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Here are all the best brown rice recipes to make a meal with this healthy whole grain! There’s something for everyone in these top ideas.

Brown rice recipes
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Want more brown rice in your life? Us too! Both white rice and brown rice can be considered healthy foods, but brown rice has significantly more fiber and nutrients than the white stuff. So if you have the choice, opt for brown rice!

Here are all the best brown rice recipes for loading up on this whole grain! First we’ve got our favorite quick method for cooking it, which cuts the time almost in half! Then there are all sorts of ways to use it, from rice bowls to fried rice…even meatloaf. Scroll below the recipes for some notes on brown rice nutrition. Ready to get started?

And now…the best brown rice recipes!

Brown rice nutrition

What is brown rice? Brown rice is the entire whole rice grain. It keeps the nutrient-packed bran and germ and only has the hull removed. In contrast white rice is rice that is processed to remove its hull, bran and germ. This means it holds less of the nutrients that brown rice has. Let’s review the basic nutritional differences between brown rice vs white rice. Here’s the basic nutrition facts for 1 cup of cooked rice:

IngredientCaloriesProteinCarbsFiberFat
Brown rice2165 grams44 grams3.5 grams1.8 grams
White rice2044 grams42 grams0.6 grams0.5 grams

Nutrient comparison

To understand the full picture of brown rice vs white rice, you also have to look at nutrients! Here’s the breakdown on nutrients:

  • Brown rice has lots of nutrients: it’s a good source of folate, riboflavin, potassium, calcium, and manganese.
  • White rice has none of the beneficial nutrients that are contained in brown rice. Again, this is because it’s more processed and it doesn’t contain the nutrient-packed bran and germ.

Bottom line: Brown rice is packed with more nutrients and fiber than white rice, making it the more nutritious option. It’s the more wholesome of the two grains and is worth spending the extra time to cook it for these brown rice recipes! White rice is still a healthy option if you are getting fiber and nutrients from other parts of your meal: like a stir fry with lots of veggies and white rice.

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Brown Rice…the Fast Way!

How to cook brown rice
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Want to make brown rice but don’t have an hour? Here’s how to cook brown rice the fast way—and it turns out perfectly every time.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x
  • Category: Essentials
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Basics
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup long or short grain brown rice
  • 6 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice: Using a strainer, rinse the rice under cold water, then drain it completely. (Here’s why.)
  2. Boil the rice using the “Pasta Method”: In a saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and stir. Continue to boil uncovered until tender, with the water bubbling rapidly, for 20 minutes. Start tasting at 18 to 20 minutes: if the rice is tender, remove the heat. If not, keep cooking 5 to 10 minutes more until the rice is tender. (All rice types and brands are slightly different, so you’ll have to adjust according to the specific rice. Ours is usually done in around 18 to 25 minutes.)
  3. Steam the rice: Pour the rice into a strainer, then return it to the pot. Cover the pot and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the salt.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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2 Comments

  1. Lisa & Gregg says:

    It’s more and more common to see a couple share the kitchen. From cooking to clean up.
    How do you plans your meals?
    Shopping, planning or just take out meals?
    Thank you for sharing your views.
    Lisa W.