Microwave Rice
- Total Time
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 3 cups cooked rice (about 4 servings)
- 1cup long-grain white rice (such as basmati or jasmine; see Tip)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
176 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Rinse the rice: Add the rice to a sieve and run water over it while swishing it around with your hands. Do this until the water below the sieve looks clear, a few minutes. Drain well. Alternatively, place the rice into a large bowl, add water to cover it, swish the rice around a few times with your hands and drain it out. Do this 3 to 4 times, until the water you drain runs clear. If the rice isn't thoroughly rinsed, it may clump.
- Step 2
Transfer the rinsed rice to a large (2½- to 3-quart) microwave-safe bowl and add 2 cups of room-temperature water. Microwave, uncovered, on full power for 15 to 25 minutes. If you have a powerful microwave (1000 to 1200 watts), start with 15 minutes. If you have a less powerful microwave (700 to 900 watts), start at around 20 minutes. The rice will be done when the grains are poking up like grass and are tender and the water is fully absorbed; the grains shouldn’t look wet or mushy. If the rice isn’t done, keep microwaving it in 1- to 2-minute increments. After the rice is cooked, let it rest, undisturbed, in the closed microwave for another 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork or rice paddle. (Some condensation may collect in the interior of the microwave but can be easily wiped dry.)
Tip
- You also can use this technique for brown rice. Follow the instructions above, using 2½ cups water for 1 cup long-grain brown rice and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Nick Santa Fe
How would this recipe be different if I use whole grain brown rice?
Wittie
For fluffy rice, my Larousse cookbook from several decades ago said to cook rice like pasta, i.e., add to boiling salted water, cook until done, drain, add butter & serve. The rice never burns, you don’t need to time it. it cooks in much less time than regular stove top methods and you can add vegetables like broccoli and asparagus to the boiling water for a quick side dish. Faster than using this microwave method.
Lionlady
It did NOT say to double the water you’d use for the stovetop method. It said to use twice as much water as rice: 1 cup rice to 2 cups water.
ACB
I tried it with brown rice. Increase water to three cups for 1 cup of rice and increase cooking time to 30 minutes. Don’t know the wattage for my microwave so others may need to make different adjustments.
Bev
Be very careful with timing if you halve or quarter this recipe. I cut it down and ended up with burned rice and the smoke alarm talking to me about it!:))
Laurie
I am also curious about using long grain brown rice.
Jack
No you can't use the same timing to make less or more rice. No you can't use the same recipe to make brown rice, short grain rice, etc. This is a recipe for ONE CUP OF LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE. It will not work without alterations for anything else. Other grains and quantities might require different timing or water ratios or microwave power levels. Either you are going to have to figure them out on your own or find another recipe but YOU CAN'T USE THIS RECIPE FOR ANYTHING ELSE, so stop asking.
Rob Pgh
If you constantly need to check microwave every 1-2 minutes after the initial 15 minutes to check when it's done, it seems like a lot more work than the stove top method which is pretty darn easy (bring rice to boil, turn heat down to simmer for 15 minutes, turn off stove top, wait 5 minutes).
AFH Carmel
I made this tonight and it was perfect. I added a tsp of salt and a tsp of butter and cooked it in a medium soufflé bowl. I just served it with no extra pots to clean! Wow!
Missy
I'm also curious about adapting this for brown rice
David C Morris
I confess that I find cooking rice on the stovetop to be foolproof. And it gives me the chance—if I want—for some crusty grains on the bottom. And I don’t rinse the rice, even for arroz con pollo.
Porcelain
Microwave rice is a lifesaver when the heat index is 112, my air conditioning is already working overtime, and I can't bear to turn on the gas stove or oven for as long as it takes to cook rice. For those asking about brown rice, just ask our friend, Google. Those instructions already exist. :)
Elizabeth
Will definitely try this method - but if I double this, is the rice-water ratio the same? And how does it affect the cook time?
richard
What utter nonsense. I tried to cook a small portion of rice in my ge microwave. I set it for full power and 15 minutes as in your article but got called away. At some point there was an explosion rupturing the glass bowl, burning the rice and spewing burnt rice all over the interior of the microwave! Pfui!
SequoiaMo
For short grain white rice like Nishiki or Kokuo Rose, it only takes 15 minutes stovetop...but interested in doing microwave brown.
Udybaby
Just moved house. The gas hasn’t been turned on. Felt like eating rice but didn’t want to order a takeaway. Followed the instructions, added butter, checked at 10minutes, again 10minutes later and eureka, 25minutes later, I had perfect rice. Wow!
Val H.
This is much better… Prep your (white) rice by rinsing, Add 1 part rice and 2 parts water to microwave safe casserole dish that has a lid, Give the rice a quick stir (so it’s not compacted), Microwave on high, lid on, for 4-6 minutes (goal is to get water boiling)- you’ll need to modify based on amount of rice and wattage. Then, microwave at 40% power for 13-15 minutes, let rest 5 minutes and it’s ready. Keep the lid on throughout-
Lillian
This works perfectly with white jasmine rice for 15 mins in my microwave, but one cup of rice is barely 3 servings in my house. I successfully scaled up to 1.5 cups rice and 2.75 cups water for 18 mins. It's slightly al dente the way I like it.
JAC
Cooking rice in the microwave makes pulling dinner together so much easier. I never worry about it scorching, having to stir it, etc. Magic!
Kathy
Is there any reason you can't use chicken broth instead of water?
Improvements
Two cups brown rice, 5 cups water: 37-39 min Two cups white rice, 4 cups water: 17 min
Rozanne Seelen
Much easier to track. I also made it with vegetable broth. The one note I have is that the water or broth really has to be at room temperature or this doesn't work.
Grey
Followed this recipe and ended up with an inedible rice brick. Total waste of time (and rice).
Daniel Adam Pincus
Be sure to let the rice rest in the microwave after the power has shut off.
Monica in CA
Slightly scorched rice at the bottom of the (stovetop) pan is the BEST part of the pot!
Marlette
You don’t have to keep checking every 1-2 minutes. Only if your rice is mushy after the recipe’s timing. Everyone, please read the recipe a few times before criticizing how it doesn’t work Smile we need all patience available in this world. If you don’t have any just sit and breathe deeply
John
For a while, I was buying "Asia's Best" Jasmine rice. The package had instructions for both microwave and stovetop prep. I had never heard of cooking rice in a microwave, so I tried it. As I recall, I cooked 1 cup of rice with the amount of water specified, uncovered in a shallow 1-qt French soufflé dish. I wasn't expecting much but it turned out PERFECT.
BJ
I have an 1100 watt microwave. I simply follow the recipe that came with it to cook brown rice. I use the simmer setting, but if your microwave doesn't offer that setting, simply follow the directions above. I usually make 2 cups at a time so that I can freeze some for fried rice or a quick dinner later on. A 2.5 quart square CorningWare pot is ideal and clean up is a breeze. Perfect rice in about 20 -25 minutes, better than my rice cooker, which usually has browned pieces sticking to it.
Elizabeth
My very inexpensive rice cooker can cook white rice in 24 minutes. It’s foolproof.
Lateana
I just bought a cheap microwave rice cooker (about $10) that came with recipes/times for all kinds of rice. It works well and has the same recipe as here for long-grain white rice.
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