Travel Cooking Techniques: Cooking Rice in the Microwave

by Ryan Vagabundo

(This cooking series is for people stuck in hotels/motels for extended periods, or other situations in which a microwave and mini-fridge is about all you have available, and want to be able to cook real meals - or at least a reasonable facsimile!)

The staple of all staples, rice is a filling and energy-providing (and very inexpensive) bed for all sorts of other meals. But it's also something you generally assume you need a stovetop for, or at least a specialized rice cooker. Of course they have the "ready rice" pouches now made for the microwave, but those cost a LOT more than buying regular uncooked rice. 

Can we make good rice from raw dry grains in the microwave?

Yep, you can make surprisingly good white AND fried rice in the microwave with a little technique and savvy. The only equipment you'll need is one or two microwaveable bowls that have a lid. 

WHITE RICE

There isn't really a "best" type of rice to use for this, other than avoiding fortified rice. However, brown and wild rice require a somewhat different technique due to being harder/denser than the "white rice" varieties.

White rice in the microwave is really just about getting the right amount of water and cooking it for the right amount of time. But first, it's also about washing it. Rinse it in a bowl and strain out the water (some portable strainer suggestions are listed at the end of the article). This is partially about cleaning any leftover field stuff, but more about sloughing off some excess starch so that it has a nicer texture when cooked. 

Next, the amount of water to add, which is still not too complicated. Start with two cups of water for one cup of rice, maybe 2.5 cups if its a longer grain. You might have to play around a bit with the exact amount. Microwave rice shouldn't come out any different than stovetop cooking in terms of taste and texture, so if it's overly soft/mushy you want less water next time, if it's still too dry/firm you can add a little more water and throw it back in for a bit.

All of this is standard stuff for rice cooking so far, here's the unique twist for microwaves - the cooking times and power. There are no end of food sites online that tell you how to cook rice, but I find they often fail to tell you what wattage microwave they're using. Hotels USUALLY have a 700W, some might have a 1000W (especially the nicer "extended stay" chains that have some semblance of kitchen in the room), and you might see the oddball 900W, at least in the US.

I'll do times I've found to work well for 700W, since that's the most common, and you can always adjust the more powerful models down a bit. Basically, it's going to take about 25 minutes total at 700W, split between full power and 50% power. The exact split depends on the microwave (they don't all have exactly the same power output, even at the same wattage rating). Start with 10 minutes high, 15 minutes at half power. If it comes out overdone, scale back the high period in favor of more medium cooking time. If it gets down to five minutes on high and still comes out overdone in the end, start chopping off some of the medium cook time. 

It'll help the rice to steam properly if the bowl is covered with a lid. Unfortunately my usual go-to for an improvised lid, a piece of tin foil, is REALLY not a good idea for a microwave. The lid needs to have a vent of some sort too, or at least be placed on loosely, or the steam will pop it right off. 

BROWN RICE / WILD RICE

This process is identical to white rice, it just takes longer. You'll want to start with 10 minutes of full power, but do this part uncovered. Then cover the rice and do half power for 20 minutes. Again, these instructions are for a 700W microwave and you may have to play with the timing a bit due to the vagaries of individual microwaves. Also note that this applies to bags of regular rice, not the "instant" or "quick cook" varieties you usually see in boxes. 

FRIED RICE

Fried rice can also be made directly from uncooked rice, it's basically a matter of adding oil and maybe a fatty meat to the mix, and you may end up reducing the cook time a few minutes. Basmati or jasmine are probably going to be the best types for this.

Use the same 2:1 ratio of water to rice described above (2 cups water for 1 cup rice) but mix in a teaspoon of sesame or olive oil and soy or teriyaki sauce to taste (probably around 1 tablespoon per cup rice) before cooking. At this point if you want to add a chopped fatty uncooked meat (like bacon or sausage) throw it in there too. Check on it when cooking on the back end with half power, it may not need as much time as plain rice.

If you want eggs, separately microwave beaten or whisked ones (with salt to taste) for about 90 seconds to fully cook then break up into the rice. You may also want to add green onions or scallions and some mixed veggies from a can for the full experience. 

REHEATING RICE

As you can see from these recipes, the one big weakness with microwave rice is the long cooking time. So if you're staying in one place for a while, you may want to make extra servings all at once then keep them stored in the fridge or freezer for reheating at future meals.

However, be aware that rice is not one of the more fridge-friendly foods. It's often carrying a fast-reproducing bacteria called "Bacillus cereus" that produces a toxin that isn't removed by re-heating. It's a relatively "mild" food poisoning as they go, but will still cause nasty diahrreah and maybe vomiting for about 24 hours. Ideally cooked rice should be frozen, but if all you have is a fridge, try to get it in there within about an hour after cooking and don't keep it for more than three days to be reasonably safe. 

When reheating, grab a full-size ice cube or a few of those little ones from the ice maker, and put it on top of the rice when you re-microwave it to help it maintain its texture.

THE EQUIPMENT

The most basic thing you need is some sort of microwave-safe bowl with a vented lid. But here we run into a bit of a travel conflict. Plastic is the cheapest and lightest, easiest for carrying about and not breaking, but some of those "microwave safe" bowls aren't actually safe for really long cook times (like rice requires) or grease/oil being in them (if you're making fried rice). The better materials are heavier and harder to carry.

If you're traveling out of a vehicle and have a bunch of space for stuff, you'll probably want to go straight for ceramic or porcelain, which will give you more durable bang for your buck. If you're traveling with just luggage/a backpack, it's probably best to spring for something like Fiestaware, a special stainless steel design that is safe for the microwave. These aren't cheap but they're relatively light for a high-quality bowl, they last forever and they come with the locking lids you need. Usually sold in sets of eight different sizes for around $40-50, but you might get lucky and find someone selling onesies or twosies online, or maybe find some in a thrift store. I haven't tried it myself but you might also look at the Sistema Rapid Noodle Bowl, it's made of a more durable plastic and has good reviews, and goes for around $15-20 for one big bowl with a gasket/locking lid and handle. 

As far as portable strainers go, if you have a vehicle and plenty of space, the most economical option is just a simple lightweight rice washer bowl. If you have to think about space and weight, there are all sorts of folding collapsible strainers and colanders for around $10-ish,  but it might be tough finding one that has holes small enough for rice. You might try a rice washing stick instead, in conjunction with a regular bowl.