7 Easy Rice Recipes (Stove Top & Rice Cooker)

By: Annie54 Comments
Posted: 5/28/21 Updated: 10/21/20

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No more boring white rice...these SEVEN easy rice recipes are changing the game! With just a few simple ingredients, you can transform your rice into a flavor-packed side dish.

overhead shot of seven easy rice recipes with labels in white bowls

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Rice is such a blank canvas that is so fun to play around with! This post shows you how to add different flavors to your rice without the need to chop or sauté anything...simple seasonings and jarred ingredients can go a long way here!

Cook it on the stove, or in a rice cooker, and enjoy.

These 7 easy rice recipes

require no chopping or sauteeing (so you can just measure things out and be done!)
can be made on the stove top or in a rice cooker
are perfect for meal prep
are so much more delicious than plain rice!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped four of my favorite rice recipes from this post. With no sauteeing, they are so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Step by step directions

NOTE- these rice recipes were tested with basmati rice (not brown basmati). For brown rice or other type of rice, you may need to adjust the liquids and cook time according to the package.

1. Rinse rice- Rinse rice in a colander under the tap, or cover with water in the pot, swirl, and carefully decant the water, repeating until water runs clear.

TIP- rinsing the rice removes starch from the surface of the grains, yielding fluffier results.

2. Combine all ingredients in a pot or a rice cooker. Make sure the rice is submerged in water and not sticking to the sides of the pot or rice cooker.

TIP- I recommend a 4L/ 4 quart pot, or an 8 cup rice cooker.

3. Cook! If you are using a rice cooker, just press the 'white rice' button. If you are using the stove top method, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand (covered) for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

TIP- see Instant Pot basmati rice if you want to use a pressure cooker.

Rice FAQ

What kind of rice can I use for these recipes?

These rice recipes were tested with white basmati rice (not brown basmati), but you can swap for any long grain white rice. You could also swap for brown rice, although you'll need to adjust the cook time. I do not advise using short grain white rice or par boiled/pre cooked rice in these recipes.

Can I cook these recipes in the Instant Pot?

That should work fine, but you'll need to reduce your liquids to a 1:1 liquid to rice ratio. See: Instant Pot Basmati Rice, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Instant Pot Brown Rice for cook times.

Can I omit the coconut oil?

Yes! You can either swap for butter or just leave it out. We really loved the texture the coconut oil gave to the rice. I recommend refined coconut oil to avoid coconut flavor.

Can you eat leftover rice?

Despite it's bad rep, rice keeps well in the fridge, and we enjoy our rice for up to 4 days after cooking. To avoid risk of contamination, make sure you don't let the rice sit out for a long time after cooking it. When serving leftovers, re-heat it until it is steaming hot, and do not re-heat more than once.

Storage & food safety

If not handled properly, rice can be at risk of growing harmful bacteria that can make you sick. If you follow the following steps, you will be perfectly fine:

Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking- do not let it sit at room temperature for too long as this is the temperature at which harmful bacteria can replicate
Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
Reheat until steaming hot (add 1 tablespoon of water to the container, and fluff it up halfway through)
Do not reheat more than once

Read more about rice & food safety here!

Freezing

Rice freezes well. You can freeze it in meal prep containers or in freezer bags (I love these re-usable silicone freezer bags!). Some people add a little bit of water when re-heating freeze/thawed rice, as it does end up slightly drier than fresh rice.

7 rice flavors

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card

1. Herb Lemon Rice- 1 cup basmati rice, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter), ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ lemon zested, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable), ½ lemon juiced (after cooking)
2. Coconut Rice- 1 ½ cups basmati rice, 13.5 oz coconut milk (400 mL; full fat), 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar), ½ teaspoon salt, 2 ¼ cups water
3. Saffron Rice- ¼ cup boiling water, pinch saffron threads (roughly ⅛ tsp), 1 cup basmati rice rinsed, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ¾ cup stock (veggie or chicken)
4. Mexican- inspired Rice- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter), 1 cup salsa, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5. Cilantro Lime Rice- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter), ¼ teaspoon salt, zest of 1 lime, 2 cups water, ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped, juice of ½ a lime (after cooking)
6. Pesto Green Rice- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter), ¼ cup pesto, 2 cups stock (veggie or chicken), fresh basil leaves (to serve), sliced almonds (to serve)
7. Turmeric Yellow Rice- 1 cup basmati rice (rinsed), 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter), ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)