- 15 hours ago
Ever feel like you’re not getting the most out of a simple bag of rice? In this video, Nicole shares 16 smart rice hacks, tips, and recipes that go far beyond the basic side dish. From flavor-boosting cooking techniques to clever household uses, these practical ideas will help you cook rice better, use up leftovers, and even solve a few everyday problems around the house. Discover game-changing tricks like toasting your rice for deeper flavor, the towel lid method for perfectly fluffy grains, and an ice cube hack that revives leftovers in minutes. Nicole also walks through creative recipes like oven-baked French onion rice, spicy tuna fried rice cakes, and crispy arancini. Plus, learn surprising non-cooking uses for rice — from deodorizing musty spaces and ripening fruit to making rice water glass cleaner and even homemade glue. Watch to the end for simple tricks that make rice one of the most versatile ingredients in your kitchen.
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00:00Thought you knew everything there was to know about rice.
00:02I'm going against the grain
00:03and showing you 16 surprising hacks.
00:06There's a lot more to this simple grain
00:08than just steaming it and putting some stir fry on top.
00:11If you're somebody who, when you cook rice,
00:13it always turns out gummy
00:14or you burn the bottom of your pan,
00:15this first method is for you.
00:17You can cook perfect rice in the oven.
00:19I'm gonna give you a two-for-one special
00:21and show you French onion rice,
00:23but you can do this with any recipe.
00:25You can just do it with plain rice if you want.
00:27I have caramelized some onions in this pot.
00:29To that, I'm gonna add in a can of French onion soup
00:32and a can of beef broth.
00:34So I've got roughly two and a half cups or so of liquid.
00:37To that, I'm gonna go one and a half cups of rice.
00:41I'm going straight in with the rice.
00:42Yes, sometimes I rinse it and sometimes I don't.
00:45Give it a stir.
00:46Then I'm gonna top it with a stick of butter.
00:48Of course, you don't have to use this much butter,
00:50but it does make it quite delicious.
00:52Then you just cover it and put it in the oven.
00:54The main difference between cooking it like this
00:56and cooking it on the stove is that it does take longer,
00:58but you don't have to babysit it.
00:59I also like this method because I think it helps you resist
01:02the temptation of opening and stirring your rice,
01:05which is what causes it to be gummy and sticky.
01:09Just trust the process.
01:12You wanna know it smells good?
01:15This right here.
01:16It has absorbed all the liquid,
01:18and look how perfect it's cooked.
01:20It's flavorful and fluffy.
01:23No gummy rice here.
01:24Nothing's stuck together.
01:25You just fluff it with a fork.
01:31Perfect every time.
01:34I've been wanting to do this one for a while.
01:36This hack involves using your leftover rice
01:39to turn it into a whole other meal.
01:41We are going to do fried rice cakes with spicy tuna on top.
01:45Whenever I cook rice at home,
01:46I always cook twice as much as I need
01:47because my future self thanks me.
01:49Whether I'm doing something like this
01:51or just simply making fried rice, it's always good to have some leftover rice.
01:55It freezes perfectly.
01:56This one in particular, I've got my cooked rice that I have mashed into a pan
02:00and then popped it in the freezer.
02:01Then you can turn it out and cut it into little squares.
02:05These are going to be our little vessel to put some spicy tuna on.
02:10This is kind of an easy way to do a little sushi alternative at home.
02:13Okay, and then we just fry it.
02:15If your rice has a little too much moisture,
02:18you can always coat it lightly in flour or cornstarch before doing this.
02:22You're just going to place them down in the hot oil.
02:24They cook about five minutes, about three minutes on the first side
02:26and one to two minutes on the other side.
02:28I'm just using vegetable oil, but you can use whatever oil you want.
02:31Once they're done, drain them on some paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt.
02:36You know I like that sound.
02:38Then you can top it however you like your sushi.
02:39I like a spicy tuna situation, so this is just some fresh tuna.
02:43You got to get the good stuff.
02:45Chop it up and then with some little kewpie mayonnaise, a little soy sauce,
02:49a little sriracha.
02:50So then you've got this like soft kind of cold mixture on the warm and crunchy rice cakes.
02:57And then I'm going to go jalapeno or serrano.
03:01You could also do avocado here and a little green onion.
03:05Have you ever done this with your leftover rice?
03:15That's some good stuff right there.
03:17The perfect thing to do with leftover rice.
03:20That's a 12 out of 10 perfect bite.
03:23This next one is more of a tip than a hack, but if you cannot get a perfect pot of
03:27rice right,
03:28I've got you.
03:29The trick is toasting your grains before you cook them.
03:32We know the classic method for cooking a cup of rice is bring your water to a boil,
03:37then stir in the rice.
03:39No, I disagree.
