Instant Pot brown rice meals are the best. You can get super creative and have fun while experimenting. The best thing about brown rice in the Instant Pot is that it doesn’t go mushy.
When cooking with the Instant Pot, it’s best to have all your ingredients sliced and diced – don’t keep the pot waiting! With stove top cooking I usually prep as I’m cooking. But I’ve foud this doesn’t work well when using the Instant Pot.
Here’s how I made this Instant Pot brown rice and beef dish.
I sliced my onions thinly, but you can even cut it in small cubes.
After sautéing the meat and onions, add the carrots, celery and spices, and stir through. At this point I turn off the Instant Pot. I don’t want the vegetables soft before I’ve even pressure cooked the meal.
Since it cooks for a while, and to prevent the carrots from turning into mush when it’s time to dish up, I cut them in thick julienne pieces. I also cut the celery into biggish pieces (around 1cm to 2cm) in length.
I spread the rice evenly on top. I like to add a layer of spinach on top of the rice for extra nutrition. The spinach sticks to the rice, so my son doesn’t really notice that he’s eating something green and healthy. Also, quick cooking ingredients should always be added to the top of your Instant Pot meal.
I stick in some whole garlic cloves and after adding the water, poke it all the way down to ensure the water gets everywhere. Use the back of a wooden spoon or any other long kitchen tool that you have. But don’t stir it. The water needs to be hot so that the pot reaches temperature quickly, otherwise you might be waiting quite a while.
After setting the multigrain function, sit back and relax and let that wonderful Instant Pot do the work. If you have enough patience, let it completely naturally release the pressure. If you’re too hungry, at least wait 5-10 minutes. Waiting is worth not having to clean up the splutter from the valve. Gently stir through before dishing up. And enjoy!
After making this meal, tag me on Intagram – I’d love to see!
If you like Instant Pot cooking, then try my Creamy Instant Pot Mushroom Soup recipe!
Instant Pot Brown Rice and Beef
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Knife
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 500 g short grain brown rice rinsed and drained
- 500 g beef cubes
- 850 ml boiling water
- 3 carrots thickly julienned
- 1 large onion sliced
- 6 stalks table celery sliced into pieces about 1cm in length
- 200 g spinach chopped roughly, not finely
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 5 whole garlic cloves
Instructions
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and put on the highest setting. When it's hot, add the olive oil and brown the meat.
- Add the butter and onions. Deglaze the pot and cook until the onions are soft.
- Press Cancel on the Instant Pot. Add the carrots, celery and spices, and stir.
- Place the rice on top and spread evenly.
- Place the whole garlic cloves in the rice.
- Cover the rice with the spinach.
- Add the boiling water and poke the rice all the way down a few times so that the water gets in everywhere.
- Cook on multigrain for 30 minutes. Either naturally release the pressure completely or for at least 10 minutes.
- Stir through and enjoy.