, you can serve it as-is, alongside anything from Mediterranean Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables to Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa to Thai Salmon.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef Tip Steaks

Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloins

30-Minute Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Brown Rice Recipes

• Herby Brown Rice
• Brown Rice Salad
• Vegetable and Brown Rice Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
• Grilled Pork Loin with Brown Rice Salad
• Cheesy Rice with Broccoli
• Rice Pilaf

How to Cook More Basic Grains

• White Rice 
• Millet
• Bulgur Wheat
• Farro
• Grits