Rice is a delicious and versatile kitchen essential that everyone loves. However, sometimes we don’t know what to do with it or need new recipe ideas. If you are having this dilemma too, you will love this collection of recipes for white rice!
White rice or milled rice is easy to store and easy to prepare. It can be cooked on the stove, rice cooker, and even crockpot. There are actually a lot of different recipes for white rice. You can try using different cooking methods to find what works best for you!
From salads and pasta to seafood and instant pot dishes, this collection of recipes for white rice is worth keeping. They are all oh-so-easy to make, and most of them are ready within 30 minutes. Just perfect for busy weeknights!
This post contains links for items to purchase. I make a commission on any sales.
How to make plain white rice?
There are lots of ways to make plain white rice. The three most common are using the stove, crockpot, and rice cooker. When it comes to preparation, every household has its own ways, but there are established key points that need to be followed to ensure that your white rice will come out perfectly whatever cooking method you use:
- Rinsing
Rice grains have surface starch that will gelatinize in hot water. This results in gummy and sticky cooked rice. The best way to prevent this is to rinse the rice grains three to four times until they’re free of starch and the water runs clean.
- The ratio of water to white rice
The brand of rice, the size and the type of saucepan, and even how the lid fits in the saucepan can hugely affect how the rice cooks. The good rule of thumb is to cook a cup of white long-grain rice in two cups of water.
- Temperature
Undercooked rice is often a result of cooking rice in high temperatures. Once the rice is boiling, it’s important to reduce the heat and let it simmer for the rest of the cooking time. A cup of white rice usually takes 17 minutes to cook.
- Rest
After cooking, remove rice from the heat source and let it rest for 10 to 12 minutes. This will allow the excess water to be absorbed, achieving the perfect rice texture.
Did you know?
Before we go through our delicious recipes for white rice, here’s some fun rice trivia!
White rice in the United States comes in three types: short, medium, and long, and Americans consume more than 25 lbs of rice annually. You might think that’s a lot but Asians can eat up to 300 lbs while the United Arab Emirates eat around 450 lbs of rice every year.
Uncooked white rice can be stored up to 10 years and longer (until it turns brown) while brown rice can only last for three to six months because its bran coating will oxidize.
Must-have Kitchen Essentials to Make Recipes for White Rice
The recipes for white rice listed above are all easy to make, but only if you have the right kitchen tools. Before you proceed with making them, check out these items first.
Apart from being wonderful additions to your kitchen, these kitchen essentials are also excellent gift ideas for your cooking-obsessed friends!
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1
- 2.5 Quart Nonstick Sauce Pan
- Rice Cooker Microwave Food Container
- Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer
- Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
- U-Taste Silicone Spatula Set
- Amazon Basics 10-Piece Mixing Bowl Set with Lids
- NEW OXO Good Grips POP Container Rice Measuring Cup
21 Recipes for White Rice
Instant pots make our lives in the kitchen so much easier. If you are a fan of delicious and effortless recipes, you're going to love this collection of recipes for white rice cooked in the Instant Pot.
This chicken and black bean taquitos recipe is so easy to make in the crockpot, and it's Weight Watchers friendly too. If you love tacos, you should give this tasty dinner recipe a try!
Cheesy, versatile, and ready in just 15 minutes! This tasty broccoli rice only needs simple ingredients such as paprika, milk, chicken broth, pepper, broccoli, cheese, butter, salt, and of course, white rice.
An authentic Mexican side dish that pairs well with any Mexican food. You can make this recipe in less than 30 minutes in your crockpot and it only requires minimal ingredients.
This savory chicken fried rice is made with egg, peas, rice, carrots, and diced chicken breast. It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe and a great lunch meal prep.
Want to try a new cooking technique in your instant pot? This pot-in-pot teriyaki chicken and rice is satisfyingly delicious and can be done within 30 minutes.
A scrumptious and hearty veggie-filled one-pot dish ideal for busy weeknights! You can use any vegetables you prefer for this yummy recipe, but you can consider adding potatoes, cauliflowers, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, and sweet corn.
Satisfying Recipes for White Rice to Try!
Take your plain white rice to the next level by adding simple ingredients. Try your white rice on salad, pasta, and other creamy delicious dishes. Here are some simple but satisfying recipes for white rice you can try today.
Tangy and loaded with healthy ingredients! This black bean salad is made with rice, bell peppers, green onions and is seasoned perfectly with apple cider vinegar, cumin, and garlic.
This simple Arroz Blanco tastes fantastic with any dish. This Mexican white rice recipe is seasoned lightly with cilantro, lime, chicken broth, garlic, and onion and is ready in just 25 minutes.
A super easy and delicious white rice recipe filled with vegetables and flavored with thyme and chicken broth. This garden vegetable rice recipe only needs seven ingredients and a total of 30 minutes of cooking time.
A fan of spicy foods? You have to give this spicy rice dish a try! It's soft and fluffy rice flavored with chicken broth, sriracha, and red pepper flakes.
Love garlic? This chicken and rice recipe is creamy, garlicky, and so simple to make. It only requires one pot and 30 minutes in your kitchen.
A filling and satisfying dish that only needs white rice, garlic, onion, butter, pasta, and chicken stock. This rice pasta pilaf is flavorful and goes well with any chicken dish.
A quick and delicious recipe that you can serve as a side or main dish. This black beans and rice recipe is seasoned with cumin, garlic, and lime juice.
Craving seafood? You might want to give this seafood rice a try! It's filled with seafood goodness such as shrimp, mussels, and crab sticks.
Need a hearty and comforting dish for dinner? This chicken soup with pasta and rice will take the stress out of weeknight dinners. It has a delicious homemade broth made of chicken poached with leek and mushrooms combined with buttery rice, tender pasta, and silken spinach.
A light and fluffy pasta and rice dish seasoned in chicken broth, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Homemade rice-a-roni is an easy white rice recipe you won’t want to miss.
A creamy vegetarian rice dish made with plenty of mushrooms and garlic. You can serve this as a main or side dish.
You can make this mouthwatering and creamy egg risotto in less than 10 minutes! The only ingredients it needs are parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, cream of chicken noodle instant mix, cooked white rice, eggs, and water.
An all-time favorite dessert! If you want something sweet, you can also make your white rice into a creamy and yummy rice pudding. This recipe only needs milk, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and long-grain white rice.
A healthy and creamy rice recipe that's filled with the flavors of turmeric and coconut milk and loaded with green leafy veggies, this dish is oh-so-good!
This ratatouille recipe resembles risotto except it's loaded with late summer veggies. Ratatouille-topped creamy rice is a heavenly pair to grilled fish or chicken.