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Home » Recipes » Rice & Grains

Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf

Published February 14, 2022 Updated February 17, 2022 By Meeta Arora 18 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Brown Rice & Mushroom Pilaf Instant Pot Stovetop

Love Mushrooms? This is going to be your new favorite - Easy, healthy & delicious Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf. A flavorful one-pot dish with just 5 ingredients. It is perfect to make on a weeknight and enjoy as a side or as a meal. Even better, make it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.

Brown rice with mushrooms

Brown Rice cooked with onions, garlic and lots of mushrooms. Topped with green onions...oh so delicious! This Mushroom Rice a vegan and gluten-free dish.

This mushroom pilaf can be made with white or brown rice. If you love mushrooms, you will love this easy variation in place of plain rice. 

It is the best mushroom and rice recipe. Perfect for entertaining or to pack for a quick easy lunch.

This Mushroom Rice can easily be made ahead and heated just before serving, similar to my cilantro lime brown rice and spanish rice recipe.

Why you will love this Mushroom Rice?

  • It is vegan and gluten free
  • Easy to make
  • It can be made with white rice or brown rice
  • Includes healthy mushrooms and can add other veggies too!
  • To make this cheesy, add parmesan or cheddar at the end after pressure cooking

Ingredients

This recipe uses very basic ingredients. slice the mushrooms, peel the garlic, and dice the onions. 

Mushrooms: I used cremini mushrooms, but other varieties of mushroom would work too. Wash and dry the mushrooms with a paper towel or kitchen cloth. Then slice them.

Rice: You can use any brown rice (not the quick cooking ones) - basmati or jasmine. You can also switch to use white rice in this recipe. Note the different cooking time for white rice. I don't soak the rice. Just rinse them until the water runs clear. However if you prefer you can soak the rice in warm water for an hour. It helps to reduce the cooking time for rice.

Onions: I used yellow onions. Dice them finely.

Garlic: Peel and mince the garlic.

Olive oil: Needed to sauté the onions and mushrooms.

Broth: I used vegetable broth, but chicken broth would work too. I have used Better Than Bullion base to make broth. It is just easier to keep at hand for all my cooking. You may want to skip adding salt if using it. 

Green onions: These are optional. Only for garnish. You can garnish with cilantro or parsley too.

Mushroom Brown Rice Pilaf Ingredients

How to make Mushroom Rice Pilaf?

Sauté Mushrooms & Keep aside

This is an optional step. Sauté half of the mushrooms and take them out to top on the pilaf at the end. This gives a crunchy taste of the mushrooms. Of course, you could also simply cook them all with the rice. But I like the sautéed crunchy mushrooms on the rice when serving.

Cook Mushroom Rice

We will then add some oil, and sauté onions, garlic along with the rest of the mushrooms. The mushrooms will first release water, let the liquid dry and brown the mushrooms.

Then add in the rice and broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 35-40 minutes until there is no residual liquid. Stir in between starting at about 25 mins. (If using white rice, cook for 15 minutes)

steps to make mushroom rice in the instant pot

I like to cook the mushrooms with the rice, so the rice can soak in the amazing flavors of the mushrooms.

Instant Pot Mushroom Brown Rice Pilaf

Instant Pot Method

Follow the same steps in the stovetop method. The amount of broth used reduced when cooking in the instant pot, as it needs less liquid to cook in the closed pressure cooker.

Pressure cook for 22 minutes on high pressure (4 minutes for white rice). Then release the pressure 10 minutes after the beep.

This was so good, each grain separate and perfectly cooked. We enjoyed it as our lunch and two of us finished it all. I like to sprinkle some lemon juice to get a slight tangy taste to the pilaf.

Mushroom Brown Rice served in a plate

Pro-Tips

Mushrooms: Don’t slice the mushrooms too thin as they might disintegrate when cooking with the rice.

Veggies: You can add green peas to this pilaf too. I like to use frozen peas and add them at the end when the rice is almost cooked. For the instant pot method, after the pressure cooking is done, add the peas, and close the lid, and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.

Storage: You can store the mushroom rice in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat the rice in the microwave.

What to serve with Mushroom Rice?

Mushroom rice is great on it's own, but for a well rounded meal, pair it with Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks, or Baked Salmon or Lemon Roasted Chicken.

Hope you enjoy this easy, healthy mushroom brown rice pilaf!

If you love mushrooms, don't forget to check out these recipes:

  • Creamy Mushroom Pasta
  • Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
  • Mushroom & Green Peas Curry
Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below

Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf

Meeta Arora
Easy, healthy & delicious Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf. A flavorful one-pot dish with just 5 ingredients. It is perfect to make on a weeknight and enjoy as a side or as a meal. Even better, make it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
4.79 from 28 votes
Print Save Saved! Pin
Servings: 4
Calories: 298
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 50 mins

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil divided
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 cup Onions diced
  • 10 ounces Cremini Mushrooms sliced, divided
  • 1 cup Brown Rice rinsed, can use white rice too
  • Salt to taste

For Instant Pot

  • 1 ¼ cup Vegetable Broth

For stovetop

  • 2 cups Vegetable Broth

To garnish (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon Butter (optional) skip butter to keep this vegan
  • ¼ cup Green onions diced

Instructions
 

  • Rinse brown rice and set aside. 

