My friend Emily has been encouraging me to try this little “bake your rice in the oven” trick for quite some time. As it turns out, this really is the easiest way to make brown rice!
Now, I’ve been making rice on the stove-top for years without any problem. Then I got an Instant Pot and tried making rice in that.
Confession: While it is actually very easy to make rice in the Instant Pot, I kept having to look up how to do it because I could never remember from one time to the next. So ultimately, this didn’t make my life easier. Ha! Old habits die hard. I didn’t want to have to actually think about how to make rice. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
So I went back to my “cook rice on the stove-top” method.
Then Emily said something again about making rice in the oven, about how easy it was, and about how the rice turns out perfectly every single time. Fine. I decided to try it. After all, the method did sound very simple.
Boom. I’m going to use the oven method every time from now on. It’s a no brainer! And it actually is easier than making rice on the stove-top because I don’t have to boil water first, then add rice, then turn down the heat, yada, yada.
Here are the basics you need to know to make brown rice in the oven:
- Always use 2 parts water to 1 part rice.
- Cover the dish.
- Bake for 1 hour at 350.
Here’s a basic picture tutorial. Watch and be amazed.
1. Put rice in a dish.
2. Add water. Cover, and bake for 1 hour at 350.
3. The rice is done. It is perfect. Your life just got easier.
4. Be amazed and look at the rice from a different angle. Stare joyfully at the rice.
5. Move on. It’s time to eat the rice.
The Easiest Way to Make Brown Rice
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- sea salt to taste
- Place one part rice to two parts water into a baking dish.
- Sprinkle in sea salt according to your taste. (You can add salt later if you prefer.)
- Stir.
- Cover.
- Bake in a 350 oven for one hour.
This will forever more be my go-to rice making method. I love how simple it is! And the rice truly turns out perfect!
What’s your favorite way to make brown rice? Have you ever tried this oven method? I think you’ll love it!
Do you preheat oven or just turn ‘er on when you put it in and start the hour?
I don’t preheat (because I never remember!) and it works just fine!
Laura, I just wanted to tell you that I have been following your blog for years now, and you are my all time favorite. You always post such practical, helpful tips! I have your printed cookbook and still use it all the time. :) I also appreciate your more thoughtful posts about what God is teaching you, like the recent “nose ring” post. God has taught me so many of the same lessons over the past through years through my own trials. Isn’t He good to gently prune us!? Thank you for sharing!
I always forget the pressure cooker instructions, too, so I put it on a post it note and taped it inside my cabinet, so it’s right there (along with your ranch recipe!). :)
As easy as that sounds, I’d love to know the cost of running the oven—which I believe is a pretty high energy use appliance—to the cost of running the Instant Pot for about 22?minutes…I have to look it up to tell you the exact time!! But then again I’m always looking up things when I cook…especially on your site!!! The cost difference could be worth the extra…unless you are cooking something else in the oven already…?
Good question! I don’t know the answer, but I do have a double oven so for rice, I use my top, smaller oven. So that probably makes it a bit more efficient. :)
Perfect. I can never get it right on top of the stove. It’s either too gummy or runny and tuff.
I will definitely try this.
Thanks,
Linda
This is how I have been doing brown rice for years!!! Love it so much more than in a pot. BUT you did leave out a yummy part in the ingredients: add some BUTTER!!! put your rice,salt and pepper and some dabs of butter in the pan and add the boiling water!!!!
Mmmmm, good!!
How could I have forgotten the BUTTER??
Laura, I love your post! It has turned into one of my favorite blogs. Can this be cooked in a casserole dish as well?
Yes, I usually use a 9x13inch pyrex dish.
I figured this out when I was trying to fit another pot onto my stovetop, one night while cooking for my family of all boys. Literally had no spots left. I put mine into a round Corelle casserole with a lid. Super easy, yummy and might just be “lazy” enough for our busiest days. When I’m feeling “fancy” and using it for a side instead of in something, I add a dash of garlic powder and use chicken broth instead of water.
Love this idea! I agree with the ladies (Sarah and Sarah K) who suggested adding butter or substituting chicken broth. I would also like some fresh herbs snipped in, and maybe we can experiment with adding spinach or veggies and stuff. I would also have to think about Colleen’s point that it will add some expense to run the oven if it’s not already being used. And obviously, we won’t want to do this in the summer…..but maybe by then we can figure out this Instant Pot rice thing.
What do you use to cover your pan in the oven? Aluminum foil?
Yes, I don’t love foil, but I use it for this because it doesn’t touch the food. ;)
Laura-
I love your writing style. One question is how long does this keep. I use rice a lot which means I am always grabbing the instant rice boxes. would love to do a batch and keep it for several days to use over a week or so. I make rice dishes once or twice a week. My teenaged daughter loves to make her own stirfry lunches so needless to say we go through a lot of rice in this house, Making it this way and putting it in the fridge would be a great time saver.
In my experience, cooked rice keeps just fine in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can freeze it to keep it even longer.
So…I baked brown rice in the oven exactly once. And I loved it! It was so easy and tasted good. So why haven’t I done it since? Because I don’t want to take the time to look up the instructions! Ha! Just like your instant pot rice. I know that the “recipe” I used was just this easy; I’m not sure why I thought I had to look it up. But now, thanks to your superb timing, I will not have to look it up OR cook my rice on the stove tonight.
Hi Laura. I’ve been cooking it this way for years because I don’t have to worry about it running out of water and burning when cooking on the stove top (ha,ha). I like to add broth, diced veggies (frozen and raw), and seasonings to mine. I always freeze leftovers so I don’t forget about it in the fridge and have it spoil on me. Thaw time is minimal.
I’d like to try this with the veggies! Do they become too soft after an hour in the oven? Which veggies have you found to work best with this?
I have made it with fresh carrots, fresh onion, frozen peas, and frozen corn. They aren’t too soft for us.
Now I’m feeling guilty for not sharing this tip with you….I’ve been making rice this way for at least 10 years! EXCEPT, I add butter ?. I make it in large batches and freeze it in 2-cup containers for easy thaw & reheat, or even frying. Perfect every time!
I find a one to two is too much water and u get blown out rice. 1.5c rice to 2.5 c water ir 3c rice to 5cups water works great. I like 375 for 50 min. Plus salt and butter or olive oil.
Also br rice freezes well so i make a bunch in may and then just microwave to reheat in the summer
I use this same method to make Mexican rice. My kiddos love it more than the plain! This recipe makes a lot of rice! I always freeze the extra.
Baked Mexican Rice
3 c. Brown rice
4 2/3 cup water
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano
3 tsp. Chili powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour rice into a 9 x 13 pan. Boil water. Once it is boiling, add spices to the water and stir. Pour boiling water over the rice and smooth into an even layer. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, then remove, fluff with fork, and allow to sit loosely covered for 5 minutes.