No fail microwave rice, light and fluffy every time. Read on to learn how to cook rice in the microwave. You will find this is the easiest way to cook perfect rice!
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Perfect white rice every time
How many times have you tried to cook rice in a saucepan on the stove, only to have it either burn on the bottom of the pan or come out overcooked and stodgy?
When I lived in South Africa, there were many different types of rice, but there was only one brand that everyone used. Its catchphrase was 'Cooks perfectly - every time'. It didn't matter how you cooked it, it always delivered the goods.
When I came back to the UK I really missed that rice! No matter what I tried, I always ended up with a stodgy mess - in fact, I stopped eating rice for a while. I even considered getting my daughter who still lives in South Africa, to post some over to me.
Then I experimented with cooking rice in the microwave, and guess what? Perfect rice.
With my quick and easy microwave recipe, you will get perfectly cooked rice every time. There is no need to rinse the rice first either - so this is a real time-saver.
The rice comes out perfectly cooked with every grain fluffy and light.
Word of warning - for best results use good quality rice. You can use a supermarket 'own' brand - but I've found the supermarkets normally have 2 'own' brands - a cheap one and a better quality, so go for the better quality, it's worth it.
I have tested this recipe using Basmati rice, but it will work just as well for any long-grained rice.
How to cook rice in the microwave
Equipment
The only equipment you will need is a glass bowl with a tight-fitting lid. I have a set of pyrex bowls which are great for cooking in the microwave.
Ingredients
You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for how to make rice in the microwave on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
To cook perfect rice, you will need the following ingredients:
- Rice - any long-grain rice is suitable for this cooking method.
- Water - use cold tap water. Don't use hot or boiling water as this will alter the cooking time.
- Salt - use salt according to your own taste. I find half a teaspoon of salt is sufficient for my taste.
The ratio of rice to water is 1 : 2 (ie 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of cold water). It doesn't matter whether you use a measuring cup or a normal kitchen teacup. Just use the same cup for measuring both the rice and the water.
One cup of dried uncooked rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice.
Steps
- Measure the rice into your container and add the water and salt.
- Put the lid on the dish, place it in the microwave and cook on full power for 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes take the rice out of the microwave and give it a stir. It should still be wet.
- Replace the lid and return the dish to the microwave. Cook on full power for another 3 minutes.
- Give it a stir with a fork - it should be light and fluffy with every grain separate.
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Storage and reheating
You can freeze the cooked rice either in a plastic freezer bag or in a plastic container such as Tupperware. Rice can be frozen for up to 6 months.
To use, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then place it in the microwave (in a covered container) and heat at 30-second bursts on full power until the rice is piping hot.
If you are in a hurry you could use the microwave to defrost the rice first.
You can also store the cooked rice in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Should I rinse the rice before cooking?
If you have bought your rice pre-packaged from the supermarket, there is no need to rinse it first.
On the other hand, if you've bought the rice loose from a market, I'd be inclined to rinse it before using it for hygiene reasons.
If you rinse the rice before you cook it, then reduce the cooking water by 2 tablespoons as the rinsed rice will have retained a little water.
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Related recipes
You may also like to try these other rice recipes:
And of course - it's just as easy to cook rice in the oven
šThe recipe
How to cook rice in the microwave
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Pyrex bowl
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 180 grams white rice I use Basmati
- 2 cups / 480 ml water
- 1 teaspoon salt You can adjust this to your own taste
Instructions
- Place the rice in a ceramic or glass bowl with a lid1 cup / 180 grams white rice
- Add the cold water2 cups / 480 ml water
- Add salt to taste1 teaspoon salt
- Cover bowl with the lid and place in the microwave
- Microwave on high for 8 minutes
- Remove from microwave and stir.
- Replace the lid and return the bowl to the microwave. Cook on high for 3 minutes longer or until the water has all been absorbed and the rice is dry
Notes
Nutrition
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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Winter
Didn't work. And my microwave is a 1000w
VJ
That's strange - why didn't it work? I'm happy to help you troubleshoot. I've been cooking rice in this way for over 30 years with no problems whatsoever.
