How to Cook Long Grain Rice: Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

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Perfectly cooked rice is the foundation of so many good meals! Whether you’re looking to add a simple side dish to your supper or create a rice-based dinner for a crowd, knowing how to get perfectly fluffy, well-cooked rice is a skill anyone can master. All you need are a few helpful tips and tricks that are easy to incorporate, as long as you know what you’re doing. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know when it comes to creating rice that isn’t sticky, never mushy, and always a hit at the dinner table.

Bowl of Long Grain Rice topped with parsley for garnish.

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Table of Contents

Ingredients for Long Grain Rice
More Rice Options
How to Cook Rice: Stovetop Method
How to Cook Rice: Oven Method
How to Cook Rice: Rice Cooker Method
Common Mistakes and Easy Solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing and Reheating Rice
Rice Recipes To Try
What to Serve with Rice
How to Cook Long Grain Rice Recipe

Ingredients for Long Grain Rice

Making rice is the perfect way to fill everyone up with a simple and tasty side dish! It is quick and easy to make with only three pantry staple ingredients!

Rice – Long grain white rice.
Water – This allows moisture into the rice and helps it stay sticky and moist when cooking.
Salt – Add in for a little flavor when cooking.

More Rice Options

Most recipes, unless otherwise stated, use basic, long grain white rice. That is the type of rice we used in all the recipes. There are also many different varieties of rice you can use depending on what you are cooking.

Brown rice – Most white rice will cook in the same way as long-grain rice, but brown rice needs much longer to cook.
Dense rice – If you want your rice to be denser, like Japanese or Hawaiian-style dishes, use short-grain rice or medium-grain rice like Calrose rice, or sushi rice.
Risotto – If you are making risotto, the best rice to use is arborio rice.
Dry rice – For drier rice, for dishes like Mexican rice, rice pilaf, fried rice, or seasoned Indian rice, try using Jasmine rice or Basmati rice.

Why Rinse Rice Before Cooking?

Texture – Washing or rinsing your rice helps to achieve the perfect texture.
Cleans – It washes off the starches on the surface of the rice, which ensures it won’t be gummy.
Cook evenly – Letting the water soak into the rice a little bit also helps the rice cook more evenly. You won’t end up with dry areas.
Washing the rice – To wash the rice, put it in an excellent mesh strainer. Run cold water over the rice until the water runs clear. Let the rice sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cooking. Repeat until clear.

“Rinsing the rice is crucial because it helps remove the surface starch, which is what causes the rice to clump together. For long-grain varieties, a good rinse makes all the difference.”

Martha Stewart, Celebrity Chef and Cooking Expert

How to Cook Rice: Stovetop Method

Use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water (ex. 1 cup rice, 2 cups water). Put uncooked rice in a fine mesh strainer. Run under cold water until the water coming out the bottom runs clear. Let the wet rice sit for 5-10 minutes.
On your stovetop, bring water to a boil in a large pot or saucepan with a lid. Add the rice and stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 18 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

Placing lid on boiling pot of rice and water.

How to Cook Rice: Oven Method

Cooking long grain rice in the oven gives a moist and fluffy texture every time! It makes it easier to feed a crowd and cooks the long-grained rice evenly in the pan. Perfect for hands-free cooking for a quick and easy rice recipe!

Prepare – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 3 cups of uncooked rice in a 9×13 pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray, and spread evenly. Set aside.
Boil – In a large stock pot, combine 5 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Carefully pour boiling water over the rice and stir so the rice is even along the bottom. Immediately cover tightly with aluminum foil. Make sure you have a tight seal around ALL the edges.
Bake – Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a large wooden spoon & serve.
Serving – If you want to wait to serve, keep it in the oven at 150 degrees or so or keep warm in an electric warming pan. Add a little water if necessary to keep it from drying out.
For cooking large amounts of rice in the oven, see our post on How to Cook Rice for a Crowd.

Fluffing up the rice from a roasting pan.

“Cooking rice for a crowd is SO easy! For a potluck, family reunion, or church party, bake it in the oven and have up to 50 servings in less than an hour.”
– 5 Star Reviewer

How to Cook Rice: Rice Cooker Method

Rice in an Instant Pot cooks quickly and evenly, making it a convenient way to prepare rice. For more information, read How to Cook Instant Pot Rice.

Use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water (ex. 1 cup rice, 1 cup water).
Put uncooked rice in a fine mesh strainer. Run under cold water until the water coming out the bottom runs clear. Let the wet rice sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add rice and water to the rice cooker and stir. Close the lid and press the white rice button. When the timer goes off, lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

Common Mistakes and Easy Solutions

Rice is a delicious and filling dish to add to any dinner table! There are a few methods of cooking rice and making sure that it is not too gummy, too crunchy, or too sticky. And after several attempts over the years, we’ve figured out some easy solutions in the process to ensure your rice is perfectly fluffy every time. Some of it has to do with the cooking methods, which we will discuss. But here are a few mistakes to avoid before you even get the rice into the pot:

