With a simple oven-baked method and fresh ingredients that get stirred in at the end, this Baked Brown Rice Risotto is an easy option for family dinner.
Brown Rice Risotto
I love that potluck-style meals are the norm here in the Midwest when eating with others because it takes the pressure off of hosting and it means that we all get to share some things from our own kitchens. I love to bring easy dishes like this Baked Brown Rice Risotto since it’s simple to make and is kid-friendly.
Baked Risotto
The traditional way to make risotto involves standing by the stove and stirring warm broth into the pot with rice. I love traditional risotto, but I find it to be nearly impossible to make with toddlers and kids underfoot. Which is why baking it in the oven is such a nice option!
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- instant brown rice
- broth
- zucchini
- frozen peas
- butter
- Parmesan cheese
TIP: You don’t need anything too complicated and mostly ingredients you can keep on hand.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this brown rice risotto.
- Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven.
- Add the rice and chicken stock to a 2 or 3 quart baking dish. Cover with foil tightly and bake .
- Remove from oven. Stir in the peas, zucchini, Parmesan, butter, and salt until well combined.
- Cover tightly for 5-10 minutes before serving.
TIP: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
Can I make this Baked Risotto ahead of time?
Yes! You can also make it ahead of time and warm it right before dinner, so it’s a stress-free entree option. And it means that the leftovers are good to eat for a few days after if you have some extra.
Do I have to use instant rice?
I have done this recipe with regular long grain rice, though readers were having issues with it cooking through completely. So for best results, instant brown rice works best.
Tips for Making the Best Baked Risotto
- Be sure to cover the rice during cooking.
- Use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian.
- When you remove the pan from the oven at the end of cooking, there may be a little liquid left. This is okay! It will continue to absorb the liquid a bit as it sits.
- Use a broth that you like the flavor of and season to taste with salt if needed.
- You may also like my Butternut Squash Risotto.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe if you make it, so please share below in the comments!
Baked Brown Rice Risotto with Peas and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 cups instant brown rice
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 medium zucchini, finely diced (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 1/2-1 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the rice and chicken stock to a 2 or 3 quart baking dish. Cover with foil tightly and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. (There may be a little liquid in the pan and there may be a few bits of rice that aren't yet 100% super soft yet. It's okay as it will keep cooking in Step 3!)
- Stir in the peas, zucchini, Parmesan, butter, and salt until well combined. Cover with the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the peas are warmed through and the zucchini is just soft.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm to serve.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock to make the dish vegetarian.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves before serving for more flavor.
- Try diced asparagus in place of the zucchini.
My kid is somewhat picky and loved this! Great recipe!! I put a baking tray on top to cover it better. I also added some more frozen chopped veggies and some pumpkin. Thanks for posting I will definitely be revisiting this recipe.
We love this rice! I love the hands-off nature of the recipe. I have made it several times now.
The flavor of this rice was great but there’s no way this will cook in the oven! After an hour, i had to transfer it to a pot and cook stovetop, wasting so much time and gas! I used regular brown rice. Maybe you are using instant rice?
I’m sorry to hear that! I make this with long grain brown rice.
Hi! Hmmm, I’m honestly not sure. I just made it twice last week with these instructions and it cooked the rice through. Did you cover the rice for the first half of the cooking process? It’s possible that some brands may cook more quickly than others but it seems odd that there would be an issue. I’m really sorry for the difficulty!
Hi, did you recently change the recipe to 2 cups of rice? I printed the recipe around the end of April, 2018 and my directions say 3 cups of rice and 8 cups of chicken broth. Am I missing something?
I apologize for not making a note. I did retest the recipe and made a few adjustments including decreasing the volume of both rice and broth since it made so much and many people were having a hard time getting the rice cooked totally through.
I usually do risottos on the stove top, just because its so much faster… I use basmarti rice, but am keen to use brown basmarti… I love the one-potness of this dish. I would also substitute a bit of the butter for cream, and ad coriander and a bay leaf or two. I think sun dried tomatos could be a fun addition also. And left over roast chicken or ham or vego sausages. I bet my kids would eat this!
I love all those ideas—and I like doing stovetop too but I sometimes have a hard time staying nearby for all of the stirring!
Do you have a convection oven by chance? I used the long grain Lundberg rice that you recommended and still required double the cooking time like the commenter above. It is still cooking, but smells delicious! Excited to try it.
I don’t—so odd! I will try it again soon and see if I need to update the timing. I hope you enjoy it!
This recipe did not work for me! After an hour and 15 minutes in the oven it still was not even close to absorbing the stock and the rice was still rock hard! I ended up switching it to the stove top and adding a ton more broth, and about 30-40 minutes later the rice was FINALLY cooked. Not worth the hassle at all!!
The type of rice makes a big difference and I’m so sorry to hear that you had trouble.
Thank you so much for responding! I’m sorry, I’m still confused though. Step 2 doesn’t say anything about cooking them, just add them in. Do you put them in fully cooked?
The zucchini softens because the pieces are so small and the peas thaw. You add them to really hot rice and then cover it, so they will be cooked through when it’s time to serve!
How would you make this to freeze?And when do the veggies cook?
I would make it according to the recipe, let it cool fully, then freeze portions you want in zip top freezer bags. Remove as much air as you can before sealing, press them flat, and freeze for up to 3 months. The veggies cook with the rice mixture.
I meant to say that you add the veggies in step 2:)
Is this 3 cups of cooked rice or uncooked? Thanks!
Uncooked!