Arroz Blanco (or Steamed White Rice) is a side dish of fluffy rice that’s easy to prepare. Whether you are looking to start meal-planning or need a quick accompaniment for your entrees, this arroz blanco recipe will be the secret weapon in your culinary arsenal.
*This is an updated post of the original first published in March 2020. The article has been updated, but the recipe is the same.*
What is Arroz Blanco?
Arroz blanco means “white rice” in English. Rice is a seed; however, it’s consumed primarily as a cereal grain.
There are a wide variety of rice types, such as wild rice, brown rice, Arborio, sushi, short grain, medium grain, and long grain. These are just a few types of the rice varieties we can easily find on our grocery store shelves. Rare varieties of rice like emerald jade, forbidden (or black) rice, and even Carolina gold, a staple in the American South that I find difficult to come by, add even more choices to our daily plates.
Rice is a food source that can bulk up any meal it’s added to or one you can eat on its own to fill up your belly. You can stretch recipes like stews, soups, casseroles, and even breakfast foods by stirring in a cup (or two) of cooked rice. My mother always told me, “You’ll never go hungry if you have rice in the house.”
Why is White Rice So Popular?
Rice is an important dietary staple for many of the world’s cultures. More than half of the world’s population depends on rice for their daily caloric intake because it’s inexpensive, accessible, and simple to prepare. A quick search of common foods worldwide reveals that rice is a prominent part of many countries’ diets and cultures.
What Do I Need to Make Arroz Blanco?
To make arroz blanco or steamed white rice, you need long or extra-long grain white rice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and water. Spices or seasonings can add flavor or color to a plain pot of arroz blanco, but they aren’t required.
You’ll need a pot with a heavy bottom, a spoon, and a piece of aluminum foil.
Do I Have to Use Long Grain Rice For This Arroz Blanco Recipe?
Arroz Blanco is most often made with long or extra-long grain white rice. Medium-grain rice is the most popular variety in some Hispanic or Caribbean countries. This is mainly because that’s the rice you can get easily there. You can replace long or extra-long white rice with basmati or jasmine rice without modifying this recipe.
Long or extra-long grain rice is the easiest to prepare since it requires no extra cooking or pre-soaking. You can replace the white rice in this recipe with brown rice, but its firmer texture will require an additional 1/2 cup of water and a longer steaming time (increase by 15 minutes). Short grain or medium rice, because it’s smaller, will require a 1/4 cup less water and a reduction in cooking time to only 15 minutes. Both types of rice benefit from 10 to 15 minutes of pre-soaking, though it’s not a must.
What Does Rinsing the Rice Do?
Starch is what causes the rice to become gummy and sticky after cooking. Rice is covered in starch that must be rinsed away to avoid this. The excess starch, if not rinsed away, thickens the cooking water, which causes the rice to go gummy.
Add the rice to a large mixing bowl and cover it with at least 4 inches of cold water. Don’t rinse the rice in warm or hot water because both contain sediments that make the water appear cloudier. Hotter water will also begin to prematurely soften rice grains, which may lead to overcooking the rice.
Use your fingers to agitate the water to remove the rice grains’ starch. Carefully strain the water from the rice in the bowl and repeat this rinsing process 2 to 3 more times.
The more you rinse the rice grains, the clearer your water will become, a sign that the rice is free of the starches that cause it to become gummy.
Strain the water from the rice well and set it aside for now.
Can I Use the Strained Rice Water?
Save the strained rice water for conditioning your hair, watering your plants, or as a liquid base for soups and stews.
How Do I Properly Cook White Rice?
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute in a cast aluminum caldero or a heavy bottom pot. You can also use vegetable oil, rendered bacon fat, or lard instead of olive oil.
Add the rinsed and dried rice to the pot once the oil begins to shimmer. Use a wooden spoon to stir the rice into the olive oil and coat the grains while toasting them.
The rice will take on a golden color and stick a little to the bottom of the pot. Scrape up the rice with your wooden spoon once more, then pour in the cold water.
To switch up the flavor of your arroz blanco, replace the water with chicken stock, seafood stock, beef stock, or ham stock.
Give the rice another stir to incorporate the water into the rice.
How Can I Alter the Flavor or Color of Arroz Blanco?
Season the rice with kosher salt after adding the water. I also add a small amount of black pepper to my arroz blanco, but this isn’t a must.
To add more flavor to your white rice, get creative with your spice additions:
- Turmeric or sazón adds a beautiful yellow or orange color to white rice.
- Add spice blends like my Chicken Seasoning Blend, Mexican Spice Blend, or Middle Eastern Spice Blend to the rice for more intense flavors.
- Adding flavored salts like adobo, seafood seasoning, cajun spice, or smoked salts also a unique flavor to your white rice.
Allow the water to come to a rapid boil once you stir in the salt. A rapid boil means big bubbles break violently through the water’s surface. Continue boiling the water just until the grains of rice are visible, and the liquid is nearly evaporated in the pot.
What Does the Foil Trick Do to Arroz Blanco?
Stir the rice in the pot once more. You will hear what sounds like rustling newspaper when you stir the rice at this point.
Lay a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the pot. Press the pot’s lid down onto the foil firmly. Sealing the rice pot with the foil between its lid creates an extremely tight seal that allows the rice to steam evenly and more efficiently inside the pot.
Reduce the cooking temperature of the rice to low and allow the rice to steam for 20 to 25 minutes without removing the lid or stirring.
How Do I Fix Arroz Blanco That’s Too Hard?
