How To Successfully Cook Rice In Your Air Fryer

Rice is an ingredient that is found in recipes all around the globe, and chances are that it's a staple in your kitchen. You might think that cooking rice is exclusively reserved for your automatic rice cooker or stovetop. But your air fryer says otherwise, which gives you another reason to love this handy appliance. All you need is room temperature water, a bit of oil or butter, salt, foil, and a metal pan (like a cake tin) that fits into your air fryer basket.

Once you've rinsed your rice (a step you really need to do), simply add all of your ingredients to a pan before covering tightly with foil and popping it in your air fryer. The amount of water you use will depend on how much rice and what kind you're making, but for 1 cup of white, rinsed long-grain rice, you'll need between 1¼ and 1½ cups of water. 

The rice will need around 30 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, in addition to 10 to 15 minutes of resting time while still covered to let the steam finish off the cooking. Long-grain rice is the best kind for the air fryer, as short-grain rice has more starch and tends to stick together — so it might be better to use a more traditional cooking method. Air-frying brown rice is definitely possible, but it will require more time and a ratio of around 1 part rice to 2 parts water. 

You can choose to cover your pan with foil or a lid; just make sure it is well sealed — this is key for success since the trapped steam is what cooks your rice. It might be tempting to take a peek and open the foil once you've turned your air fryer off, but letting it rest, covered, is crucial for the best texture. During this time the steam will continue to soften the rice, giving you perfectly fluffy results. Fluffing it with a fork afterwards is also a great way to separate the grains so that you don't serve up any large clumps. If your rice still looks undercooked, add in a tablespoon of water and air fry for a few minutes longer. 

Adding hot water to your rice might seem like an easy way to speed up the cooking process, but this will actually lead to unevenly cooked grains — so stick to room temperature water. You can add your favorite dry seasonings before cooking the rice, but any other ingredients are best added once the grains are cooked so as not to affect the water ratio and cook time. 

Use your air-fried rice for a yellow cauliflower curry for meatless Monday, burrito bowls, or an Asian-style side. And if you've overestimated how much you need, there are plenty of things you can make with leftover rice – from stuffed peppers to arancini. Of course, there's nothing wrong with cooking rice the classic way, but if you have an air fryer, don't sleep on this method.