Ingredient Grain Rice Brown Rice Easy Brown Rice 5.0 (3) 3 Reviews Here's the only recipe you need to make perfect brown rice every time! This healthy whole grain is great on its own as a side dish, or use it in your favorite recipes calling for cooked brown rice. By Carolyn Malcoun Carolyn Malcoun As EatingWell's Associate Editorial Director, Carolyn Malcoun searches for cool farmers, chefs and other food stories to tell. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin and a culinary arts degree from New England Culinary Institute. She started at EatingWell as an intern in the Test Kitchen in 2005 and joined the editorial team soon after. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 20, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 5 mins Additional Time: 55 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 6 Yield: 3 cups Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly Nut-Free Dairy-Free Low-Sodium Low-Fat Soy-Free Heart-Healthy Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This Easy Brown Rice recipe will be your go-to for many meals. Nutty, fiber-filled brown rice can act as a base for veggies and lean proteins, and can even stand in for oatmeal for a different spin on breakfast. Read on for expert tips, including the best way to store cooked brown rice. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! Uncooked brown rice has a shelf life of about 6 months if it's kept in a dark, cool and dry spot. It will stay good even longer in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last for about 12 months, or in the freezer, where it will last 18 months. It's a good idea to check the "best before" date. You can easily flavor brown rice with minced garlic or onion, ground ginger, red pepper flakes and snipped fresh herbs. Give it a squeeze of lemon and a dash of Parmesan cheese, or add some shredded Cheddar. Avoiding mushy, gummy rice is as simple as not overcooking it. If you do overcook it, try removing as much moisture as you can by spreading it out on a paper-lined tray and letting it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes, then heat it in the microwave. If all else fails, don't toss it—use the rice in a way you weren't planning, like making fried rice or adding it to soup. This recipe also works in a rice cooker, which is perfect for busy weeknights. The cooker controls the temperature, so there is much less room for error. Nutrition Notes Brown rice is a whole grain. This means that the rice grain's outer layers, which contain much of its fiber and nutrients, are still intact. This also gives brown rice a chewier texture compared to white rice. Besides gut-friendly fiber, brown rice also provides complex carbohydrates for energy and B vitamins, which help your body use that energy. If you prefer white rice over brown, you'll still get a little bit of fiber and carbs. Most brands also fortify white rice, which means it, too, provides B vitamins. If you prefer white rice but really want to like brown rice, mix the two together after they've been cooked (brown typically takes longer to cook than white, so cooking them separately is advised). This gives you the best of both rice worlds and will help your palate acclimate to the nuttier, chewier texture of the brown rice. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 ½ cups water or broth 1 cup brown rice Directions Combine water (or broth) and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. To make ahead The rice should be cooled quickly after cooking and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from growing. It's best to avoid leaving cooked rice at room temperature for more than 1 hour, and if it's been in the fridge for more than 3 days or if it looks or smells unusual, discard it. Also, rice should be reheated only once, and should reach a steaming hot temperature of 165°F. Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to rinse brown rice before cooking it? Sometimes you should rinse rice and sometimes you shouldn't. It depends on the type of rice, cuisine and dish you're making. Rinsing rice before cooking will remove some of the starch, which sometimes you may want or need removed, but you might lose a little flavor too. For this basic recipe, we don't recommend rinsing. What should I serve with brown rice? Brown rice is a little chewier and heartier than white rice, with a nutty flavor. We like to use it in sandwich wraps, casseroles, build-your-own rice bowls and, of course, as a side dish to beef, poultry, lamb, fish and tofu. What can I do with leftover rice? One of the easiest ways to use leftover rice is to add it to soups and salads. You can also serve it with eggs instead of hash browns, or stir-fry it with some chopped fresh veggies for a quick meal. Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2017 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 113 Calories 1g Fat 24g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Serving Size 1/2 cup Calories 113 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 24g 9% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 0g Protein 2g 5% Total Fat 1g 1% Saturated Fat 0g 1% Folate 7mcg 2% Sodium 5mg 0% Calcium 6mg 0% Iron 0mg 2% Magnesium 37mg 9% Potassium 78mg 2% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines