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Home > Side Dish > How To Make Perfect Steamed Rice

How To Make Perfect Steamed Rice

Last updated August 30, 2021. Originally posted August 30, 2021 By Jyothi Rajesh 14 Comments

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steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon with text overlay
rice cooked on stove top with text
perfectly cooked steamed rice in ceramic bowl with text
steamed rice cooked on stove top served in ceramic bowl with text
steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon with text overlay

You don’t need rice cooker to make prefect steamed rice. You can get tender, fluffy, perfectly cooked rice on stove top every-single-time!

steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon
Jump to:
  • Perfectly cooked steamed rice
  • Difference between steamed rice and boiled rice
  • Rice-to-water ratio
  • Should I rinse rice?
  • Does soaking rice before cooking help?
  • How to make steamed rice?
  • Expert tips to cook perfect steamed rice
  • FAQS
  • 📋RECIEP: How To Make Perfect Steamed Rice

Perfectly cooked steamed rice

1. If you are someone who fears cooking rice, this fail-proof recipe is all you need. I have shared tips and tricks to make perfectly cooked steamed rice.

2. No rice cooker? No problem! All you need is a pot with a lid and you can cook perfect-fluffy-tender-rice-every-single-time!

3. Steamed rice needs very few simple easy to follow steps.

4. Rice to water ratio makes a whole lot of difference in how you want to cook your rice. You need to have that perfect rice to water ratio that works. Read along to know rice to water ratio for different grains of rice and how you have to cook it.

5. Rice is essential and integral part of many cuisines like Chinese, Indian and to an extent Mexican cuisine.

steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon

You can also cook rice in instant pot or pressure cooker. Check out how to cook rice in instant pot (pressure cooker).

Difference between steamed rice and boiled rice

Boiled Rice is rice entirely submerged in liquid all the time during cooking. Some follow the method of adding perfect water rice for boiled rice, rice is done cooking when no liquid is remaining. Others follow slightly different method for boiled rice. Rice in cooked in large quantity of liquid. When rice is fully cooked, drain the excess liquid.

Boiled rice hence is firm, each grain distinct once cooked. Usually long grain rice like basmati rice uses boiling method of cooking.

tender steamed rice in cooking pot

Steamed Rice is made by absorbing all the liquids and rice is cooked in the steam vapors trapped in the pot. Rice is softened with the heat vapors in the pot. Steaming method produces soft, fluffy, stickier rice. This method works best for short grain rice. If you are making sushi you should steam your rice to get the perfect sticky textured rice.

Rice-to-water ratio

Finding that perfect rice to water ratio to cook perfect rice is crucial step. Adjusting the quantity of water will result in different textured rice. Depending on how you want your rice to be cooked, you can adjust the water ratio. Below are some guidelines on to help you decide how you have to choose rice to water ratio.

Long-grain rice : Rice varieties like basmati rice or jasmine rice comes under medium to long grain rice variety. Cooking long grain rice takes lesser time comparatively. 

To steam long grain rice, start with 1 : 2 ratio, that is for 1 cup of long grain rice, use 2 cups of water. If you find the rice was cooked too mushy or the texture wasn’t the way you like it, adjust the water next time you cook rice. You can use 1 ¾ cup water for 1 cup of long grain rice. It will take about 12 to 15 minutes for long grain rice to steam cook.

Medium-grain rice: Almost all the white rice available is medium grain rice. Medium grain white rice is widely used in Asian cuisine. Once steamed, you get tender, sticky textured rice.

Pro-Tip: If you do not want rice to be sticky, rinse rice 2 to 3 times or until the water in the bowl is clear and not cloudy. Rinsing rice will remove excess starch and make rice tender and less sticky.

Note : If using rice for sushi or other sticky rice recipes, do not rinse rice. You need the starch in the rice to make it sticky.

Steaming medium grain rice also begins with 1: 2 ratios. For every 1 cup medium grain rice, use 2 cups water.

The perfect 1-to-2 ratio: Depending on the heat temperature you cook, the cooking pot and the rice quality, the ratio would slightly vary. Every region has varied rice quality, so adjust and figure out the right rice to water ratio that works perfect for you.

Short-grain rice: Rice varieties like Hitomebore or Koshihikari or sushi rice are short grain rice. This is short and plump. When cooked it gives sticky texture making it perfect for sushi recipes.

Rice to water ratio for short grain rice is 1: 1.25 . For every 1 cup short grain rice, use 1.25 cup liquids. Time to cook short grain rice would be approximately 15 minutes.

close up view of steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl

Brown rice: Brown rice needs more water and more time to cook. Rice to water ratio is 1: 1.5. For every 1 cup brown short grain rice use 1.5 cups liquids.

Brown rice cooks approximately in 25 to 30 minutes with steaming method.

Pro-Tip: If you want to reduce cooking time, you can soak rice after rinsing it couple of time. Soak rice fully submerged in water for about 15 minutes.  Soaked rice also will need lesser water compared to un-soaked rice.

