Baked Brown Rice

Based on Cook’s Illustrated Recipe 

This is the best way to cook rice if you don’t have a rice cooker. If you haven’t already tried brown jasmine rice–give it a shot. It smells delicious when cooking and tastes so good that no one even questions the brown color. 

QUICK LOOK
Prep: 5 minutes
Method: Boil water. Bake 1 hour.
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 ⅓ cups water
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain brown rice, medium-grain brown rice, or short-grain brown rice
  • ½ teaspoon table salt

Directions

  1. ADD water and butter or vegetable oil to a small pot, cover and bring to a fast boil.
  2. ADJUST oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 375°.
  3. COAT an 8-inch-square glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. SPREAD the rice evenly into in the prepared baking dish.
  5. SPRINKLE the salt evenly over the rice. 
  6. POUR the boiling water over the rice.
  7. QUICKLY cover the baking dish tightly with a doubled layer of foil.
  8. BAKE rice 1 hour, until tender.
  9. REMOVE baking dish from oven and uncover.
  10. FLUFF rice with a fork.
  11. COVER dish with clean kitchen towel and let the rice stand 5 minutes.
  12. UNCOVER and let rice stand 5 minutes longer; serve immediately.
  13. ENJOY!

Recipe Notes

  • An 8-inch ceramic baking dish with a lid may be used instead of the baking dish and foil. 
  • To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish; the baking time need not be increased.
  • Extra rice is great to have in the freezer. Thaw rice in the the fridge and make a quick fried rice dish, rice pudding or add frozen rice to soups.