Next time you're thinking of serving rice as a side, think about how pretty it might be with black rice. Do you know about black rice? It's delicious, fun and beautiful and can be substituted for jasmine, basmati or long-grain rice. It makes a dramatic statement, but it's easy to prepare if you know just a few simple tips and tricks!
Prep time: PT5M
Cook time: PT40M
Total time: PT45M
Rating
5 stars (6 reviews)
Keywords
Black Rice, How to Cook Black Rice
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt (skip the salt if using bouillon)
1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube (optional)
Categories
Side
Cuisine
American
Chinese
Indian
Thai
Steps
Place the rice in a medium-size bowl and cover with water. Let the rice soak for 5 minutes then, place one hand in the water and swish the rice vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour the rice into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse for 20 seconds.
Drain the rice well, then transfer it to a medium-large saucepan. Add 8 cups of water and the salt (or add a chicken or veggie bouillon cube if desired instead of the salt) and bring to a boil.
Once the mixture is boiling, continue cooking (uncovered) at a medium boil for 35-45 minutes. Add more water if the rice is not covered by 1-2 inches of water at any point.
Start checking it at around 30 minutes by removing a small amount of rice with a slotted spoon. Cool for a minute then taste. The rice should be tender, but still a bit chewy. If it's not tender, cook for another 3-5 minutes, then check again.
Once the rice is tender, drain the it well and set aside. (If making rice in advance, drain it well then drizzle lightly with olive oil and stir with a fork to coat.
Taste and season as needed with kosher salt and a little black pepper. Enjoy or, if prepping in advance, allow the rice to cool, then refrigerate in an airtight storage container.)
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 114 kcal
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 390 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Pam Miller on 2026-02-27 (5 stars): I read black rice should be soaked for at least 6 hours to break down outside layer resulting in better absorption. What are your thoughts?
Andrew on 2024-10-25 (5 stars): This is the best method of cooking black rice that I’ve found so far. It’s been a few months since I’d tried making black rice because it’s always turned out so bad, but this turned out to be delicious. In the end, I only used 10 cups of water, though my pot has a 3 qt capacity, so that could be a factor.
Thank you for sharing!
RS on 2024-03-24 (5 stars): Thank you so much for figuring this out and sharing it! I've made rice this way several times now and this is the way! The only part of your recipe that I don't follow is the requirement for 12 cups of water. I have not found that to be necessary. After I bring the rice to a boil, I turn it down to a low simmer, instead of medium, which may be why I don't need as much water. I haven't measured the amount of water I use, but I fill it to about twice the depth of the rice.
