Easy Arroz Blanco (How To Make White Rice)
White rice is my love language. Spoken like a true Cuban girl. Ha!
No, but seriously, arroz blanco [pronounced ah-rrohs blahn-koh] is probably my favorite side dish ever. I make so many recipes with rice and enjoy it so much that white rice is practically in my DNA.
From serving white rice with Cuban picadillo to making arroz con frijoles, this rice recipe is definitely one of the most used in Cuban cuisine.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy & versatile side dish. You can serve it with practically anything.
- Cuban black beans served on top of white rice is ELITE.
- Camarones enchilados on top of white rice… it’s just the best thing ever. The rice soaks up all the juices and it’s just… YUM.
- When you’re sick, white rice usually heals my stomachache. It has healing powers!
- Ready in 25 minutes with just 4 ingredients. You can make white rice easily on the stove or in a rice cooker with oil, water, and salt. It’s practically foolproof!
Let’s make this magical grain!
Recommended For This Recipe
Rice Cooker
If you’ve only ever cooked rice on the stove, you are missing out on how easy it is to cook in using a rice cooker! This one is my favorite! It takes out all the guesswork.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Long-grain white rice. This is the best rice for this recipe since it is firm, has less starch, and doesn’t clump up when cooked. It stays fluffy which is the goal!
- Water. The water-to-rice ratio for white rice is always 2:1. 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.
- Vegetable oil. I use and recommend vegetable oil over any other oil for making white rice as it provides the fluffiness you want without altering the taste. I’ve used olive oil and avocado oil in the past and it just did not taste good to me. Ultimately, you do you!
- Salt. You can add 1 clove of garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you’d like to spice things up but I prefer to just add some good old-fashioned salt to my rice.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Growing up, my mom would always make arroz blanco in the rice cooker. It’s easy and pretty hands-off. So, naturally, that’s how I make rice too.
In case you don’t have a rice cooker, however, I’ve got you covered.
Here’s how you can make white rice on the stove.
- Rinse. First things first, you must rinse the rice thoroughly. This will remove any dust, debris, and starch so it doesn’t clump up while cooking. Using a strainer, rinse the rice under cool, running water until the water is clear.
On the stovetop
- In a large saucepan, add the rice, water, oil, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat but do not open the lid for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve and enjoy!
In a rice cooker
- Add the rice, water, oil, and salt to the rice cooker. Cook according to manufacturer instructions. Fluff with a fork when cooked.
After you make this white rice recipe, make my easy Spanish yellow rice recipe!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to use exact measurements. When the rice is undercooked, it means it didn’t have enough water. The water is necessary for the rice to absorb and achieve that fluffy consistency.
- Don’t remove the lid when cooking. If you remove the lid from the pot too early, you allow the steam to release too early which causes the rice to dry out risking it becoming hard or crunchy. So, no peeking! Just let it cook, undisturbed, until all the water is absorbed.
- Fluff with a fork, not a spoon. When you use a spoon, you run the risk of the rice getting mushy. Using a fork releases the rest of the moisture and steam which is how it retains its fluffiness. Also, I wouldn’t mess with it too much. Don’t fluff the rice for more than 30 seconds.
What is the ratio of water to rice?
The ratio of water to rice is 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rinsed white rice.
Is 1 cup of rice enough for 2?
Yes, 1 cup of cooked rice is enough for 2-3 servings depending on how much is served per plate.
Why is my rice mushy?
Adding too much water to the rice results in a mushy, overcooked texture. Make sure to use exact measurements and use a fork to fluff the rice (not a spoon).
Why is my rice overcooked and crunchy?
If you remove the lid from the saucepan too early, you allow steam to release which causes the rice to dry out risking it becoming hard or crunchy. Make sure to cook it, covered and undisturbed.
What To Serve With Arroz Blanco
Here are a few of my favorite recipes to serve with white rice.
- Sweet Plantains (Platanos Maduros)
- Cuban-Style Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
- Tostones Recipe (Twice-Fried Plantains!)
- Cuban-Style Crispy Shredded Chicken (Vaca Frita de Pollo)
- Pollo Asado (Cuban-Style Grilled Chicken)
- Cuban-Style Beef Stew (Ropa Vieja)
- Turkey Picadillo (Cuban Picadillo de Pavo)
- Easy & Authentic Cuban Picadillo
Can’t wait for you to make it!
Arroz Blanco (How To Make White Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup White rice, rinsed thoroughly
- 2 cups water
- 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
To cook rice in the rice cooker
- Add the rice, water, oil, and salt to the rice cooker. Cook according to manufacturer instructions. Fluff with a fork when cooked.
To cook rice on the stove
- In a large saucepan, add the rice, water, oil and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat but do not open the lid for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. The result is soft, fluffy white rice, not mushy nor wet. It's perfect. Serve and enjoy!
This is hands down the best rice I’ve ever had. I’m not from a culture that uses a lot of rice as a base for anything, so I never had any motivation to improve it beyond the occasional boil-in-a-bag laziness. This is a game changer. I actually went back for more rice instead of just using it as a base for the main item. Kudos, Jamie!
The fact that you went back for more is a great sign! So happy you enjoyed it, Lisa. Thank you!
This is an easy recipe and tastes delicious. For a fun variation to make the rice more interesting with virtually no extra effort, add 1 tsp. Cuban Complete seasoning (described elsewhere on this sit and 1/4 tsp. Bijol. In place of vegetable oil, use olive oil. Before adding the water to the saucepan, sauté the rice in the oil for a few minutes until it is evenly browned. Add the water, spices, and cook as directed. It makes a really quick and easy but quite tasty yellow rice.
This is exactly how I make my rice with one exception: I use butter instead of oil.
Always comes out amazing.
Very helpful. I am 76 years old and just recently learned how to cook rice.
That’s amazing news! So happy to hear, Jean, congrats!
We lived in Caracas for two years then Miami for almost twenty years. I miss the food so much! Cuban food I have found in restaurants here comes via California, not the same Miami taste. Different fish and soil, of course, but also different influences through the years.
But what rice do you use?
The recipe states long-grain rice. :)