Shirley Moore
Yes it turned out great
VJ
Great - thanks for commenting!
Glenn
I have never cooked rice before so took this as a guide.
Well, I used the 2:1 ratio - 2 cups water to 1 cup rice.
I microwaved for 8 minutes on a 700w oven which left the rice a little wet so I put it back in for another 3 minutes.
After a quick fork through the rice did indeed come out really well.
I will be trying the recipe very soon.....
VJ
Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I agree a 700 watt oven may take a little longer to cook as the water will not boil quite as quickly. My version was tested in a 900-watt oven.
gavin Johnson
Far to much water, cooked 11 mins, still loads of water , had to drain , 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water , easy enough but load of water left ????,
VJ
Not sure how that could have happened. What is the wattage of your microwave? I used a 900-watt model. What size cup did you use? All my recipes use a standard 240ml US measuring cup unless stated otherwise. If you used a larger cup there would have been more water to heat and get absorbed. I've been cooking rice in this way for over 20 years and never had a problem.
Suzette Heydenreich
Awesomeness! Thank you and sending much much love from Pretoria!
VJ
Thank you! And greetings to you from a cold and chilly England. I hope you're enjoying the sunshine over there š
Louw N
I see a few people who couldn't pull this recipe off and I'm inclined to believe that they didn't use parboiled rice. Parboiled means its already undergone some heating as a form of treatment, which will cause it to cook faster than rice that isn't. Check your packet to make sure it states "parboiled", otherwise this recipe will probably not work. Aunt Veronica should correct me if I'm wrong here.
VJ
Hi Louw - Thank you for your comment.
However, I must disagree. I do not use parboiled rice when I cook my rice in the Microwave. I use simple basmati rice from my local supermarket.
The simple rules are:
1. Use a glass pyrex bowl with a lid (not tupperware - as the hot air will cause the plastic lid to jump off and mess all over your microwave).
2. Make sure your ratio of rice to water is correct - ie one cup of rice to 2 cups of water.
3. Cook on full power for 8 minutes then check the rice. If the water hasn't all been absorbed cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer until the rice is dry.
I have a 900-watt microwave and this method never fails. If your microwave has a higher or lower wattage you may have to adjust the cooking time by a minute or two either way.
I first made rice this way when I lived in South Africa, using a brand called Tastic, which I don't believe has been parboiled.
Louw N
Well there goes that theory. The regular Tastic rice is parboiled which is why I thought this might be the case some are having issues, but since this is the internet theres also a good chance they are simply trolls or some sort of cooking "purist" that don't believe the microwave is better at cooking many foods. Personally I use the microwave for starches like potato, corn in the husk and even scrambled eggs.
In England they don't really advertise rice as parboiled, they simply call it "easy cook" I see. There are even "2 minute microwave" rice versions at Morrisons, according to the internet.
I still believe raw or brown rice will take a lot longer to cook. Perhaps starting with boiled water will do the trick.
Thanks for your recipe!
VJ
Absolutely agree about the brown rice. This will definitely take longer to cook. I need to experiment with that and see if I can get that to cook in the microwave. Thanks for your comments!
(PS - glad you use the microwave - I'm getting tired of people telling me that its bad for you and destroys vitamins etc š )
Louw N
I'm not a scientist but from the information available to me I do not see how microwaves could "destroy nutrients". It's not nuclear radiation, its microwaves. All microwaves does is "excite water molecules" which makes them vibrate fast and creates heat from molecular "friction". This is why anything prepared in the microwave will have the same nutrient content as something made on the stove or in the oven, it's just heat, not "devil magic". The big downside is that microwaves cooks from the outside in and it doesn't do it very evenly. Anyone who keeps this is mind can cook up entire meals with a microwave.
Thank you for the chat. I will have some biltong here in your honor.
VJ
Enjoy the biltong! I haven't had any proper biltong in a long time!
