This 1 Simple Step Makes Brown Rice Taste Infinitely Better

And it costs absolutely nothing but a few minutes of patience.

If you’re one of the many people who doesn’t like brown rice, you might be missing out on enjoying a nutritious food because you’ve skipped a step in the kitchen. Making tender, nutty-tasting brown rice takes one little trick that costs zero pennies.

The step that is so important, and often overlooked, is simple: just take the pan off the heat and let the cooked rice sit, covered, for about 10 minutes to finish steaming. This also applies to other whole grains, like farro, wheat berries and sorghum.

I wanted to find out the science behind what’s going on in that pot, so I asked Cameron Jacobs of the USA Rice Federation. “Brown rice has the nutritious and hearty bran layer surrounding the endosperm intact. The act of allowing it to sit covered allows the brown rice kernels to absorb additional moisture from all the steam and leaves the consumer with an optimal mouthfeel for brown rice and a much less chewy grain than if you were to eat directly after all the water was absorbed.”

I also asked Harold McGee, author of the seminal book ”On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen,” and a food chemistry expert. “It takes time for the absorbed water to become distributed evenly throughout the grains and hydrate the starch at the center; and serving the hot rice immediately will cause it to evaporate away some near-surface moisture as visible steam, leaving the bran a little drier and firmer. I actually don’t mind that contrast in texture, but the 5-10 minute rest does give you a more evenly cooked pot.”

The Steps To Cooking Perfect Brown Rice