Simple Oven-Baked Brown Rice

Name: Simple Oven-Baked Brown Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 56 min
Ingredients: 2 cups brown rice; 4 cups water

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Brown Rice on blue and green plate with fork and yellow marigold flower.

Nice and fluffy and evenly-cooked!

My family & I almost always have brown rice on hand. It's just so handy to combine with veggies and beans for a quick meal. We've used our rice cooker to prepare rice for many years but after using this oven-baked method for brown rice several times, I'm hooked!

I just love how this Simple Oven-Baked Brown Rice turns out so nice and fluffy and evenly-cooked throughout. In addition, the process is super simple. You can practically set it and forget it! After quickly bringing the rice to a boil, it's left alone in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Rather than having to keep a close eye on the rice on the stovetop, this method leaves extra time for other tasks!

Two cups rinsed brown rice in clear glass bowl with four cups cold water in pitcher sitting on wooden cutting board.

Simple Ingredients

When making Simple Oven-Baked Brown Rice, you only need two ingredients: brown rice and water! The typical ratio of brown rice to water is 2 to 1 (2 cups water to 1 cup rice). Here, I'm cooking 2 cups of dry brown rice so I have 4 cups of water (4 cups water to 2 cups rice).

Next, you'll want to determine whether your rice needs to be rinsed. Brands do vary on this so be sure to refer to the packaging your rice came in. Rinsing helps remove any powdered starch on the surface of the rice. Removing this starch really helps to prevent your rice from being too sticky or gummy after cooking.

My family & I typically enjoy using a medium grain brown rice that is "no talc". This "no talc" rice does not need to be rinsed as much. The directions on my package simply say "rinse lightly". So, I just place the dry rice in a fine mesh colander and run some water over it for a bit. After rinsing your brown rice (if needed), be sure to allow most of the rinse water to drain out of the rice before moving on to the next step. The rice does not have to be completely dry. It just needs to have most of the water drained to prevent throwing off the rice to water ratio.

pouring water into uncooked brown rice in pot on stove.

Prep your rice for a brief boil

Next, begin to preheat your oven to 350° F (about 176° C). While your oven is preheating, prep your rice for a brief boil. To do this, simply put your brown rice into an oven-safe pot and pour the water over the rice. Your oven-safe pot will need to have a tight-fitting lid. This lid will be used in later steps to maintain the moisture in the rice as it bakes in the oven.

brown rice and water in 4 quart pot on stove coming to a boil.

Bring your rice to a boil

Then, stir the rice and water together. Keep the lid off the pot and turn the heat up to high in order to bring your rice to a boil. This will likely take around 5-6 minutes. As soon as the rice is at a boil, remove it from the heat, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, and place it directly into your preheated oven.

blue 4 quart le creuset pot with lid in heated oven

Bake in the oven

Next, allow the rice to bake, covered, in the oven for 50 minutes. No peeking! 😉 Leaving the pot of rice alone in the oven at this point helps to maintain the moisture balance it needs. If you were to open the pot at this point, quite a bit of steam would escape, putting your rice to water ratio off balance. You now have 50 minutes to relax or complete other tasks. Enjoy! 😁

Brown Rice resting in oven proof pot on stove top with oven mitts to the side.

Allow the rice to rest

This next step is very important! As soon as the 50 minutes baking time is up, remove the pot from the oven (keeping the lid in place) and allow the rice to rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes (or up to 30 minutes). This resting time will allow the moisture to become more evenly distributed. This will result in a more uniform texture with the bottom layer of the rice being as fluffy as the top.

fluffing rice in a pot on the stove with a fork.

Fluff the rice with a fork

After allowing the rice to rest, covered, for 10-30 minutes, open the lid and fluff the Simple Oven-Baked Brown Rice with a fork. While fluffing, scoop the rice from the bottom of the pot.

The rice should fluff easily & be cooked evenly throughout the pot. Now, it's time to add any seasonings you desire, serve, and enjoy!

Try this delicious "Easy Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice" recipe to create a fantastic side dish!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What if I don't have an oven-safe pot with lid?

An alternative to an oven-safe pot with lid would be to place the rinsed and drained rice in a casserole dish, instead. Then, separately, bring your measured amount of water to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, pour it over the rice. You can then cover your casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil before placing it into the oven.

Why is brown rice healthier than white rice?

White rice has been stripped of its hull, its bran, and its germ. Only the less nutrient-dense white endosperm is left behind. With brown rice, only the husk is removed, leaving the remaining parts intact. Brown rice is a whole grain that is a good source of fiber as well as many micronutrients.