How to Cook White Rice Perfectly (Rice Cooker or Stovetop) | Elizabeth Rider

Learning how to cook white rice perfectly every time, whether in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, is key to meal prep (make life easier!) and healthy eating.

Just like perfectly cooked brown rice, white rice is one of the most underrated pantry staples; it’s affordable, easy to cook, and quietly does a lot of heavy lifting in healthy, realistic meal planning.

If you know how to cook it well, you suddenly have the base for dozens of fast meals—from burrito bowls to stir-fries, to beef with broccoli, to soups or fried rice.

If I can give any pro tip for cooking rice, it’s to ALWAYS wash rice before cooking for the best flavor and texture. Put it in a strainer and rinse it under room temperature or cool water for 30-60 seconds. It dramatically improves the flavor and texture. The only exception is if the recipe calls for toasting the rice—in that case, it needs to be dry, so don’t rinse it.

How to Cook White Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice (long-grain, jasmine, or basmati)
• 1 ¾ cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)

Important: Always follow your rice cooker’s instructions and use the measuring cup that comes with it. Rice cookers use a specific cup size and ratio, so your results depend on using the correct one.

Rice Cooker Method (My Preferred Way)

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear, about 60 seconds.
2. Add rice, water, and salt to your rice cooker.
3. Close the lid and press Cook.
4. When it switches to Warm, let the rice sit for 5 minutes.
5. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Stovetop Method

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear, about 60 seconds.
2. Add rice, water, and salt to a small pot.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
5. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff with a fork.

My Rice Cooker Recommendation

I don’t love filling my kitchen with gadgets, but this is one place where it’s worth investing in quality.

I’ve used my Zojirushi rice cooker for over 10 years and it still performs better than every other rice cooker I’ve tried. It cooks rice evenly, never burns the bottom, keeps rice warm for hours without drying it out, and honestly just works every single time. It will probaly last another 20 years! It’s just like the day I bought it. This is the one I use.

A rice cooker is a true time saver and a real workhorse in the kitchen. If you make rice even semi-regularly, it’s worth it.

Is White Rice Healthy?

Yes, white rice can absolutely be part of a healthy diet in moderation. Here’s why:

• Serving Size Matters: The real issue isn’t white rice itself. It’s eating 3-4 servings in one sitting without much fiber, protein, or fat alongside it.
• Athletes Prefer It: That’s why athletes often prefer white rice. It’s easy to digest, quick energy, and gentle on the stomach—especially before or after training.
• Combine with Protein & Fiber: For everyday meals, the sweet spot is pairing it with protein (chicken, fish, eggs, beans, tofu), fiber-rich veggies, and healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, or nuts. Combining white rice with protein, fiber, and a little healthy fat keeps blood sugar steady and makes your meal far more satisfying.
• Resistant Starch: When cooked rice is cooled, a portion of its starch turns into resistant starch. Resistant starch isn’t digested the same way — it acts more like fiber and can support better blood sugar control and gut health. That means leftover, cooled rice (when reheated properly) may actually be a little easier on blood sugar than freshly cooked rice.

Types of White Rice

Not all white rice cooks or eats the same. Here’s how the main types differ:

• Long-grain: Light, fluffy, and separate. Best for everyday meals, stir-fries, and rice bowls.
• Short-grain: Softer and slightly sticky. Great for sushi bowls, rice pudding, or when you want a creamier texture.
• Medium-grain: In between long and short grain. A little tender, a little fluffy — very versatile.
• Basmati: Long, slender grains with a light, fragrant aroma. Perfect for Indian, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean dishes.
• Jasmine: Soft, slightly sticky, and aromatic. Excellent for Thai and Southeast Asian meals.

All of these work with the same basic cooking method. Just follow your rice cooker’s instructions and use the cup it comes with for best results.

How to Use White Rice

Think of rice as a base, not the meal.

• Add rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies, and bottled teriyaki or soy sauce.
• Mix it with beans, scrambled eggs, and spices for a quick gallo pinto.
• Build burrito bowls, black bean bowls, or add to salads.
• Stir into broth with leftover meat and vegetables for quick rice soup.
• Scramble with eggs and frozen peas for a fast “fried rice” that’s also a budget-friendly dinner.

Storage & Food Safety

Rice is one food you want to handle correctly.

• Cool cooked rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.
• Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
• Reheat until steaming hot.
• Do not reheat rice more than once.

Cooked rice is one of the few foods that can become unsafe even after it’s been cooked. Rice can contain spores of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. These spores survive cooking and, if rice is left out at room temperature too long, they can grow and produce toxins that aren’t destroyed by reheating.

Cooling rice quickly and refrigerating it within one hour slows this growth. Storing it no longer than four days limits the chance of bacteria multiplying to unsafe levels. Reheating rice until it is steaming hot helps kill any bacteria that may have developed — but reheating more than once increases the risk because it gives the bacteria more time to grow between temperature changes.

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