How To Cook Long Grain Rice

So many of our favorite meals start with rice as a base. Whether you are making our Restaurant Ham Fried Rice or Red Beans and Rice, the rice is the show’s star! It also makes an excellent side for P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, and Chicken Tikka Masala! Rice is a great dish to add to any dinner table! There are a few methods of cooking rice and making sure that it is not too gummy, too crunchy, or too sticky. We have tried several different ways and recipes to find the best, easiest ways to cook rice. We will share our method for how to cook rice on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, in the oven, and in the instant pot.

Ingredients for Long Grain Rice

Making rice is the perfect way to fill everyone up with a simple and tasty side dish! It is quick and easy to make with only three pantry staple ingredients!

Rice – Long-grain white rice is best for this recipe. It is longer than other types or versions of rice. Water – This allows moisture into the rice and helps it stay sticky and moist when cooking. Salt – Add in for a little flavor when cooking.

Tips for Washing Long Grain Rice

Washing your rice ahead of time is a great way to ensure perfectly cooked long-grain rice! It will help with the texture of the rice, clean the long-grain rice, as well as help it cook evenly when baking. Taking a few extra steps will give your long-grain rice fluffy cooked rice every time!

Texture – Washing or rinsing your rice helps to achieve the perfect texture. Cleans – It washes off the starches on the surface of the rice, which ensures it won’t be gummy. Cook evenly – Letting the water soak into the rice a little bit also helps the rice cook more evenly. You won’t end up with dry areas. Washing the rice – To wash the rice, put it in an excellent mesh strainer. Run cold water over the rice until the water runs clear. Let the rice sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cooking. Repeat until clear.

Types of Rice Options

Most recipes, unless otherwise stated, use basic, long-grain white rice. That is the type of rice we used in all the recipes. There are also many different varieties of rice you can use depending on what you are cooking.

Brown rice – Most white rice will cook in the same way as long-grain rice, but brown rice needs much longer to cook.

Dense rice – If you want your rice to be denser, like Japanese or Hawaiian-style dishes, use short-grain rice or medium-grain rice like Calrose rice, or sushi rice. Risotto – If you are making risotto, the best rice to use is arborio rice. Dry rice – For drier rice, for dishes like Mexican rice, rice pilaf, fried rice, or seasoned Indian rice, try using Jasmine rice or Basmati rice.

Steps for Making Long-Grained Rice

Cooking long-grained rice in the oven gives a moist and fluffy texture every time! It makes it easier to feed a crowd and cooks the long-grained rice evenly in the pan. Perfect for hands-free cooking for a quick and easy rice recipe!

How to Cook Rice on the Stove Top

Use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water (ex. 1 cup rice, 2 cups water). Put uncooked rice in a fine mesh strainer. Run under cold water until the water coming out the bottom runs clear. Let the wet rice sit for 5-10 minutes. On your stovetop, bring water to a boil in a large pot or saucepan with a lid. Add the rice and stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 18 minutes, or until rice is tender. Lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker

Use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water (ex. 1 cup rice, 1 cup water). Put uncooked rice in a fine mesh strainer. Run under cold water until the water coming out the bottom runs clear. Let the wet rice sit for 5-10 minutes. Add rice and water to the rice cooker and stir. Close the lid and press the white rice button. When the timer goes off, lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

Storing and Reheating Rice

Make your long-grained rice ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. When ready to reheat, place in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop.

Storing – Store your cooked rice in an airtight container and store it in your refrigerator. The rice will stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge. Frozen – You can also freeze rice! Just place your cooked and cooled rice in a freezer-safe zip-top bag lay flat in your freezer and freeze for 1 to 2 months. Reheat – To reheat rice, place your rice in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a microwave lid (we will usually just use a plate that will fit over the bowl). Microwave for 2 minutes and fluff with a fork. If it still isn’t heated all the way through, cover and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. If your rice seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of hot water water and continue to fluff with a fork.

Rice Recipes To Try

The recipe below is to help you make the perfect rice, as-is. If you want to try a rice recipe with a few more bells and whistles, give one of these recipes a try!