Puerto Rican White Rice
Transform your everyday side dish into a fragrant, fluffy masterpiece with this authentic Puerto Rican White Rice recipe. Made with just four simple ingredients—long-grain white rice, water, oil, and salt—this staple is all about perfecting technique to achieve its signature texture. The key lies in rinsing the rice to remove excess starch and slow steaming to create tender, separate grains. Ideal as a versatile base for Puerto Rican classics like beans, stews, or roasted meats, this recipe is quick to prepare and provides a light, satisfying complement to bold flavors. Perfectly cooked in under 30 minutes, it’s a must-know technique for home cooks looking to master the heart of Puerto Rican cuisine.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Rinse the rice under cold running water using a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. This helps remove excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming sticky.
In a medium-sized saucepan with a heavy bottom, add water, canola or vegetable oil, and salt. Stir to ensure the salt dissolves evenly.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water starts boiling, add the rinsed rice to the saucepan and stir briefly to distribute it evenly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the rice cook uncovered until most of the water has been absorbed and you see the surface of the rice start to look dry. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
Gently stir the rice to ensure even cooking, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan tightly with a lid.
Allow the rice to steam on low heat for 15 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during this time to maintain the trapped steam.
After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for an additional 5 minutes to finish steaming.
Fluff the rice gently with a fork before serving. Serve hot as a side dish or as a base for your favorite Puerto Rican dishes.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
768 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 29.1 g | 37% | |
| Saturated Fat | 2.3 g | 12% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 2386 mg | 104% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 112.7 g | 41% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g | 6% | |
| Total Sugars | 0.2 g | ||
| Protein | 10.8 g | 22% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 83 mg | 6% | |
| Iron | 4.8 mg | 27% | |
| Potassium | 140 mg | 3% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
