The Best Microwave Rice Is Ready in a Flash—And It Actually Tastes Good

I’ll admit it: Prior to this taste test, I was a microwave rice hater. I had only ever had the regular white Minute rice, and the one time I had it, it tasted like plastic. After that, fair and scientific taste tester that I am, I wrote off all microwave rice forever as plasticky and gross and never once revisited it since I love myself and didn’t want to put my poor taste buds through that again. Until today.

What is microwave rice?

Microwave rice comes in cups or pouches and is already fully cooked. The 60- to 90-second stint in the microwave is for warming purposes only. How do they manage that? Isn’t cooked rice notoriously bacteria-ridden? Turns out they sterilize the rice first using heat and pressure to rid the rice of any unwanted microbes, then they pack it airtight so no microbial bugs can get in. It is miraculously shelf-stable fully cooked rice, and if they can get it to taste good for me today, I may just revise my opinion and accept how miraculous precooked rice really is.

What we looked for in the best microwave rice

I came into this taste test very skeptical but very hopeful. Here’s what I wanted:

• A nice, to-the-tooth texture, even after nuking. Microwave rice shouldn’t be mush, but it shouldn’t be dry, either.
• Easy and fast cooking instructions. Spoiler alert: every rice we tried passed this particular test.
• Good flavor. Most importantly, it had to taste like rice—not plastic.

I nuked a dozen packets and little bowls to find the best microwave white rice, the best microwave brown rice, the best microwave yellow rice, and more. Here’s what’s actually worth buying.

Best for Burrito Bowls

Somos Cilantro Lime White Rice

Instacart

This cilantro-lime white rice would be great in a burrito bowl with some pico de gallo or other salsa. The cilantro flavor is quite pleasant (even for me, and I do unfortunately have the soap gene…I know…what a loser). It could use a bit more lime to add some brightness and acidity, but it’s pretty good as-is and reminds me of the rice at Chipotle. Texture-wise, it turned out a little mushy but not terribly so. All in all, it’s the best microwave rice for a burrito night upgrade.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

Best Mixed Grain

Minute Brown Rice & Quinoa

Instacart

The best microwave brown rice is farther down on this list, but if you like a rice-quinoa blend and/or you like your brown rice to come in a convenient little cup, this is the best microwave rice to buy. It’s a good, nutty-tasting option for high-fiber busy girlies who want their brown rice fast. Plus, this is Minute brand and it does not taste like plastic, and for that, I am impressed as well as truly grateful.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Best White Rice in a Cup

Minute Jasmine Rice

Instacart

Minute’s Jasmine rice has a little bit of a telltale I-was-cooked-in-a-plastic-bowl flavor, but it’s so subtle that if you’re adding any sort of sauce to your rice, you aren’t likely to notice. Otherwise, this is easy to cook and the texture is great, so we’re considering it a win.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Seasoned Rice

Minute Yellow Rice

Instacart

Y’all, I finished this whole little bowl of rice. It’s that tasty. Is it the most utilitarian? No! It tastes like chicken and savory spices and is by no means a blank slate. This Minute microwave rice is more of a side dish, in fact, it tastes pretty similar to a boxed Rice-A-Roni or rice pilaf from the grocery store. It’s also a vibrant yellow hue, and that color makes it seem fun and festive, even if you are eating a cup of plain yellow Minute rice in your apartment at 11 p.m.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Brown Rice

Great Value Brown Rice

Instacart

Great value. My guy, you did not need to pop off this hard, but, boy, are we glad you did. This microwave brown rice has a great chewy, al dente texture, and on top of that, the flavor is nutty and delicious, unlike some other brown rice we tried, which smelled and tasted like wood varnish. Overall, this is the best microwave rice if you are looking for brown rice that truly tastes like it was boiled in a pot the old fashioned way.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Overall

Great Value Jasmine Rice

Instacart

Whouda thunk that the best microwave white rice you can buy is a Walmart budget buy? It takes only 90 seconds to cook, and oh boy, did she cook with this one. Hands down, this was the best white rice we tried—it’s not mushy and there aren’t any “off” flavors. It simply tastes like, and this is insane, plain ol’ jasmine rice, and oh how refreshing that was. If you need fast white rice, buy this. It is also extremely affordable and would thus make an S-tier complement to any rice-needing dish out there. Or if you love to snack on plain white rice, this is your guy right here.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Other microwave rice we tried

Minute White Rice, Ben’s Original Long Grain White Rice, Mahatma Jasmine Rice, Somos Mexican Street Corn White Rice