We have mentioned ratio of water for un-soaked rice above, use that as guideline and adjust liquid/water quantity for soaked rice. You’ll need about ¼ to ½ cup of lesser water compared to un-soaked rice water ratio.

fluffy steamed rice in wooden spoon

Should I rinse rice?

The debate here is to rinse or not to rinse rice. I ALWAYS rinse rice. Rinsing by gently scrubbing rice with your fingertips not just removes dirt but also the excess starch. The cloudy water you see when you rinse rice is starch and we want to remove the excess starch which will prevent the rice from becoming gluggy.

Rinsing rice only removes surface starch. As rice has starch, it will still be sticky after cooking. But if it’s overly sticky that is due to surface starch which can be removed from rinsing.

Does soaking rice before cooking help?

Some people soak rice before cooking it. Soaking helps reduce the cooking time and also the liquid content used will be slightly lesser compared to un-soaked rice. If you plan to soak rice, consider extended time for soaking.

Though cooking time reduces with soaking rice, it does not reduce the overall time to prepare rice. Keep this into consideration before you plan on how you want to cook rice.

steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon

How to make steamed rice?

Step 1: Rinse rice in water until it runs clear.

Step 2 : Combine the water and rice in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.

Pro-Tip: If you want to add flavor to rice, cook rice in stock, vegetable or chicken stock.

Optionally add 1 teaspoon of oil. This will help rice not stick to the bottom of the pan and keeps rice moist. If you want to store rice for many days, highly recommend you add oil to keep it moist.

Stir rice well in water to distribute evenly in bottom of pan.

Step 3 : Cook rice over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and cook rice uncovered, until the water level drops below the surface of the rice. About 5 minutes. Lower the heat if water spills over.

Step 4 : When almost all water (about 90%) is absorbed by rice, cover the pot with lid tightly. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 12 minutes.

Note : DO NOT stir rice in between. Leave it untouched.

Do not remove the lid while steaming as it will make the heat vapours escape thus reducing the amount of water the rice will absorb. If you want to have peak in your rice while cooking to be sure it’s cooked use glass lid.

Step 5 : When all the water has steamed off, Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for an additional 10 minutes. This helps the rice absorb any remaining moisture and set up without getting mushy.

Step 6 : Now take of the lid. Use a fork or rice spoon to gently fluff the rice so it doesn’t stick into one big mound.

Use cooked rice in your favorite preparation.

perfectly cooked steamed rice step by step photo collage

Expert tips to cook perfect steamed rice

  1. The perfect rice to water ratio: You need to test out your own ratio based on various things like the temperature, the pot you use and rice quality. Every region has varied rice quality, so adjust and figure out the right rice to water ratio that works perfect for you.  Use the above mentioned ratio as guidelines.
  2. If the given ratio produces dry rice, adjust the liquid levels accordingly the next time you cook rice.
  3. Use stock-vegetable or chicken stock instead of water to add more flavors to the rice while cooking. You can also season rice with pinch of salt.
  4. Adding a teaspoon of oil to the sauce pan helps rice not stick to the bottom of pan and keeps rice moist if you are storing it for many days.
  5. Once rice is cooked, it’ll double it’s quantity. Use a sauce pan or pot big enough to hold that quantity of rice.
  6. DO NOT stir rice in between. Do not open lid in-between during cooking. Leave it untouched.
  7. Use pan with glass lid if you want to keep a watch on the rice.
  8. It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
tender steamed rice in white bowl with a jar of rice in the background

FAQS

How long steamed rice lasts?

You can store cooked rice for about 3 to 4 days in fridge. Place cooked rice in glass or air tight containers with lids. Close lid tightly and store.

How to reheat steamed rice?

Rice stored in fridge can be reheated  in microwave or on stove top in sauce pan. Add  1 or 2 tablespoon of liquid to rice and place it in microwave, heat for a minute or two on high power.
To reheat in sauce pan, add couple of tablespoon of water, place the pan on stove on low heat. Reheat for 3 to 5 minutes stirring gently once or twice during the cooking time.

Can I freeze steamed rice?

Yes. You can freeze rice. Once cooked, allow rice to cool completely. Transfer to zip-lock bag or air-tight containers and freeze for couple for months.
To reheat frozen rice, follow the same steps mentioned in how to reheat rice section.

How to use rice?

You can use steam cooked rice in so many preparations. Use it in –
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
Chicken Meal Prep
Coconut Rice
Lemon Rice
Curd Rice

MORE RICE RECIPES:

  • Homemade Seasoned Rice
  • Cilantro Lime Rice
  • Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
  • One Pot Mushroom Rice
  • Plain Rice Pilaf
  • Turmeric Yellow Rice
  • Garlic Rice
  • Instant Pot Mexican Rice

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steamed rice with chives on top in white bowl with wooden spoon
5 from 6 votes

📋RECIEP: How To Make Perfect Steamed Rice

Jyothi Rajesh
You don’t need rice cooker to make prefect steamed rice. You can cook soft, fluffy, perfectly cooked rice on stove top every-single-time!
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Prep Time 4 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 3 servings
Calories 243

