Brown rice is an inexpensive grain that can become the hearty base for a variety of gourmet meals. Use this step by step guide on how to cook brown rice on the stove to expertly introduce this grain into your meal plans for a dish that is both tasty and healthy.
I love incorporating grains into my meals including cooked pearl and hulled barley, quinoa and of course brown rice. They can add texture, flavor, and diversity to your meal, plus they're filling without being overly heavy.
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What is the Difference Between Brown and White Rice?
Despite all of the opinions about which rice is healthier, people should know that brown rice IS white rice. The only difference is that brown rice still has its husks, bran and germ. This makes it much more beneficial if you are wanting to add fiber to your diet.
Brown rice tends to have a nuttier flavor than white rice. It is filling, and will add nutrition to your recipes that white rice cannot. Because of this loss in nutrition when removing these components, white rice tends to be fortified with these nutrients (meaning they're added back to the rice). Brown rice is also lower in calories and carbs.
⭐I also made a recipe tutorial for how to cook asparagus on the stove if you're interested!
Ingredients
This recipe makes 2 servings of brown rice. You can scale up the servings using the slider on the recipe card.
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup dried mushrooms, soaked (this can be a mixture of porcini, maitake, shiitake, portobello, chanterelle, etc.)
- salt, to taste
Steps for Cooking Brown Rice on the Stove
Step #1. Clean the rice. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cool water.
Step #2. Bring water to a boil. Place the rice in a deep pot. Boil the water and add it to the pot along with a pinch of salt. Bring back to a boil. Lower heat to low and cover with the lid.
Step #3. Cook. Let it cook and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes.
Step #4. Fry the vegetables. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green onion and dried mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Reserve.
Step #5. Fluff the rice. Once the rice is ready, fluff the grains using a fork.
Step #6. Combine ingredients. Combine the rice with the scallions and mushrooms. Season with salt to taste. Serve!
Serving Suggestions
This brown rice dish makes an excellent side dish to protein-based meals like Cajun blackened chicken, bison steak or even fried tofu.
Prefer to eat it all on its own? No problem. This brown rice with the mushrooms and vegetables is a great vegetarian or vegan dinner or lunch option.
Storage
- Refrigerate. You can store your cooked rice covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
- Reheat. To reheat on the stove, add a couple of tablespoons of water or broth per cup of cooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through. It can also be microwaved.
Brown Rice Recipe FAQs
Brown rice can be cooked on the stove relatively quickly. In this recipe, it only requires 20 minutes plus 10 minutes of resting time.
To cook brown rice on the stove, just use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. So, for 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water or broth. You can also check the package for the best ratio.
If you skip rinsing brown rice before cooking, it might turn out a bit stickier. Rinsing gets rid of extra starch on the grains, making the cooked rice fluffier. It also helps remove any debris and can give the rice a milder taste. But, rinsing is optional, and some folks might skip it for simplicity.
❤️More Rice Recipes You Will Love
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📋Recipe
How to Cook Brown Rice on the Stove
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup green onions - chopped
- ½ cup dried mushrooms - soaked (can be a mixture of mushrooms)
- salt - to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cool water.
- Place the rice in a deep pot. Boil the water and add it to the pot along with a pinch of salt. Bring back to a boil. Lower heat to low and cover with the lid.
- Let it cook and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green onion and dried mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Reserve.
- Once the rice is ready, fluff the grains using a fork.
- Combine the rice with the scallions and mushrooms. Season if desired.
- Serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Dried mushrooms can include a mixture of porcini, maitake, shiitake, portobello, chanterelle, etc.
- You can store your cooked rice covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze it for up to 6 months.
- To reheat on the stove, add a couple of tablespoons of water or broth per cup of cooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through. It can also be microwaved.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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