For Instant Pot:

  • Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the mushrooms and sprinkle some salt. Cook them for about 4 minutes until they brown. Take out and keep them aside. We will add these in at the end. 
  • Now add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and onions to the instant pot. Sauté for 2 mins. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until they brown.  
  • Add brown rice, vegetable broth and salt. Stir and deglaze the pot. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. 
  • Select Manual or Pressure cook mode for 22 mins at high pressure (or 4 minutes for white rice). When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. 
  • Add back in the mushrooms kept aside. Add in the optional tbsp of butter and mix well. Top with green onions and enjoy! 

For Stovetop in a pot:

  • Heat oil in a medium-large pot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the mushrooms and sprinkle some salt. Cook them for about 4 minutes until they brown. Take out and keep them aside. We will add these in at the end.
  • Now add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and onions to the pot. Sauté for 2 mins. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until they brown. 
  • Add brown rice, vegetable broth and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 35-40 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in between starting at about 25 mins. (Cook covered for 15 minutes for white rice)
  • When rice is done, add back in the mushrooms kept aside. Add in the optional tablespoon of butter and mix well. Top with green onions and enjoy!

Notes

  • I used cremini mushrooms, but regular white button mushrooms will work too. 
  • I made this pilaf with short grain brown rice. Long grain brown rice will work too. Or you can also use white rice in this recipe.
  • White basmati or jasmine rice will also work, however reduce the cooking time depending on the rice you choose. I cook white rice for 4 minutes at high pressure with 10 minute natural pressure release in the instant pot.  
  • I have used Better Than Bullion base to make broth. It is just easier to keep at hand for all my cooking. You may want to skip adding salt if using it. 
  • I like to sprinkle some lime juice just before enjoying mushroom pilaf in the bowl. 

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 4.6mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1.3mg
Keyword easy, instant pot, one pot
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

If you like this recipe, you might also like -

  • Vegetable Pulao
  • Beet Rice
  • Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandy says

    March 02, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    I followed the recipe. Cooked for the 22 minutes. Wasn’t done so resealed and pressure cooked for 10 more minutes. Rice still wasn’t done, chewy but the flavor was there. I’m not loving my
    Instapot. Will try on stovetop next time. I used a good basmati brown rice.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      March 11, 2021 at 1:09 pm

      Hi Sandy - If the brown rice was not cooked in 22 minutes, I wonder if the pot was sealed properly? Did you see any steam coming out throughout the cooking time? In my experience, instant pot works great for brown rice. If you find that there was a chance the pot did not come to pressure, do the water test once again to make sure it is functioning properly. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Carol says

    June 29, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Hi, this sounds so wonderful but I was wondering if you can cook the rice with the cooked mushrooms in a rice pot?

    Reply
  3. ella says

    September 14, 2019 at 7:54 pm

    Can i ask why you add half the mushrooms back in after and not all of them?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      September 23, 2019 at 12:40 pm

      Hey Ella - I wanted the rice to soak in the flavors from the mushrooms, which is why I left half of the mushrooms in while cooking the rice. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  4. Moriah Howell says

    April 16, 2019 at 11:50 am

    My husband and I have been meal planning with this recipe for a few weeks now, and we're still not tired of it! Absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      April 17, 2019 at 4:39 pm

      Hey Moriah - So glad to hear you are enjoying the pilaf. Thank you for sharing back your review!

      Reply
  5. Jill says

    February 24, 2019 at 11:53 am

    Thanks for a great recipe! I found it while looking for a way to use my Imperfect rice, so I knew I had to make this recipe after reading your story. I made it on the stove and used butter and chicken broth, in place of oil and veggie broth.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 25, 2019 at 2:35 pm

      Hey Jill - So glad to hear you enjoyed the Pilaf. Thank you for sharing the modifications you made.

      Reply
  6. Mad says

    October 08, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    I followed this recipe exacty. It burnt in my instant pot. I had to throw it away.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      October 08, 2018 at 11:29 pm

      Hello - Sorry to hear. Trying to figure out the issue - What brown rice did you use? I wonder if the type of brown rice used was different. Was the instant pot sealing ring properly in place? As if the sealing ring is not properly installed, steam can escape causing the food to burn and stick to the bottom. I hope to help figure out the issue. Thanks!

      Reply
    • Lisa Sylvanus Scott says

      February 23, 2020 at 5:53 pm

      Hi my friend thanks for posting your experience because I did the same thing on a similar recipe. I made it and it came out perfect! The only thing I did differently was bought the rice to a roiling boil while it was still sauting, canceled saute then put it manually on 22 minutes (brown basmati) but did it on LOW like you would normally cook rice. I hope you try it again because the recipe is really, really great! Oh yeah I used the insta-pot!!!

      Reply
  7. deb says

    September 03, 2018 at 10:03 am

    Do you think this recipe could be cooked in advance by a day? I've got a lot of cooking to do for Rosh Hashanah and would love to add this to my menu.

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      September 04, 2018 at 6:52 am

      Hey Deb - Yes, you can cook this a day in advance and it will be fine. Just heat it in the microwave (maybe covered with a wet kitchen towel paper) so it stays moist when you serve. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  8. Anushka says

    July 29, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    If I double or triple the recipe how much do I increase the pressure cooking time in the Instant Pot?

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      August 01, 2018 at 7:06 pm

      Hey Anushka - The pressure cooking time will remain the same even if you double the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  9. Laura says

    June 14, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    Do you add the first batch of cooked mushrooms after the rice has cooked? It looks good, btw.

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      June 14, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      Hey Laura - Yes, I mix them back in after pressure cooking. I have updated the recipe card. Thank you and hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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