How to cook Rice on the Stovetop? (Tender and Fluffy Rice)

• Food: Cooked Rice
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Learn how to cook rice like a master and bid farewell to burned pans and gummy grains! These simple cooktop techniques consistently produce delicate, fluffy rice.

It’s rumored that making fluffy, tender rice at home requires the use of an Instant Pot or rice cooker. I’m coming to let you know that the rumors are untrue, though.

When done correctly, stovetop rice cooking is quick, simple, and consistently successful. Below, I share two tried-and-true stovetop techniques for cooking rice quickly.

Every time, the rice turns up fluffy, light, and completely gummy-free. So put away the sophisticated devices and pick up a saucepan with a lid instead! Just a half-hour away lies a sizzling pot of delicious rice.

Using a Stove to Cook Rice

White rice with short, medium, or long grains, such as jasmine or basmati, can be prepared using any of these techniques. For brown rice, take note: they will NOT work! Visit this article to discover how to prepare brown rice if that’s all you have on hand.

First choice: Steaming

• Rinse the rice first. Don’t forget to do this! It is essential for cooking soft, fluffy rice because it removes starches that could cause the grain to stick together. Once the water in the dish is clean, place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer over a big bowl and rinse.
• Next, calculate the correct water-to-rice ratio. For every cup of uncooked rice, add 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When cooked, 1 cup of dried rice makes around 3 cups. Rice, oil, and water should all be combined in a medium saucepan while stirring. Over high heat, bring to a boil.
• Simmer next. Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot and lower the heat when the water begins to boil. 15 minutes of simmering.
• After that, let it steam. After turning off the heat, leave the pot covered for ten minutes. With a fork, fluff the rice after removing the lid. All done!

Option 2: Pasta Method

• Rinse the rice first. Use a fine-mesh strainer with cool running water to place the rice in for this approach. In contrast to the steaming technique, a short rinse is acceptable here.
• Then boil it. Set a timer for 15 minutes and add the rice to a pot with cool water that is half full. When the timer goes off, check the rice for doneness by bringing the water to a boil.
• Rinse it one more to finish. Drain the saucepan once the rice is tender, then run cold water over the rice to stop the cooking process. You don’t want to skip this second rinse while using this technique. The starches that will cause the rice to clump together will be washed away. In the sieve, leave the rinsed rice to dry for a short while. then have fun!

Serving ideas for Rice

There are countless ways to use rice; it is at home in Asian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, and more. You may serve it as a side dish by itself or you can make cilantro lime rice by combining lime and cilantro. Put it in a stir fry or use it as the foundation of a nutritious grain bowl. Try it in one of the following dishes:

• Mango Ginger Rice Bowl
• Bibimbap
• Best Buddha Bowl Tamago Kake
• Bowl of Portobello Burritos

For up to two days, keep leftover rice in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave with a dash of water because it will dry out over time.

Additionally, I enjoy cooking rice ahead of time and freezing it for later use. For my best advice on freezing grains, see this page.

Cooked Rice

Find out how to stovetop cook the rice! Without the use of an Instant Pot or rice cooker, this quick 30-minute approach consistently produces soft, fluffy white rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked white rice, well rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions to Cook Rice

1. Bring to a boil then washed rice, water, and olive oil in a pot. Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on and the heat down.
   After 10 more minutes, turn off the heat and cover the dish. Use a fork to fluff.

Notes

• Using the white rice setting on a rice cooker, this rice-to-water proportion also works. Leave out the olive oil if you’re cooking your rice in a rice cooker.