How to cook long grain white rice to achieve a perfectly tender and fluffy texture every time. This is a simple but reliable method.
Cooked rice is supposed to be fluffy, light and each grain distinct. It’s such a simple task, yet why does it so often turn out mushy and over or undercooked? There are a few small secrets that will help make perfect rice a possibility every time. I learned this method from Alton Brown and since then don’t cook rice any other way.
What Rice Is Best To Use For This Recipe?
My favorite rice to use when I cook long grain white rice is either basmati or jasmine rice. You can use this method to make endless flavor variations of rice, by adding aromatics, vegetables, herbs, different broths, etc. This method is simple, fool proof and perfect. You don’t need a rice cooker anymore, my friend.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups boiling water
Instructions:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and salt and stir for about 2-4 minutes, until all the rice is coated in the butter and smells toasted. Pour in the boiling water, having the lid nearby to cover right away since it will boil vigorously right away. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8-12 minutes. (It really depends on your stove and the saucepan that your are using.) Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. You can add more butter to the rice, if you’d like.
Coating the rice in butter will help each grain of rice be distinct and fluffy. Toasting it also gives it great flavor. You can add some onions, garlic and white wine to the butter and cook it until the onions are tender before adding the rice to make it more flavorful.
Adding Other Ingredients To Make Many Variations of Rice Pilaf
You can also many flavors and aromatics to rice pilaf. Most commonly, I add a chopped onion, a few minced garlic cloves and a splash of white wine at the very beginning.
After the onion softens, 5-7 minutes later, add the rice and proceed with the rest of the recipe. You can also add carrots, peas, bell pepper, etc. It’s so simple but really delicious.
I also make Cilantro Lime Rice by adding fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice to the rice. The possibilities are endless.
A method to cooking long grain white rice to achieve a perfectly tender and fluffy texture.
Scale
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups boiling water
Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
Add the rice and salt and stir for about 2-4 minutes, until all the rice is coated in the butter and smells toasted.
Pour in the boiling water, having the lid nearby to cover right away since it will boil vigorously right away.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8-12 minutes. (It really depends on your stove and the saucepan that your are using.)
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for another 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and serve. You can add more butter, if you’d like.
Notes
Coating the rice in butter will help each grain of rice be distinct and fluffy. Toasting it also gives it great flavor.
You can add some onions, garlic and white wine to the butter and cook it until the onions are tender before adding the rice to make it more flavorful.
Want to learn how to cook Brown Rice perfectly too? I’ve got you covered. BROWN RICE RECIPE
59 Comments
Anna
Perfection
Olga B.
Thanks, that is very helpfully. I was always kind of disappointed with my rice. Can’t wait to try your method.
Paramitha Nasimova
Woww! Never thought about this before… Will try!
Natalie
Thanks! I always had a hard time making perfect rice!!
Oksana
Even rice cooker disapoints me sometimes…. Will try this trick, as it will obviously change the taste of rice as well… and have it just right and fluffy – is everyone’s wish! Thanks Olga!
Hi Oksana,
I hope you’ll be happy with this recipe:).
Oksana
Couldn’t wait, so cooked it yesterday! 😀 And yes, it turned out so PERFECT! I could not believe. I was tempted to add onions and whatever, al I know i’d love it, but instead added only a little of “Mrs. Dash Original Blend Salt-Free Seasoning” – and it turned out so delish! My hubby said: baby, FROM NOW ON…. cook rice only this way!” i could not detach him from the rice, even tho WE DID EAT the dinner already. (i prepared rice ahead of time, for making stuffed mini peppers today 😉 !!!)
Thanks again for sharing, dear! Very-very helpful!!!
That’s awesome, Oksana!
I’m so glad you were happy with the results. I was so excited and relieved when I found this recipe and now I can be sure that the rice will be cooked correctly every time. Good luck with Thanksgiving dinner! Good job getting things done ahead of time; it’s always so helpful to have part of the prep done.
Oksana
😉
thanks again!
Kristina
oh wow girl you are genius! can’t wait to try this recipe!
