Alright, this is a bold claim, but… in my opinion, this Yellow Jasmine Rice is truly the best. The flavor is out of this world, and the aroma as it cooks is absolutely intoxicating. Plain white rice? Yeah, it doesn’t stand a chance. Ever since I first tried this recipe years ago, I’ve been hooked. It’s a total game-changer. If you haven’t cooked with jasmine rice yet, go get some NOW and make this recipe!
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“This is my son’s favorite rice! (And mine too). The balance of spices is just perfect. I served it with roasted zucchini, onion, yellow squash, and grape tomatoes.”
Jenny
Jasmine rice is naturally fragrant with a rich, mellow, almost nutty flavor. You can find it in most major supermarkets, usually in the international foods or rice aisle. Even Walmart carries a Great Value brand jasmine rice! It can be pricy if you buy one of those small specialty brand containers, but if you buy an Asian brand (usually in larger bags on the bottom shelf), it can be just as inexpensive as regular rice. Also, check bulk bins—some stores carry both white AND brown jasmine rice in bulk.
Yellow Jasmine Rice
Servings 6 cupsIngredients
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.22)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 tsp turmeric ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp cumin ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
- 2 cups uncooked long grain jasmine rice ($0.96)
- 3 cups chicken broth* ($0.38)
- 1 bay leaf, optional ($0.15)
Instructions
- Add the butter, garlic, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pot. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic has softened.
- Add the uncooked rice to the pot. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice. You may hear a slight popping or crackling noise as the rice toasts.
- Add the chicken broth and bay leaf to the pot. Place a lid on top, increase the heat to high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer (with the lid in place) for 20 minutes.
- After letting it simmer for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest (do not remove the lid) for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Yellow Jasmine Rice – Step By Step Photos
Add 2 Tbsp butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cumin, and 1/8 tsp cinnamon to a sauce pot.
Sauté the garlic and spices in the butter over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic has softened.
Add 2 cups of uncooked long-grain jasmine rice to the pot. I use this brand, which can be found in 5 lb. bags, usually on the bottom shelf of either the rice aisle, or the Asian section of major grocery stores.
Stir and cook the rice in the butter and spices for about 2 minutes. This will toast the rice and spices giving them a deeper, nuttier flavor. You should hear a popping or crackling noise as the rice toasts.
Add 3 cups of chicken broth to the pot, along with one bay leaf (if using). I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth because it’s less expensive than buying cans/boxes of broth and way better quality than the little cubes. It also provides all the salt needed to season the rice.
Give everything a good stir, place a lid on top, and increase the heat to high. Bring it up to a full boil then immediately turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer on low (with the lid) for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed (do not remove the lid) for another 10 minutes. If you’re using a bay leaf, it will probably have floated up to the top and you can remove it at that point. You’ll also see swashes of spices over the surface.
Fluff the Yellow Jasmine Rice with a fork to redistribute all the spices, then serve!
Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions
- Spice it up. I kicked up this yellow jasmine rice recipe by adding a few spices, and something magical happened. The turmeric and cumin added to the rich, nutty flavor of the jasmine rice, and the little pinch of cinnamon added just a hint of spicy sweetness… like hitting the cymbals on a drum kit. The first bite was so good, I swear I saw angels. However, you can add more or less spices as you like!
- Season to taste. I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth. It’s a concentrated paste that has great flavor and is way cheaper than buying broth from the store. It also provides all the salt I need to season my rice. If you use a different broth, you may need to season to taste with salt.
- Add some veggies. Some of our readers have shared how they add chopped onion, bell peppers, or frozen veggies to the mix when sautéing the garlic. I think this is a great idea for bulking out this rice dish!
- Keep the lid on. To make sure my rice is perfectly cooked, I bring it up to a full boil, turn it to low, pop the lid on, and let it cook. Then, once it’s cooked, I turn the heat off and let it steam with the lid on. This is the same technique I use when I cook white rice, and it’s fail-proof.
- Don’t have butter? You can easily sub it for vegetable or olive oil!
- Use a rice cooker. While it does turn out a little better when you sauté the garlic and spices in a skillet first, you can just add all the ingredients to a rice cooker and press “go” when you’re in a pinch!
What Do You Serve with Yellow Rice?
This super flavorful yellow rice makes an excellent side to just about any grilled, air fried, or roasted meat. I have served it with our air fryer chicken drumsticks before, and let me tell you, it was the simplest, easiest, but most delicious midweek meal ever! I also like serving it with something garlicky (bonus points if it has a buttery sauce), and our shrimp scampi is just that. But I also love this rice as part of a good vegetarian meal. Our shakshuka recipe is made with similar seasonings, but the tomato sauce and eggs take it to a whole new level.
Definitely a new staple for my house! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!!
The yellow jasmine rice was absolutely amazing! Followed the recipe as written except I added 1/4 cup more water. So fragrant and flavorful.
This has become my recipe every time I want to make rice for nearly any reason. Lol. It turns out perfect every time. Thanks!!
This was fantastic! Easy to make and flavourful! I really enjoy your recipes. Thanks for sharing 😊
consider adding onion and ABSOLUTELY rinse the rice before you cook it.
It’s even good using quinoa instead of rice!
Always a hit with me and the kiddos sooooo thankful :)
I come back to this recipe time and time again! I use vegan butter and veg stock and it still tastes AMAZING!! Love this recipe so much.
Can you make it in a rice cooker?
We haven’t tried that, John! We don’t use a rice cooker in our studio. However, if you’re used to making rice in yours and you think it’s okay to add spices and whatnot to it, then you’re welcome to give it a go!
So simple, yet I’ve never made it before. The directions were perfect and the rice was delicious!!! Thank you!!
Could you use brown jasmine rice?
Brown rice requires more liquid and a much longer cooking time (usually about 3x as long), so you would need to make those adjustments. :)
I liked this a lot, only thing I did was add a pinch of salt. Love the spices and color. Super easy and fast side
I actually really like this rice. The aroma is amazing. I think the only change I would make is adding more of all of the seasonings. I’m from the south so we really like it punchy. However, I can already tell that, it’s something that will stay in my recipe book.
I just made this to go with some prepackaged Indian food. It smells so good I might just eat it by itself. Yum
This is my son’s favorite rice! (And mine too). The balance of spices is just perfect. I served it with roasted zucchini, onion, yellow squash, and grape tomatoes.