Cuban White Rice

This Cuban white rice requires a medium sized sauce pan with a lid, that's it. This recipe only calls for 4 ingredients and is ready in about 15 minutes.

A few years back, my 10 year old rice maker finally died and I decided I didn't want another kitchen appliance taking up space. So I reverted back to my mom's easy stove top Cuban white rice recipe.

Why You'll love this

• This rice is a staple in Cuban cuisine and is the perfect side dish to almost any protein.
• It only requires 4 ingredients and it's cooked in 15 minutes.
• It's simple, delicious and good any time of the day.

Ingredients

• Long grain white rice
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Salt

Directions

RINSE YOUR RICE! Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse your rice in room temperature water until the water comes out clear.

To a medium sized sauce pan, add your oil, salt, water and rice. Set your heat to high.

• Stir your rice so the salt becomes well incorporated through out the rice.
• The minute your rice begins to boil, quickly drop the heat to low and cover. Allow to cook for ten minutes without removing the lid.
• Once the ten minutes have passed, open the lid and fluff up your rice with a fork. Turn off the heat and cover the rice again. Keep the rice covered for another 5 minutes

Rice to water ratio

For every one cup of rinsed rice, you need one cup and two tablespoons of water. That's it. For every extra cup of rice you add, add an additional 5 minutes of cooking time.

What rice to use for this recipe

This Cuban white rice recipe is specifically for long grain white rice and can be used for medium grain white rice. I do not recommend this recipe for short grain, arborio, brown, basmati and/or jasmine rice.

Variations

Garlicky white rice - I like to add a little bit of garlic powder to my rice sometimes, when I do I add ½ teaspoon. 

Vegetable white rice / Arroz con Vegetales - Make this by simply adding 1 chicken bouillon cube, ¼ cup of frozen peas, one minced carrot and ½ a minced onion to the saucepan. Adjust rice as needed. The vegetables will cook with the rice.

What to pair cuban white rice with?

Cuban white rice is a principle side dish in Cuban cuisine and it's served alongside almost every protein imaginable. Whether you pair it with Cuban picadillo, ropa vieja, vaca frita or something as simple as a fried egg, you can't go wrong with this rice.

Storage

Place leftover Cuban white rice in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for upto 5 days.

To reheat, place your white rice in a microwave safe dish and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Stirring occasionally to break up any clumps.

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