•Dry milling in planetary ball mill altered structural rice starch properties.•FTIR spectra evidenced changes in the crystalline structure of rice starch.•Structural changes had impact on rheological behavior and stability of the starch.•Physicochemical properties varied with milling energy and starch concentration. The effects of milling energy (0.26–4.08 kJ/g) on starch structure, flow behavior and syneresis of starch dispersions (4–8% w/v) were investigated. Crystallinity loss of starch (XRD analysis) during milling could be mathematically related with the increase of 1047 cm−1/1022 cm−1 FT-IR intensity ratio (Ri) and it was also reflected by the changes in the shape and surface roughness of starch granules (SEM micrographs). Starch dispersions showed a Newtonian or pseudoplastic flow pattern dependent on starch concentration and milling energy. Consistency of starch dispersions (4 and 6%) remained constant during refrigerated storage only for severely milled starch. Syneresis diminished with increasing milling energy and starch concentration; it could be minimized (4% and 4.08 kJ/g) or completely eliminated (8% and 1.04 kJ/g). Significant correlations of Ri with consistency index and syneresis were found. Ball milling notably improved the suitability of starch as an ingredient in fluid or viscous foodstuffs. Inline figure Display omitted