This fool-proof way of cooking rice is one of our favourite ways to use the slow cooker. Slow Cooker Rice gives you perfect results every time and making rice in the slow cooker couldn't be easier. Follow on of all our tips!
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About slow cooker rice
If you have ever wondered "can you cook rice in the slow cooker?" - the answer is yes! And it's amazing. Perfectly soft and fluffy rice with minimal effort! A versatile and cheap side dish that the whole family will love.
If you have never had success with making rice before, then this slow cooker rice recipe is for you! No more mushy rice. Slow cooker rice is also great for batch cooking and meal prep, as it stores well.
For more easy rice recipes, take a look at our delicious Spanish Rice, super quick Microwaved Rice or our simple but tasty Coconut Rice.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Rice - You need long grain white rice for this recipe. You can use brown rice, but you will need to adjust the cooking time.
- Butter - This is used to grease the slow cooker bowl to stop it from sticking.
- Salt - A generous pinch.
- Water - Cold tap water.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make slow cooker rice - Step by step
One: Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
Two: Grease your slow cooker bowl with the butter. Add the rinsed rice, water and salt. Cook on high for 2 hours.
Three: After 1 hour, stir the rice. Stir again at 90 minutes, then every 10 minutes.
Variations
To add some extra flavour to this slow cooker rice, instead of cooking it in water, you could use a vegetable or chicken stock. You could also add some garlic powder and black pepper too.
You could also make veggie rice by adding some small chopped vegetables like onion, mushrooms or bell peppers.
If you wanted to cook more or less rice, then that's easy to do too. If you just wanted to use one cup of rice (which would serve 2-3 people), then you would only need to use 2 cups of water.
If you were to use 3 cups of rice, then you would need to use 6 cups of water - just make sure that your slow cooker is big enough.
Serving suggestions
We are big fans of plain rice. It goes with so many different meals and here are some of our favourites.
If you want a homemade curry that the rice can soak up all that delicious sauce, then why not try our 10 Minute Chickpea Curry, Slow Cooker Beef Curry or Halloumi Curry?
For proper comfort food, why not serve it will chilli like our Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne?
Slow cooker rice is a great side dish for a Chinese meal too. Why not try our Sticky Chicken Meatballs or 10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef?
Storage
Store: Cooked rice stores really well. You need to make sure it cools quickly (so spread it out on a plate) and then refrigerate it straight away. You can put it in storage bags or containers that are air tight and they will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You can store rice in freezer bags for up to 6 months.
Reheat: You can either reheat slow cooker rice in the microwave or a frying pan with a little oil.
Extra Tips
- Rinse the rice thoroughly before it goes in the slow cooker. This is so you remove extra starch.
- Make sure you have really well greased your slow cooker bowl with oil or butter, otherwise the rice will stick to it.
- You could use a slow cooker liner instead of greasing it if you prefer.
- When the slow cooker rice has finished cooking, use a fork to fluff it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we really recommend that you do this. Not only does it remove some of the starch from the rice, but it will stop it all from clumping together too, give you the best texture rice. Make sure to rinse it until the water runs clear.
If there is some rice stuck to the bottom of the slow cooker bowl (there shouldn't be too much if you have greased it well) then add some boiling water to it and leave it on high whilst you are eating your meal and then it should be easy to scrape off by the time you have finished cooking.
Cooking time for slow cooker rice will depend on your slow cooker, as they all cook things differently. Ours took 2 hours. However, After 1 hour and 45 minutes (which is when all of the water should have absorbed), check the rice and if it is still crunchy then you will need to carry on cooking it until it is soft and fluffy. Some slow cookers might take 2 and a half hours until the rice is cooked.
Yes, you can, but it will take longer. Brown rice will take an extra hour in the slow cooker.
We have tested this slow cooker rice recipe many times and the only time it has ever gotten mushy is when we have cooked it for too long. Every slow cooker cooks differently, so make sure to check yours as it gets to the end of cooking to make sure it is not over cooking.
More slow cooker recipes
If you've tried this slow cooked rice recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
How to Cook Slow Cooker Rice
Ingredients
- 450 g (2 cups) Rice
- 1000 ml (4 cups) Water
- 1 teaspoon Butter
- 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse 450 g Rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Grease your slow cooker bowl with 1 teaspoon Butter. Add the rinsed rice, 1000 ml Water and 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt. Cook on high for 2 hours.
- After 1 hour, stir the rice. Stir again at 90 minutes, then every 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the rice thoroughly before it goes in the slow cooker. This is so you remove extra starch.
- Make sure you have really well greased your slow cooker bowl with oil or butter, otherwise the rice will stick to it.
- You could use a slow cooker liner instead of greasing it if you prefer.
- When the slow cooker rice has finished cooking, use a fork to fluff it up.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Andrea says
This easy to make rice looks so light and fluffy. A great side dish for any meal.
Angela says
This was so incredibly easy. Not sure why we've never tried it before! Thanks for sharing.
Tayler says
I used this recipe to make rice last night and it was perfect! I had no idea how easy it was to make rice in the slow cooker!
Dina and Bruce says
This turned out so fluffy!
Julia says
I always use this recipe for slow cooking rice and the rice is perfectly cooked and fluffy! Thank you for sharing!