The One Step I Never Skip for Way More Delicious Rice

Cooking rice on the stovetop can be a bit of a moving target. Little changes to the cooking method and ratio of liquid can mean the difference between perfectly cooked rice, and either a mushy mess or a dry, scorched one. Once you’ve found your perfect liquid ratio, timing, and heat level, though, there’s one more step you can take to make your rice extra flavorful: Toast it!

Toasting is a simple method that works wonders on any kind of rice, and even other grains like couscous and quinoa. In the same way toasting nuts deepens their flavor, toasting rice in a little bit of oil or butter before cooking it in liquid adds a warm, toasty flavor to plain rice. The addition of butter or oil adds even more richness.

But why stop there? You can use this opportunity to bloom spices — like cumin or turmeric, for example — or aromatics (like garlic, finely chopped onion, or scallions) in the saucepan with the rice, adding even more flavor to your rice. 

1. Rinse the rice. Rinsing is a key step to cooking rice that removes excess starches that can lead to a gummy finished product. The rice doesn’t need to be bone-dry before toasting, but be sure to thoroughly drain it in the strainer and shake off any excess moisture.
2. Add fat to a saucepan. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat per cup of rice. There should be enough fat to lightly coat the grains of rice. If adding aromatics like scallions or garlic, I like to err on the side of a bit more fat, and if not, a bit less, but choose your own adventure. 
3. Add aromatics and spices, if using. Add any aromatics or spices to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Add the rice. Add the rice to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat until the grains begin to brown slightly at the edges and you can smell a warm, toasty flavor. This usually takes about 5 minutes for me when toasting 1 to 2 cups of rice.
5. Add liquid. That’s it! Once the rice is toasted you can add water or broth and proceed with cooking your rice as you normally would.

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