Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice

Name: Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 41 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 cups brown jasmine rice; 2 ½ cups filtered water; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)

A foolproof, hands off way to make perfect Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice every single time. No more mushy, burnt, or undercooked rice. It only takes three minutes to prep, and cooking is set and forget!

Brown jasmine rice made in the Instant Pot in a small bowl.

I’ve been making white and brown rice weekly for over a decade. My favorite variety by far is jasmine rice. It’s incredibly soft and buttery, and pairs perfectly with almost all of my healthy dinner recipes. The problem is, no matter how experienced I am at cooking rice, there will always be times I overcook, undercook, or burn my rice. The solution? Brown jasmine rice in the Instant Pot!

Using a pressure cooker to make brown rice brings consistency. It’s 100% set and forget, and gives you the same result every single time. This is an especially good option for brown rice, which takes a bit longer to cook.

Now, when I’m making brown jasmine rice, I always use the Instant Pot! This recipe makes six cups of rice, which gives you plenty to pair with a meal and store some extra away for meal prep. I love pairing this with my Egg Roll in A Bowl, Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala, or Healthy Baked Orange Chicken!

Jump to:

What is Jasmine Rice?

Brown jasmine rice is a long grain rice native to Thailand. It’s named after the sweet-smelling jasmine flower because of the color of the rice. The white rice grains resemble the soft white petals on the jasmine flower.

It’s well-loved variety of rice because it has a sweet, buttery flavor and a soft, delicate texture. Jasmine rice is available as white rice or a brown rice. The brown rice goes great with Thai curries and pilafs because the long grain clings together when cooked but isn’t sticky.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients in the recipe, including brown jasmine rice, sea salt, olive oil, and water.

Brown rice: I like to use an organic, long grain brown jasmine rice. Note: white rice doesn’t work for this recipe as brown rice requires a longer cooking time!
Water: Use cold, filtered water for this recipe.
Olive oil: This gives the rice a smooth texture and prevents clumping. Extra virgin olive oil is best!
Sea salt: It’s best to add salt when cooking, just like with meats and vegetables. I love using an unrefined sea salt for the best flavor and an added boost of minerals.

How to Make Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice

Steps for how to make the recipe, including rinsing the rice, cooking it in the instant pot, and fluffing the rice.

Rinse: Rinse the uncooked rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water for about 30 seconds until the water runs clear.
Combine: Add the rice, water, sea salt, and olive oil to the Instant Pot. Stir gently and make sure all of the rice is submerged in the water.
Cook: Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to the sealing position. Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL and cook on HIGH pressure for 22 minutes. Note: it will take about 6-8 minutes to get up to pressure.
Natural Release: Once the 22 minutes is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, use the quick release method to release the remaining pressure by switching the valve to the venting position. Carefully remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Perfect Jasmine Brown Rice Testing

I tested many different rice to water ratios and cooking times for brown jasmine rice in the Instant Pot. Below I’ve detailed my two most successful experiments. All were cooked on HIGH for 22 minutes with 10 minute natural pressure release. You can make it how you wish depending on how you like your rice!

Test #1: 2 cups brown rice, 2 cups water. This results in perfectly al dente rice that’s firm to the bite. The rice was not sticky.

Test #2: 2 cups brown rice, 2 1/4 cup water. This results in soft and fluffy rice that sticks to your fork.

Test #3: 2 cups brown rice, 2 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp olive oil. This results in soft and fluffy rice that’s a bit smoother and perfectly seasoned. This is my preferred option! You can also add the salt and olive oil to Test #1 for al dente rice that’s smooth, seasoned, and firm to the bite.

The rice in the instant pot cooked and fluffy.

FAQs

Do I need to rinse the rice?

Yes! Rinsing brown rice is essential because it removes the excess starches on the surface of the rice. This helps the brown rice have a nice and fluffy texture. Just rinse it for 30-60 seconds in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

How long does it take brown rice to cook?

On the stovetop, long grain forms of brown rice, including jasmine and basmati rice, typically take about 45 minutes to cook. Cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot saves you time, and it offers a consistent result. It’s also completely set and forget, which means no standing over the stove or accidentally forgetting to remove it from the heat (been there!).

Is brown rice healthier?

Brown rice is slightly more nutritious than white rice. It’s rich in fiber and antioxidants, and has more vitamins and minerals. It contains magnesium, zinc, and selenium, and is rich in B vitamins.

Will this work with white jasmine rice?

No, this recipe is specific to cooking brown jasmine rice. Brown rice contains the whole grain, including the fibrous bran, germ, and endosperm. For this reason, brown rice takes longer to cook (sometimes twice as long as white rice) and has a chewier texture.

Expert Tips

Use a fine mesh strainer to rinse the rice before cooking.
Before securing the lid on the Instant Pot, use a spoon or spatula to gently flatten the brown jasmine rice so it’s completely submerged in water. If the rice is above water, it won’t cook properly.
Do not use the measurements inside of the Instant Pot to measure your dry rice or water. Use a measuring cup for the rice and a liquid measuring cup for the water.
With a stainless steel Instant Pot insert, some rice will stick to the bottom once it’s cooked. Just soak it in a little dish detergent and warm water and it will lift right off when you clean it.
The automatic “Rice” setting on the Instant Pot is ONLY for white rice. Just use the manual setting and it will turn out perfectly!

Scaling the Recipe

You can easily scale the recipe up or down depending on the size of your Instant Pot. For example, you can cook 4 cups of brown rice in a 6 quart Instant Pot, and 6 cups of brown rice in an 8 quart Instant Pot. When scaling the recipe, the cooking time and temperature remains the same.

You can only scale the recipe down from 2 cups to 1 cup in a 3 or 6 quart cooker. If you have an 8 quart or larger Instant Pot, it won’t work because they both need at least 2 cups of water to come to pressure.

Storing Cooked Rice

Do not leave the brown rice to cool down in the Instant Pot. Remove it immediately so it doesn’t clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot. Store any leftover brown jasmine rice in an airtight, shallow container in the refrigerator. I like to fluff the rice before securing the lid to keep the grains separated. Rice can be refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to six months.

Ways to Serve

This rice is great as a side dish to any meal! It’s absolutely delicious served as a bed for Healthy Baked Orange Chicken, Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala, Egg Roll in A Bowl, and Thai Chicken Coconut Curry. You can also use it for Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest!

Recipe

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