Looking to eat more whole grains? Here’s the world’s most popular one: rice. Rice is eaten all around the globe in almost every cuisine! It’s easy to make, full of nutrients, and shelf stable for years. But it can also be botched: cooked to be too gummy, too watery or too crunchy. With rice, you can end up with a sloppy mess. Here are all the best go-to rice recipes so you can cook it perfectly every time! This list includes basics like how to cook white rice and brown rice, and ways to make rice into a tasty side dish. It also shows how to turn rice into tasty healthy dinner recipes. Ready to get started?
And now…our top rice recipes!
White rice vs. brown rice
What’s the breakdown of white rice vs brown rice? Is brown rice healthier? When you have time to make it, brown rice has a lot of nutritional benefits. Brown rice has an impressive amount of vitamins, minerals and beneficial compounds because it is less processed than white rice. Here’s a breakdown: Also try: Jasmine Rice, Basmati Rice, Jade Rice
Brown rice is less processed so has more nutrients. White rice has its hull, bran and germ removed, but brown rice has only the hull removed and keeps the nutrient-packed bran and germ. As a result, brown rice retains the nutrients that white rice lacks such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Brown rice has more fiber. 1 cup of cooked white rice has 0.6 grams fiber, but 1 cup cooked brown rice has 3.2 grams of fiber, 13% of your daily need. (Source)
Wild rice vs. brown rice
Did you know that wild rice is not actually rice? (You did if you read about our wild rice soup above!) It’s the seed from a grass that grows in lakes and streams. But since it looks a lot like rice, most cuisines treat it like rice. Though they are not related, wild rice is often compared to brown rice. What are the nutritional differences of brown rice vs white rice?
Wild rice has less calories than brown rice, about 66% less! 1 cup of cooked wild rice has 166 calories and 1 cup brown rice has 248 calories. (Source) Wild rice has slightly more protein than brown rice. 1 cup cooked wild rice has 6.5 grams protein vs 5.5 grams in brown rice. (Source)Both wild and brown rice have the same amount of fiber, about 3 grams per 1 cup cooked.
More rice recipes
Need more recipes? Here are a few more recipe ideas starring this grain:
Try Vegetarian Red Beans and RiceServe rice with Chickpea Curry, Coconut Lentil Curry or Coconut Cauliflower CurryAdd rice to Cuban Black Beans or Easy Stir Fry VegetablesGo for Rice Stuffed Acorn SquashMake a Healthy Sushi Bowl, or Maki Sushi RecipeAdd rice to the very Best Vegetarian MeatloafMix up a Poke Bowl or Salmon Poke BowlUse rice to form a Veggie Burger
5 from 2 reviews **You can also use this method with brown rice if you like. Follow the same instructions, but simmer for 45 minutes in Step 1.
