How to Toast Brown Rice Before Cooking

Quick answer

To toast brown rice, rinse and drain it, then stir it in a pot with 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil per cup of rice over medium-low heat for roughly 5 minutes, until the grains smell nutty and begin to look lightly golden at the edges. Then add your cooking liquid and cook the rice as you normally would. Toasting is optional, but it adds a warm, nutty flavor to a grain that some people find a bit plain.

What toasting does

Toasting is a flavor step, not a necessity. Heating the dry grains in fat or in a dry pan develops a deeper, nuttier aroma, in the same way that toasting nuts does. When butter or oil is used, the grains also get a light coating of fat, which many cooks find helps them stay separate rather than clump together. It will not fix a poor water ratio or the wrong cooking time, though. The basics still matter.

Because brown rice keeps its bran layer, it already has more of a nutty character than white rice. Toasting simply amplifies that.

Toast or rinse?

You can do both. Rinsing washes away surface dust and loose starch, and toasting adds flavor, so they do different jobs.

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear.
2. Drain it thoroughly and shake off the excess water. The rice does not need to be bone dry, but very wet rice will steam instead of toast and may spatter in hot fat.
3. Then toast.

If you would rather skip the rinse, you can toast the rice dry, though the result may be slightly starchier.

Method 1: toast in fat

This is the gentler, more forgiving method and a good place to start.

1. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil per cup of rice in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Use enough to lightly coat the grains.
2. Optional: add aromatics such as chopped onion, garlic or spices and cook for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant.
3. Add the rinsed, drained rice. Stir often for about 5 minutes, until the edges of the grains begin to brown slightly and you smell a toasty aroma.
4. Pour in the cooking liquid carefully. The hot pan will cause it to steam and sputter, so step back a little and keep your face away from the pot.
5. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook as you normally would for brown rice.

Method 2: dry toast

Dry toasting gives a stronger, roasted flavor and no added fat.

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Add the dry rice, rinsed or not. If you rinsed it, dry it first, since wet rice will not toast evenly.
3. Stir or toss frequently for about 5 minutes. The rice may crackle, and some grains may pop. It will turn golden and may smoke lightly.
4. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells toasty, and tip it onto a plate or baking sheet to cool so it does not keep browning or burn.
5. Cook it in boiling water or broth as you would normally.

Watch the pan closely. Rice goes from golden to burnt quickly, and burnt rice tastes bitter.

Cooking toasted brown rice

Toasted rice generally cooks the same way as untoasted rice. Use the water ratio and time from your rice package. Many stovetop methods use roughly 2 parts liquid to 1 part brown rice and take somewhere around 30 to 45 minutes, but this varies by brand, so follow the label. Rest the rice, covered and off the heat, for about 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Rice cooker and Instant Pot

• Rice cooker: Toast in a skillet or saucepan, then transfer the rice to the cooker with the liquid and run the brown rice setting.
• Instant Pot: Use the Saute function with a little fat to toast the rice in the inner pot, add the liquid, scrape the bottom well and then pressure cook. Our guide to Instant Pot grain recipes has starting-point ratios and times for brown rice and other grains.

Common brown rice mistakes

• Not measuring the liquid. Too much gives mush, too little gives hard rice.
• Lifting the lid. It lets out steam and can leave the top layer undercooked.
• Skipping the rest. Resting lets the grains finish absorbing moisture.
• Stirring during cooking. This can release starch and make the rice gummy.
• Cooking on too high heat. A gentle simmer is better. A pot that is too hot can scorch the bottom before the grains soften.
• Using old rice. Brown rice has natural oils and can go stale or rancid over time, so store it in a cool, dry place in a sealed container, and refrigerate or freeze it for longer storage.

Flavor ideas

• Toast in butter and cook with chicken or vegetable broth.
• Add cumin, turmeric or garlic cooked gently in the fat before the rice.
• Finish with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and scallions.
• Stir in herbs, lemon zest or roasted walnuts at the end.

FAQ

Is it better to toast rice or wash it before cooking? They do different things, so many cooks do both, rinsing first for cleaner grains and then toasting for flavor.

Is it okay to toast uncooked rice before cooking it? Yes. It is a common technique in many cuisines, and it is safe as long as you do not burn the rice.

What does browning your rice before cooking do? It adds a nutty, toasty aroma and can help keep the cooked grains more separate.

Does toasted rice cook faster? Not meaningfully. Toasting does not shorten brown rice’s cooking time.