You can finally make long grain white rice perfect every time without a rice cooker!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. In other words, if you click a link and purchase something I will receive a commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products I use and enjoy myself.
I have finally mastered white rice.
This may sound unimpressive but if you cook rice without a rice cooker then you know perfect rice is worth celebrating - raising the roof if you will.
I have tried many recipes with the promise of perfect rice only to end up with white mush or even worse - part mush, part crunch. (How is that even possible?)
So I did what any desperate cook would do - I bought a butt ton of rice, experimented and figured it out. I now use this recipe every time I cook rice and the best part is you don't have to measure! I know I'm blowing minds here. (Although for the sake of this recipe I did indeed measure.)
Typically white rice to water ratio is 2:1 but we needn't worry about that here.
What you will need for this white rice recipe
You only need three kitchen items:
- Handheld strainer
- Sauce-pot
- Large Bowl
And three ingredients:
- Long grain white rice
- Water
- Kosher Salt
If you don't have a handheld strainer this is what it looks like. I love mine. It's great for draining beans, pasta and rice.
How to cook white rice on the stove
Here's the method:
- Soak white rice in a large bowl with cold water. Cover it by an inch.
- Meanwhile bring a sauce pot of water to a boil.
- Once water is boiling drain bowl of soaking rice into handheld strainer.
- Carefully dump strained rice into boiling water.
- Boil until it's perfectly cooked - for me this was exactly eleven and a half minutes. You can test how long to cook rice by trying a grain or two. Simply use a slotted spoon to catch a few pieces of rice.
- Carefully pour pot of rice back into strainer. Let rice sit for a minute to drain all the liquid.
- Throw rice in a large bowl and season with salt.
It really comes together quickly.
What do with leftover rice:
I like to cook a big batch of rice. You typically get three times the amount of dry rice you cook with.
For example in this recipe 1 cup of long grain rice yields about 3 cups of cooked rice. You can easily double this recipe. Just be sure your sauce pot and bowl are large enough.
I love love love white rice so half the time I make this recipe I don't even measure and I know it will get used up. I just dump some rice in a bowl to soak and use the method I explained above.
Rice can last up to seven days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can learn more about storing rice here.
A couple of my favorite ways to use white rice:
- Alongside this Creamy Chickpea Curry
- Underneath a Spicy Black Bean Burger smothered in Chipotle Mayo
- Basically with any Mexican, Asian or Indian dishes
Perfect White Rice on the Stove
Equipment
- Medium Sauce pot
- Hand Held Strainer
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Cup long grain white rice
- 6 Cup water
- kosher salt
- water for soaking
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of rice into a large bowl and cover with an inch of cool water.
- Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of water in a medium sauce pot to a boil. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Once water in sauce pot is boiling drain bowl of soaking rice over sink into handheld strainer.
- Carefully transfer rice from handheld strainer into boiling water and boil until rice is perfectly tender. You can use a spatula if needed but i just gently turned the strainer until the rice fell into the water. For me this was exactly eleven and a half minutes.
- Carefully pour rice and boiling water into handheld strainer over the sink. Let all water drain out.
- Transfer rice to a large bowl and stir in kosher salt to taste. Enjoy perfectly cooked rice.
Tina
I am almost 52 yrs old and after all the peeps who have tried to tell me their way to cook rice, I have never been able to do so....until I read this. Bravo! Thank You!!! I did it!!!
Carolyn
I am so glad to hear this!! It made my day.
Meghan
11.5 minutes boiling the rice? I always fail with rice so I'm gonna try this.
Molly Ramsey
can you store this rice and eat later?