Baked Brown Rice
This recipe, originally from Alton Brown of the Food Network, is my go-to method for preparing brown rice. I've made it countless times and it's the only way I'll eat brown rice now.
This recipe, originally from Alton Brown of the Food Network, is my go-to method for preparing brown rice. I've made it countless times and it's the only way I'll eat brown rice now.
- Carbohydrate 53.32113 g
- Cholesterol 7.6325 mg
- Fat 4.755405 g
- Fiber 2.3800000667572 g
- Protein 5.280175 g
- Saturated Fat 2.198764 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (338g)
- Sodium 311.427900005009 mg
- Sugar 50.9411299332428 g
- Trans Fat 0.351369 g
- Calories 279 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
- Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
Why is the liquid absorbed at the edges while the center remains crunchy? That frustrating midpoint reveals the uneven heat distribution of stovetop simmering, where rapid bubbling evaporates moisture before the grain's tough outer bran softens completely. Shifting the cooking vessel to a 375 degrees F oven eliminates local hot spots by surrounding the grain with steady, omnidirectional ambient heat. Combining medium or short-grain brown rice with boiling water inside an 8-inch square glass baking dish ensures every kernel hydrates at an identical rate without scorching the bottom. Sealing the container tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil traps steam inside, creating a pressurized micro-environment that forces moisture into the dense endosperm. Baking this covered dish on the middle rack for exactly one hour allows the starch molecules to fully gelatinize without requiring frequent stirring or liquid adjustments. Checking for doneness involves sliding a fork across the surface to inspect the bottom of the dish for lingering pools of water and testing a single grain between your fingers for a tender yet distinct resistance. Leaving the foil off after baking causes the starches to dry out rapidly, so immediately fluffing the grains and serving them warm preserves the moisture retained during the steaming phase. Using unsalted butter alongside one teaspoon of kosher salt seasons the entire batch evenly while adding just enough fat to prevent the grains from clumping together during the final resting period.