03:40The most foolproof way is to toast your rice first in your fat.
03:44This can be oil, it can be bacon fat, it can be butter.
03:46Get that melting.
03:48Most will argue that rinsing your rice is the only way to go.
03:51So we're going to do that.
03:53But when you do wash your rice, don't discard the water.
03:56I'll show you why later.
03:58Remember this is more about the method and not the recipe.
04:00You can do the same method no matter how much rice you're cooking.
04:03Once your fat is melted, go in with the rice.
04:04And the key is you want to make sure each grain is coated in the fat.
04:09That way when it cooks, it stays separated.
04:11It also gives it better flavor because the rice becomes a little more fragrant
04:15and it just gives you a more depth of flavoring your rice.
04:18You'll be able to tell when each grain is coated in the fat
04:21because it goes from being super opaque to a little more translucent.
04:25You can also add flavorings at this point.
04:27You can do some chopped onion, some garlic here, or just go ahead and add in your seasonings.
04:31I like to salt it at this point also.
04:33You do the same proportions of two parts liquid to one part rice.
04:38Once it's all toasted, add in the liquid.
04:40Now it follows the standard rice procedure.
04:43Bring it to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, cover and let it cook.
04:49That is perfect rice.
04:50Take your fork, give it a little fluff.
04:53When it comes to cooking rice in a pot, this is the only way to do it.
04:56Look at that.
04:57Perfect every time.
04:59One way to prevent gummy rice is with a dish towel.
05:01When your rice is done cooking, you don't want the condensation to drip back in,
05:06causing your rice to become super wet.
05:09So you just put a dish towel on top and let it stand like that.
05:13Any condensation is going to drip on the towel and not back into the rice.
05:17Disclaimer, make sure you turn your eye off first.
05:19Did you know you can cook your rice in the microwave?
05:22Yes, you can.
05:23I'm not talking about the microwave pouches.
05:25We are talking about uncooked rice that you can cook perfectly in the microwave.
05:29Start with your rice that you have rinsed.
05:31Add in the water.
05:33Just like pasta, you want to season your rice in the beginning
05:36because it's the only chance that rice has to absorb the flavor.
05:39And optional butter.
05:42Is it really optional?
05:43This goes into the microwave for eight minutes.
05:46Then we cover with plastic and go another four minutes.
05:48And then you let it sit covered for six minutes on the counter.
05:51You can already tell it looks pretty perfect.
05:54Take a fork and just fluff your rice.
05:57I'm kind of impressed with this one.
05:58I wasn't sure it was going to turn out this perfect.
06:01The grains are separated whenever you cook rice.
06:04You just don't want them to all be stuck together.
06:06You want to be able to see separate fluffy grains.
06:13I'm going to need to teach my college daughter this one.
06:16It's a good one.
06:18You can use rice to make thick and creamy soups.
06:21Let's say you make a brothy soup, but you want it to feel a little more indulgent,
06:28but maybe you don't want to add dairy.
06:31Rice is the trick.
06:33It just takes a little handful, about a third cup, drop it into your soup.
06:38And as you stir, the starches will release from the rice grains and make this a creamier soup.
06:44I'm using Arborio rice for this because it is starchier.
06:47You can also do a sushi rice here, but the idea is that this breaks down.
06:50So you do want to keep stirring it so that that rice does break down.
06:53You're not looking for a vegetable rice soup, but you just want just enough to kind of thicken.
06:59This is a third cup.
07:01And then I'm just going to cook that until it works its magic.
07:05Lots of stirring activates the creamy starch.
07:09Look at that.
07:09It doesn't look like a thin broth soup anymore.
07:12Of course, you're going to get some flecks of rice in there.
07:15If you don't want to see the rice at all,
07:17you can always just puree it in a blender and then stir it right in.
07:20First, you can see straight through the broth.
07:22You'll see the thickness in the broth, and it just makes the whole soup experience a little more filling.
07:33And it doesn't change the flavor.
07:35You got takeout.
07:36You want to reheat your leftover rice.
07:38This is the best way to do it.
07:40I learned this from Emily on TikTok, and I just think it's really smart.
07:43So you've got your leftover cold rice.
07:45Add it to a microwave-safe bowl.
07:48See how hard it is.
07:49Adding just one ice cube and then covering it with parchment paper or a napkin.
07:54It's just going to help the rice re-steam.
07:56It's not going to cook in liquid.
07:58You don't want to add a bunch of water, or then it's going to overcook and get mushy.
08:02Cover it like that, and then just pop it in the microwave.
08:04Look at this.
08:06Steamy.
08:07But the ice cube is still there because it got just hot enough.
08:10See, it just re-steams it.
08:13An ice cube is the trick to reheating refrigerated leftover rice.