Brad
Hey, this was great. I’ve been cooking rice in the rice cooker for many years, but I like this variation. The grains are all separated and the rice feels light and fluffy and tasty! Thanks a lot for the recipe. I used half the salt, however. 🙂
Luba
I like to use basmati rice and it turned out great, thanks for the recipe:)
Hi Olga.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of experience cooking brown rice. I know it takes more water than white rice and also more time. Also, I’ve heard that if you soak the rice in water for a few hours before cooking it, it will cook in about 30 minutes.
Olga
Thank you, will try 🙂
Angelina
Tried it, loved it! Thank you Olga!
natasha
Can I cook buckwheat/ grechka this way? Do you think it will come out good? 🙂
I cook buckwheat very similarly. I actually have a recipe for buckwheat. You can cook it simply by just omitting everything else that I added to it, if you want to have just simple buckwheat, just use the same method as int his recipe, Buckwheat Kasha.
Inna B
Hey Olchik do you wash your rice before, or do you put it in dry into the saucepan?
I have done so in the past, but haven’t noticed any difference, so it is an unnecessary step.
Brittaney
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am a beginning cook and I’ve never made rice that wasn’t mushy or sticky. This recipe is the best. I feel like showing off now 🙂 thanks a bunch, you’re awesome
I’m so happy to hear that, Brittaney! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. I know exactly what you mean; it’s so satisfying when you’re successful at something. I’m exactly the same way:).
Marina
Love this! Thank you so much! I just love everything on your site Olga 🙂
No, there is no need to rinse the rice if you prepare it this way, Anna. Trust me, I don’t hold back ANY tips:). If I rinsed it, it would be in the recipe instructions.
Ty Dobbins
This recipe was great.I added tumeric for a great vibrant look, Thanks….
That’s great, Ty! I like to make a Yellow Rice version with some other veggies thrown in and turmeric, of course:). Here’s the recipe for the Yellow Rice.
Ok, i love this method! i just tried it and it is done. i did though have to add more water 2 times to get the rice good. i feel like i did something wrong! i cant cook rice ever!
Viktoriya
Thank you so much, my dear! This has been my go-to recipe since I discovered it a couple of years ago. Like a lot of people have mentioned here, any other way of making rice doesn’t consistently work. So I’m really grateful for this. =)
Dana
Hi Olga. Do you rinse your rice before boiling?
Michelle
I can not make rice to save my life, until now. This was so easy and taste great !! For anyone that can’t make rice needs to try this !!
Elsa
This is how my mom taught me to cook rice when I was a kid. I also worked in a Japanese restaurant, so I’ve added rinsing my rice to my routine. At times, I’ll subb olive oil for the butter to get a different taste. Great post!
Barbarainnc
Sometimes I add a drop or 2 of yellow food coloring to the water. Gives the rice a nice yellow color, some Chinese restaurants do this.
[…] *To cook rice for this recipe, you will need 1 cup of uncooked rice. Here is an easy tutorial from Olga’s Flavor Factory on how to cook white rice. […]
Nikki
I tried this method yesterday, and the rice was PERFECT. Best rice I’ve EVER made. It was full of butter, and hint of salt flavor. Thank you for sharing
Hi Olga! I cannot believe that i have not tried this recipe before. It is amazing! I have tried so many different rice recipes and this one will be the only one I will use from now on. Thank you for your wonderful tips and recipes. May God bless you!
I am so happy that you were pleased with this recipe, Dina. Rice is such a staple dish, that it’s pretty important to have a good, reliable recipe.
Teresa
Found your recipe via Pinterest. Cooking is not my thing but I’m always in the kitchen, so I was looking for an easy way to make home cooked rice vs. the rice in a bag. This was a simple recipe but oh so tasty. On my stove, I timed it for 15 minutes to start and that was good. I will have to halve this recipe though because I ended up with a lot of rice for my family of two but I always follow recipes the way it is written the first few times to make sure I do it right. So, I have to figure out what to do with the rest of this rice now, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something. Thanks so much.
