Cooking rice in a crock pot keeps it from burning.
Crock pots are usually used for stews, soups and other main dishes, but rarely are they used to cook accompanying staples, such as rice. Heating the grains on the stove risks burned or undercooked rice, whereas crock pots allow the rice to cook thoroughly without the risk of charring. Cooking rice in a crock pot also frees up some of your time, allowing you to do anything but watch a pot boil.
Ingredients
Although liquids are usually halved for most crock pot recipes, when cooking rice, liquids must be doubled. If cooking Thai coconut rice, substitute half the water with coconut milk. Extra spices or other flavorful ingredients can be added to permeate their taste through the rice as it cooks; whole spices and herbs are also better to use than ground, as they add more flavor during the slow-cooking process. Butter and oil keep the rice grains from sticking to each other during the long cooking process.
Cooking
Cook the rice on the low option. Do not stir the rice during cooking; although you may be tempted to, it does not require stirring. Cooking takes much longer in a crock pot than what is called for when cooked on the stove. If the rice usually takes 15 minutes on the stove, it will take around 4 hours in a crock pot; if 30 minutes, then 6 hours is the usual crock pot cooking time. Brown and wild rice generally take 6 hours in a crock pot to fully cook, whereas white rice takes about 4 hours. Check the rice every 45 minutes, for each crock pot varies in its low temperature setting.
Rice Consistency
Cooking rice in a crock pot gives it the consistency of steamed rice, rather than the sticky texture that comes from cooking it on the stove. If a different consistency is desired for crock pot rice, then add 2 to 4 tbsp. more water to the pot, depending on how sticky you want it to be, and no butter or oil. If cooking sushi rice, add a dash of rice vinegar at the end to make the rice even more sticky.
Warming
A crock pot can be used as a warming chamber for rice for 2 to 3 hours after it has been cooked. It will either have a warming setting or it can be turned completely off. With the setting, check on the rice on occasion to ensure it is not drying out, and add a tablespoon of water if needed.
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