How to Cook Boil-in-Bag Rice
Boil-in-a-bag rice is an easy, no-muss, no-fuss way to prepare rice. You don't have to worry about measuring your rice or about your rice getting stuck to the pan. You can prepare boil-in-a-bag rice either on the stove top or in the microwave. Cooking times and the amount of water you need to use can vary slightly, depending on the brand. Using less water and reducing your cooking time will result in a firmer rice. If you want a soft rice, add more water and increase the cooking time.
Stove-Top Preparation
Step 1
Bring your water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
Step 2
Submerge a packet of boil-in-a-bag rice in the boiling water. Boil for 8 to 12 minutes, uncovered. The rice is ready when it puffs up and takes up all the space in the bag.
Step 3
Use a fork or tongs to remove the bag from the saucepan. Carefully cut open the bag with scissors and serve.
Microwave Preparation
Step 1
Place the water and rice in a large microwave-safe glass bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a lid.
Step 2
Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the rice. It's ready when it fills the space in the bag.
Step 3
Remove the bowl from the microwave using a pot holder or oven mitt. Pour the water down the drain. Carefully cut open the rice packet and serve.
Things You'll Need
Medium saucepan or large microwave-safe glass bowl
4 cups water (or as indicated on the package)
1 packet boil-in-a-bag rice
Pot holder
Scissors
Tip
Consider choosing brown boil-in-a-bag rice over white. White rice is a refined grain, which means its fibrous outer covering - - the bran -- was removed through milling. The bran contains most of the grain's fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. Brown rice, a whole grain, still has its bran and as such is considered a healthier choice.
Avoid adding excessive butter and salt to your rice. Butter is high in saturated fats, which can increase your LDL, or bad, cholesterol, leading to heart disease. You should also try to limit your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day to decrease your risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Just 1 tablespoon of salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium.
Warning
The rice will be hot when you remove it from the stove or the microwave. Even after you remove the bag from the saucepan or bowl, it will continue to exude steam. Be very careful when cutting open the bag and pouring out the contents to serve.
Using boil-in-a-bag rice in a rice cooker or pressure cooker isn't recommended.
