How To Cook White Rice - 3 Ways

Learn how to cook perfect white rice on the stove top, in an instant pot or in a rice cooker! Just follow these tested and perfected methods for cooking white rice and you'll have light and fluffy rice every time!

Use these proven methods to make white rice for the base of your favorite bowls. Try it in these Mediterranean Shrimp & Rice Bowls or this popular Tex Mex Egg Roll In A Bowl!

Cooking the perfect white rice at home is so easy. But it's also easy to make not-so-perfect rice that ends up mushy or hard and dried out. Using the right techniques, timing and ratios is key to making the perfect white rice every time.

After making a lot of white rice over the years as the base of hundreds of tasty bowls, I've learned all of the tips and tricks for easily making white rice on the stove top, in an Instant Pot or in a rice cooker. And I'm here to share them with you today!

How To Cook White Rice 3 Ways

Each of these methods are perfect for cooking long grain white rice. The rice can then be used as the base of a bowl or as a side dish.

Stove Top Method

There are dozens of methods for making rice on the stove top. After trying almost all of them, I can tell you that this method works perfectly every time!

1. Rinse the rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds.
2. Add the rinsed rice to a medium saucepan, along with water and salt.
3. Cover the saucepan and place it on the stove over high heat.
4. Bring the rice and water to a boil, this should take approximately 8-10 minutes.
5. After the rice begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium low, maintaining a gentle simmer.
6. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and check to see if the rice has absorbed all of the water. If it has not, set another timer for 2 minutes and continue checking the rice every 2 minutes until the rice has absorbed all of the water.
8. Once the rice has absorbed all of the water, remove it from the heat and place the lid back on the saucepan.
9. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes off the heat, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

Stove Top Rice Tips & Tricks

• Always rinse the rice before adding it to the saucepan. Rinsing the rice removes the surface starch of the rice that can cause the rice to clump together or become gummy as it cooks. This recipe also accounts for the extra water soaked into the rice when rinsing it. If you leave off this step, the water to rice ratio will not work.
• Salt is optional. Adding salt is optional when cooking the rice. I add just ½ teaspoon for flavor, but depending on how you're serving the dish after it's cooked, you can add more salt or omit the salt altogether.
• While the rice is cooking on the stovetop, do not remove the lid more than 2 or 3 times. You can remove the lid to check if the rice is boiling, then again to check if the rice is finished cooking, other than that, the lid should stay on the pot. The rice is being steamed in the pot with the lid, so every time you remove the lid, you're releasing steam and adding to the total cooking time.
• Use a tight fitting lid. The lid on the pot cooking the rice should fit tightly to keep the steam in the pot while the rice is cooking.
• This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. If doubling or tripling the recipe, be sure to account for additional cooking time. It could take an extra 5-10 minutes to cook the water into the rice when increasing the amount of rice you're cooking.
• Always let the rice rest for 10 minutes off the heat. This is the difference between good rice and great rice! That 10 minute rest, off the heat, is what makes the rice light and fluffy.

Instant Pot Method

1. Rinse long grain white rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clean.
2. Add the rinsed rice to an Instant Pot with water and salt.
3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the steam valve is in the "sealing" position.
4. Use the "manual" button to set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 3 minutes.
5. Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to "venting" to release any remaining pressure in the Instant Pot.
7. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Instant Pot Rice Tips & Tricks

• Always rinse the rice. Just like with the stove top method, it's important to always rinse the rice. It removes the surface starch and the recipe accounts for the extra water absorbed into the rice during this process.
• Salt is optional. If serving the rice topped with a salty sauce, you may want to omit the salt. If serving the rice as the base of the bowl, you may want to add additional salt for flavor. The salt is optional and totally up you and your preferences!
• Always let the pressure release for at least 10 minutes. This is part of the cooking time. Just like how you remove the rice from the stovetop and let it rest for 10 minutes, you need to let the rice rest in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes, as well.
• Do not leave cooked rice in the Instant Pot after removing the lid. Once you remove the lid from the Instant Pot and let all of the steam out, the rice immediately starts to dry out and will begin sticking to the bottom and sides of the Instant Pot, making it harder to clean. Either serve the rice immediately from the Instant Pot, or transfer it to a bowl and cover until ready to serve.

