If you ask, “How much water for 2 cups of rice do you need?” you’ll probably receive varying answers, making it impossible to know the right amount. Though rice is so much fun to eat, it can be a pain to make. But don’t worry! We’ve set out to get to the bottom of how much water it actually takes to make rice. We will also uncover why there are so many mixed answers that are received when the question is posed.
Table of Contents
- How Much Water Is Needed For Two Cups of Rice?
- How Do I Make 2 Cups of Cooked Rice?
- Water-to-Rice Ratios For Different Types of Rice
- 2 Cups of Rice How Much Water Mexican Rice?
- How Many Cups of Water For 2 Cups of Basmati Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Jasmine Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Rice on Stove?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Brown Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Long-Grain Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Rice in Rice Cooker?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of White Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Sushi Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Sticky Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Medium Grain Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Japanese Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Spanish Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Short Grain Rice?
- How Much Water For 2 Cups of Parboiled Rice?
- How Much Water For Two Cups of Rice? The Answer Varies!
- FAQs
How Much Water Is Needed For Two Cups of Rice?
The amount of water you’ll need for one cup of rice is generally double the amount of rice you are using.
But don’t stop reading here! There’s A LOT more to it than that, otherwise you might get rice sticking to your pot.
Using the conversion above, you would need four cups of water for every two cups of rice. However, that will largely depend on what type of rice you’re making. Allow us to explain.
When making instant (or parboiled) rice, you will generally use the same amount of rice as you do water. For brown rice, you tend to need a bit more water than you would for white rice. For Basmati rice you typically need less water than regular white…you get the drift.
Thus, it is incredibly hard to determine how much water you’ll need for the amount of rice you make because every rice type is so different.
It is for this reason that we strongly recommend you follow the package directions on the box or package of your rice. Though box recipes may be a drag, the truth is that when cooking basic and essential foods, the box or package is the best place to start. From there, you can always upgrade your rice by adding additional flavoring, liquids, butter/oil, broths, and the like to get it tasting how you like it.
How Do I Make 2 Cups of Cooked Rice?
Making the perfect rice isn’t hard to do. But as we previously mentioned, making the perfect rice will totally depend on what type of rice you cook.
To keep things simple and easy, we’ve compiled a quick and fool-proof herbed white recipe for you using plain long-grain white rice. When using this recipe, make sure you aren’t using rice that is parboiled (despite parboiled rice benefits) or that is brown as it won’t yield the desired results.
If you don’t want the savory umami flavor that adding onion, garlic, and butter brings, leave out the seasonings, replace the broth with water, and swap the butter for plain oil. Whatever you do, don’t skip adding fat (either butter or oil) to your rice, and definitely don’t skip the water.
You should be using 4 cups of liquid total, even if you don’t want to use broth!
Herbed White Rice Recipe (2 Cups)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups of broth (optional–otherwise, substitute with water)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon butter (or oil)
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (optional)
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (adds color but can totally be left out)
- Put your butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter begins to melt, quickly place it in your rice. Raise the heat to medium-low and lightly toast the rice for about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to scorch it.
- Add your liquid (water and broth) to the saucepan and mix gently.
- Add your salt, butter, and seasonings and stir again.
- Kick your heat up to medium-high or until your water boils. Be careful to watch for overflow.
- Once the water begins to boil, turn down the heat to low and top with a tight-fitting lid.
- Check the rice for 15-20 minutes to see if the water is absorbed.
- Once all liquid is absorbed, remove the pot from the heat.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Note: If you notice any excess water, consider cooking another minute, or until the rest of the liquid is absorbed, or remove the lid so that the liquid can evaporate.
Water-to-Rice Ratios For Different Types of Rice
Now, it’s time to jump into the specifics!
The following are our recommendations for how much water you should use for two cups of specific types of rice.
2 Cups of Rice How Much Water Mexican Rice?
We recommend you stick to 4 cups of either water or broth per 2 cups of Mexican rice.
How Many Cups of Water For 2 Cups of Basmati Rice?
Basmati can be tricky, but we’re going to say you need about 3 to 3 ½ cups of water for every 2 cups of basmati rice.
If your Basmati comes in a package we strongly recommend using the package directions to determine exactly how much water is needed.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Jasmine Rice?
Use 3 cups of water per 2 cups of Jasmine rice.
Speaking of these two rice types, have you read our post comparing jasmine and basmati?
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Rice on Stove?
You usually need 2 cups of water per 1 cup of regular rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Brown Rice?
Try 4 cups of water for every 2 cups of brown rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Long-Grain Rice?
Depending on what variety of long-grain rice you have, you can plan to use 4 cups of water per 2 cups of long-grain rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Rice in Rice Cooker?
Generally, rice can be cooked using a 1:1 ratio of rice to water when using a rice cooker.
This means you can expect to use 2 cups of water for 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of White Rice?
For every 2 cups of white rice, plan on using 4 cups of water.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Sushi Rice?
Try 2 cups of water per 2 cups of sushi rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Sticky Rice?
Try 2 cups to 2 or 2 ½ cups of water for sticky rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Medium Grain Rice?
Try 4 cups of water for every 2 cups of medium-grain rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Japanese Rice?
We recommend doing 2 cups of water for every 2 cups of Japanese rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Spanish Rice?
Do 4 cups of water (or chicken broth) for every two cups of Spanish rice.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Short Grain Rice?
2 cups of short-grain rice will usually require 4 cups of water.
How Much Water For 2 Cups of Parboiled Rice?
The amount of water needed for 2 cups of parboiled rice is usually 2 cups water.
However, we strongly recommend you read the package directions, if able, to get the ratio just right.
How Much Water For Two Cups of Rice? The Answer Varies!
The amount of water needed for two cups of rice is generally four cups of water, BUT that answer can change depending on the rice type.
Some types of rice, such as parboiled rice, may require water at a 1:1 ratio rather than a 1:2 ratio. Refer to the guidelines within this post to know which water-to-rice ratio you should use.
We hope this helps!
FAQs
Is it 2 cups of water per cup of rice?
Oftentimes, yes. But there are times when you should do only 1 cup of water for every 1 cup of rice. This is often the case with Sushi rice, Instant rice, and a few other rice types.
What is the correct ratio of water to rice?
The correct ratio of water to rice will always depend on the type of rice you use. Consult the information in the above post for details!