08:19It works.
08:20I told you I always make double the rice when I cook rice,
08:23and that's because I freeze the rest.
08:25Here's the best way to do it.
08:27I'm telling you, you know, sometimes those microwave pouches
08:29a, it can be weird, and b, it's about quadruple the cost of what that amount of rice cost.
08:35Maybe 10 times.
08:36You can make your own reheatable cooked rice.
08:39Take your leftover rice, spin it into a Ziploc bag, and then flatten it in your Ziploc bag.
08:45You could do this in smaller bags also.
08:48This would be like my family size portion, which you can freeze and reheat the whole thing at once,
08:53or you can create single size portions.
08:56You really want to do this when the rice is cooled completely for demonstration purposes only.
09:02Then you can use your hand and go like that, or you can use a spatula.
09:09Create individual size portions.
09:11Then you want to freeze it flat.
09:15When the time comes, you just break off the amount you want to reheat.
09:21Pop this right into your bowl and into the microwave.
09:24No ice cube needed here, because as you reheat frozen rice, it steams itself.
09:30And that cost you about 10 cents.
09:32Leftover rice turned into one of my favorite foods of all time.
09:36Arancini.
09:37What is arancini?
09:38You should know this by now.
09:41Fried rice balls.
09:42So many flavor combinations you can make with these.
09:45In this bowl, I've got some leftover rice that I have mixed with a meat sauce,
09:49like just a tomato meat sauce, and it's a good thing to do,
09:52not only if you have leftover rice, but if you have leftover spaghetti sauce.
09:55So I've got rice, sausage, tomato sauce, and cheese.
09:59This has mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in here.
10:01You can mix it, roll it up, and then let it chill, or just chill your mixture and then roll
10:06it up.
10:06You can turn these into spring appetizers also.
10:09You can do rice with little peas in there, asparagus.
10:12You could just do plain rice and cheese.
10:14I do think cheese is kind of essential, and you'll see why.
10:17You don't have to do this, but I'm telling you if you want an extra treat, do this.
10:20Take a little thing of mozzarella, place it in the center, and then wrap the rice around it.
10:26There's also cheese in the rice mixture, so this is just a bonus.
10:31So roll up your rice balls.
10:33The starch from the rice is going to hold all this together,
10:36and the cheese kind of helps act as a bonus glue.
10:39I like kind of appetizer size.
10:41I have seen them where you can do a complete dinner size arancini.
10:45Then do the standard breading process.
10:47Again, you can make all these ahead of time.
10:50You can keep these in your fridge or your freezer until you're ready to cook.
10:53Just a really light coating of flour.
10:55Dust off the extra into the egg, and then bread crumbs.
10:59See, I like them the size of a good-sized meatball.
11:01After all your arancini are ready, I like to pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before frying.
11:06Heat up some oil.
11:07You can air fry these if you want, but I'm going all out today.
11:10Everything we know is cooked inside, so we just need it to heat through and get crispy on the outside.
11:15Is that not a thing of beauty?
11:18Arancini is the perfect example of the superpower of rice.
11:25It just doesn't get any better than that.
11:28So light and crispy on the outside, but gooey on the inside.
11:32If you don't do this next time you have leftover rice, I'm going to be mad at you.
11:35Don't bring me that martini.
11:37And now rice is for more than just cooking.
11:40There are several mind-blowing life hacks that start with rice.
11:43All you need is rice and a pair of socks, and you can make the perfect heating and cooling packs.
11:48When I saw this one, I was like, now that is just daggum smart.
11:52You know, if you've got a headache, maybe a little tummy ache, maybe a neck ache,
11:57this is going to be the cure for that.
11:59P.S. Just took these out of the package.
12:02Fresh, clean socks to start.
12:04Don't need y'all up in my comment section.
12:07And then you fill it with rice.
12:09This would make a fun gift also.
12:12You need to leave room at the top so that you can tie the sock.
12:15And because we love aromatherapy, you can add in a couple drops of your favorite essential oil.
12:21So depending on what you're going to use it for.
12:23Lavender is always nice for relaxation.
12:26Tie it up.
12:28You can also put the essential oil drops just on the outside.
12:32Now, pop it in the freezer for a cold ice pack, which is how I like to go to sleep.
12:37And it also works as a heat pack.
12:39Now, you've got to be careful with this one.
12:41I have seen somebody completely burn the rice.
12:43Just fill it up, same way.
12:45Pop it in the microwave, one to two minutes.
12:48Hot potato, hot potato.
12:51Oh, it smells good.
12:53No more than two minutes.
12:54Flip it every 30 to 40 seconds.
12:57Y'all have worked me to death.
13:03Oh, that does so good.
13:05Should have done this last because I'm about to go to bed.