Rice Cooker Method

1. Rinse long grain white rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear.
2. Add the rinsed rice to a rice cooker, along with water and salt, making sure all of the rice is covered by the water.
3. Secure the lid on the rice cooker.
4. Set the rice cooker to "white rice" mode, or set timer for 45 minutes.
5. After the rice cooker has finished cooking the white rice, allow it to rest in the rice cooker for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Rice Cooker Tips & Tricks

• Rinse the rice! The fact that I've mentioned this now 3 times tells you just how important this step is! Please don't skip rinsing the rice before adding it to the rice cooker. This is one of the keys to making the perfect rice every time!
• Always use a 1:1 ratio water to rice when using a rice cooker. No matter the brand or style of rice cooker used, you'll always want to use a one to one ratio of water to rice when cooking long grain white rice.
• Salt is an optional addition. Just like with the stove top and Instant Pot versions, salt is optional.
• Don't skip the 10 minute rest! This is an important step, no matter the cooking method. It's the secret to getting perfectly light and fluffy rice every time!
• Remove the rice from the rice cooker after opening the lid. Just like with an Instant Pot, once you open the rice cooker and allow the steam to release from the pot, the rice will immediately start to dry out. Either wait to open the lid until you're ready to serve the rice or remove it from the rice cooker and place in a bowl until ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the ratio of water to rice? In an Instant Pot or Rice Cooker, the ratio is 1:1, one cup of rinsed rice + one cup water. On the stove top, the ratio is 1 ¾ cups water to one cup of rinsed long grain white rice.
• What is the best way to cook rice? The results from each of these methods of cooking rice is light, fluffy and delicious. You can't go wrong with cooking rice in an Instant Pot, on the stove or in an Instant Pot.
• How long does it take to cook white rice? The stove top method of cooking white rice takes 35 minutes. The Instant Pot method takes 25 minutes and the rice cooker method takes 60 minutes. Therefore the fastest way to cook white rice is in an Instant Pot.
• How many cups of cooked rice does 1 cup of uncooked rice make? One cup of uncooked rice will result in approximately three cups of cooked rice.
• How much rice do you cook per person? As a side dish, plan ½ cup rice per person. If making bowls, I usually use one cup of cooked rice as the base of each bowl.

What can I add to white rice?

It's easy to kick up the flavor of white rice by swapping out the water or adding additional seasonings. Try one of these delicious additions next time you make white rice!

• Broth instead of water - using chicken, vegetable or beef broth instead of water will give the rice a ton of flavor. I like to use a 50/50 ratio of broth to water, so if you're cooking 1 cup rice, add ½ cup broth and ½ cup water. This will impart the flavor of the broth in the rice without sacrificing the light, fluffy texture.
• Butter or oil - adding 1 tablespoon of butter or oil per cup of uncooked rice will add delicious flavor to the rice.
• Herbs - add 3-4 sprigs of rosemary, thyme or oregano, or 1-2 bay leaves. The herbs will steam into the rice for a wonderful flavor. Simply add the herbs on top of the water and rice in either the rice cooker, instant pot or saucepan on the stove. Cook as instructed. Before fluffing the rice with a fork, remove the herbs from the rice.
• Whole spices - when making rice for Indian food, I always add cardamom pods and coriander seeds. Just like with the herbs, whole spices should be added with the water and rice, cooked with the rice, then removed before fluffing the rice.
• Fresh ginger and lemongrass - when making rice to pair with Thai food, I'll add a small knob of ginger (approximately 1 inch in length) and 1 inch pieces of lemongrass. The ginger and lemongrass cook with the rice, then I remove them both before fluffing the rice.
• Ground spices - if you're making rice to pair with Mexican food, feel free to add one teaspoon taco seasoning, or a combination of ground cumin, paprika and chili powder.

Ways to Use White Rice

White rice is the perfect side dish for Chinese food, Mexican recipes or curry dishes. It also makes a great base for a ton of delicious bowls! Try it in these tasty bowl recipes.

1. Sweet Potato Vegan Burrito Bowls
2. Indian Spiced Meatball Curry Bowls
3. Asian Chicken Rice Bowls
4. Veggie Fajita Rice Bowl
5. Thai Peanut Pineapple Veggie Rice Bowl

And don't miss these posts for how to make perfect Instant Pot Sushi Rice, how to cook brown rice or how to cook quinoa 3 ways!

Recipe