Instead of boiling rice on the hob straight away to cook it, there is a step before to follow that uses one simple ingredient if you're after tastier results.
04:03, Fri, Jan 16, 2026
Rice will taste ‘much better’ if you add 1 simple ingredient to the pan before boiling it (Image: Getty)
Rice is a very basic ingredient that appeals to the masses as it’s in a wide range of dishes like curries, authentic paella, or it can just be flavoured to enjoy on its own. However, rice deserves a touch of delectable richness to elevate its flavours. Enter butter, a culinary maestro that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Cooking with butter brings only delightful results, and this applies to rice recipes as well. The type of butter you choose can impart tangy, salty, and sweet flavours to the rice, but in general, it will be enriched with a rich, buttery taste. Food experts at Tasting Table claimed that butter is an “absolute flavour powerhouse” and should be used to make rice taste “more buttery and rich, which, in turn, makes other foods on the same dinner plate taste that much better as well”.
Cooking with butter brings only delightful results, and this applies to rice as well (Image: Getty)
You can achieve this in two ways: by toasting the rice in butter or by adding butter straight into the pot of rice.
The food pros at The Kitchn explained that toasting is a simple method that works wonders on any kind of rice, and even other grains like couscous and quinoa.
The experts said: “In the same way toasting nuts deepens their flavour, toasting rice in a little bit of butter before cooking it in liquid adds a warm, toasty flavour to plain rice. The addition of butter adds even more richness.
How to toast rice with butter
1. Rinse the rice
Rinsing is an essential part of cooking rice, as it eliminates extra starches that can result in a sticky final dish. While the rice doesn't have to be completely dry before toasting, make sure to drain it well in the strainer and shake off any leftover moisture.
2. Add fat to a saucepan
Incorporate one to two tablespoons of butter for each cup of rice. This should provide enough to gently coat the rice grains.
Incorporate one to two tablespoons of butter for each cup of rice (Image: Getty)
3. Add spices (optional)
Add any herbs or spices into the pot and cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until they become fragrant, which should take about 30 seconds to one minute.
4. Add the rice
Place the rice in the pot and cook it, stirring often, over medium-low heat until the grains start to brown a bit at the edges and you can detect a warm, toasty aroma. This typically takes around five minutes when toasting one to two cups of rice.
5. Add liquid
Recipe inspiration for the whole family plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Once the rice is toasted, you can add water or broth and proceed with cooking your rice as you normally would.
The second method is even easier. All you have to do is take a pat of butter, mix it in with the water and rice, and continue cooking the rice as normal