Angela
Why would you leave a nasty comment like that? The first time I tried it I had to make a few adjustments and now I only ever cook rice in the microwave.
I would never stop using this site as it is so useful. The recipies are fantastic!
Thank you VJ. You're doing a fantastic job š
VJ
Thank you for your kind words Angela. That more than makes up for the few negative comments that I sometimes get. š
Mike
This rice recipe didn't work for me. I followed it exactly and used the same dish and microwave wattage was the same and I had to add 3 minutes and extra liquid because of the extra time. So I'm sorry to say I won't be trying anymore of your recipes nor will I even check your page. Thanks for posting anyway.
VJ
Sorry the recipe didn't work out for you. I've been making it the way for years and it never fails. You probably won't see my reply if you're not coming back to my page, but in case you do, I'd like to mention that I've got a super recipe for boiled water coming up soon that you might want to try.
Monica Martin
Perfect response š
VJ
Thank you - one of the best laughs I've had all week š
Brian
I have used it twice now in pyrex bowl with lid. Perfect rice!
Mariam
I cooked in a regular microwave safe bowl and covered it with a plate and the rice still cooked perfect!
VJ
Good to know - thanks for mentioning it! I normally use a pyrex bowl with a lid but I've just dropped my lid and it's shattered! Next time I make my rice I'll try it with a plate on top!
nolan
my rice caught fire
VJ
Good heavens - how long did you leave the rice in the microwave for? There are 2 cups of water (that's 480 ml or 1 pint). The recipe states cook for 8 minutes in a tightly covered dish - I don't think that amount of water could evapourate in that time. Did you follow the recipe exactly?
Ole
Get out of the kitchen, you shouldn't be able to possibly mess that up!!!
zidane
thank you for the information
Elise
I started with the lid properly sealed and it started bending the lid and coming out the sides, so popped the tiny lid off to have a little hole and water just went everywhere. Iām sure it was because my container was too small but this is just a reminder to grab a big container everyone
VJ
Yes, rice does swell up as it cooks. I'll update the recipe to remind everyone of that fact. Also, you said the lid started bending which does imply that you used a plastic container. I specify a pyrex glass bowl, but perhaps I need to be a bit clearer on that too! Thanks for your comments.
E
My pyrex glass bowls have plastic lids. Elise's does not imply that at all. Will plastic lids that come with pyrex bowls not work for this recipe?
VJ
Hi, I would be inclined not to use plastic lids, but rather put a small plate over the top of the bowl. Use a tea towel to help you remove the bowl from the microwave without burning yourself on the steam!
Perry
Living in the UK and Oh lord I miss Tastic. Definitely throwing a few bags in my suitcase next time I go home for a holiday.
VJ
Haha - yes it took me a while too! But I'll tell you what, the purple packet of basmati from Morrisons does the job for me!
Laurie
Do you cover the rice again for the last three minutes?
VJ
Yes - the rice is covered for the entire cooking time.
Janet
Not even close to being done. I have a powerful microwave too.
VJ
Sorry to hear that - what sort of rice are you using? I've been making it this way for years and never had a problem. Have you used the rice-to-water ratio stated in the recipe?
John Mullins
Great article. This article is full of information & knowledge. Many thanks to the author for this informative and helpful article about cooking rice in the microwave.
Maria
Ho..gosh...I meant...we ran out of cooking gas...š
C
Press start button to initialize the microwave oven
VJ
Not really - it's a bit more about getting the ratio of rice to liquid correct.
Maria
Hallelujah š Tkq deary I was desperate for rice carrot n potato for my one year old g'dota..had suddenly ran out n we forgot to book on time..that's how it's here in India. Just trying yr idea. It's in d MW. Sure will turn out well. Shall gv my feedback. Shalom
VJ
Glad I could be of help! Hope it turns out well for you š
Colette Gliddon
Thanks for recipe. Is it Tastic you miss
Regards Colette
VJ
Hi Colette - yes, that's the one!