The Genius Rice-Cooking Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

I used to own a rice cooker. Whenever I needed rice I would measure and rinse my rice, add it to the cooker with some water, close the lid, press a button, walk away and minutes later come back to a vat of perfectly tender and fluffy short-grain rice that I enjoyed as a side dish, a base for rice bowls, etc.

But then a few months into 2024, my rice cooker of 5 years broke, and it made me reassess my countertop real estate. After taking a hard look at my small NYC kitchen, I decided that I couldn't justify getting a single-use appliance.

Left with no rice-cooking devices, I ventured into the great unknown—the millions of search results you get when you look up how to cook rice without a rice cooker—and came out the other end still puzzled. But then I had a lightbulb moment. To avoid stickage, I cook my oatmeal in a nonstick pan. Could the same method be applied to rice? I dumped some short-grain rice into my nonstick skillet to see and I am happy to report that yes, you can and absolutely should cook rice in a nonstick skillet or pan.

Related: How to Bake Rice

Why You Should Cook Rice in a Nonstick Pan

Nonstick pans are beloved by home cooks far and wide for cooking foods that notoriously stick to the pan—fried or scrambled eggs, salmon, chicken, mozzarella sticks and more. Rice cooked on the stovetop in a nonstick pan comes out tender, fluffy and perfectly steamed, without a grain stuck to the pan.

This cooking method applies the same logic as using a rice cooker. "There is a reason why all rice cookers use a nonstick inner bowl because when rice sticks (and it will stick), it breaks. Broken rice = bad rice," posits cookbook author and blogger Mandy Lee of Lady and Pups. Keeping the lid on the pan traps the steam that will help create tender rice.

Related: 20 Rice Recipes to Remember

How to Cook Rice in a Nonstick Pan

To make my stovetop rice in a nonstick pan you'll need 1/2 cup short-grain white rice, 1 1/2 cups of water and a nonstick pan.

Rinse the rice, then add it to the pan with the water. Start cooking the rice uncovered over medium-high heat. Once the water starts to bubble gently, turn the heat down to low and cover the pan with the lid. Let cook for 14 minutes (don't open the lid or stir the rice). Remove the rice from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.

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