Hello there! Today I am sharing how to cook the most flavorful and fluffy white rice every.single.time. This recipe for fluffy white rice was my mother’s recipe, which I use all the time and now my children use it too. I hope my grandchildren use it someday as well.
I was born in Uruguay in South America and raised in a Latin culture. We ate plenty of white rice. This is a simple recipe, and if followed properly it’s fool proof. It produces flavorful and fluffy white rice grains every single time. This type of rice should never be mushy or sticky.
A Bit About White Rice
White rice is a basic food staple that’s been around forever, and learning how to make it properly is an essential cooking technique. Not only does white rice pair well with so many different foods, but it is also the basis for so many types of dishes.
White rice contains some minerals, is low in calories and fat, and offers nutritional benefits, so it can fit into a healthy diet. I know for many brown rice is considered the healthier alternative, but it’s such a different flavor profile. Brown rice has a nutty flavor and for certain dishes I really enjoy it, but a flavorful and fluffy white rice wins in my book every time.
White rice is comfort food to me. Also keep in mind, white rice is easier to digest than brown rice if that’s a consideration for your diet.
A Guide to the Perfect, Flavorful & Fluffy White Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth (I prefer low sodium)
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Clove Garlic
Directions
- Assemble all your ingredients
- Set 2-quart pan over medium-high heat and add butter
- Once butter is almost all melted add garlic
- Saute garlic for a couple of minutes until it starts to give off aromatics
- Add rice to butter garlic mixture
- Saute rice until it becomes opaque and starts to turn a little bit golden while mixing to coat grains with butter
- Add chicken broth and turn heat to high
- Once broth starts to boil, mix rice to make sure it’s not sticking to bottom of pot
- Turn heat to lowest setting and cover pot
- Cook for 20 minutes
- Once it’s done cooking, remove top and fluff rice
- Remove garlic clove and discard
- Pan can stay on stove with heat off & cover on while rice steams until ready to serve
Tips on Cooking the Most Perfect, Flavorful & Fluffy White Rice Every Single Time by Following this Recipe
The number one rule when cooking rice is to never, ever open the top while it’s cooking. Did you hear that Mr. M? Never. Don’t ask me why but it changes the chemistry and does not produce the fluffiest rice, which is the end goal here.
Rice triples in size when cooked. So this recipe will yield 3 cups of cooked rice, which is a good side dish portion for a family of four. If you would like to make more or less just keep the ratio of rice to broth the same of 1 to 2. So a 1/2 cup of rice requires 1 cup of broth, while 2 cups of rice will require 4 cups of broth.
The butter and garlic are there for the flavor so the amounts are not as critical. I keep the butter pretty much on ratio by using 1 Tablespoon per 1/2 cup of rice. I only use one garlic clove per pot regardless of how much rice I’m cooking. Sometimes I’ll use a bigger clove versus a smaller one depending on quantity, but that’s it.
You can add so many flavor profiles to rice depending on what you include. For example, you can add lime and cilantro for a tex Mex rice or saffron for a Spanish rice or chili powder and minced green chilis for Mexican rice.
These are examples of the many possibilities of how you can infuse different flavors into the rice while cooking. You can also add other flavors when eating your rice like soy sauce or hot sauce. Sesame seeds and toasted pine nuts add good texture, while scallions and herbs add wonderful herbaceousness. Bon Appetit!
Thank you for being here and see you next time. Au Revoir!
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Flavorful and Fluffy White Rice Recipe
Equipment
- 1 2 Quart Pot with Lid
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basmati Rice
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth Low Sodium recommended
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Clove Garlic
Instructions
- Assemble all ingredients
- Set pan over medium-high heat and add butter
- Once butter is almost all melted add garlic
- Saute garlic in butter for a couple of minutes until it starts to give off aromatics
- Add rice to butter garlic mixture
- Saute rice until it becomes opaque and starts to turn a little bit golden while mixing to coat grains with butter
- Add chicken broth and turn heat to high
- Once broth starts to boil, mix rice to make sure it’s not sticking to bottom of pot
- Turn heat to lowest setting and cover pot
- Cook covered for 20 minutes
- Oncedone cooking, remove lid and fluff rice
- Remove garlic clove and discard
- Pan can stay on stove with heat off & cover on while rice steams until ready to serve
Notes
“Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.”
Confucius