Baked Brown Rice
If you’re looking for a simple, hands-off way to cook brown rice, this baked brown rice is the answer. Instead of standing over the stovetop, everything comes together in one Dutch oven and bakes until the rice is perfectly tender and fluffy. It’s an easy side dish that pairs well with just about any meal.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones you make over and over again. This baked brown rice is easy to prepare, full of flavor, and turns out perfectly every time with very little effort.
- Hands-off cooking. Once everything is in the Dutch oven, the oven does the rest.
- Perfectly fluffy every time. No mushy or undercooked rice to worry about.
- Packed with flavor. Chicken stock, onion, and garlic give the rice plenty of savory flavor.
- Easy cleanup. Everything cooks in one pot for fewer dishes.
- Goes with everything. Serve it with chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or your favorite weeknight dinner.
Ingredients Needed
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this baked brown rice recipe. Cooking the rice in chicken stock with sautéed onion and garlic gives it plenty of flavor, while a little fresh parsley adds the perfect finishing touch.
- Salt and pepper – Add to taste before serving.
- Olive oil – For sautéing the onion.
- Onion – Adds a mild, savory flavor to the rice.
- Garlic – Brings another layer of flavor.
- Chicken stock – Gives the rice much more flavor than cooking it in water.
- Long-grain brown rice – The star of the recipe. Be sure to rinse it before cooking.
- Kosher salt – Seasons the rice as it cooks.
- Fresh parsley – Stirred in at the end for fresh flavor and color.
How To Make Baked Brown Rice
This baked brown rice couldn’t be easier to make. A quick sauté of the onion and garlic builds flavor, then everything goes into the oven until the rice is tender and fluffy, ready to serve.
Step 1: Cook the Onion and Garlic
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Step 2: Add the Stock and Rice
Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Stir in the rinsed brown rice and kosher salt.
Step 3: Bake
Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place it in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork.
Step 4: Finish
Add the chopped parsley and stir until evenly combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy
Once the parsley is mixed in, the rice is ready to serve. The grains should be tender, fluffy, and full of flavor from the chicken stock, onion, and garlic. Serve it alongside your favorite chicken, pork, beef, or seafood recipe for an easy side dish that goes with just about anything.
Tips
- Rinse the rice. A quick rinse removes excess starch and helps the grains cook up fluffy.
- Use a tight-fitting lid. Keeping the steam trapped inside the Dutch oven is the key to perfectly cooked rice.
- Don’t peek. Resist lifting the lid while the rice bakes, or you’ll let the steam escape.
- Fluff with a fork. Using a fork instead of a spoon helps separate the grains without mashing them.
- Adjust the seasoning at the end. Chicken stocks vary in saltiness, so taste the rice before adding extra salt and pepper.
Variations
- Make it vegetarian. Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
- Add butter. Stir in a tablespoon or two of butter after baking for extra richness.
- Try different herbs. Swap the parsley for fresh thyme, rosemary, or chives.
- Add mushrooms. Sauté sliced mushrooms with the onions for an earthy flavor.
- Finish with Parmesan. Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.
- Mix in vegetables. Fold in cooked peas, corn, or diced carrots for an easy one-pot side dish.
FAQs
Yes, we recommend rinsing the rice before cooking. It removes excess surface starch and helps the grains cook up light and fluffy.
You can, but chicken stock adds much more flavor. If you want to keep the recipe vegetarian, vegetable stock is a great substitute.
Absolutely. Store the cooled rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it with a splash of water or chicken stock to restore moisture.
Yes. Let the rice cool completely, then freeze it in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Baking is a hands-off method that cooks the rice evenly without having to watch the pot. It also helps prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan and produces consistently fluffy rice.
Other Amazing Side Dishes
Baked Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/3 cup Onion diced fine
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 3 1/4 cup Chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cup Brown rice long grain, rinsed
- 1/4 cup Parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Salt and pepper Optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.1 tbsp Olive oil, 1/3 cup Onion
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.2 cloves Garlic
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.3 1/4 cup Chicken stock
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Stir in the brown rice and kosher salt.1 1/2 cup Brown rice, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.1/4 cup Parsley, Salt and pepper
- Serve warm and enjoy.