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Craving a healthy and delicious side dish, but cooking for just one? This oven-baked brown rice recipe is your answer! It’s incredibly easy to prepare, uses minimal cleanup (no pot required!), and delivers perfectly cooked fluffy rice in under an hour. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, health-conscious eaters, or anyone who wants a satisfying side dish without the hassle.
Complement your fluffy brown rice with any of our delicious single serving main courses! We have a variety of options to choose from, including juicy Baked Chicken Thighs, hearty Salisbury Steak, flavorful Tuscan Chicken, or a protein-packed Chickpea Curry.
Why You’ll Love This Brown Rice Recipe
- Super Simple: This recipe is as easy as it gets, so it’s perfect for stress-free meal prep.
- Consistently Fluffy: This method guarantees evenly cooked, fluffy brown rice every single time.
- Versatile: Use it in bowls, salads, stir-fries – this rice works with anything.
- No Dirty Pot: Everything cooks right in the baking dish, meaning less cleanup.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch baked brown rice recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Brown rice: The star of the show, brown rice is whole grain and nutrient-rich.
- Water: Essential for cooking the rice. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth for added flavor.
- Butter: Adds a touch of richness.
- Salt: Adjust according to taste or dietary needs.
How To Bake Brown Rice
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Combine rice, boiling water, butter, and salt in a small baking dish. Stir to mix, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
This recipe yields one serving of rice.
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How To Season Brown Rice
Brown rice is known for its nutty flavor and satisfying texture, but it can also be a great blank canvas for adding exciting flavors to your meals. Here are a few ways to transform your baked brown rice from simple to sensational:
- Herbs and Spices: Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, or oregano add a warm, fragrant touch. For a bolder kick, try a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, curry powder, or Creole seasoning. Fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, or chives offer a bright, vibrant finish.
- Aromatics: Sautéed onions, garlic, or shallots before adding the rice to the baking dish infuses it with a deeper, richer flavor.
- Broth Substitutions: Swap out some or all of the water for chicken, vegetable, or beef broth for an extra layer of savory goodness.
- Stir-Ins: Once the rice is cooked, fold in ingredients like chopped nuts or dried fruits like cranberries or raisins for a textural and sweet-savory contrast.
Expert Tips
- Use a tight seal: Cover your dish tightly with foil for the best results, this traps the steam and cooks the rice evenly.
- Oven Temperature: Ensure your oven is properly preheated to get even cooking.
- Don’t overcook: Start checking at the 45-minute mark. If it seems dry, add a splash more water and cover again.
- Let it rest: Uncover your rice carefully (watch out for steam!) and fluff with a fork before serving.
What To Serve With Brown Rice
This easy baked brown rice makes a fantastic side dish for so many meals! Here are a few ideas:
- Build a bowl: Top with grilled chicken or tofu, roasted veggies, and your favorite sauces. We love adding brown rice to our Salmon Rice Bowl and our Greek Chicken Bowl.
- Hearty Salad: Add to salads with chickpeas, spinach, and a light vinaigrette.
- Soup Sidekick: Serve alongside a steaming bowl of tomato soup or lentil stew for a comforting and nourishing meal.
- Stir-fry base: Perfect for adding to stir-fries like our Pork Stir Fry, Chicken Fried Rice, and Mongolian Beef.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just use a 6.5×6.5-inch baking dish or a 6×8-inch baking dish and double the ingredients amounts.
Cooked brown rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
This could be due to insufficient water or cooking time. Be sure to follow the ingredient amounts and cook time in the recipe.
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Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this oven-baked brown rice recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Easy Oven-Baked Brown Rice – Perfect Single Serving!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup medium-grain or long-grain brown rice
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Transfer the rice into a 5×5 inch baking dish.
- In a separate small saucepan or kettle, bring the water to a boil.
- Carefully pour the hot water over the rice in the dish, and then add the butter and salt.
- Stir the ingredients gently to mix them.
- Tightly seal the dish with aluminum foil.
- Place the dish on the middle shelf of your preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- After baking, take off the foil and fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.
- Your baked brown rice is ready to be served.
Notes
- Use a tight seal: Cover your dish tightly with foil for the best results, this traps the steam and cooks the rice evenly.
- Oven Temperature: Ensure your oven is properly preheated to get even cooking.
- Don’t overcook: Start checking at the 45-minute mark. If it seems dry, add a splash more water and cover again.
- Let it rest: Uncover your rice carefully (watch out for steam!) and fluff with a fork before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Joanie, when doubling the brown rice recipe which size of dish do you recommend? Thank you.
I’d recommend using either a 6.5×6.5 inch baking dish that holds about 32 fluid ounces or a 6×8 inch dish or a dish that is similar in size.
Joanie, in this recipe you don’t rinse the rice first as in other recipes. Is that because this is cooked in the oven or should the rice be rinsed here as well?
I don’t rinse the rice in this recipe but you certainly can if you’d like. Brown rice’s bran is still intact, so it doesn’t have starch build up on the outside as white rice does. See your package of rice to see if it has specific instructions on whether or not the rice in the package needs to be rinsed before use.
Hello,
Love the rice in the oven but wondering if it can be baked in an air fryer?
I haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer so I don’t know how it will turn out.
I’ll never make brown rice any other way again! It comes out perfect, light and fluffy, without having to watch it constantly on the stove top. I added 3/4 tsp. Better Than Bouillon vegetable stock and reduced the salt to 1/8 teaspoon for increased flavor. One serving makes enough for a side dish for my husband and me, but I can double it and freeze half in a Ziploc bag for future use.
Hi Gail, I agree that baking rice is the way to go! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe, thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Can this recipe be doubled as written?
Yes, double the ingredients and keep the cooking time the same.
I love the idea of baking brown rice! I always forget about it on the stove top and burn it to the bottom of the pot 😂
My husband was out of town and I had to have rice… I couldn’t believe there was a recipe for just one person! It was so easy, and I didnt have to eat rice for way too many meals! The fact it was perfectly cooked was icing on the cake!