Welcome, Teresa:). I’m so glad you were happy with the way the rice turned out. You can certainly halve the recipe for next time.
Rice is great as a leftover and to repurpose in other recipes. You can also freeze it for another dinner later.
Here are two of my favorite ways to repurpose leftover rice: (you can halve any of the recipes) Chicken Fried Rice Chicken, Mushroom and Rice Baked Burritos Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Amanda
This is the ONLY way I’ll make white rice. Comes out absolutely perfect every time!
★★★★★
Nellie
I am a cook and all I can say is”you blew this out of the park”.
Anna
Perfection
Olga B.
Thanks, that is very helpfully. I was always kind of disappointed with my rice. Can’t wait to try your method.
Paramitha Nasimova
Woww! Never thought about this before… Will try!
Natalie
Thanks! I always had a hard time making perfect rice!!
Oksana
Even rice cooker disapoints me sometimes…. Will try this trick, as it will obviously change the taste of rice as well… and have it just right and fluffy – is everyone’s wish! Thanks Olga!
olgak7
Hi Oksana,
I hope you’ll be happy with this recipe:).
Oksana
Couldn’t wait, so cooked it yesterday! 😀 And yes, it turned out so PERFECT! I could not believe. I was tempted to add onions and whatever, al I know i’d love it, but instead added only a little of “Mrs. Dash Original Blend Salt-Free Seasoning” – and it turned out so delish! My hubby said: baby, FROM NOW ON…. cook rice only this way!” i could not detach him from the rice, even tho WE DID EAT the dinner already. (i prepared rice ahead of time, for making stuffed mini peppers today 😉 !!!)
Thanks again for sharing, dear! Very-very helpful!!!
olgak7
That’s awesome, Oksana!
I’m so glad you were happy with the results. I was so excited and relieved when I found this recipe and now I can be sure that the rice will be cooked correctly every time. Good luck with Thanksgiving dinner! Good job getting things done ahead of time; it’s always so helpful to have part of the prep done.
Oksana
😉
thanks again!
Kristina
oh wow girl you are genius! can’t wait to try this recipe!
Brad
Hey, this was great. I’ve been cooking rice in the rice cooker for many years, but I like this variation. The grains are all separated and the rice feels light and fluffy and tasty! Thanks a lot for the recipe. I used half the salt, however. 🙂
Luba
I like to use basmati rice and it turned out great, thanks for the recipe:)
olgak7
Basmati is my favorite too:).
Olga
If i use a brown rice….any other tricks i need to do or is it still the same way? Thnx
olgak7
Hi Olga.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of experience cooking brown rice. I know it takes more water than white rice and also more time. Also, I’ve heard that if you soak the rice in water for a few hours before cooking it, it will cook in about 30 minutes.
Olga
Thank you, will try 🙂
Angelina
Tried it, loved it! Thank you Olga!
natasha
Can I cook buckwheat/ grechka this way? Do you think it will come out good? 🙂
olgak7
I cook buckwheat very similarly. I actually have a recipe for buckwheat. You can cook it simply by just omitting everything else that I added to it, if you want to have just simple buckwheat, just use the same method as int his recipe, Buckwheat Kasha.
Inna B
Hey Olchik do you wash your rice before, or do you put it in dry into the saucepan?
olgak7
Nope, I don’t wash the rice. Just add it dry to the melted butter in the pan.
Roza
What if u wash the rice?
olgak7
I have done so in the past, but haven’t noticed any difference, so it is an unnecessary step.
Brittaney
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am a beginning cook and I’ve never made rice that wasn’t mushy or sticky. This recipe is the best. I feel like showing off now 🙂 thanks a bunch, you’re awesome
olgak7
I’m so happy to hear that, Brittaney! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. I know exactly what you mean; it’s so satisfying when you’re successful at something. I’m exactly the same way:).
Marina
Love this! Thank you so much! I just love everything on your site Olga 🙂
olgak7
Thanks, Marina! That’s so sweet of you to say.
