Yes, you can cook raw rice in an air fryer if you seal it in an oven-safe pan with enough water so it steams, not dries out.
Air fryers shine at crisp jobs, so rice sounds odd at first. Still, the heat inside an air fryer works like a compact convection oven. If you trap steam with a tight cover, the rice cooks like it would in an oven: water turns to steam, grains soften, and the starch sets.
The trick is simple: use an oven-safe pan that fits your basket, measure water with care, and keep the pan covered until the end.
Do that, and can you cook raw rice in an air fryer? You can.
What Makes Rice Work In An Air Fryer
Rice needs two things: steady heat and trapped moisture. In a pot, a lid holds in steam. In an air fryer, the fan pushes hot air around fast. That airflow is great for fries, but it also pulls moisture off the surface of food. Raw rice in an open dish turns leathery long before it turns tender.
A cover fixes the problem. Foil, a fitted lid, or a second pan set on top keeps steam close to the grains. The air fryer still heats the pan walls, the water still boils, and the rice cooks through.
Air Fryer Rice Setup Chart By Grain Type
Use this table as a starting point. Basket size, pan material, and rice age can shift timing a bit, so treat it as a baseline and learn your machine.
| Rice Type | Water To Rice Ratio | Air Fryer Temp And Time |
|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white | 1.5:1 | 300°F (150°C), 30–35 min covered |
| Jasmine | 1.4:1 | 300°F, 28–33 min covered |
| Basmati (rinsed) | 1.4:1 | 300°F, 28–32 min covered |
| Short-grain white | 1.6:1 | 300°F, 32–38 min covered |
| Sushi rice | 1.5:1 | 300°F, 30–36 min covered |
| Brown rice | 2.0:1 | 300°F, 45–55 min covered |
| Parboiled (converted) | 1.7:1 | 300°F, 35–45 min covered |
| Wild rice blend | 2.2:1 | 300°F, 55–70 min covered |
Can You Cook Raw Rice In An Air Fryer? With A Covered Pan
This method is built for plain rice that you can serve with anything. It uses tools most kitchens already have.
Pan And Tools That Fit Most Baskets
- One 6–8 inch round cake pan, loaf pan, or metal bowl that sits flat in the basket
- Foil, or a lid that fits the pan
- Measuring cup, fork, and a timer
Metal pans heat fast and tend to finish on schedule. Glass works too if it is rated for oven heat, yet it can run slower. Silicone is fine for reheating cooked rice, not for raw rice since it insulates and slows the simmer.
Step-By-Step Method
- Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs close to clear. Drain well.
- Add rice to the pan, then add water using the ratio in the table. Add a pinch of salt if you want.
- Stir once so no dry clumps hide on the bottom.
- Seal the pan. If using foil, press it down tight around the rim. Poke one tiny vent hole so pressure does not build.
- Set the pan in the basket. Cook at 300°F (150°C) for the time range listed for your rice.
- When the timer ends, keep the cover on and let the pan sit in the closed air fryer for 10 minutes. This finish step sets the texture.
- Uncover, fluff with a fork, and taste. If the center is still firm, add 2 tablespoons of hot water, reseal, and cook 5–8 minutes more.
Why The Rest Step Changes The Texture
During cooking, the outer grain softens first. A rest lets moisture move inward so the center catches up. It also lets extra steam escape after you fluff, so the rice does not turn gummy.
Water, Rinsing, And Seasoning Choices
Most “air fryer rice failed” stories come down to water math. A cup of rice is not a fixed amount of water loss across machines, since fan speed and basket venting differ. Start with the ratios in the table, then tune by small pours.
Want firmer grains? Drop water by 1–2 tablespoons per cup. Want softer rice? Add the same amount. Change one thing at a time, keep notes, and you’ll see clear patterns soon.
Rinsing helps white rice cook with clean separation by washing off loose surface starch. For brown rice, rinsing is still fine, but the bigger win is soaking. A 30 minute soak can shave time and help the grains soften evenly.
Seasoning is easier than you’d think. Add salt to the water, then finish with a little butter or olive oil after cooking. If you want garlic or herbs, tuck them into the water so the steam carries the aroma into the rice.
Food Safety Notes For Cooked Rice
Rice is safe when you handle leftovers well. Uncooked rice can carry spores that survive cooking, then grow if rice sits warm for too long. The simplest rule is speed: cool leftovers fast and chill them soon after cooking.
