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After you learn how to microwave brown rice, you won’t have a need for processed instant rice! Cooking brown rice is so much easier than you think! If you’re looking for an easy side dish, this is it!
I prefer to eat long-grain brown rice instead of instant white rice because it is healthier and much more cost-efficient. However, it just takes so long to make. I don’t know about you, but there are times when the rice seems to still be too hard, even after I’ve cooked it for quite a while. If you have had the same problem as me then you will love this easy short cut. It still takes a little while to cook in the microwave, but you can stick it in the microwave and forget about it so you can get other things done.
What you need for microwave brown rice:
Learning how to make rice in microwave is so simple! It doesn’t require anything special, just a microwave safe bowl and basic ingredients, and of course your microwave! I used a 4-liter corning ware dish without the lid. Then you really just need long grain rice, water, butter and salt.
How do you microwave brown rice quickly?
Microwaving brown rice is a good alternative to cooking it on the stovetop or using a rice cooker. Both of those methods take about 45 minutes. Let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t have that amount of time to get dinner on the table. Not only that, but they seem to yield inconsistent results.
By using the microwave, you can make perfect brown rice in less than 30 minutes! The best part about it is that you don’t have to worry about it while it is cooking! No need to babysit the rice, pop it in the microwave and you’re good to go.
You do not have to rinse the rice before you cook it, but it does help remove excess starch. Removing the starch also helps with the water boiling over and making a disaster in your microwave. You can use this same method to cook sushi rice in the microwave, too!
How much water do I need to cook brown rice in the microwave?
The basic rule of thumb for cooking rice in the microwave is 2 parts of water to one part of rice. This rule makes it super easy if you need to scale the amount of rice you cook, too. So if you are cooking 1 cup of brown rice you would use 2 cups of water and it would yield approximately 3 cups of rice.
Do you cover rice when cooking in the microwave?
I absolutely love that you do not have to have a lid when cooking rice in the microwave! It is one less dish to wash and look for. Why do we have such a problem with finding lids?!
Ingredients for Microwave Brown Rice:
- 16 oz (1 lb) bag Long Grain Rice (I prefer brown rice)
- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make rice in microwave:
- Combine rice, water, and butter in a large microwaveable safe container. You DO NOT need a lid. I used a 4-liter corning ware dish. Make sure to cover the rice with water.
- Microwave uncovered on HIGH for 10 minutes. Do NOT stir.
- Microwave on MEDIUM-LOW (or 50%) for another 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and fluff with a fork before serving.
- I used a 1200 watt microwave, so you may need to adjust your cooking time slightly depending on the wattage of your microwave.
A pound of dry rice equals 6 cups of cooked rice. I used 2 for dinner and I divided up the rest into containers for the freezer. If you’ve never frozen rice before then this is a simple way to freeze rice! When I need to heat them up, I will add a bit of water and microwave on MEDIUM for a couple of minutes. Super easy!!
You will get perfect rice every time and this is definitely the easiest way to cook rice! You’ll have rice for multiple meals in just over 20 minutes!
Try one of these other Rice Recipes:
How to season Brown Rice
- Season with Garlic salt and butter
- Add salsa and taco seasoning to make Spanish rice
- Stir in cilantro and lime and salt
- See How to Season Brown Rice for more ideas.
Try these other delicious recipes:
Print Microwave Brown Rice Recipe Below:
How to Microwave Long Grain Rice
Ingredients
- 16 oz. bag of Long Grain Rice (I prefer brown rice) 1 lb bag Long Grain Rice (I prefer brown rice)
- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons butter or margarine
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine rice, water, and butter in a large microwaveable safe container. You DO NOT need a lid. I used a 4 liter corning ware dish.
- Microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes. Do NOT stir.
- Microwave on MEDIUM-LOW (or 50%) for another 15 minutes.
- Season with salt a pepper and fluff with a fork before serving.
- I used a 1200 watt microwave, so you may need to adjust your cooking time slightly depending on the wattage of your microwave.
At 83, and with health issues, I switched to adding lots of whole grains to my meals – I have tried many a microwave recipe for brown rice but yours worked far more easily and was quicker than any of the others. I made a full bag, and packed it into cup-size containers for the freezer and I am so happy to be able to grab a cup of it when I need it – thank you, and thanks for the easy-to-understand instructions!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and saving time and money now too! Woohoo!
Your article gave me confidence to cook brown rice in the microwave And duh, I need to start freezing my rice! I buy frozen brown rice that takes 3 minutes to heat up. No more cooking rice EVERY TIME I want it. What a waste of money. I’m cooking the whole bag now. I frequently cook Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai. And I ALWAYS cook basmati or jasmine. Now I can have brown rice more often to vary taste on my palate. So now I will also soak brown rice (I always soak my white rice like forever, but that’s a good thing). a minute or two to clear the starch. Thank you so much!