Uncover the pot after the cooking time is up. The water will be completely evaporated, and little holes will have formed in the rice.
Turn the heat off, but leave the pot on the stove. Use a spoon or a large fork to fluff the rice in the pot to break it up. The rice will be separated and fluffy once you move it around.
If the rice in the pot is still firm, add a 1/4 cup of water, cover it with the lid and continue steaming the rice for another 10 minutes.
How Do I Serve Arroz Blanco?
Serve arroz blanco with your favorite beans or peas. You can also serve white rice with meats that have gravies. Serve it on its own, topped with sliced green onions and fried egg.
Rice is versatile that way.
How Do I Store Leftover White Rice?
Store leftover white rice in a food storage container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Leftover white rice is great for making stir-fried rice, rice pudding, and many other dishes, so don’t let it go to waste.
To reheat arroz blanco, add a couple of tablespoons of water to its container. Microwave the rice on high for 2 minutes, stirring after a minute.
Can I Freeze Arroz Blanco
To freeze arroz blanco:
- Transfer the cooled rice to a freezer storage bag.
- Press out any air and seal the bag.
- Freeze the rice for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen rice in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat it in the microwave with a small amount of water.
This arroz blanco, or steamed white rice, recipe is a must for anyone who eats. It’s a simple, filling, economical way to feed yourself and your family, whether you’re a single adult, a busy parent, or a college student. Be sure to pin this recipe to your side dishes board and share it with anyone who needs some inspiration in the kitchen.
Arroz Blanco (Steamed White Rice)
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 4 quart heavy pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups (420 grams) extra long grain rice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons 23 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (500 milliliters) cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt optional
Instructions
Rinse the Rice Thoroughly
- Add the rice to a large mixing bowl and cover it with at least 4 inches of cold water. Use your fingers to agitate the water to remove the rice grains' starch.
- Carefully strain the water from the rice in the bowl and repeat this rinsing process 2 to 3 more times.Strain the water from the rice well and set it aside for now.
Toast the Grains of Rice
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute in a 4 to 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Add the rinsed and dried rice to the pot once the oil begins to shimmer.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the rice into the olive oil and coat the grains while toasting them.The rice will take on a golden color and stick a little to the bottom of the pot.
- Scrape up the rice with your wooden spoon once more, then pour in the cold water. Give the rice another stir to incorporate the water into the rice.
- Season the rice with kosher salt after adding the water. Allow the water to come to a rapid boil once you stir in the salt. Continue boiling the water just until the grains of rice are visible, and the liquid is nearly evaporated in the pot.
Seal, then Steam the Rice
- Stir the rice in the pot once more. You will hear what sounds like rustling newspaper when you stir the rice at this point.Lay a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the pot. Press the pot's lid down onto the foil firmly.
- Reduce the cooking temperature of the rice to low and allow the rice to steam for 20 to 25 minutes without removing the lid or stirring. Uncover the pot after the cooking time is up. The water will be completely evaporated, and little holes will have formed in the rice.
Fluff, the Serve the Rice
- Turn the heat off, but leave the pot on the stove. Use a spoon or a large fork to fluff the rice in the pot to break it up. The rice will be separated and fluffy once you move it around.
- Serve arroz blanco with your favorite beans or peas. You can also serve white rice with meats that have gravies. Serve it on its own, topped with sliced green onions and fried egg.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- You can replace long or extra-long white rice with basmati or jasmine rice without modifying this recipe.
- To replace the white rice in this recipe with brown rice, add additional 1/2 cup of water and increase the steaming time to 35 to 40 minutes. To use short grain or medium rice, reduce the cooking liquid by 1/4 cup and steam for 15-20 minutes. Both types of rice will benefit from 10 to 15 minutes of pre-soaking.
- You can replace the extra-virgin olive oil with vegetable oil, rendered bacon fat, or lard.
- Replace the water with chicken stock, seafood stock, beef stock, or ham stock.
- Replace the kosher salt with equal measurements of ground turmeric, sazón, Chicken Seasoning Blend, Mexican Spice Blend, Middle Eastern Spice Blend, or flavored salts like adobo, seafood seasoning, cajun spice, or smoked salts.
- You can add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the rice along with the salt, as well.
Tips and Techniques:
- The excess starch, if not rinsed away, thickens the cooking water, which causes the rice to go gummy.
- Save the strained rice water for conditioning your hair, watering your plants, or as a liquid base for soups and stews.
- Sealing the rice pot with the foil between its lid creates an extremely tight seal that allows the rice to steam evenly and more efficiently inside the pot.
- If the rice in the pot is still firm, add a 1/4 cup of water, cover it with the lid and continue steaming the rice for another 10 minutes.
Storage Instructions:
- Store leftover white rice in a food storage container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
- To reheat arroz blanco, add a couple of tablespoons of water to its container. Microwave the rice on high for 2 minutes, stirring after a minute.
Freezer Instructions:
- Transfer the cooled rice to a freezer storage bag, pressing out any air, then seal the bag.
- Freeze the rice for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen rice in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat it in the microwave with a small amount of water.
White rice staple in Indian cooking too, and the method of cooking is almost similar. So agree with your mother, we always keep rice in our pantry.
So many cultures do, Hayley. We love it.
Made this today and served it with some salmon. Yummy!
That sounds delicious, Min!
This is the perfect recipe for white rice! It went really well with the fish I served tonight. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome, Dennis.
I love how easily you made this recipe for us, and I am so excited to make this for everyone!
Thanks, Amy!
Love the step by step! Such a great tutorial on steamed rice…thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Tammy.