I have all the secrets to a perfect batch of brown rice thanks to all of my failed attempts at yielding a great batch over the years. We have had crunchy brown rice, dry brown rice, mushy brown rice, and everything in between. For many years, I baked my brown rice (thank you, Alton Brown) before discovering the world’s most awesome gadget (used a minimum of twice a week!) called a rice cooker!
Today I want to share with you the secret to my brown rice succes. For me, it is one part rice selection (no affiliation with them, I swear!) one part liquid ratios and one part rice cooker fuzzy logic that works. Intrigued? I hope so!
Brown rice is something I really rely upon to round out my meals because I am gluten-free. I use it to make taco bowls, in lieu of making gluten-free pastas, and I toss veggies and meat with it to make hearty bowls for filling lunches. Although I adore quinoa, I still find that this sticks to my ribs a little better so it has become a go-to side for our family.
What Brand Do I Swear By For Consistent Brown Rice Results?
The only brand I use is the Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Rice (the packaging looks just like this!) It delivers consistent cooking results for me and comes out perfectly every time. When people tell me that they don’t enjoy the texture of brown rice or their kids turn their noses up to it, I tell them to buy this brand because once this is prepared it has more of the texture of white rice than any other that we have tried and my kids prefer it over white rice.
What is the Liquid Ratio for Brown Rice?
Brown rice is not a 1:1 ratio like white rice, it requires a bit more liquid to deliver consistently good results. For every one cup of rice, you need 1 1/4 cups of liquid for a long grain brown rice (this is the ratio I use for that brand I shared). For a short-grain rice, you actually need 1 1/2 cups of liquid for every one cup of rice. I also add a pat of butter as well to help round out the flavoring.
I rely upon chicken stock for my liquid, but you can use water, beef stock, or veggie broth too. If you are trying to save a little bit, cut the stock you choose in half with water or you can just use water if you do not want a richer flavor to your rice.
Rice Cooker- Perfect Rice Every Time
Five years ago, I bought this rice cooker for about $20 and I have been using it two to three times a week ever since. It provides consistently great brown rice, white rice, steamed vegetables, and even rice cooker quinoa for our family with very little work on my part. It does take up valuable space in my kitchen, but it has earned its rights to the space by saving me a lot of time hovering over pots!
My rice cooker has no fancy settings, I just push down the switch and it figures it all out for me. When it is done, the switch flips up and a loud beep lets you know that the rice is done. That’s it. It’s basically a set it and forget it appliance that delivers consistent results for our family.
Now you know all my secrets! Do you have any of your own tips for perfect brown rice? Let me know in the comments below! I love hearing everyone’s strategies!
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