Make perfectly cooked, tender, fluffy rice in the microwave with this recipe for classic Rice Pilaf plus variations for Beefy Browned Rice, Mexican Rice and Plain White Rice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
If you’ve been around here long, you already know how much a love rice and how comfy I am cooking it. My family are rice people through and through so I grew up cooking it. Just like with swimming, I don’t remember not knowing how.
But I’ve learned from y’all that not everyone has the knack for it and that some folks are downright intimidated by preparing traditional uncooked white rice.
So, I want to share a no-fail way to cook it in the microwave! As accustomed to cooking rice as I am, I often cook it this way if I’m making a big meal and need to free up a burner. Or if I have 47 things going at once, I might pop it in the nuker so it’s one less thing for me to think about!
OTHER FLAVOR VARIATIONS FOR MICROWAVE RICE
The recipe I’m sharing here is for classic Rice Pilaf but with just a few tweaks, this recipe can also be used to make these microwaveable variations. Plug these ingredients into the recipe instructions for Rice pilaf down below.
Microwave Beefy Browned Rice - Omit the garlic and salt. Substitute 3 10-oz cans of Beef Consommé for the chicken broth. See my traditional baked version of this recipe for Mama’s Brown Rice.
Microwave Mexican Restaurant-Style Rice - Substitute olive oil for butter. Add black pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup taco sauce or tomato sauce to chicken broth. I have a stove-top version of this recipe as well.
Microwave Plain White Rice - Combine 3.5 cups water, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1.5 cups uncooked white rice and 4 tablespoons butter (cut into 4-5 pats) then cook in the microwave per instructions (no skillet or sautéing needed).
WHAT IS RICE PILAF?
Pilaf rice is plain white rice that is typically sauteed or browned in oil or butter with aromatics such as onion, garlic and/or celery then cooked in a light vegetable or chicken broth. Some varieties include sweet ingredients like raisins, dates or apricots and are seasoned with spices such as cinnamon or cardamon.
NOTES & TIPS FOR COOKING RICE IN THE MICROWAVE
- I typically use a Pyrex dish with a glass lid or a round ceramic casserole dish with a dinner plate as a lid (plate facing up, not upside down). The lid or plate needs to sit snuggly on the dish to ensure too much steam doesn’t escape while the rice is cooking.
- You can’t use anything smaller than a 1.5-quart dish with this recipe but you can use something bigger.
- Before cooking in the microwave, place a large plate inside to set the dish on to cook. I never have any overflow but your microwave might cook faster than mine and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
- Once you make this one time, you will know how hot your microwave cooks and things will be easy-peasy going forward but the first time you make this, you will want to keep an eye on the microwave after the first 5 minutes. If the broth starts to boil over, make note of the time remaining on the timer, stop the microwave, then continue cooking at 50% power for a total cooking time of 20 minutes (e.g. if you stopped it after 8 minutes, continue cooking at 50% for 12 minutes).
Recipe for No-Fail Microwave Rice
No-Fail Microwave Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Read all notes below before cooking.
- Sauté rice and onion in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until rice is starting to brown (about 4 minutes). Add garlic then continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and salt to a 1.5-quart microwavable baking dish or bowl.
- Pour rice, etc. from skillet into chicken broth then stir.
- Cover dish with lid or microwavable plate then cook for 10 minutes (100% power).
- Continue cooking at 50% power for an additional 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove dish from microwave (it will be very hot). Fluff rice with a fork then serve.
- Stovetop alternative: Follow instructions through 2nd step. Combine broth, salt and contents from skillet in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low then cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice with a fork the first 15 minutes of cooking.
Notes
RECIPE NOTES:
- I typically use a Pyrex dish with a glass lid or a round ceramic casserole dish with a dinner plate as a lid (plate facing up, not upside down). The lid or plate needs to sit snuggly on the dish to ensure too much steam doesn’t escape while the rice is cooking.
- You can’t use anything smaller than a 1.5-quart dish but you can use something bigger.
- Before cooking in the microwave, place a large plate inside to set the dish on to cook. I never have any overflow but your microwave might cook faster than mine and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
- Once you make this one time, you will know how hot your microwave cooks and things will be easy-peasy going forward but the first time you make this, you will want to keep an eye on the microwave after the first 5 minutes. If the broth starts to boil over, make note of the time remaining on the timer, stop the microwave, then continue cooking at 50% power for however long will be 20 minutes total cooking time (e.g. if you stopped it after 8 minutes, continue cooking at 50% for 12 minutes).
- If you use bullion and water instead of chicken broth, taste before adding salt as you may not need it. The rice will taste as salty as the liquid it cooks in so be careful not to oversalt it as bullion tends to be saltier than broth.
RECIPE VARIATIONS:
- Beefy Browned Rice: Omit the garlic and salt. Substitute 3 10-oz cans of Beef Consommé for the chicken broth.
- Mexican Restaurant-Style Rice: Substitute olive oil for butter. Add black pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup taco sauce or tomato sauce to chicken broth.
- Plain White Rice: Combine 3.5 cups water, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1.5 cups uncooked white rice and 4 tablespoons butter (cut into 4-5 pats) then cook in the microwave per instructions (no skillet or sautéing needed).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
209.74Fat
8.98 gSat. Fat
5.47 gCarbs
28.56 gFiber
0.47 gNet carbs
28.09 gProtein
3.29 gSodium
741.57 mg
WOW! What great ideas. Love these...and the simplicity of making these dishes in the microwave. Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck.
ReplyDeleteI prefer doing my rice in the microwave. It turns out fluffier.
ReplyDelete