Most recipes call for either brown or white rice. Should you only cook one type of rice at a time? Can you mix brown and white rice together?
You can mix white and brown rice, but the results may not be ideal. Start cooking your brown rice first. After 15-20 minutes, add your white rice and continue cooking. For better results, cook each rice separately and mix them after cooking.
Can You Mix Brown Rice With White Rice?
There’s no rule against mixing brown and white rice when cooking. But they require different cooking times. If you add brown and white to your pot simultaneously, neither will cook correctly.
You’ll need to experiment to cook brown and white rice simultaneously. Try varying the water and cooking time until you find the proper process.
Do Brown Rice And White Rice Cook For The Same Length Of Time?
No, brown and white rice do not cook for the same amount of time. Brown rice takes 40-50 minutes on the stove. White rice takes about 20 minutes.
White rice takes about 8 minutes in the Instant Pot, but brown rice takes about 25 minutes. White rice takes about 30 minutes in a rice cooker, while brown rice takes about 45.
Can You Mix Two Types Of Rice?
You can mix two types of rice when cooking, but it may not produce the best result:
- Start by preparing the rice with the longest cooking time. Wash or soak the rice and add it to your pot and water. Add the total amount of water both types of rice need.
- Calculate how long your first type of rice should cook before adding the second type of rice.
- For example, brown rice takes 50 minutes on your stove, and white rice takes 20 minutes. Start by cooking your brown rice for 30 minutes before adding your white rice.
- Start cooking your first type of rice and begin preparing your second type of rice.
- Open your pot and add the second type of rice. Stir briefly to combine.
- Set the lid back on your pot and let your rice cook for the remainder of the time.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Can You Cook White And Brown Rice Together In A Rice Cooker?
You can cook white and brown rice together in a rice cooker. Follow the directions above, but calculate the timing according to your rice cooker.
My rice cooker takes 50 minutes for brown rice and 35 minutes for white rice. I start cooking my brown rice first and add my white rice after 15 minutes. Then, I let it finish cooking.
Cooking brown and white rice together is not ideal. Usually, my white rice ends up overcooked, while some grains of my brown rice are undercooked.
Can You Cook White And Brown Rice Together In An Instant Pot?
You shouldn’t cook white and brown rice together in an Instant Pot. If you cook two different types of rice together, you should start the rice with a longer cooking time first. Then, partway through the cooking process, you should open the lid of your pot and add the second type of rice.
Once the Instant Pot starts cooking, you should wait until the cycle finishes before opening the lid. It’s essential not to open the lid until all the pressure is released. There’s no safe way to add the second type of rice if you use an Instant Pot.
Two Ways To Cook White And Brown Rice Together
If you want to cook brown and white rice together, try these methods:
Pre-soak Method
- First, soak your brown rice for 20 minutes. Soaking helps soften the grains and allows them to cook faster.
- Rinse an equal amount of white rice to remove excess starch.
- Add both types of rice to your pot and pour in the water.
- Cook as you usually would on the stove or in your rice cooker.
- Check the rice around the time the white rice should finish. Add more cooking time if your brown rice hasn’t finished yet.
- Let your pot rest for 10 minutes, and then fluff.
Boiling Method
This method works best on the stovetop:
- Add the whole amount of water to your pot so it gets hot. You don’t need to measure. Add more than you need and plan to strain out the excess after cooking.
- Wash both types of rice separately.
- Start cooking your brown rice first. It will take about 50 minutes.
- Add your white rice after 30 minutes and continue cooking.
- After your pot of rice finishes cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Final Thoughts
You can mix white and brown rice, but it may not produce ideal results. If you want to cook these two types of rice together, start cooking your brown rice first. Partway through, add your white rice and continue cooking.
