Rice Cooker Rice Recipe
A rice cooker traps nearly all the steam under a sealed lid, so it needs less water than a stovetop pot where liquid evaporates freely. Using a slightly tighter ratio than a stovetop recipe, and letting the rice rest untouched after the cooker switches to warm, is what actually produces separate, fully steamed grains instead of a wet or scorched layer at the bottom.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter, optional
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 242
- Protein
- 4g
- Carbs
- 49g
- Fat
- 2g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →
Instructions
- 1Measure the rice using a standard measuring cup (not the small cup that came with the cooker) and place it in a fine-mesh strainer or directly in the cooker's inner pot.
- 2Rinse the rice under cold running water, swishing it with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear instead of cloudy white. Drain well.
- 3Add the rinsed rice to the rice cooker's inner pot in an even layer. Add the water, using 1 1/8 cups water for every 1 cup of rice.
- 4Stir in the salt and add the butter if using, but don't stir again once the lid closes.
- 5Close the lid, select the white rice or regular setting, and start the cooker. Don't lift the lid to check on it while it runs.
- 6When the cooker switches from 'cook' to 'keep warm,' leave the lid closed and let the rice rest undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- 7Open the lid and fluff the rice with a rice paddle or fork, lifting and turning the grains rather than stirring, before serving.
Tips & variations
- For brown rice, use 1 1/4 cups water per cup of rice and expect the cooker to run 20-25 minutes longer than the white rice cycle, or use the cooker's dedicated brown rice setting if it has one.
- For jasmine rice, drop the ratio slightly to 1 cup water per cup of rice since jasmine is more delicate and absorbs less liquid than long-grain white.
- For sushi rice, rinse until the water runs completely clear (this usually takes 4-5 changes of water) and use a scant 1:1 ratio, then season with rice vinegar after cooking, not before.
- At elevations above 3,000 feet, add 2-3 tablespoons of extra water per cup of rice since water boils at a lower temperature and less steam is generated.
- Swap in low-sodium broth for the water for a more savory side dish.
Storage & reheating
Cool cooked rice within an hour and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in flat portions for up to 1 month. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, in the microwave, or steam it briefly back in the rice cooker with a tablespoon or two of water added.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Use the same measuring cup for both the rice and the water every time; mixing the cooker's included cup with a standard US cup is the most common reason the ratio ends up off.
- If the bottom layer of rice is consistently a little wet, cut the water by a tablespoon or two per cup of rice on the next batch rather than assuming the cooker is broken.
FAQ
What is the exact rice-to-water ratio for a rice cooker?
For long-grain white rice, use about 1 1/8 cups of water per 1 cup of rice using standard measuring cups. This is slightly less than the roughly 1:2 ratio used for stovetop rice because a sealed rice cooker loses almost no water to evaporation.
Does the ratio change for brown rice or other grains?
Yes. Brown rice needs more water and time, about 1 1/4 cups of water per cup of rice, because its bran layer slows water absorption. Jasmine rice needs slightly less water than long-grain white, closer to a 1:1 ratio.
Why does my rice cooker rice come out mushy or too wet?
This almost always means too much water relative to rice, often from using the cooker's small measuring cup for rice but a standard cup for water. Keep the measuring tool consistent, and reduce water by a tablespoon or two per cup of rice if it happens repeatedly.
Can I use the small cup that came with my rice cooker instead of a standard measuring cup?
Yes, as long as you use it for both the rice and the water, since it's usually about 3/4 the size of a standard US cup (roughly 150-180ml). Mixing that cup with a standard measuring cup for only one of the two ingredients is what throws the ratio off.
Do I need to rinse rice before adding it to the cooker?
Rinsing isn't strictly required for the cooker to function, but it removes surface starch that otherwise makes the rice sticky and clumped rather than separate grains, especially noticeable with white and sushi rice.