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Whenever I need a quick, versatile side dish, I love to make a big pot of rice. Learn how to make perfect rice quickly and easily with this Dutch oven rice recipe.
As you might have guessed, I use my enameled cast iron dutch oven pretty much every single day.
From dutch oven spare ribs to dutch oven lasagna and homemade dump cake for dessert, it is such a versatile kitchen tool!
When I need an easy side dish for just about any meal, out comes the dutch oven for some quick and delicious dutch oven rice.
If you find yourself making stir fry, kabobs, or roast and need a side dish, try this dutch oven rice recipe. It turns out perfectly every time and tastes amazing with a variety of meals.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cast iron dutch ovens are the perfect pots for cooking rice! The heavy-bottomed cast iron distributes heat evenly, preventing burning and uneven cooking.
- Rice is an excellent side dish because it pairs with pretty much anything. Whether it’s simple white rice or a homemade rice pilaf, you can serve this easy grain with any meal.
- You can have white rice ready in about 20 minutes. That leaves more time to focus on the main dish or just relax before dinner!
Ingredients
- Rice: I used white rice for this tutorial. You can use long grain or short grain rice.
- Water: If you want a more flavorful rice, feel free to substitute broth (homemade pork bone broth is an excellent choice). I recommend omitting the salt in that case.
- Salt: I use just a bit for cooking, then add more to taste later.
How to Make Dutch Oven Rice
Pro tip: In this tutorial, I’m cooking white rice, and cooking brown rice has a slightly different process. If you want to make brown rice, be sure to check out the instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Step 1. Add white rice, water, and salt to a 5–6 qt Dutch oven.
Step 2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 3. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Step 4. Transfer to a bowl and serve!
Tips for Success
- Whether or not you should rinse your rice before cooking it is a common debate. I always rinse my brown rice, but not my white rice. You can prepare your white rice either way; the cooking instructions will remain the same!
- I do like to peek under the lid after cooking and tilt the pot on its side to make sure all the water is absorbed. Just be careful not to get burned by the steam.
- If the water is not totally absorbed, you can remove it from the heat, but leave the lid on for another 10 minutes. It’ll continue cooking.
- You can store leftover rice in the fridge for 3-5 days and reheat it on the stove to enjoy again.
What to Serve with Rice
Like I said, rice goes with pretty much anything. Still, there are a few main dishes I always like to serve with it!
Rice makes the perfect complement to a lot of asian-inspired dishes. I love serving it with beef liver stir fry, Thai chicken curry, and egg roll bowls.
I also like to serve rice with Mexican and Tex-Mex meals. You can season it with taco seasoning and tomato sauce or serve it plain. I usually enjoy rice alongside my Colorado green chili, one pan Mexican skillet, and ground venison tacos.
Rice also tastes great alongside soups, roasts, and sheet pan meals. You really can’t go wrong with rice as your side dish.
Of course, rice doesn’t always have to be a side dish. It’s featured in some of my favorite one-pot meals, such as dutch oven stuffed peppers, sausage and peppers with rice, and southwest chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The heavy-bottomed cast iron pot distributes heat evenly, cooking the rice to perfection without hot or undercooked spots. Dutch ovens are also typically large, making them ideal for cooking lots of rice without the water boiling over.
You sure can. Be sure that the rice is completely cooled before packing it in an airtight container and freezing it. Frozen rice can be thawed in the refrigerator or reheated directly from the freezer. You can reheat your rice on the stove or microwave. You may need to add a little more water as it can dry out.
Mushy rice is usually the result of using too much water and cooking it for too long. Be sure you’re measuring your rice and water carefully, and follow the proper cooking times, and your rice should turn out perfectly!
More Dutch Oven Recipes
- Simple Dutch Oven Pizza Recipe
- Dutch Oven Baked Beans
- Simple Dutch Oven Mississippi Pot Roast
- Dutch Oven Apple Crisp
If you tried this Dutch Oven Rice or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Dutch Oven Rice
Equipment
- Large dutch oven
Ingredients
For White Rice
- 2 cups long or short grain white rice
- 4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Brown Rice
- 1 cup long or short grain brown rice
- 1 ¾ cups water for short grain or 2 cups water for long grain
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
White Rice
- Add the rice, water, and salt to a 5–6 qt Dutch oven.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve!
Brown Rice
- Place the rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, swishing gently with your hands, until the water runs clear. Let it drain thoroughly.
- Add the rinsed rice, water, and salt (if using) to a Dutch oven.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35–40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
- Whether or not you should rinse your rice before cooking it is a common debate. I always rinse my brown rice, but not my white rice. You can prepare your white rice either way; the cooking instructions will remain the same!
- I do like to peek under the lid after cooking and tilt the pot on its side to make sure all the water is absorbed. Just be careful not to get burned by the steam.
- If the water is not totally absorbed, you can remove it from the heat, but leave the lid on for another 10 minutes. It’ll continue cooking.
- You can store leftover rice in the fridge for 3-5 days and reheat it on the stove to enjoy again.
Came out fluffy!
Yay! I am so happy to hear!