Cooking Beans In A Rice Cooker

How to Cook Rice in a Slow Cooker

You don't have to keep a watchful eye on this rice as it cooks. Thanks to your slow cooker, you can set it and forget it! We'll teach you how to make slow cooker rice, including white, brown, and wild rice. This trick is also a great way to make a big batch of rice for your weekly meal prep.

Cooking rice perfectly can be a little tricky, but this slow cooker rice recipe makes it easy to master. Choose between white rice, brown rice, and wild rice, then let your slow cooker do the rest. Once your rice is cooked, you can store it in the fridge for 4 to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months so you can always have ready-to-eat rice on hand.

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How to Make Slow Cooker White Rice

This is the recipe that's going to completely change up your meal prep! It makes six servings, so you'll have more than enough for one person for the week, or you can double it if you're planning to use it as a side dish for family meals a few times in a week. Here's how to do it:

1. Place a steamer basket with the center post removed (if possible) in a 3½- to 6-quart slow cooker. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can also use a wire rack or several small balls of foil. Cover and preheat the slow cooker on high for 15 minutes.

2. Add 2 cups boiling water to the slow cooker. Place a 1½-quart dish on the steamer basket, rack, or foil. In the dish, combine another 2 cups boiling water, 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, and ½ tsp. salt. Cover the dish with a lid, plate, or foil. Cover and cook on high for 1½ hours or until the rice absorbs the water.

Bacon and Egg Rice Bowls

How to Make Slow Cooker Brown Rice

Once your slow cooker brown rice is ready, you can serve it on its own or add it to other recipes to make a main dish. For a quick lunch or dinner, top brown rice with a crumbled slice of bacon, an egg, and shredded cheese. Here's how to make brown rice in your slow cooker so you can always have some ready:

For slow cooker brown rice, make sure you spray the inside of your slow cooker generously with nonstick cooking spray before you add any ingredients. Then, combine 3⅔ cups water or reduced-sodium broth with 2 cups brown rice. If you want, you can also add a few mix-ins, such as 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 or 2 tablespoons snipped fresh herbs. Then cook the rice on high heat for 3 hours.

Wild Rice with Corn and Basil

How to Make Slow Cooker Wild Rice

Wild rice is ideal for making in your slow cooker, because it usually takes longer to cook than white or brown rice, and it's sturdier than both. Just follow these directions:

For wild rice, in your slow cooker combine 4 cups water (or reduced-sodium broth) with 2 cups rinsed and drained wild rice. Then stir-in any extra ingredients you want to add for flavor, such as finely chopped garlic and onions. Cook on low heat for 3 hours.