13:08Oh, my God.
13:08It really does hold the heat.
13:10This is a good mom cure right here.
13:14I say get some cuter socks and make this a real thing.
13:17Now, the cold one.
13:19Oh, yeah.
13:20Oh, yeah.
13:21That's how to get rid of your headache.
13:23And next, I'm showing you how to use rice to lock in moisture, just like in this salt shaker.
13:30A little over the shoulder for good luck.
13:32Rice is so good for absorbing excess moisture.
13:35I know you have seen this one before.
13:37Adding grains of rice to your salt shaker helps keep the salt where it flows.
13:43If you live in a place that has too much humidity, you might find that your salt shaker is full
13:48of clumps like this.
13:49Adding a few grains of rice to your salt shaker keeps it nice and dry.
13:54You've definitely seen this one if you've gone to a restaurant at the beach.
13:56Speaking of soaking up excess moisture, sometimes in your house, you might have some damp spaces down in the basement.
14:03Adding some jars with rice can help absorb some of that extra.
14:09It can also keep your house from smelling musty.
14:12So add some grains of rice to a jar, a bowl, whatever vessel you want to use.
14:18The rice is good for just the moisture, but you want to keep that musty smell out of there.
14:23So you can always add some scent beads like you get for your laundry.
14:29Mix those in with the rice.
14:30And then just to keep, you know, your pets away from this or anything, you can cover it with a
14:34little cloth and a lid.
14:36If you don't have any animals or small children to worry about, you can just leave it open,
14:41maybe set it behind the toilet or in a corner of the room.
14:44You can also break out those essential oils again.
14:46And then you've got your own built-in air freshener.
14:50Smart.
14:52Did you know this one?
14:54Rice to ripen.
14:55Yes, you can.
14:56Sometimes you have to buy your produce a little under-ripe, but you want to try to speed that process
15:01along.
15:01We know the trick about putting in a paper bag with an apple, but you can also just cover it
15:06with rice.
15:07It traps the chemical in there that's going to help it ripen faster.
15:10Yesterday, I had two tomatoes that were just under-ripe.
15:13One is in the rice and the other one's right here.
15:16Let's see if there's a difference.
15:17You're going to give yourself at least 24 hours for this.
15:20It's been about 36 hours.
15:24It does work.
15:26You may not be able to see the difference from there, but I promise you can feel it.
15:30This is a little softer than our under-ripe hard.
15:35You might have to trust me on this one, but trust me, it works.
15:39Here's another thing rice can do.
15:41It is a great abrasive when it comes to scrubbing dirty pots and pans.
15:45If you've got some gunk left on your dishes that just won't come off with regular water,
15:50this thing's stuck on the sides, add in a little rice with your soapy water.
15:58Shake it up and let it do its thing.
16:00Allowing those grains of rice to just swish along the sides really cleans it.
16:05Strain it out.
16:09Clean jar.
16:10You're welcome.
16:12Do not throw out your rice water.
16:14If you have washed your rice, save that water because it's good for a few things.
16:18Or so they say.
16:20Rice water can help clean glass streak-free.
16:23Let's see.
16:25They also say you can wash your hair with this.
16:28It helps with regrowth for all my fellow perimenopause moms.
16:32This sounds counterintuitive to me because I just feel like this starchy liquid is going to make
16:38cloudy glass.
16:39Here's a dirty mirror.
16:49Well, I'll be.
16:50It gets the layer of gunk off.
16:52I will say that.
16:53It works.
16:55Where are all my crafty friends at?
16:58Leftover rice makes the perfect glue.
17:01I guess if you're worried about toxic chemicals, this one might be for you.
17:05Take leftover cooked rice, pretty much equal parts rice and water.
17:10You could also use that leftover rice water here.
17:13Add it to a blender and let it go.
17:17Don't we have glue?
17:18I don't know if they'll allow this kind on the school supply list, but
17:22I can already tell you it's going to make for some sticky glue.
17:28No odor.
17:29Let's see if it works.
17:30Looks like glue, feels like glue.
17:33Let's finish my school project.
17:35Just like I remember.
17:37I can tell you this is sticky.
17:40Who knew?
17:41Who knew?
17:42This is a great one to try out with your kids.
17:44I mean, y'all, look at this.
17:46All right, that is stuck like glue.
17:49It's not coming off.
17:52That is a powerful glue.
17:53A good one to do with your kids right there.
17:55If you ask me, we've nailed it.
17:57That is 16 hacks, snacks, and crafts that go against the grain when it comes to rice.
18:03Mission accomplished.
18:04I thought you knew everything there was to know about rice.
18:07There's no way it's going to be a piece of it.
18:08There's no way it goes.
18:10It's not.
18:12You're so easy.
18:12You
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