Equipment

  • Sauce pan with lid

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup rice (I used medium grain rice)
  • 2 cups water or stock (chicken stock or vegetable stock)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon oil (vegetable oil)

Instructions
 

  • Rinse rice in water until it runs clear.
  • Combine the water and rice in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
    Pro-Tip: If you want to add flavor to rice, cook rice in stock, vegetable or chicken stock.
  • Optionally add 1 teaspoon of oil. This will help rice not stick to the bottom of the pan and keeps rice moist. If you want to store rice for many days, highly recommend you add oil to keep it moist.
  • Stir rice well in water to distribute evenly in bottom of pan.
  • Cook rice over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and cook rice uncovered, until the water level drops below the surface of the rice. About 5 minutes. Lower the heat if water spills over.
  • When almost all water (about 90%) is absorbed by rice, cover the pot with lid tightly. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 12 minutes.
    Note : DO NOT stir rice in between. Leave it untouched.
  • Do not remove the lid while steaming as it will make the heat vapors escape thus reducing the amount of water the rice will absorb. If you want to have peak in your rice while cooking to be sure it's cooked use glass lid.
  • When all the water has steamed off, Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for an additional 10 minutes. This helps the rice absorb any remaining moisture and set up without getting mushy.
  • Now take of the lid. Use a fork or rice spoon to gently fluff the rice so it doesn’t stick into one big mound.
  • Use steamed rice in your favorite side dish preparation.

Video

Notes

  1. Depending on the heat temperature you cook, the cooking pot and the rice quality, the ratio would slightly vary. Every region has varied rice quality, so adjust and figure out the right rice to water ratio that works perfect for you.
  2. If the given ratio produces dry rice, adjust the liquid levels accordingly the next time you cook rice.
  3. Use stock-vegetable or chicken stock instead of water to add more flavors to the rice while cooking. You can also season rice with pinch of salt.
  4. Adding a teaspoon of oil to the sauce pan helps rice not stick to the bottom of pan and keeps rice moist if you are storing it for many days.
  5. Once rice is cooked, it’ll double it’s quantity. Use a sauce pan or pot big enough to hold that quantity of rice.
  6. DO NOT stir rice in between. Do not open lid in-between during cooking. Leave it untouched.
  7. Use pan with glass lid if you want to keep a watch on the rice.
  8. It’s important to let steamed rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to soft texture.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 11mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 22mgIron: 0.5mg
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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Forrest says

    January 27, 2023 at 5:03 am

    Storing cooked rice is not always a good idea–something I found out the hard way. There are bacteria that can survive the cooking stages; storing cooked rice (even in the fridge) provides a petri-dish for the bacteria to grow. I got terribly sick from this, as I had no idea. I won’t do that again 🙂

    Reply
  2. Eyzma says

    October 06, 2021 at 8:23 pm

    5 stars
    Mmy husband is Persian and loves rice. This recipe is similar to how Iranian steam their rice. It was very helpful. Putting in the amount of time for each step made all the difference in the world. Telling us to put oil in the bottom of the pan first is so essential. It prevents rice sticking to bottom of the pan. I appreciate all the extra tips and explanations of different types of rice and how to cook each. I followed your directions and it turned out great!

    Reply
    • Jyothi Rajesh says

      October 06, 2021 at 9:30 pm

      I’m so glad you found it useful. I have been cooking rice like this for more than 20 years and it always turns great.

      Reply
  3. Swathi says

    July 19, 2019 at 9:18 am

    5 stars
    Yes making a good steamed ice always best with some curry I love that you explained very well how to make perfect rice.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      July 19, 2019 at 3:09 pm

      Thank you Swathi

      Reply
  4. Natalie says

    July 18, 2019 at 11:09 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for this. My kiddo loves rice but when I cook him a classic ways that I know it becomes to sticky. This is great. I’ll definitely try this technique. He will love this.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      July 19, 2019 at 7:13 am

      Thank you Natalie

      Reply
  5. Denay DeGuzman says

    July 18, 2019 at 10:19 pm

    5 stars
    What an excellent resource on cooking rice! Such great information. Rice is one of my husband’s favorite side dishes for meat and chicken. Thanks for sharing all of these tips!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      July 18, 2019 at 10:22 pm

      Thank you Denay

      Reply
  6. Cheese Curd In Paradise says

    July 18, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    5 stars
    This is packed with such awesome tip! I have always boiled rice and not always gotten the texture I want. I can’t wait to try your method of cooking it!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      July 18, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      Thank you

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Spicy Cajun Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (Video) - CurryTrail says:
    August 31, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    […] you want to know more on water to rice ratio for different grains of rice, check this detailed post and this one too for instant […]

    Reply
  2. Quick & Easy Chicken Curry Recipe {Video} - CurryTrail says:
    July 26, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    […] Steamed Rice […]

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  3. Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice (Video) - CurryTrail says:
    July 24, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    […] recipe on how to steam rice a few days back which covers in detail information of everything about how to steam rice along with water to rice ratio for each type of rice. Check how to steam […]

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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

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