How to Cook Rice in a Microwave

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

While you can cook rice in a pot or a rice cooker, you can also save yourself time by cooking rice in a microwave. You can cook both brown and white rice in the microwave in just a few minutes. After cooking your rice, add some flavor and serve it.

Ingredients

Rice
Water
Salt
Chicken/vegetable broth (optional)
Your choice of spices (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Mixing Your Rice and Water

1
Rinse your rice. Rinse the rice you're using under the faucet. Rinse it using a colander or similar device. After rinsing the rice, shake the colander gently to remove any excess water.^{[1]
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2
Check your package for precise ratios. Rice is combined with water prior to cooking, but precise ratios vary. Check your package's instructions to figure out the rough rice-to-water ratio. In general, most rices call for one part rice to two parts water.^{[2]
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- More water will make your rice mushy and less will make it chewy. If you want a mushy or chewy texture, try adding a little more or a little less water than recommended.
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3
Add your rice and water to a microwave safe dish. Make sure the dish you choose is safe to put in the microwave. It should say somewhere on the dish. If you can't figure out if a dish is microwave safe, use a different dish to be safe. Place both your rice and water in the dish.^{[3]
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- Make sure you choose a dish that's a little bigger than necessary, as rice expands when cooked. Also, a bigger dish will keep it from boiling over as easily.
- It's not necessary to stir your ingredients when cooking rice.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Microwaving Your Rice

1
Microwave the rice at high heat. Switch the microwave to the highest heat setting it has. Microwave the rice for 10 minutes. Do not cover the rice when microwaving it.^{[4]
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2
Continue microwaving at low heat. After 10 minutes have passed, switch the microwave to low heat. Continue microwaving the rice on low heat for 15 minutes. Leave the rice uncovered.^{[5]
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- Brown rice can take longer too cook than white rice. When cooking brown rice, you may need to microwave the rice for 20 additional minutes instead of 15.^{[6]
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- Do not stir the rice in between microwave sessions.
3
Fluff your rice with a fork. After the last 15 minutes of cooking, your rice should be ready to eat. Take a fork and gently fluff the rice to give it some texture.^{[7]
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- If your rice is still stiff when you try to fluff it, cook your rice for a few minutes longer and check it again.
- Be careful when removing rice from the microwave. If any water has poured over the container, wait a few moments before handling the rice and use oven mitts.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Flavoring Your Rice

1
Opt for the traditional salt, pepper, and butter. You can mix a splash of salt and pepper, as well as a spoonful of butter, into your rice for a classic taste. Butter can be added to the water before you cook the rice or you can melt it in after the rice has cooked.^{[8]
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- Another great option is to stir fry garlic and onion in the pan before adding the rice. Sauteé everything together, add water and cook as usual.
2
Add spices from other dishes to the rice. If you're making rice as a side dish for something else, borrow from the spices from that dish and mix it into the rice. This will add flavor to the rice and help it pair well with whatever you're cooking.^{[9]
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- For example, if you're making salmon, add some of the salmon marinade to the rice after cooking it.
3
Substitute chicken or vegetable broth for water. If you want to add flavor while the rice is cooking, opt for chicken or vegetable broth instead of plain water. Using too much chicken broth or water sometimes makes rice taste starchy, so opt for a 50/50 mix of vegetable/chicken broth and water to add flavor to your rice.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I make it in a glass bowl?

Community Answer

Yes, as long as the bowl is microwave safe. If you're unsure if the bowl is microwave safe or not, choose a different bowl.
Question

Can I lock the lid on the bowl with clips to seal it?

Community Answer

If you are microwaving and your clips are metal, NO WAY. Clips generally make it difficult to lift the lid to stir or to see inside. On a stove top, I seal my pot with tinfoil and then put a lid on; you can't see inside but lifting a corner is easier. In a microwave, I use a plastic wrap sheet to seal, and then place a clear glass plate or lid on top.
Question

Does pre-fluffed rice need less water/stock?

Community Answer

Maybe. You can check your package's instructions to be sure.