✔ Updated · water ratio chart + 3 cooking methods
How to cook parboiled rice: use 1 cup of rice to 2 1/2 cups of salted water, bring it to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, then rest it off the heat for 5 minutes and fluff.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Don't lift the lid while it simmers. The trapped steam finishes cooking the grains, and the 5-minute rest lets the last of the moisture even out so the rice fluffs up instead of sticking.
Parboiled rice (also called converted rice) is partly steamed in its husk before milling, so it cooks up firmer, fluffier and far less sticky than regular white rice, which makes it one of the most forgiving rices to cook. Below is a water ratio chart for any amount, plus the boil-and-drain and rice cooker methods.
Why You'll Love This Parboiled Rice Method
- Fluffy, separate grains: parboiled rice holds its shape and doesn't turn gummy.
- Hard to get wrong: it tolerates a little extra water or time better than regular white rice.
- Works with any dish: great under curries and stews, in pilafs, jollof-style rice and rice salads.
Parboiled Rice Water Ratio Chart
For the stovetop absorption method, use about 2 1/2 cups of water per cup of parboiled rice. Larger batches need slightly less water per cup because less steam escapes; I learned that with a gluey double batch. Uncooked parboiled rice roughly triples to quadruples in volume.
| Uncooked rice | Water | Salt | Cooked rice (about) | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup | 1 1/4 cups | 1/4 tsp | 1 3/4 cups | 2 |
| 1 cup | 2 1/2 cups | 1/2 tsp | 3 1/2 cups | 4 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 3 1/2 cups | 3/4 tsp | 5 cups | 5 to 6 |
| 2 cups | 4 1/2 to 5 cups | 1 tsp | 7 cups | 6 to 8 |
3 Ways to Cook Parboiled Rice
The recipe card uses the stovetop absorption method, which is the easiest and keeps all the flavor in the pot. It is the one I use every week. The boil-and-drain method is handy for big batches or parboiled basmati, and a rice cooker is the most hands-off.
| Method | Water per 1 cup rice | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stovetop (absorption) | 2 1/2 cups | 20 min covered simmer + 5 min rest | Everyday rice with the best flavor |
| Boil and drain | 6 to 8 cups (like pasta) | 18 to 20 min at a steady boil, then drain | Large batches and the firmest, most separate grains |
| Rice cooker | 2 to 2 1/4 cups | White rice setting + 10 min on keep warm | Hands-off cooking |
What Is Parboiled Rice?
Parboiled rice isn't a variety but a way of processing rice, which surprised me too. The harvested rice is soaked, steamed and dried while it's still in its husk, then milled like regular white rice. Steaming in the husk drives some of the vitamins from the bran into the grain (parboiled rice keeps more thiamine and niacin than unenriched white rice) and firms up the starch, so the cooked grains stay separate and don't clump.
It looks slightly yellow or golden when raw and turns creamy white when cooked. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor and a firmer bite than regular long-grain rice. It is sold as parboiled, converted or sella rice, and you can find parboiled basmati and parboiled brown rice too. Have a multi-cooker? Try our Ninja Foodi rice method.
Common Mistakes
- Using the white-rice ratio: 1 to 2 is too little water for parboiled rice on the stove. Use 1 to 2 1/2.
- Lifting the lid: every peek lets out steam and leaves crunchy grains on top.
- Cooking on too high a heat: keep it at the lowest simmer, or the bottom scorches before the top is tender.
- Skipping the rest: rice served straight from the heat is wetter at the bottom and firmer at the top.
- Leaving cooked rice out: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours to keep them safe.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Use a tight-fitting lid. If steam escapes, the water evaporates before the rice is tender. Lay a clean kitchen towel or a sheet of foil under the lid if it rattles.
- Rinsing is optional. Parboiled rice has much less surface starch than regular white rice, so it rarely turns sticky even unrinsed.
- Scale the water, not the time. 2 cups of rice still cooks in about 20 minutes. Use a wider pot so it cooks evenly, and check the water ratio chart below.
- Rice still firm? Sprinkle in 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water, cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Add flavor while it cooks. Swap the water for chicken or vegetable broth, or add a bay leaf, a smashed garlic clove or a strip of lemon zest.
How to Cook Parboiled Rice (Stovetop)
4
servings5
minutes30
minutes180
kcal35
minutesHow to cook parboiled rice on the stovetop for fluffy, separate grains every time: 1 cup of parboiled long-grain rice simmered, covered, in 2 1/2 cups of salted water for 20 minutes, then rested for 5 minutes and fluffed.
Ingredients
1 cup parboiled long-grain rice (converted rice)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter or olive oil (optional)
Directions
- Optional: rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water for 20 to 30 seconds and drain well. Parboiled rice is not very starchy, so rinsing is not essential, but it removes any dust.
- Bring the water, salt and butter or oil to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Stir in the rice and let the water return to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes without lifting the lid, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. If a little water remains, cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains, taste for salt and serve.
Notes
- If you don’t want to spend time washing and rinsing the rice, then you can find a company that already does that for you. Such manufacturers would have ‘washing not required’ written on the package.
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What to Serve With Parboiled Rice
Because it stays firm and fluffy, parboiled rice is ideal for saucy dishes such as curries, stews, beans and stir-fries, and for rice dishes that simmer the grains in a flavorful liquid, like jollof-style rice, pilafs and biryani-style rice. It also makes excellent fried rice the next day; try our hibachi fried rice or copycat red beans and rice, and find more ideas in our rice recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water do I need for 2 cups of parboiled rice?
Use about 4 1/2 to 5 cups of water for 2 cups of parboiled rice. Bring it to a boil, stir in the rice, cover and simmer on low for 20 to 22 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes. It makes about 7 cups of cooked rice, enough for 6 to 8 people.
Do you have to rinse or soak parboiled rice?
Neither is required for regular parboiled long-grain rice. A quick rinse removes dust, but soaking is unnecessary because the rice was already partly cooked in the husk. Parboiled (sella) basmati is the exception: a 30-minute soak helps the long grains cook evenly.
What is the difference between parboiled rice and white rice?
Parboiled rice is soaked, steamed and dried in the husk before it is milled. That firms up the starch and moves some B vitamins from the bran into the grain. The result is a slightly golden rice that takes a little longer to cook but stays fluffy and separate, while regular white rice is softer and stickier.
Can you cook parboiled rice in a rice cooker?
Yes. Use about 2 to 2 1/4 cups of water per cup of parboiled rice, add the salt and butter, and run the white rice setting. Let it rest on keep warm for 10 minutes before opening, then fluff. Rice cookers lose little steam, so they need less water than the stovetop.
How long does cooked parboiled rice keep?
Cool cooked rice quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours in a shallow, covered container. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or about 3 months in the freezer. Reheat it with a splash of water until steaming hot all the way through (165°F).
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