How to Make Brown Rice Taste Good?

you could try mixing it half and half with white rice. also, try different brands of brown rice. I hate the Success instant kind, but I like the off-brand regular (not instant, the kind that takes like 45 min. to cook). other than that, experiment with different sauces and spices. try adding lemon juice and parsley while it cooks for example. or for stir fry, try teriyaki or soy sauce. or try a little margerine and sugar

try adding just a little extra water, like 2 cups rice and 4 1/2 cups water. It makes it fluffier! once you get used to it ,, you will actually prefer it to white rice! also i put about a 3" sprig of fresh rosemary, take all the leaves off, and dice them and cook them in the rice, delish!

You should try cooking it in chicken broth instead of water or if you cook it in water try adding butter to the water w/ a little fresh herbs like rosemary or basil!

I definitely agree with the other poster who said long-cook brown rice is much better than instant. I don't care for the instant much at all. But I prefer brown rice hands-down if you get the good stuff. I will eat it straight out of the pan, but if you put some butter, salt & pepper on it..."Hallelujah!!!"

There is brand of jasmine brown rice called Lowell Farms and it is sooooo good. But try using it to replace white rice in recipes with a lot of flavor first. Maybe then after you get used to it, you'll enjoy the flavor of the rice on its own.

Kudos to you for bumping up the health value of your carbs! It makes a big difference!

cc

I didn't read everyone else's response...sorry!
I use garlic salt, black pepper, Season All, and a little bit of cayenne pepper in mine. Just a couple shakes at a time (except for the cayenne) tasting it along the way until it is seasoned just right. I don't measure them...sorry!
My family, including my 2 year old like it this way. And the flavor goes with pretty much anything!

I recommend cooking it in some chicken or beef broth. Even vegetable broth would be better. Just substitute the water for broth. After add salt and pepper to taste. Also, I'm a big advocate of playing with your spice rack. Just sniff and if it seems like it might taste good try it out. Try different combinations of spices but start with the broth.

:-)
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

Hi S.,

I used to prefer white rice, also,but now I love brown rice. Try cooking it in chicken broth. Or pour a little bit of Italian dressing on it.
Good luck! My son still won't eat it!

D.

Hi Suzzana, you can add your favorite seasonings to the water while it is boiling and it will have a nice flovor to it.

Hope this helps!
D.
htttp://D..soulpurpose.net

Have you tried a shorter grain brown rice? I prefer that to the long grain. It's harder to find, but worth it. I also bake it in the oven. One cup of rice and two cups of boiling water in a pyrex dish covered tight with foil. Bake for an hour at 350. Usually I make it plain and use a sauce, but I've made "mexican" rice before by adding a can of diced tomatoes, a handful of corn and some chopped onions and peppers before cooking. One more idea, try seasoning the water with a seasoning salt like Tony's or Lawry's. Make sure the water tastes good before cooking. This is cheaper and better in my opinion than chicken broth. Good luck and don't give up. You may grow to love the extra chewiness and nutiness of brown rice like I did.

I made the switch several years ago and the real issue for me was the time it took to cook. I remember thinking "how will I ever have 40 minutes to cook rice all the time?" Now it's just not an issue. You will get used to it and your body will thank you forever!
In the meantime, try adding some veg. or chicken boullion to the water (if you can handle the sodium in your diet) and slowly cut back to plain water eventually. Or flavor it up with herbs or sea salt & pepper. You can cook the rice half & half with white rice. Just follow the directions and cooking time for the brown rice.
Hope it helps! happy eating!

I love brown rice, but I'm having a hard time getting my family to adjust. I've been mixing it 1/2 & 1/2 with white rice for recipes with lots of flavor, and am gradually weaning them over. My husband even suggested it with something last week! I was so proud! =o)

Congrats to you for the healthy changes! I'm going through a lot of that too, and luckily my family has been pretty supportive.

Basmati rice is a good alternative to brown rice. It's still very healthy and has a wonderful aroma.

I found a recipe online that my family just LOVES and now they won't eat regular white rice at all. I don't remember the name of the recipe, but my family just calls it grains. In your rice cooker, put three handfuls of brown rice, two handfuls of whole oats, two handfuls of pearl or whole barley, and a handful each of millet, quinoa and amaranth. Add water to about the 3 cup mark. Add a spoonful of butter or margarine and a few dashes of salt. Cook it through the rice sequence and it will come out fluffy in the end. The different grains give it a wonderful flavor and texture, and you can use it for anything you'd use rice in - I've used it to make chicken and rice and our version of fried rice as well. If you have a hard time finding the grains, you might have to go to Whole Foods to find them; they sell the grains in bulk there. You can adjust the recipe to your family's taste, and it won't affect the outcome; I sometimes use less, sometimes more of any particular grain on a given day. If there are other grains you'd like to try, experiment a bit. If you serve this by itself, it does very nicely with a little butter and a bit of dried marjoram stirred in. The kids also sometimes ask for it in the mornings with a little milk, like a porridge or oatmeal.

