Give Plain White Rice A Vibrant, Flavorful Upgrade With Orange Juice

Rice is a major component of several cuisines around the world. A bowl of basic stovetop steamed white rice is often the perfect complement to a meal, as it's both filling and simple to make. However, if you're bored of plain white rice, you can easily upgrade this starchy staple with the addition of just one unexpected ingredient: orange juice.

Many might initially balk at the idea of using sweet and tangy orange juice to cook white rice, but it's actually a pretty great idea. Cooking rice in liquids besides water is one of the fastest ways to give it more flavor. As the rice cooks in the orange juice, it will soak up that delicious sweet, tart, and citrusy flavor, as well as take on a gorgeous orange hue. The end result is pleasing to look at and provides a great flavor contrast to savory and spicy dishes, particularly meats and shellfish, as well as the flavors of Caribbean-inspired dishes.

The best part about this cooking hack is that you can substitute in orange juice without changing the measurements; the only time you'd need to change the amount of orange juice is if you're trying to adjust how strong the orange flavor is. This hack is one of the easiest ways to add more flavor to white rice with minimal effort or changes to your favorite recipe required.

When swapping water for orange juice, you can continue to use the same amount of liquid you normally would use when cooking white rice. However, if you feel the orange taste is too strong, you can reduce the amount of juice to half. You can then supplement the orange juice with equal parts water or broth.

The other thing to consider is what type of orange juice to get. If you are using store-bought juice, it is best to use an unsweetened variety so the rice doesn't become sickeningly sweet. Alternatively, you can make homemade orange juice; if you go down this route, consider zesting the fresh oranges and adding that to the rice for a little extra flavor and variation in texture.

Last but not least, you can pair orange rice with a variety of other ingredients to make it into a full meal. Protein is a great option, with pork chops, shellfish, and Caribbean jerk chicken being among some of the most common choices. You can also pair the rice with various vegetables, such as bell peppers, onion, and celery. Other great add-ins include cranberries, almonds, and tofu, which all add some interesting texture to the rice.