COOK: Baked Brown Rice Pilaf

• Brown Rice Pilaf Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Baked Brown Rice Pilaf
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• COOK: Baked Brown Rice Pilaf

This baked brown rice pilaf recipe is one of those simple, foundational methods that should be in every cook’s wheelhouse. It’s foolproof, easy to throw together, and a versatile base or side dish that goes with so many meals. You don’t need a rice cooker, and you won’t have to babysit a pot on the stove or worry about your rice scorching. You’ll get nutty, fluffy, perfectly cooked brown rice, every time!

Just gather a few basic ingredients, heat your broth, mix it up, cover, and bake. Set a timer and forget about it until it’s done! We especially love this baked rice method in the fall and winter, when it’s extra cozy to turn on the oven. You can bake it at the same time you have a roast, baked beans, vegetables, or a dessert in the oven.

We like to make a big batch when we make this, and portion out any leftovers for simple rice bowls for easy meal prep and effortless lunches and healthy snacks. Top your baked brown rice with roasted vegetables, meaty or vegetarian curry, black bean soup, red beans and sausages, or grilled chicken or fish.

Brown Rice Pilaf Ingredients

Brown rice:

Use long-grain brown rice for fluffy rice pilaf. You can also use this method for medium or short-grain brown rice, though the texture will be very different… creamier and sticky instead of fluffy separate grains. This can also be nice if you want a softer texture.

Unlike white rice, brown rice is quite perishable, so make sure yours is fresh or has been properly stored. The oils in the rice bran will go rancid over time, especially if they are exposed to oxygen and warm temperatures.

Store your brown rice in the freezer or a cool cupboard if possible, or only buy as much as you can use in a few months at at time. Discard any rice that smells unpleasant and off.

Stock:

I usually use homemade chicken stock or another meat stock for this pilaf, but you can use vegetable or mushroom stock if you want a vegetarian-friendly dish. You can also use hot water and good-quality bouillon base instead of stock or bone broth.

Onion:

The minced onion is optional, but adds a lot of flavor and a bit of moisture to your brown rice pilaf. You can substitute shallots, celery, or thinly sliced mushrooms to vary this dish (or a combination of these).

Butter:

A bit of butter or oil adds richness, flavor, and helps keep the grains of rice separate and not clumped together.

Use olive, coconut, or avocado oil instead to make a vegan brown rice pilaf, or to vary the flavor profile to pair with other dishes.

Seasonings:

This baked brown rice is a blank slate. You can keep the seasonings quite neutral with just salt and pepper, or add a dash of fresh or dried garlic and bay leaf or thyme, or other seasonings to this basic recipe.

We like to keep it simple so that the leftovers are very versatile, but you can flavor this with a pinch of saffron, turmeric, or paprika for a colorful rice side dish, or a bit of curry powder or other seasoning.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

casserole dish:

Use an oven-safe casserole dish, baking dish, or dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid, or you can fashion a lid from foil.

measuring cups:

Use a standard dry-measuring cup for the brown rice, and a liquid measure for the chicken or vegetable stock (or open a quart jar or commercial package of broth). I like to use a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup which can go into the microwave to preheat the liquid, but you can also use a small stock pot (or the dutch oven that can go straight into the oven).

How to Make Baked Brown Rice Pilaf

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one: mise en place

• Preheat the oven to 375℉.
• Bring the stock or broth just up to a simmer in a small pot (or the dutch oven you are using for your rice) on the stove top, or in a glass microwave safe container. This will greatly reduce the baking time needed to cook your pilaf.
• Butter a 2 quart casserole dish or coat with pan spray. Skip this if you are using an enameled or seasoned dutch oven.
• Measure the brown rice into a mesh colander, rinse and drain it with clean water, then add to the baking dish.
• Mince the onion (and whole garlic clove if you’re using that).

two: assemble the pilaf

• Add the minced onion to the brown rice in the baking dish along with the salt, pepper, garlic salt, bay leaf, and butter, and any other seasonings you may be adding.
• Pour the hot stock or broth over the rice mixture and stir to combine.

three: bake brown rice pilaf

• Cover the casserole dish or dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid or foil.
• Bake the brown rice pilaf in the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 50 minutes.

four: fluff & serve

• Fluff the rice and check for doneness after 50 minutes.
• You can bake it for an additional 5-10 minutes, or hold it in a warm oven for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Storage & Serving Ideas

Promptly chill and refrigerate leftovers, and use within 4-5 days. You can freeze this brown rice in an airtight container for up to several months.