Brown Basmati Rice (Instant Pot Method)

4.47 from 15 votes

Brown Basmati Rice (Instant Pot Method)

Cooking brown basmati rice in the Instant Pot yields perfect, highly consistent results — and it couldn't be quicker or easier. That's why it's become my favorite method. Here's how to do it.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Additional Time15

Total Time35

Course: Grains

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown basmati rice instant pot

Servings:

Calories: 66kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

1 cup (200 grams) brown basmati rice
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients into the Instant Pot and give them a stir.
Position the lid and seal the vent.
Cook on manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before performing a quick release.
Rice may be a bit wet as the steam evaporates. Let it sit for a few minutes if you like. Fluff and serve or use in recipes.

Notes

You can use this method with other varieties of long-grain brown rice if that's what you've got.
Basmati brown rice is a whole grain. It still contains the parts of the grain that can spoil if kept at room temperature for too long. I like to store it in the fridge.
The butter is optional, but it adds flavor and also prevents foaming in the Instant Pot. You can leave it out if you really want, or substitute oil or vegan butter to make it vegan.
Stored in an airtight container in a nice cold fridge, basmati brown rice will keep for a week. Freeze it for longer-term storage.
All brands of rice are a little different — some cook faster, some slower. Plus, people have different preferences. If the type you're using turns out a little softer or firmer than you'd like, you can try it a little differently next time. I'd say these are the bounds of decency: If you like your rice extremely chewy, you could go all the way down to 1 cup of water per cup of rice. If you like it extremely soft, try cooking for 20 minutes and doing a full natural pressure release. You could potentially go up to 1 ½ cups of water, too.
To freeze, place cooked brown rice into a zip-top bag or other airtight storage container and freeze for up to a year. Defrost overnight in the fridge, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop and serve or add to recipes. As with all frozen foods, the texture will soften a bit, but frozen grains hold up very well and shouldn't give you any trouble.

Nutrition