Our family now only eats brown rice, whole wheat pasta, bread, etc. My kids have come to accept it but not fully liking it! ha!!

Anyway, here are a couple good ways to have your brown rice:

After it's cooked mix it with some salsa or picante sauce! It is yummy and so simple to do! It really makes a difference and no extra calories!

What I also do is buy those new single serving broccoli/cheese sides (kroger/Walmart) and pour that over the brown rice. Tastes like broccoli cheese rice casserole!

Good luck and happy healthy eating!

M.

At first you should put butter on it. Gradually less and less. You will get use to it and eventually hate the way white rice tastes. I cut out potatoes, rice, white breads, corn and now the smell of those foods grosses me out. Best of luck.

I make mine in chicken broth, instead of plain water and add a small amount of butter when it's done...it's yummy!!

Try a little sesame oil, chopped nuts and a little braggs liquid aminos, some chopped garlic and salt. (even sesame oil all by itself is good!)

Or mix with black beans, chopped tomatoes, green onion, a blob of sour cream and some grated cheese, ! This is one of my favorite comfort foods.

Stir fry some veggies and toss with brown rice.

In addition to the bouillion, add cumin or turmeric. Tarragon is nice too.

My whole family loves brown rice. I make it with vegetarian boullion. I also use Lundbergh's short grain organic brown rice. Delicious! Good luck!

Have you seen the brown rice that comes in the boil bags? I get those and to me they taste just the same as normal rice. If you add some stir fry and soy sauce its a great healthy treat(well not too much soy sauce or there goes the healthy part;) hehe)

Put it in a rice dish with Chicken or pork (i.e pork fried rice, or chicken baked over it with healthy choice soup for a "gravy" - lick cream of chicken or cream of mushroomm etc._. Make homemade chicken and rice soup. Add a bit of butter and some herbs...Instead of using water to soak into the rice use chicken stock/broth...

I hope these help you out!!! ;-)

All the previous suggestions have worked for me. I do really like brown rice, however something that makes it a little fluffier is to saute it in just a tiny bit of butter/margarine first before you add the liquid.

You might have to disguise it. Mix white rice in while you get used to it or put it in casseroles. There's lots of rice casseroles. Anything with cheese is good. :)

Chicken rice pilaf is easy to do- cook it in chicken broth and add warmed veggies (thaw in fridge overnight to retain the most nutrients!) Shred some chicken and sprinkle in some spices, mix and enjoy.

You can make rice pudding or rice with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar for breakfast.

Try both the instant and regular kind and see which you prefer. It takes longer to cook then white, but if you get used to it you might want to invest in a rice cooker.

I used to prefer white rice and white bread but eventually I got used to the healthier choices. We often have it plain (no butter or anything!)

Brown rice is just yucky! When you figure out a way to make it taste good, send it my way. We are currently on a 21 day Daniel Fast, which means we can not eat anything but fruits, veggies, and wheat made things for our church and its driving us nuts! We want God's blessings though!!

D. Mattern-Muck
Moms helping moms work from home!
http://www.formyrugrats.com

I saw several posters already said to cook it in chicken broth, I agree with that. I will also toss in some chopped pecans at the end to help flavor it.

I use chicken or beef broth instead of water to give it more flavor.

Try adding a pat of butter when you are cooking it. Also, Gomacio (just toasted sesame seeds), you can purchase them at the health food store, and the thing that helps the most is soy sauce! (not too much or it's too salty)
-D.

I'm in agreement with Didi. Chicken broth definitely makes it taste better and I use organic brown rice. It's more expensive but I think it tastes better and it's better for you. Italian dressing on it is really good too. I thought I was the only one that did that! Good luck!

Use broth instead of water. Or some stock that you have made.

I give you the instructions in order to cook DIAMOND PEARL BASMATI RICE.

1 cup of diamond pearl basmati rice

2 cup of water

1 table spoon oil and a pinch of salt.

For best results soak rice in cold water for 2-30 minutes before cooking.

* Rinse measured rice 1 to 2 times to remove extra starch and drain.

* Place the drained rice,water, salt and oil in an open pan and bring to boil on hight flame. Stir occasionally

* As water reduces below rice leve, lower the flame, place a tight lid over the pan and let the rice cook in the steam for 18 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

I've found that the short grain brown rice tastes better than long grain, at least to me. You can usually get it in the bulk bins at health food stores.

Try cooking it with chicken broth instead of water.

I cook my rice in vegetable or chicken broth with butter. It gives it a better flavor.

Good for you for going with brown rice...a very healthy route. Add a little real butter and crushed walnuts. Any nuts really. Hope this helps.

About me: A very happy young 44 year old, spa owner in Brenham, Texas, married 7 year, 3 step-daughter's and our son 14 month.

I'm sure this doens't help with the health benefit of the rice, but I like mine with ranch. :)

Try adding some broth or bouillion(?) to it..along with your choice of veggies...I am the opposite, I don't mind the taste, but my kids turn their noses up because its brown! I just try and throw in different things...sometimes I buy the pre-cooked chicken fajita and add a few veggies for a quick meal.
~K