The USDA’s guidance on the 40°F–140°F danger zone explains why: that range lets bacteria grow quickly. Once your rice is done, spread it in a shallow container, then refrigerate it within two hours.
If you’re cooling a batch for meal prep, the FDA’s two-stage cooling targets for hot foods are a practical reference: move food from 135°F to 70°F within two hours, then down to 41°F within four more hours. You can read the details in the FDA handout on cooling cooked time/temperature control foods.
Reheat rice until it is steaming hot, then eat it right away. If rice smells off, feels slimy, or shows any mold, toss it.
Batch Size And Air Fryer Limits
Air fryers have two real constraints for rice: pan size and steam space. If you cram a deep pan under a tight basket ceiling, the fan can’t move heat around it well. You’ll see undercooked centers and hard bands along the edges.
A smart batch is 1 cup dry rice in a 7 inch pan, yielding about 3 cups cooked. That size gives a thin enough layer for even heat, plus headroom for bubbling water.
For larger batches, cook two pans side by side only if your basket is wide and the pans do not touch. If they touch, hot air can’t reach the sides and one pan lags behind.
How To Get Better Results With Brown Rice
Brown rice asks for patience. The bran layer slows water absorption, so time is longer and extra water is needed. A soak makes the biggest difference. Cover the rice with warm water for 30–60 minutes, drain, then cook with the ratio in the table.
Brown rice also likes a firmer seal. Use foil plus a snug lid if you have it. If your foil keeps ballooning up, wrap a second sheet around the rim to lock it down.
After cooking, let brown rice rest a full 15 minutes. Then fluff and let it sit uncovered for two more minutes so excess steam can leave.
Shortcut: Start With Par-Cooked Rice
If you want rice fast, cook it once on the stove or in a rice cooker, then use the air fryer to finish it. Cooked rice reheats well in a shallow covered pan at 300°F for 8–12 minutes, stirred once halfway. Add a tablespoon of water per cup of rice to refresh the steam.
This approach also makes fried-rice style batches easier. Spread cooked rice on a tray, chill it, then air fry it in a pan with a little oil and soy sauce. Stir every few minutes so the edges toast without burning.
Troubleshooting Rice Cooked In An Air Fryer
Small tweaks fix most issues. Use the table below as a quick diagnostic.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hard center | Not enough water or rest time | Add 2–3 tbsp hot water, reseal, cook 5–8 min, rest 10 min |
| Wet top, dry bottom | Rice not stirred before sealing | Stir once at the start so water reaches all grains |
| Gummy texture | Too much water or overcooked | Reduce water by 2 tbsp next time; fluff and vent after rest |
| Scorched edges | Pan too thin or temp too high | Use heavier pan; keep 300°F; add a splash of water if needed |
| Foil pops up | Loose seal or no vent | Crimp tighter; add one pin-hole vent |
| Bland rice | No salt in water | Salt the water; finish with butter, oil, or broth |
| Uneven grains | Pan too full | Cook 1 cup dry rice per pan; avoid thick layers |
Small Upgrades That Make Air Fryer Rice Easier
Use Hot Water To Cut Lag Time
If your machine runs cool, start with hot tap water. That gets you to a simmer sooner, so cook time lands closer to the table ranges.
Pick The Right Pan Shape
Round cake pans fit most baskets and let airflow wrap around the sides. A loaf pan works too, yet it can create a thicker rice layer. If you go loaf-pan, keep the batch small.
Mark Your Best Ratio
Once you dial in one rice type, jot the ratio and time on a sticky note inside your pantry. The next batch becomes a repeat, not a guess.
When To Skip The Air Fryer For Rice
Air fryers cook rice well when you can seal the pan and you’re fine with oven-style timing. If you need rice for a crowd, a rice cooker or a pot is still the smoother route. If your basket is tiny, the pan you need might be too small to heat evenly.
Still, for a weeknight plate, the method works. And if your stovetop is busy, it can save space and stress.
Quick Checklist Before You Hit Start
- Pan fits flat in the basket with a little headroom
- Rice rinsed and drained
- Water measured by ratio, not by guess
- Pan sealed tight with foil or lid, with a tiny vent
- Cook at 300°F, then rest covered before fluffing
If you came here asking “can you cook raw rice in an air fryer?”, the safe bet is yes, as long as you treat it like a covered steam bake. Start with 1 cup of rice, keep it sealed, and adjust water by tablespoons until it matches the texture you like.
Try one batch, note your numbers, and you’ll have a repeatable way to make rice in the same basket you use for everything else.