Cooking 101: How to Cook Rice
First let me say that I am not a subject matter expert on how to cook rice. Growing up my mother served mostly potatoes and noodles: that’s what we called pasta back in the olden days, LOL!
My go to starch of choice are potatoes, with pasta (aka, noodles) coming in a close second. To learn how to perfectly cook potatoes, check out my Cooking 101 recipe series.
Even though spuds are my favorite starch there are certain recipes that call for rice and learning how to cook it is a basic skill that all cooks should have in their arsenal.
There is no fancy equipment needed to cook rice. I know some folks swear by a rice cooker and if you plan to cook rice often it might be a good investment, but I’m not one that likes to purchase lots of different appliances unless I really need to.
If you follow these easy steps you will get perfectly cook rice every time, I promise.
TIP: If you remember the ratio between the rice and water you can’t go wrong; 2 cups water to every 1 cup of rice will give you 3 cups of cooked rice, which is just about the right amount for a family of four.
Get out a saucepan with a good fitting lid.
Melt a tablespoon butter in the pan over medium high heat on the stove.
Add 2 cups of water and a ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling add the rice and stir with a spoon just to separate the rice.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
Cook for 25-30 minutes. Check the package of rice, sometimes it will call for less cooking time.
Resist the temptation to peek or remove the lid while the rice is cooking. There’s magic happening in that pan, leave it to do its thing!
Once timer goes off remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
That’s it! I told you it was super easy to cook rice on the stove!
Want to cook up something a little more interesting than just plain white rice? Try using chicken or beef broth instead of water to give your rice a nice flavor.
Adding a can of drained, sliced mushrooms is a nice addition as well.
Depending on what you are serving, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or Soy sauce added to the water will add some subtle flavor and color to your rice. Just remember to keep the ratio of water to rice at 2 cups liquid to 1 cup of uncooked rice.
TIP: Try adding an envelope of dry soup mix like Lipton Chicken Noodle or French Onion soup mix for a nice twist.
Once you have the basic recipe down pat, use your imagination for creating unique flavored rice.
Thanks for all the great rice ideas! We eat a lot rice, and I have never thought about mixing a dried soup mix. That sounds like a great way to spice it up!
Michelle, try it with an envelope of Lipton Chicken Soup mix, it’s really yummy and tastes like a rice pilaf. Easy peasy!