How to Cook Rice

square image of cooked rice in a grey and white bowl with parsley on top.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: canadian

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 169cal

Author: Ashley Fehr

How To Cook Rice uses a pasta-style boil, a quick strain, and a short steam in the pot to get fluffy long-grain rice with separate grains. It’s fast, forgiving, and perfect for meal prep since it stores and freezes well!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

6 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1½ cups long grain rice

Instructions

Combine the water and the salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Rinse the rice well in a fine mesh sieve. Add to the boiling water.
Reduce the heat so that it maintains a low boil and cook for 12-13 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When rice is al dente (nearly cooked but still has a bit of a bite), strain the rice through a fine mesh sieve until most of the water has run through (about 10 seconds or so). Place the rice back into the pot, cover with the lid and let rest for 3-5 minutes.

Notes

Substitutions:

Water: you can swap some or all of the water with chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor. Since we're straining most of it, I recommend using just a little and adding more flavor after the cooking process if desired.

Rice: this recipe amounts and cook time is for long grain white rice, not basmati or jasmine. For long grain brown rice, the measurements remain the same but you will boil for 28-30 minutes until al dente.

Salt: this might seem like a lot but similarly to cooking pasta, we are seasoning the water and not all of the salt is absorbed by the rice. This is just the right amount for perfectly seasoned rice. Feel free to add in additional seasonings during the cooking process.

Storage:

Rice can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days if cooled and stored right after cooking, or frozen for up to 4 months.

Nutrition