• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Living Well Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Favorites
  • Easy Meals
  • Main Dish
  • Health
  • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Favorites
    • Easy Meals
    • Main Dish
    • Health
    • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sides » Grains

    How to make the perfect rice every time

    Published: Nov 1, 2012 · Updated: Apr 21, 2023 · Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy trick shows you how to easily cook brown rice perfectly every time with no gummy mess or sticking to the pot

    blue bowl of cooked brown rice

    Cooking rice has always caused me much stress... It's gummy or it sticks to the pot or something else goes wrong. Annoying.

    So I don't cook rice very often.

    But then... one day I was reading one of my Cooking Light Magazines {of course}, and they suggested making it similar to how you make pasta.

    close up of cooked Brown Rice in a blue bowl

    Hmm... will that work? Is this the answer to my rice woes?

    Yes, it actually does really work. And it works every single time.

    There's no guessing {according to the package directions: boil 2 to 2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Is it 2 cups or is it 2 & a half? Help!}

    Now, you just boil a bunch of water, add in the amount of rice you want to cook, simmer, and drain. Then fluff your rice, and it's perfect. Problem solved.

    If you happened to see in the news that they detected arsenic in brown rice, you'll be glad to know that cooking your rice like pasta greatly reduces its arsenic levels.

    Arsenic was used as a pesticide for cotton, and it is an inorganic compound. That means that it stays in the soil for a long time, even if the soil is now farmed organically.

    However, rinsing the uncooked rice before cooking helps reduce levels of arsenic. I like to put my rice in a strainer and run water over it for about 30 seconds while I run the garbage disposal so I'm not wasting any water.

    Blue bowl of cooked brown rice with grass in background

    Honestly, I am not super worried about eating brown rice because of its purported worrisome arsenic levels.

    While I do think it's important to be aware of what is in your food, I think the most important thing to focus on is getting a wide variety of foods.

    So here is my "recipe" for perfectly cooked rice when you need non-stick or non-gummy rice.

    blue bowl of cooked brown rice

    Perfect Rice

    This easy trick shows you how to easily cook brown rice perfectly every time with no gummy mess or sticking to the pot
    No ratings yet
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup uncooked brown rice {not instant}
    • 6 cups water

    Instructions

    • Put uncooked rice in a strainer. Run under cold water over it for about 30 seconds. I like to shake the rice around while it's being rinsed.
    • Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a top. Stir in rice, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until rice is tender. Drain rice, and fluff with a fork before serving.

    Notes

    Makes about 4 cups cooked rice
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    Nutrition Facts

    Nutrition Facts
    Perfect Rice
    Serving Size
     
    1 cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    171
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Sodium
     
    22
    mg
    1
    %
    Potassium
     
    103
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    36
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    4
    g
    8
    %
    Calcium
     
    22
    mg
    2
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Meme

    More Grains

    • bag of lentils, fresh tomatoes, and a clear bowl with lentils, mozzarella, walnuts, tomatoes, and basil on a straw mat.
      Caprese Lentil Tomato Salad
    • glass bowl of roasted vegetable lentil salad next to fresh rosemary, lemon, and scattered green lentils.
      Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
    • Cilantro Lime Rice and Beans from Living Well Kitchen
      Cilantro Lime Rice and Beans
    • Greek Quinoa Salad from Living Well Kitchen
      Greek Quinoa Salad
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Meme holding Watson at a restaurant in san diego.

    Hi, I'm Meme!

    A thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist here to help you enjoy food, make eating easier, and live free of diets & shame.

    About Meme

    Popular Posts

    • silver fork on a white plate with green beans and pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes covered in gravy.
      Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    • white wicker table with a jar of chocolate sauce with a silver spoon drizzling sauce into it.
      Easy Chocolate Sauce

    • yellow hammer drink in red cup with cherry on top, red beads
      Yellow Hammer Drink

    • white bowl with tomato salsa next to fresh cilantro, garlic, onion, and lemon on a wooden table.
      Low Sodium Salsa

    • two bowls of rotini topped with crawfish Monica sauce next to lemons, green onions, and a green napkin.
      Crawfish Monica Recipe

    • glass bowl with chicken salad on a yellow and white towel surrounded with butter crackers.
      Chicken Salad without Mayo

    Easy Recipes

    • salmon fillets covered in pesto in a white baking dish on wooden table
      Pesto Salmon

    • two white bowls of chicken apple curry topped with sliced almonds and fresh mint, apple, and blue pot with more chicken curry sauce
      Chicken Apple Curry

    • bowl of pork with avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips next to fresh cilantro and a blue napkin.
      Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pork

    • two ground beef taco bowls with various toppings next to a patterned napkin, cut avocado, silver spoons, and fresh cilantro.
      Ground Beef Taco Bowls

    • white plate with two slices of roasted vegetables pizza next to parmesan, fresh basil, a microplane, a bowl of pizza sauce, and a baking sheet with pizza.
      Roasted Vegetable Pizza

    • 4 stuffed sweet potato topped with chicken, black beans, and cheese on foil-lined baking sheet.
      Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

    Soup Season

    • two bowl of beef soup on blue and white napkins with silver spoons and garlic bread
      Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

    • two mugs with tomato soup topped with cheese chips next to a napkin with two spoons, a carrot, a can of tomatoes, and an onion.
      Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

    • bowl of lentil soup topped with cheese next to scattered green lentils and a Microplane with parmesan cheese.
      Salsa Lentil Soup

    • bowl of turkey white bean chili topped with fresh avocado next fresh avocado and cilantro.
      White Bean Turkey Chili

    See more Soup →

    In Season Veggies

    • blue pot with sauteed green beans and a wooden spoon on a white countertop
      Sautéed Green Beans

    • white bowl of roasted bell peppers next to a silver air fryer.
      Air Fryer Bell Peppers

    • red napkin with cooked carrots, rosemary sprig, cooked chicken on a white plate
      Garlic Rosemary Carrots

    • The Science of Caramelized Onions from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge
      Caramelized Onions

    More veggie recipes

    Footer

    as seen in:

    logos for cnn, huffpost, and self magazine.
    logos for buzzfeed, mbc news, brit + co, and women's health.

    Sign up for emails and updates!

    Subscribe for free!
    • About Meme
    • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer
    • Contact
    • Services
    • ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 - Powered by Feast+

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required