Okay, this is a pretty big statement to make, but… This Yellow Jasmine Rice is the best rice I’ve ever had.
Yep. The flavor is simply out of this world. The aroma as it cooked almost gave me a high. Plain white rice is dead to me now.
If you follow the blog you’re probably familiar with how much I love jasmine rice. I don’t know how I lived my whole life without knowing about it, but since discovering it a year or two ago, I just can’t stop. It’s incredible. If you haven’t tried jasmine rice yet, go find it NOW.
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What is Jasmine Rice?
Jasmine rice is naturally fragrant and has the most wonderfully rich, mellow, and almost nutty flavor. You can find it at most major supermarkets either in the international foods aisle or in the rice section, usually on the bottom shelf. Even Walmart is in the jasmine rice game and is selling 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 will have jasmine rice (white AND brown) in bulk.
Spice it Up!
Anyway, I decided to kick up the jasmine rice 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.
What Do You Serve with Yellow Rice?
This super flavorful yellow rice makes an excellent side to just about any grilled or roasted meat. I have served it with Chicken Adobo, Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs, and Chimichurri Chicken Kebabs. It also makes a great component to vegetarian meals. I like to pair it with a fried egg and some sautéed greens (see Golden Rice Bowls).
Can I Make This in a Rice Cooker?
Yes! 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!
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!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
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!
Not kidding. Best rice I’ve EVER eaten.
Need more help with cooking rice? Check out my guide for How to Cook Rice.
Followed the recipe exactly and it was AMAZING!
This smelled awesome and tasted delicious too! I used regular broth, so needed to add some salt too. Wonderful!
Can you use the jasmine rice that’s precooked? Like the boil in a bag? Cause that’s all I got lol
You really need the rice to cook in the spices, unfortunately.
Very nice rice side dish for grilled salmon with some roasted asparagus. The plate looked beautiful and the diners really enjoyed it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Has anyone done this in a rice cooker? What adjustments to make?
I made this in my instant pot. I used 2 cups of rice and only used 2 cups of chicken broth ( I didn’t want it to be mushy). Rice setting , which is 12 minutes. It was absolutely delicious.
I made no adjustments when I used my rice cooker. It turned out perfect!
I just do everything in a sauce pan including broth then transfer to rice cooker. It turns out perfect !
Yummy! Make recipe just as written. Has become a regular staple.
I’ve made this a number of times. My 10 year old asks for this dish specifically. We love it. The roasting of everything first really makes a delightful difference. So yummy!
Super yummy! We loved this recipe. I had no tumeric so used lemon curry. It was awesome We will definitely repeat.
Great recipe! Our go-to when making Indian food at home. Also freezes great!
I added fresh basil and green onion. Original version was good just wanted to add a bit more flavor. Delish, thanks for sharing
When using something like Better than Bouillon, do you add in the paste and (boiled?) water separately into the ingredients? Or, must you create the broth first by boiling water in a separate pan/cup/container, stir in the buillon, then pour that created broth into the ingredients? Thank you!
Great question! For something like this, where you don’t actually want to stir the rice as it cooks, I make sure to completely dissolve the paste in the water before adding it to the recipe. If it’s a big pot of soup or something that will be stirred often while cooking, I just take a short cut and add the water and paste to the recipe separately. It will get dissolved as you stir the soup. :) I hope that helps!
Thank you! :) Appreciate the speedy reply. Look forward to trying this recipe this week!
Made this with Vegie broth and added frozen small vegie medley. I didn’t brown the ingredients with the rice because I didn’t read the recipe right. Just added all the ingredients to vegetable broth and simmered till butter dissolved then added rice and frozen veggie mix. Still came out great! This is a keeper!
Followed the recipe first hAnd decide time! DELISH!!
Then scrolled down to see “cloves” hmmm.
Not a cloves fan but maybe next time ill try it!.
Get ready for tummy happiness!
She’s referring to actual cloves of garlic, not cloves the spice, I believe.
Used the Basmati rice I had on hand. Our new favorite rice. the leftovers were easy to incorporate into later meals for up to 4 days – tacos, bratwurst/onion/rice stirfry.
Forgot to tell people when to add the water .. some people will do this steak by step no water the be like my rice is uncooked.. .great recipe. Just add the water ratio!!