A recipe for slow cooker brown rice may not sound glamorous, but I’m about to tell you why this is going to change your dinner game plan!
First of all, get out your slow cooker. This is the crock pot I use, but other sizes and models will work as well.
Here’s how to cook brown rice in the slow cooker:
Spray the inside of your cooker with non-stick spray. If that’s not your thing, you can rub the sides and bottom of the cooker with butter.
Add two cups brown rice, 3 1/3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken broth both work great), and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
Stir to combine.
Cook on high, stirring occasionally until rice is fluffy, 2-4 hours.
In the end, you have perfectly slow cooked brown rice for dinner.
Okay, so maybe this isn’t the most exciting thing you’re read today. I get it.
We’re not setting anything on fire while yelling “Opa!!” (Which, by the way, is totally fun once you get over your fear of setting your house on fire.)
But trust me, this recipe is one to hang on to.
Cooking brown rice in a crock pot is a total timesaver.
Here’s how to save even more time!
Slightly cool the rice, and then portion it into one or two cup servings.
Place each portion into a ziplock type baggie. Label it with the portion size and “cooked brown rice”.
Even though it clearly looks like rice, take the time to label it. Trust me on this. There may have been a time or two when I’ve pulled an unlabeled container from the freezer thinking, “What the heck is this and why did I put it in here????”
So label it, and then proceed to stock your freezer with precooked rice.
The next time you need a side dish recipe – say – for stir-fry, or as a side to taco night at your house, you are already ahead of the game! Add it to chicken soups instead of noodles, make a quick fried rice…
You get the idea, right?
To use the rice, remove it from the bag and place into a microwave safe container. Heat for 60 seconds.
Pin my slow cooker brown rice for later here.
You can also try:
- Hearty Beef & Vegetable Soup
- Best Minestrone Soup
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
- Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Note: I may use referral or affiliate links for the products I love.
Brown Rice in the Slow Cooker
Here’s a meal planning tip that will save you precious time!
Ingredients
- non-stick cooking spray or butter
- 2 cups brown rice
- 3 1/3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your cooker with non-stick spray. If that’s not your thing, you can rub the sides and bottom of the cooker with butter.
- Add two cups brown rice, 3 1/3 cups broth (vegetable and chicken broths both work great), and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to combine.
- Cook on high, stirring occasionally until rice is fluffy, 2-4 hours.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 gramsAmount Per Serving Calories 192Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 0gSodium 360mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 2gProtein 4g
Shared on Meal Plan Monday
19 Comments
Rosa
March 14, 2019 at 9:19 pmI make rice SO often, and yet I’ve never tried it in the slow cooker before! This sounds fantastic, can’t wait to try!
Deanne
March 15, 2019 at 9:52 amPerfect! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Monica
March 14, 2019 at 10:25 pmI can’t believe I’ve never tried rice in the slow cooker – so easy and delicious! And I love using brown rice to make it a touch healthier.
Deanne
March 15, 2019 at 9:51 amYes! Such an easy switch to brown rice!
Adriana
March 14, 2019 at 11:27 pmMy family loves brown rice better than white rice, and I cook it in the Instant Pot to save time but have never tried the slow cooker, thanks for the inspiration.
Deanne
March 15, 2019 at 9:51 amAren’t Instant Pots awesome???!?
Laura | Wandercooks
March 15, 2019 at 12:12 amYes – okay I’m taking your advice and I’m doing this going forward – so convenient to have rice prepared and ready to go no matter what’s on the plan for dinner! And I’ll throw in an ‘Opa!’ while I’m making it because this one is definitely a game-changer. 😀 Thanks!
Deanne
March 15, 2019 at 9:51 amOpa! You’re my kind of person, for sure!! Enjoy!!
Dannii
March 15, 2019 at 3:08 amI never thought to try cooking rice in the slow cooker. I am definitely going to have to try that!
Deanne
March 15, 2019 at 9:50 amEnjoy!
Michelle Mergenthaler
June 11, 2019 at 3:07 pmTrying this today?
What’s the serving size, please?
It said 8 servings but I wasn’t sure if you meant per cup?
Jan
December 8, 2019 at 8:44 amI am also a farmer and mother to 7 (5 still at home). I have received a lot of brown rice recently, and, as my family isn’t really much on rice I hadn’t cooked it. I tried your recipe, all my kids loved it! My husband didn’t try it, mainly because the kids ate so much it was gone. Am definitely going to remake.
The only problem I had was I put it on high and was in the barn longer than 2 hours, so the outer layer burnt. The middle and top was excellent though so next time will try medium heat. Thanks for the post!!
Jennifer Bruce
January 15, 2020 at 2:29 pmThanks!
Morgan
April 12, 2020 at 11:09 amI have a pound of brown rice in the crockpot now. This is great. I’m going to be able to have Nutritious brown rice ready anytime thank you
Morgan
April 12, 2020 at 11:10 amI have a pound of brown rice in the crockpot now. This is great. I’m going to be able to have Nutritious brown rice ready anytime thank you so much for this great way to cook brown rice.
Lisa Moras
May 18, 2020 at 4:08 pmBeing as I’m a senior, and not wanting to stand by the stove for 2 or 3 hrs plus, and not wanting a fire or burn up a pot which I have done before, The crockpot is the way to go. I just set the oven timer and check it 3/4 of the way through.
Theresa Horn
August 21, 2020 at 8:56 amHi! I just wanted to let you know that I apprciate the fact that when I googled “how to cook brown rice in a slow cooker”, your recipe gave me my answer without having to read a long, boring blog post about the history of rice and the million ways your family likes or dislikes it. I quickly received the answer I was looking for and with that out of the way, I felt more like reading what else you have to say. Thanks! Time to cook!
Deanne Frieders
September 17, 2020 at 2:24 pmHa, love it Theresa! So glad you’re enjoying my site and recipes. Glad you’re here!
Becca Lincoln
October 11, 2020 at 5:25 pmThis is my second time using your recipe for slow cooker brown rice. My family eats brown rice and I have been making it and freezing 2 cup bags for years. Now, making it in the slow cooker is a huge time saver for me. We recently adopted 2 senior dogs and I cook for them as well. They like brown rice and that, some veggies and chicken (added to a little kibble for their teeth) is happily eaten. Using the slow cooker makes the whole process much easier for me. Thanks!