How to Cook Perfect White Rice

Has perfect white rice ever eluded you? After years, I finally cracked the code on absolutely perfect, fluffy, delicious white rice. I have this exact method memorized and I have a feeling you will, too! Get ready for easy, perfect rice…

If you’re looking for more simple grain tutorials, check out our guides on how to cook wild rice and how to make perfect, fluffy quinoa every time.

Perfect White Rice

There are 3, very important, steps to perfect white rice and it is HIGH TIME I share them with you here! I’m almost embarrassed it has taken me this long (12 years, good grief) to write this post …but here we are!

Okay, so perfect white rice requires…

• Rinsed rice. This step is easy! Don’t be intimidated and YES, I do think it’s worth the step.
• The correct ratio of liquid to rice (1:1 is my standard these days).
• Fat and salt.

That’s it! Rinsing the rice helps remove excess starch that makes the rice clump together. When you rinse the rice thoroughly (4-5 times in a pot or a solid 2-3 minutes in a strainer under water), you will have individual grains of rice that hang out like close, but not co-dependent, friends.

The correct ratio of liquid will make sure that your rice isn’t dry or soupy at the end and then the fat and salt will really send this all the way to perfect rice home. First, the fat does two things. It will aid in coating each grain of rice with just a touch of butter or olive oil (my favorites, but coconut oil is also great!) making them even fluffier to enjoy but it will also help keep your rice pot from boiling over. Lastly, the salt offers up fabulous seasoning so that your rice actually tastes like a proud member of the plate, rather than an afterthought of a starch.

Ingredients Needed to Make White Rice

• 1 cup of white rice (this basmati rice is our go-to!)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of sea salt

How to Cook Rice on the Stove

1. Rinse your rice – to rinse your rice, you have two options! You can rinse it right in the pot you’ll cook it in (like what we have shown above) or you can rinse it in a mesh strainer under water. If you’re rinsing in the pot, you’ll want to repeat this 4-5 times, or until the water runs clear. If you’re rinsing in a mesh strainer, do this for 2-3 minutes, shaking the strainer vigorously to help shake off the dusty coatings.
2. Add the water and rice to a pot – once the rice is rinsed and drained, add the cooking water into the pot. 
3. Add salt and olive oil (or butter) – this step is optional, but if you wish, add a tablespoon of olive oil (or butter) and a ½ teaspoon of salt to the pot.
4. Bring the water and rice to a boil, then reduce and simmer – bring the water and rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let sit – once the 15 minutes is up, remove the pot from the heat, and let the rice sit (covered) for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff, serve, and enjoy – use a fork to fluff the rice, then serve and enjoy!

What is the ratio of water to rice?

For the most perfect white rice, you’ll need 1 cup of water for every 1 cup of rice. This ratio is slightly different than what you’ll see on the back of most rice packages, but we’ve found that the slight reduction in water keeps the rice from getting gloopy (is that a word?!).

How Long to Cook White Rice

White rice is the quickest cooking of the rice varieties. It clocks in at 15-20 minutes of simmer time (so about 25 minutes altogether).

How do you know when rice is cooked?

You’ll know that your white rice is cooked when it’s absorbed all of the liquid in the pot and is nice and fluffy.

How long will rice keep?

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, your rice will keep for up to a week!

How to Freeze Cooked Rice

This is a meal prep GAME CHANGER! To freeze your cooked rice, simply spread the cooked rice out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pop it in the freezer, and after a couple of hours, portion it out into freezer bags! To reheat from frozen, simply pop it into a microwave-safe container with a tablespoon or two of water, then heat on high in 1-minute increments until warmed through.

How to Reheat Rice

Reheating your refrigerated rice is really similar to the instructions above for reheating from frozen. Add the rice to a microwave-safe bowl, top with a tablespoon or two of water (depending on how dry your rice seems), then microwave in 1-minute increments until warmed through.

How to Enjoy White Rice

There are a TON of ways to eat white rice! In fact, it’s one of our very favorite starches. Here are our best rice-forward recipes:

• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Chilled Spring Veggie Rice Salad
• Easy Chicken Fried Rice
• Greek-Inspired Chicken Rice Bowl
• Teriyaki Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
• Pork Chili Verde
• Indian-Inspired Butter Chicken Bowl
• Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
• Crispy General Tso’s Chicken
• Instant Pot Island Chicken Bowls with Pineapple Salsa
• Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
• Slow Cooker Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs
• Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
• Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
• Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Perfect White Rice FAQs

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