1. NOT RINSING THE RICE: Long grain rice generally is covered in a starchy film or dust that can lead to gummy or clumpy rice if it’s not properly rinsed. There can also be excess dirt, dust or chemicals that should be rinsed off before eating.
Solution: Washing your rice ahead of time is a great way to ensure perfectly cooked long-grain rice! It will help with the texture of the rice, clean the long-grain rice, as well as help it cook evenly when baking. Taking a few extra steps will give your long-grain rice fluffy cooked rice every time!
2. ADDING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE LIQUID: Too much liquid (whether it’s water chicken broth, etc.) can make your rice mushy and sticky. Whereas not using enough can result in a crunchy, underdone product.
Solution: Make sure to follow directions on the package exactly. But as a general rule of thumb, most long-grain rice follows the two-to-one ratio. For example, one cup of rice to two cups liquid.
3. UNDERSEASONING: Rice by itself is rather bland. There are so many ways to jazz up flavors in rice, especially during the cooking process.
Solution: Always add salt to the water before adding your rice into the pot. You can also season long-grain rice with chicken or vegetable broth, which is an excellent way to infuse great flavor into the rice. You can also add lemon juice, parsley, thyme, pepper or other herbs and seasonings to the rice as it simmers.
4. COOKING THE RICE AT THE WRONG TEMPERATURE: If you simmer the rice at too high a temperature, it can evaporate the water too quickly, resulting in unevenly cooked or even burned rice. Too low, and the rice won’t cook correctly either.
Solution: Bring your liquid to a boil before adding the grains. Then, immediately reduce to a low heat so the rice can simmer and absorb the liquid evenly. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes for perfect rice.
5. LIFTING THE LID, OR STIRRING DURING COOKING: Any time you lift the lid of your pot, you’ll lose the steam built up in the pan. You need that steam to make sure the rice cooks evenly.
Solution: Resist the urge to check on the rice until the cooking time is up. Peeking too early interferes with the steaming process and can result in dry, undercooked rice. Uncovering or stirring the rice can also break up the grains and that will make your rice mushy or even gummy in texture. Let the steam to its thing, and leave it alone until the time is up.
6. SERVING RICE IMMEDIATELY: Not letting the rice rest in the pot can result in watery or mushy rice on serving plates.
Solution: This is an easy solution. Once the rice is done cooking, remove it from heat and let it sit, still covered, for 5-10 minutes. This allows the steam and any excess water to redistribute through the rice, giving it a fluffier texture. After a few minutes you can fluff the rice with a fork and get it ready to serve. 7. USING THE WRONG COOKING POT: Using a pot that is too small or too thin can cause rice to burn or at the very least, cook unevenly. Solution: Use a heavy pot with a thicker bottom, such as a good quality saucepan or Dutch oven. You also want to make sure the pot is large enough for the rice to expand as it cooks and absorbs liquid.

“Rice should not be rushed. The secret to great long-grain rice is in its patient steaming, with the right amount of water and a proper resting period afterward.”

Julia Child, Renowned Chef and Cookbook Author

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you’re struggling with consistently mushy rice, or you can never seem to scrape the burned stuff of the bottom of the pan, you’re not alone! Here are some of the most common questions about how to cook rice, and and easy ways to answer:

Do I need to wash long-grained rice before cooking?

We recommend you wash, drain, and rinse the rice prior to cooking the long-grained rice in the oven. It helps wash away the debris, and excess starch and helps the rice cook evenly so it is not burnt or mushy.

What is the rice-to-water ratio when cooking long-grained rice?

We suggest one part rice to two parts water. You may need to adjust according to your type of long-grained rice and how you are cooking the rice.

Can I add flavorings to the water when cooking long-grained rice?

Yes! We love to add butter, herbs, and even broth for more liquid. This will enrich the rice flavoring.

Should I let the rice rest after cooking?

This is a great idea! It allows the rice to continue to cook while steaming it. This will make it extra fluffy and tender!

How do I prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the baking dish?

Make sure to grease or spray with cooking spray on the pan prior to adding the long-grained rice.

Storing and Reheating Rice

Make your long-grained rice ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. When ready to reheat, place in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop.

Storing – Store your cooked rice in an airtight container and store it in your refrigerator. The rice will stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Frozen – You can also freeze rice! Just place your cooked and cooled rice in a freezer-safe zip-top bag lay flat in your freezer and freeze for 1 to 2 months.
Reheat – To reheat rice, place your rice in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a microwave lid (we will usually just use a plate that will fit over the bowl). Microwave for 2 minutes and fluff with a fork. If it still isn’t heated all the way through, cover and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. If your rice seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of hot water water and continue to fluff with a fork.

Rice Recipes To Try

The recipe below is to help you make the perfect rice, as-is. If you want to try a rice recipe with a few more bells and whistles, give one of these recipes a try! So many of our favorite meals start with rice as a base. Whether you are making our Restaurant Ham Fried Rice or Red Beans and Rice, the rice is the show’s star!

Jollof Rice

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Easy Yellow Rice

Sushi Rice

What to Serve with Rice

Now that you have a solid foundation and you know how to cook rice, what are you going to put on top? It makes an excellent side for P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, and Chicken Tikka Masala or any of our other favorite recipes:

Crockpot General Tso Chicken

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Chicken Massaman Curry

Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken