How to cook rice in the oven

The end of stodgy, stuck-together clumps of rice. No more burned pans to soak and wash. Read on and find out how to get perfectly cooked rice every time with all the grains separate and fluffy. Cooked in the oven in under 30 minutes with minimum preparation.

How to cook rice in the oven

Have you ever put a pot of rice on the stove to boil, only to forget about it and come back to find it has boiled dry and burned onto the bottom of the pan? Me too! And have you ever tried to get the burned-on rice OFF the pan, even after soaking the pan for hours? Not an easy task!

I stopped cooking rice on the stove years ago, when I discovered how to cook rice in the microwave. Today however, I’m going to show you an alternative way of cooking rice in the oven, which I think is even easier. It is how to cook rice in the oven.

Secrets to cooking rice in the oven

I’ve discovered 3 secrets to cooking the perfect rice in the oven, and I’m going to share them with you here.

• The first secret to perfectly cooked rice in the oven is to use boiling water to cover the rice. This gives the rice a head start and cuts down on the cooking time by at least half.
• And the second secret is to get the ratio of rice and water correct. You need to use just enough water to make sure that it is all absorbed into the rice. Too little water and your rice will be undercooked; too much water and you will end up with soggy rice. The perfect ratio is 2 cups of water for every cup of white rice.
• Note – If you are using brown rice you should increase the ratio of rice to water, and use 2.5 cups of water for every cup of brown rice. You should also increase the cooking time by 10 minutes.
• The final secret is to cover the baking dish with a tight-fitting lid or a layer of tin-foil. This prevents the water from evapourating, and helps keep the ratio of rice and water correct.

A note on the cup size

When I talk about cup sizes I don’t mean just any old cup that happens to be hanging around in your cupboard. I’m talking about a measuring cup. If you need to buy one I’ve added a link under the equipment section below to measuring cups you can purchase on Amazon.

Differet countries also measure cups in different ways. In the US a cup is 240ml (or 8.45 fluid ounces). In the UK and rest of world, a cup is slightly bigger, at 250 ml (or 8.5 fluid ounces).

However, for this recipe it doesn’t matter what size cup you use as long as you use the same cup-size to measure both the rice and the water.

One cup of uncooked white rice will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice.

What you will need

For this recipe you will need only three ingredients.

• Rice – I have used basmati long grain white rice for this recipe, but you could use any long grain white rice of your choice.
• Boiling water – don’t forget the ratio – 2 measures of water for each measure of rice.
• Salt – this is to your own personal taste. For the quantities of rice and water in this recipe I would use 1 teaspoon (6g).

What you have to do

• Fill the kettle with water and put on to boil.
• Measure 1 cup of long grain white rice into a baking dish. The size of the baking dish is important because the rice swells on cooking so you will need a large enough size to hold the cooked rice.
• The water and uncooked rice should only fill your baking dish half-way. This way there will be sufficient room for the rice to swell up as it cooks.
• Add the salt to the rice, then pour over the boiling water.
• Cover the baking dish with a tight-fittig lid or a layer of tin-foil.
• Place in a preheated oven (220C/425F) for 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, fluff with a fork and serve.

What to serve with rice

Rice is so versatile – it goes with anything. Here are some ideas for you:

• Crispy orange chicken
• Chicken a la king
• Vetkoek and curried mince – serve the mince over rice rather than in a vetkoek
• Easy lamb curry

You can also use this rice as a base for Chinese Egg Fried Rice

Can I freeze this rice?

Cooked rice freezes very well. Just allow to cool and then spoon into plastic containers and place in the freezer for up to six months.

To use, allow to defrost in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You probably have all of this equipment in your kitchen already. In case you are missing something, I’ve included some handy links to items on Amazon that you may find useful.

• Baking dish – make sure you use one large enough to hold the cooked rice.
• Measuring cup – use the same sized cup to measure both the rice and the water.

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Recipe – how to cook rice in the oven

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How to cook rice in the oven

No-fail rice cooked in the oven – ready in 20 minutes

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Any

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 113kcal

Author: VJ

Ingredients

• 1 cup Uncooked Basmati Rice
• 2 cups Booiling water
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 220°C / 425°F
• Place 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice in a 2-litre baking dish
• Boil the kettle and pour 2 cups boiling water over the rice
• Stir in 1 teaspoon salt
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid or with a sheet of tinfoil
• Place the dish in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes
• Remove from the oven and fluff with a fork before serving.

Notes

I’ve specified Basmati rice in this recipe, but you can use any long-grain rice of your choice.

This recipe yields 3 – 4 cups cooked rice and is more than sufficient for 6 people as a side dish.

If you wish to make a larger amount you can double the ingredients, but make sure you use a large enough baking dish.

 

 

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only.  If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

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