Best Microwave Rice, Tested by Food Network Kitchen
We tested multiple brands and rice styles to determine which heat-and-eat options are best.
Rice is a staple ingredient in numerous cultures and culinary traditions and to some it’s the ultimate comfort food. Understandably so — it’s nourishing and incredibly versatile, something you can consume alone, paired with flavorful main dishes or utilize as the base of grains bowls, soups and sushi rolls. Rice also comes in many varieties: fragrant long-grain jasmine rice, stubby and sticky glutinous rice, fluffy and aromatic basmati rice, the list goes on and on.
When cooking rice, each style calls for a specific water ratio and, depending on the method used (rice cooker, stovetop, Instant Pot, etc.), there are specific instructions, too. Those who make rice often will likely have their go-to appliance and method, but every once in a while, there’s simply no time to wait for a pot of grains to go from firm to fluffy. That’s where microwave rice comes in.
Microwave rice has become increasingly popular due to its convenience and ease of preparation — as its name suggests, all you have to do is pop it in the microwave. With interest in different rice styles also growing, there’s quite an assortment to choose from now. Walk down the rice aisle of your local supermarket, and you’ll likely find several brands and a good handful of varieties. To help you choose the best of the bunch, we sampled heat-and-eat options that are easy to find at major supermarkets to help determine which is worth buying.
Our Top Microwave Rice Picks
How We Tested
To find the best microwave rice, we sought out brands that were readily accessible at either major supermarkets or retailers such as Target and Walmart. We also looked at consumer reviews and ingredient lists. However, for certain types of rice, there were limited options, so we tried the two that were available to develop a baseline for flavor and texture. We reheated each product according to the instructions printed on the bag, sampling each rice by itself and also as part of a meal to see how they tasted with a main dish.
For both long grain white rice and brown rice, one brand stood out: Target’s Good & Gather. Unlike others, which were far too soft and chewy, Good & Gather’s Long-Grain White Rice and Whole-Grain Brown Rice didn’t clump up, had a good chew and fluffed up nicely as it cooled. One thing to keep in mind if you’re choosing between these two: The white rice is cooked with salt, so if sodium levels are a concern or you’re serving it with a strong, umami-forward dish, you may want to go with the brown option.
Minute Rice Basmati Rice Cups not only cook quickly (true to the brand’s name, the individual portions reheat in a minute), but the grains also have a nice al dente bite. These cups, which come in 4.4-ounce portions, have salt as an ingredient, which resembles traditional basmati that’s usually boiled in salted water.
Seeds of Change Organic Jasmine Rice are filled with grains that are chewy, but not overly soft so you can still feel some of the individual grains. It's great for a larger serving, has a lovely light flavor and comes in a 8.5-ounce pouch that’ll feed two to four people, depending on how you portion it.
Bird’s Eye Steamfresh line has both white long grain rice and whole grain brown rice, both of which are superior in texture and flavor. Every grain is distinct and perfectly cooked and — another bonus — the frozen rice only has two ingredients. Both in terms of flavor and the fact that they’re made from solely rice and water, this is as close to homemade as you can get when going the heat-and-eat route.
Rice FAQ
The Two Main Types of Rice
To start, it’s important to know that rice mainly comes from two cultivated plant species: indica and japonica. Indica rice grains are long and slender, whereas japonica rice grains are medium to short. The rice types you know and love — such as basmati, jasmine and sushi rice — usually fall into these two categories.
What’s the Difference Between White and Brown Rice?
White and brown rice are processed differently, leading to their distinctly different colors, textures and flavor. Brown rice is a whole grain, meaning it has the hull, germ and bran intact. This gives brown rice more of a nutty, earthy flavor and a longer cooking time. The bran acts like a protective layer, which is why brown rice often feels drier than its white counterpart.
White rice, on the other hand, is milled and polished until the bran and germ come off, exposing its starchy endosperm. Because of this, white rice has less fiber and other nutrients but absorbs water quickly and cooks relatively fast.
How Microwave Rice Works
Microwave rice typically comes in two forms: as a small pouch or in individual cups. They usually need to be zapped for 60 or 90 seconds depending on the brand and packaging. So just how do these magical little pouches and cups cut down on the cooking time? The rice inside is parboiled and usually combined with an oil of some sort to retain moisture during the reheating process.
Rice Explainer
Long-Grain Rice: Long and thin with a pointy end, long-grain rice is commonly grown in countries like India, Thailand, and the United States. It has a distinct firm bite and fluffy texture that makes it great for pilafs, salads, and other dishes that taste best with grains that don’t clump together. While basmati and jasmine both fall under this category, the packages you see labeled solely “long-grain rice” refers to the American varietal, the most iconic of which is Carolina Gold. It’s by far the most popular rice in the U.S. and easiest to find no matter where you shop.
Basmati rice: Basmati rice is a long-grain rice known for its fragrant aroma and nutty flavor. It’s primarily grown in the Indian subcontinent. The grains of basmati rice are slender and elongated, and they have a distinct texture that is fluffy and separate when cooked, ideal for classic Indian dishes like biryani.
Jasmine Rice: Primarily cultivated in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, jasmine rice is a type of long-grain rice that has a unique floral aroma and delicate, slightly sweet flavor. The grains are shorter than those of basmati, which is why it’s sometimes confused for a medium-grain rice. Jasmine rice is also characterized by its softer texture, making it a popular choice for many Southeast Asian dishes, such as curries, stir-fries, and rice-based desserts.
Medium-Grain Rice: Falling somewhere between long-grain and short-grain rice when it comes to length, medium-grain rice has a soft and slightly sticky texture when cooked, which is why it’s called for in creamy rice dishes such as risotto. Medium-grain rice also has a higher starch content that’s perfect for making sushi.
Frozen Rice: When referring to microwave rice, most probably think of the shelf-stable pouches or cups. There is, however, another category: frozen rice, which requires refrigeration and a slightly longer cook time, somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.
Why You Should Trust Our Testers
Patty Lee was a member of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and History. She has been a contributing writer at Food Network since 2016. Thanks to her background as a features reporter, she’s skilled at covering a wide variety of topics (from food safety to viral food trends) and writing in different formats (from chef’s profiles to how-to tutorials).
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Food Network Shopping Experts believe the best method for testing products is based on how our fans are going to use them in the real world. In each of our Tested and Reviewed stories, products are tested in real home kitchens that reflect real-world use cases. Our testers follow rigorous testing rubrics designed by our expert editors and take copious notes during the testing process. When choosing the best products, our testers evaluate all of the testing data and take into consideration many factors, including ease of use, price, product availability and practicality. The products covered on FoodNetwork.com are chosen completely independently by our editors without any outside influence. Our editors do not accept products in exchange for a positive review or promised coverage.
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