Famous Butter White Rice Recipe – Easy Step-by-Step Guide
Famous Butter White Rice is a simple, flavorful side dish that goes well with chicken, fish, beef, curry, vegetables, and many Jamaican-style meals. The secret is using the right amount of water, butter, salt, and low heat so the rice cooks evenly and comes out soft and fluffy.
If you have ever struggled with rice that comes out too hard, too wet, sticky, or burned at the bottom, this easy step-by-step method can help. For this recipe, we are cooking two cups of white rice using only a few basic ingredients.
Ingredients for Famous Butter White Rice
- 2 cups white rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
You can adjust the butter and salt depending on your preference. If you are trying to reduce salt, you can use less or leave it out completely.
Step 1: Wash the Rice
Place the two cups of rice in a bowl or cooking pot and rinse it with clean water. Wash the rice several times until much of the cloudy starch has been removed.
Washing the rice helps remove excess starch and can help prevent the grains from becoming overly sticky during cooking. After washing, drain off as much water as possible.
Step 2: Add Water, Butter and Salt
Add 3 cups of water to the washed rice. Then add approximately 1 teaspoon of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
This simple combination gives the rice a light buttery flavor without overpowering the meal you plan to serve with it.
How to Make White Rice with Butter
Step 3: Start Cooking the Rice
Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Keep the pot covered while the rice begins cooking.
Watch the rice as the water level starts to drop. Once most of the water has been absorbed and you can see small steam holes forming between the grains, it is time to reduce the heat.
Step 4: Lower the Heat and Steam
Turn the stove down to the lowest possible heat. Cover the pot tightly and allow the rice to finish cooking slowly with the remaining steam.
This is an important part of making good butter white rice. High heat after the water disappears can burn the bottom while leaving the rice unevenly cooked. Low heat allows the grains to finish steaming gently.
Step 5: Fluff and Serve
Once the rice is tender and the water has been completely absorbed, turn off the stove. Use a fork or serving spoon to gently fluff the rice.
Avoid aggressively stirring the rice because this can break the grains and make the rice sticky. Your Famous Butter White Rice should now be soft, fluffy, and ready to serve.
White Rice Recipes
What Can You Serve With Butter White Rice?
Butter white rice works with many different meals. You can serve it with baked chicken, fried chicken, curry chicken, brown stew chicken, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, beans, or your favorite gravy.
Because the flavor is mild, the rice absorbs sauces and gravies very well. That makes it an excellent side dish for Caribbean and Jamaican-style cooking.
How Much Water Should You Use for 2 Cups of Rice?
For this recipe, we are using 3 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. The exact amount can vary slightly depending on the type and brand of rice you use.
If your rice repeatedly comes out too soft, try reducing the water slightly the next time. If it comes out too hard, you may need a little more water or a longer steaming time.
Tips for Making Better Butter White Rice
- Wash the rice before cooking to remove excess starch.
- Drain the washed rice well before measuring your cooking water.
- Do not use too much water.
- Reduce the stove to very low heat once most of the water disappears.
- Keep the pot covered while the rice finishes steaming.
- Fluff the finished rice gently instead of heavily stirring it.
Watch the Famous Butter White Rice Video
You can also watch the original step-by-step cooking video here:
Watch Famous Butter White Rice on YouTube
Final Thoughts
Making Famous Butter White Rice does not have to be complicated. The most important things are using the correct amount of water, reducing the heat at the right time, and allowing the rice to finish cooking with steam.
Once you learn the basic method, you can easily prepare fluffy white rice to serve with almost any meal. Try this recipe the next time you are cooking chicken, fish, beef, vegetables, or your favorite Jamaican dish.