Arroz Blanco, Puerto Rican White Rice

Bowl of cooked white rice with a jar of uncooked rice behind it.

5 from 2 votes

Arroz Blanco, Puerto Rican White Rice

White Rice is a super versatile staple loved by cultures all around the world. Whether it’s a simple side dish or the star of a meal, its quick 20-minute cooking time makes it a kitchen favorite everywhere!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Zoé Forestier

Ingredients

2 cups rice I use Jasmine but our favorite type or size will work as well.
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch salt

Instructions

Rinse the rice until the water comes out clear. Once clean, drain the excess water. Rinsing the rice, removes excess starch from the grains.
Bring water, oil, and salt to a boil.
Once the water begins to bubble, add rinsed rice.
Continue to cook at medium to high heat until water begins to be absorbed (about five to 10 minutes). Once almost absorbed. Bring heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Check the rice for doneness. If the rice is still not fully cooked, add about a quarter cup of water, cover it, and cook for five to ten minutes. Once the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork, cover and let it rest for another five minutes. If you use a spoon to fluff the rice, you risk the chance of squashing the grains.

Notes

DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE IT IS COOKING: I mean it. Maybe an initial toss to make sure all the grains are covered by the water and the salt is distributed, but other than that, do not turn the rice while it is cooking. I find that it makes it stickier. If the pot is covered, the steam and condensation drippings will cook the grains on the top of the pot. Trust me.
I mentioned fluffing with a fork: Yes, you will use the spoon to serve the rice, but fluff the rice once the rice is cooked is best with a fork. The tines of the fork allow you to lift the grains without smashing or squashing them. Do a few turns with the fork in the pot, and then switch to the serving spoon to serve
Neutral seasoning allows for versatility: The seasoning for this recipe is relatively mild since we are only using a pinch of salt, which opens the leftover to endless possibilities, like:
- - A dessert like rice pudding
- - Quick fried rice, or
- - Protein or vegetable-stuffed rice balls that could be pan-fried as an appetizer or snack.
What is the ratio of water to rice? I find that 1.25 (one and a quarter) cups of water per cup of rice works best for me. I have used a 1:1 ratio before, and that has also worked, but not as consistently as 1.25:1
Do you have to wash rice before cooking? I think this is a matter of preference. When my mom was teaching me to cook, she taught me to wash the rice. At the restaurants, we never really washed the rice, and the rice came out fine. The concept behind it is to remove any impurities that might come from the processing of the grains, like pebbles, faulty grains, and excess starch. In recent years most rice is coming relatively clean, so I do not wash my rice all the time. I do, however, pick through my rice to eliminate any grains that might seem harder than the rest, ensuring there are no small pebbles or foreign particles.

Nutrition