How To Cook Microwave Rice Without a Microwave

Microwave rice is easy to cook: simply put the bag in the microwave, and in just a few minutes you have hot fluffy rice to enjoy. It’s a decent alternative to using a rice cooker. But what if your microwave is broken or you don’t have one?

How To Cook Microwave Rice Without a Microwave

To cook microwave rice without a microwave, you can use a saucepan, skillet, bamboo steamer, or even your oven. You do not need a microwave to enjoy delicious microwave rice.

Can You Eat Microwave Rice Without Microwaving It?

The first thing you need to know is that microwave rice is pre-cooked, which means you can eat it without even microwaving it. Even if you put it in the microwave, you are not actually cooking the rice but instead just heating it up. This is a good thing to remember because if you don’t have a microwave, you still don’t have to fully cook the rice before you eat it. Since microwave rice is ready to eat for all practical purposes, all you’re doing is heating it up and softening the texture.

Remove It From the Packaging

Just like leftover rice, frozen microwave rice has to be removed from the bag or container before you heat it up or cook it. This is important because microwave rice bags are not made for cooking rice the regular way. So before you cook your microwave rice, always make sure you take it out of the plastic bag or other microwavable container that the manufacturer put it in.

Four Ways To Cook Instant Rice Without a Microwave

Microwave rice, sometimes called instant rice, can be cooked several ways once you get it out of the package. Here are a few of the easiest methods to use:

Heat the rice on the stove in a saucepan

Put about a cup of rice in a saucepan. Add just a tiny bit of water (no more than 1/4 cup) and start stirring. Set the heat to medium or medium-high and continue stirring until the rice gets hot and fluffy. Keep stirring the entire time to make sure any lumps are removed. It should only take a few minutes.

Fry the rice in a skillet

In a skillet, cook the rice like you would in a saucepan. You can use higher heat if you’d like (medium-high or even high) but add some hot water to the skillet first, along with a dab of butter and a dash of salt for more-flavorful rice. Continue stirring and cooking, making sure that the heat isn’t too high and that you don’t have to adjust it, until the rice is nice and hot. To keep your fried rice from sticking to the pan, coat your pan or skillet with oil before frying the rice.

Heat the rice in the oven

With this method, you don’t need to add water but merely sprinkle some water on top of the rice and stir it before you place it in the oven. Keep the oven on a low temperature (no more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit) and check the rice after five minutes. With this method, you don’t have to cook the rice for very long. Usually, 5-10 minutes gives you perfect rice.

Steam the rice with a bamboo steamer

Go by the instructions on your steamer, and make sure you pay attention to the number of minutes it recommends. The cooking time varies according to the brand of steamer you use. For microwave rice, you shouldn’t have to cook it for more than five minutes. Remember, you’re only heating up the rice. You’re not cooking it from scratch.