Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (2024)

We’re super excited about having brown rice in Imperfect boxes so it’s about time to talk about how to cook it better! Sadly, brown rice has an unfortunate reputation for being tough, boring, and bland. It’s the kind of thing we’ve all eaten to feel healthy without actually enjoying it, the food equivalent of half-heartedly running on the treadmill for 15 minutes while counting down the time until dinner. If you follow these tips, your rice will be anything but boring!

  1. Rinse your rice. Rinsing your rice until the water runs clear washes off the surface starch, resulting in less mushy and sticky rice. An important exception is if you’re making risotto when you want the extra starch to build your creamy texture.
  2. Build flavors early on! While plain rice is fine, it’s better to build some flavors early on. We love sauteeing some onions or leeks in butter with some thyme before adding rice to the pot, but you should use what you have around! Ginger and garlic both make for exceptional brown rice. If you’re going the spice route we love turmeric, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika with brown rice. Try adding some of these spices to the pot as you cook your aromatic vegetables.
  3. Cook in a flavorful liquid. While rice cooked in water is great, rice cooked in stock or broth is phenomenal. If you’ve been making veggie stock with your Imperfect veggie scraps, this is a great time to use it. If you’re not, this is a great reason to start. Stock makes rice tastes so much better! For truly decadent rice, try cooking your rice in ½ water and ½ coconut milk!
  4. Don’t rush the cooking. Brown rice is a terrible thing to make for dinner when you’re hangry because it takes a while. The same whole grain goodness that makes brown rice healthier than white rice also make it take way longer than white rice to cook fully. We’re talking 40-50 minutes of simmering, folks. This makes it a great candidate for making a big batch as part of your weekend meal prep.
  5. Rice is only as good as the toppings. Rice is a great canvas to add your favorite toppings. We love roasted veggies like bell peppers, squash, or beets or fermented cabbage like sauerkraut or kimchi. This is also a great place to nestle a tiny avocado, if you’ve got one around. When in doubt, a little bit of soy sauce or furikake seasoning goes a long way!

You might find these a-peel-ing

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (2)

What do you get when you gather a whole team of foodie fanatics and sustainabili...

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (3)

Storing your groceries properly is one of the best ways to make them last and st...

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (4)

When we look at food waste in our homes, the two main causes of waste are buying...

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (5)

Learn when avocados are in season so you can know where your current batch is li...

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice! (2024)

FAQs

Bye Bye Bland Bowls: 5 Easy Tips for Better Brown Rice!? ›

Brown rice is a whole grain that still has the hull, the bran layer and the germ intact, allowing it to have high levels of fiber and other nutrients. White rice, on the other hand, does not have any of the aforementioned, which makes it less nutrient-dense, although enriched rice has more of certain nutrients.

What can you put in brown rice to make it taste better? ›

How to Make Brown Rice Taste Better
  1. Soak it overnight. Soaking brown rice overnight will give it a softer texture and allow it to absorb flavors better. ...
  2. Cook it in something other than water. ...
  3. Pair it with big, bold flavors. ...
  4. Add some cheese. ...
  5. Add a sauce.
Sep 13, 2023

How do you make brown rice not taste bland? ›

Let's look at the various ways to enhance your brown rice's flavors.
  1. Use Butter, Garlic, and Onions. You can rarely go wrong with butter and garlic! ...
  2. Cook it Pilaf Style. ...
  3. Use Chicken Broth for Boiling Brown Rice.
  4. Fry the Rice in Olive Oil, Parsley, and Lemon. ...
  5. Try Toasted Sesame Seeds and Salt (Gomasio)
Nov 29, 2023

What makes brown rice better? ›

Brown rice is a whole grain that still has the hull, the bran layer and the germ intact, allowing it to have high levels of fiber and other nutrients. White rice, on the other hand, does not have any of the aforementioned, which makes it less nutrient-dense, although enriched rice has more of certain nutrients.

How to make bland rice taste better? ›

Broth is a simple way to make a big impact. Without changing the texture, broth gives your dish a pop of flavor. Chicken broth goes well with so many flavors; in fact, it's the most common liquid used, particularly for rice pilaf.

What sauce goes with brown rice? ›

Brown rice comes in several varieties, from short-grain to long-grain. The long-grain variety will cook up drier and more separate in its rice grains, while the shorter-grained types will be softer and more pearly. With soy sauce – Plain brown rice, nutty and sweet, with a splash of soy sauce is a wonderful lunch.

Why can't you eat brown rice everyday? ›

Brown rice contains the antinutrient phytic acid and is higher in arsenic than white rice. This can be a concern for those who eat a lot of rice. However, moderate consumption should be fine.

Why brown rice should be soaked before cooking? ›

Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally-occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Add rice to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (1 cup rice + 2-3 cups water).

What is a good seasoning to add to rice? ›

Ingredients
  • Rice, like jasmine, basmati, white or brown rice.
  • Herbs, such as dill, parsley, oregano or cilantro.
  • Garlic, minced.
  • Onion, diced.
  • Spices, like cumin, curry powder, paprika or red pepper flakes.
  • Olive oil.
  • Chicken or vegetable broth.

How do I make rice taste like a restaurant? ›

Use Stock Instead of Water

“Instead of water, use either vegetable or chicken stock. Homemade is ideal, but plenty of premade boxed stocks exist for convenience. Add stock to the hot pan with vegetables and toasted rice.” He explains that toasting the rice first adds a layer of nutty flavor and creates more depth.

How do you fix tasteless rice? ›

Rinse your rice if you have time. It'll make it more fluffy and help the grains remain more separate. Cook your rice in chicken or veggie stock instead of water to impart flavor. Add herbs and spices.

What can I add to rice to give it flavour? ›

Add lots of pepper. Stir in a couple of tablespoons minced fresh herbs, ideally warmed first in melted butter. Cook a couple of tablespoons minced garlic, leek, scallion, or shallot in olive oil or butter until just soft to add while fluffing. Add lemon juice to taste (great with butter and pepper).

How do you make brown rice taste good without salt? ›

Citrus – fresh lemon juice, fresh lemon zest (the yellow part), also fresh lime or orange all work well. White wine – not cooking wine as this usually has a bad taste and has salt added. Use something with a good flavor but not too strong.

How do you make brown rice protein taste better? ›

Try this: 4 tablespoons of greek / plain yoghurt 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder 1 scoop of rice protein 1 banana Stick this in a blender and add honey or syrup if you have a sweet tooth. Delicious.

Why should you rinse brown rice before cooking? ›

First, rinse the rice.

This step is essential for removing excess starches on the outside of the rice. If they're not washed away, they will cause the rice to clump and become gummy as it cooks. Our goal is to make perfectly fluffy brown rice, so don't skip this step!

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Last Updated:

Views: 6140

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Birthday: 1998-01-29

Address: Apt. 611 3357 Yong Plain, West Audra, IL 70053

Phone: +5819954278378

Job: Construction Director

Hobby: Embroidery, Creative writing, Shopping, Driving, Stand-up comedy, Coffee roasting, Scrapbooking

Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.