Tanya
Perfect rice every time now!!! Thank you and God bless!!!
olgak7
Yay! Glad to hear that, Tanya.
Anna
Hey olga do you rinse your rice first before cooking it?
olgak7
No, there is no need to rinse the rice if you prepare it this way, Anna. Trust me, I don’t hold back ANY tips:). If I rinsed it, it would be in the recipe instructions.
Ty Dobbins
This recipe was great.I added tumeric for a great vibrant look, Thanks….
olgak7
That’s great, Ty! I like to make a Yellow Rice version with some other veggies thrown in and turmeric, of course:). Here’s the recipe for the Yellow Rice.
Sveta
Perfect! Thank you!
olgak7
You’re welcome! Enjoy.
Stacy
Ok, i love this method! i just tried it and it is done. i did though have to add more water 2 times to get the rice good. i feel like i did something wrong! i cant cook rice ever!
Viktoriya
Thank you so much, my dear! This has been my go-to recipe since I discovered it a couple of years ago. Like a lot of people have mentioned here, any other way of making rice doesn’t consistently work. So I’m really grateful for this. =)
Dana
Hi Olga. Do you rinse your rice before boiling?
Michelle
I can not make rice to save my life, until now. This was so easy and taste great !! For anyone that can’t make rice needs to try this !!
Elsa
This is how my mom taught me to cook rice when I was a kid. I also worked in a Japanese restaurant, so I’ve added rinsing my rice to my routine. At times, I’ll subb olive oil for the butter to get a different taste. Great post!
Barbarainnc
Sometimes I add a drop or 2 of yellow food coloring to the water. Gives the rice a nice yellow color, some Chinese restaurants do this.
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole Recipe - NatashasKitchen.com
[…] *To cook rice for this recipe, you will need 1 cup of uncooked rice. Here is an easy tutorial from Olga’s Flavor Factory on how to cook white rice. […]
Nikki
I tried this method yesterday, and the rice was PERFECT. Best rice I’ve EVER made. It was full of butter, and hint of salt flavor. Thank you for sharing
Lana
The best rice. Thank you for the recipe!
olgak7
Thank you, Lana:).
tanya
Wow, perfect!!!! Thank you!
Chriss
It came out perfect! Ty!c
Cheryl
Alton Brown is a genius. Perfectly perfect rice! I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for sharing.
olgak7
Yes! I used to love his show, Good Eats.
Trisha
What temp do you melt the butter and toast the rice at?
olgak7
Medium high heat.
Dina
Hi Olga! I cannot believe that i have not tried this recipe before. It is amazing! I have tried so many different rice recipes and this one will be the only one I will use from now on. Thank you for your wonderful tips and recipes. May God bless you!
olgak7
I am so happy that you were pleased with this recipe, Dina. Rice is such a staple dish, that it’s pretty important to have a good, reliable recipe.
Teresa
Found your recipe via Pinterest. Cooking is not my thing but I’m always in the kitchen, so I was looking for an easy way to make home cooked rice vs. the rice in a bag. This was a simple recipe but oh so tasty. On my stove, I timed it for 15 minutes to start and that was good. I will have to halve this recipe though because I ended up with a lot of rice for my family of two but I always follow recipes the way it is written the first few times to make sure I do it right. So, I have to figure out what to do with the rest of this rice now, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something. Thanks so much.
olgak7
Welcome, Teresa:). I’m so glad you were happy with the way the rice turned out. You can certainly halve the recipe for next time.
Rice is great as a leftover and to repurpose in other recipes. You can also freeze it for another dinner later.
Here are two of my favorite ways to repurpose leftover rice: (you can halve any of the recipes)
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken, Mushroom and Rice Baked Burritos
Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Amanda
This is the ONLY way I’ll make white rice. Comes out absolutely perfect every time!
★★★★★
Nellie
I am a cook and all I can say is”you blew this out of the park”.
★★★★★
olgak7
I’m so happy to hear that, Nellie:).
Maria
At last my rice came out delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe, Olga!!
★★★★★