Wondering what to do with rice, quick cooking? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 11 recipes to put it to work.

What is rice, quick cooking?

Quick-cooking rice, often sold as instant or minute rice, is regular rice that has already been fully cooked and then dried back down. Because the hard work is done at the factory, all you do at home is rehydrate it.

That takes about five minutes instead of the twenty or more raw rice needs. The grains are cut with tiny fissures during processing so water rushes back in fast, and that speed is also what gives instant rice its softer, looser texture compared to rice cooked from scratch.

You'll find both white and brown versions, plain or pre-seasoned. The plain kind is the most useful in cooking, since you control the flavor.

Cooking With Quick-Cooking Rice

The headline use is speed. Most instant rice needs only boiling water or broth and a short rest.

Bring the liquid to a boil, stir in the rice, then cover and let it sit off the heat for about five minutes before fluffing. Always check the package, since the exact liquid ratio and timing vary by brand.

It really earns its keep in weeknight one-pan meals, where it cooks right in the dish and soaks up the surrounding flavor. In 15 Minute Cheesy Chili'n Rice Skillet it simmers with the chili and cheese so dinner lands fast.

It does the same job in Cheesy Mexican Rice with Beef. Quick rice is also handy in soups and casseroles that bake or simmer only briefly.

Rice Soup Florentine and Rice & Noodle Casserole both lean on it so the grains turn tender in the same short cooking window as everything else.

There's one classic stuffing trick worth knowing. In Porcupine Peppers and Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers, the rice goes in quick-cooking so it finishes in the oven without the crunchy center that slow raw rice sometimes leaves in a stuffed pepper.

For sweet uses, quick rice softens fast in milk for a speedy rice pudding, as in Apple Cinnamon Pudding, though a truly creamy pudding still rewards a longer simmer.

Quick Rice Versus Regular Rice, and Where Not to Use It

The trade-off for speed is texture. Instant rice is softer and lighter than rice simmered from raw, and the grains can break down or turn mushy if you overcook them.

It also tends to taste blander, so cook it in broth and season well. That softness is exactly why it's wrong for some dishes.

Skip it for risotto, which depends on slowly releasing starch from raw short-grain rice to build creaminess, and for a proper pilaf, where you want each separate, toothsome grain. Instant rice simply can't deliver that bite.

The most common mistake is adding too much liquid or letting it sit too long. Because the grains rehydrate so fast, a few extra minutes or an over-generous pour turns them to paste.

Measure the liquid and fluff promptly. The second mistake is treating it like raw rice in a long-cooked recipe.

If you stir quick rice into a stew that simmers for an hour, it disintegrates. Add it only in the last several minutes, or pick regular rice for anything with a long cook time.

Substitutes

If a recipe calls for quick rice and you only have regular long-grain white rice, cook it separately the normal way and stir it in, or just plan for the longer cooking time and extra liquid the raw grain needs.

Going the other direction, you can use quick rice in place of regular rice in fast dishes if you cut the liquid and time to the package directions, expecting a softer result.

Pre-cooked rice from a pouch, or leftover cooked rice from the fridge, both work well as a fast stand-in since they're already done.

For a different texture in a pinch, quick-cooking couscous or fine bulgur rehydrate just as fast and suit many of the same skillet and salad dishes, though they bring their own flavor.

Buying and Storing Quick Rice

Quick-cooking rice sits near the regular rice in boxes and bags, and in microwave cups. For the most flexibility, buy plain white or brown instant rice rather than the pre-seasoned pilaf-style boxes, which lock you into one flavor and add sodium.

Stored in a cool, dry pantry, sealed against moisture, dry instant white rice keeps a long time, often a year or two past purchase. Brown instant rice has more oil from the bran, so it goes stale or rancid sooner.

Use brown instant rice within a few months, and store it somewhere cool, even the freezer for long keeping. Once cooked, treat it like any cooked rice.

Cool it quickly, refrigerate within a couple of hours, and use within about three to four days. Cooked rice left warm too long can grow bacteria that cause food poisoning, so don't let it linger at room temperature.

Quick facts

In Chinese

大米，速煮

British (UK) term

Rice, quick cooking

en français

riz, cuisson rapide

en español

arroz, cocción rápida

Recipes using rice, quick cooking

There are 11 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 11 recipes