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.
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.
This is my go to yellow rice from scratch recipe, love it!! Recently I also started adding some frozen peas with the chicken broth step, yum! Thanks for the straight forward recipe and clear pictures, love your style, Beth!
Wooooow. This is delicious! Will save and make on the regular for the rest of my cooking life. THANK YOU!
Have you ever done this in a rice cooker? I love this recipe but have been using a rice cooker for some time now (but without spices etc). Wondering if I could replicate in the cooker …..
It should work alright in a rice cooker. The only thing you’ll be missing is that you won’t be blooming the spices in the butter first or toasting the rice, so the flavor may be a bit different. I think you’ll need to try it (maybe with a half batch?) to see if you still like it. :)
I’ve never made it in a pot, we always make it in our rice cooker and it turns out great!
I make this in my rice cooker. I bloom the spices and toast the rice then add everything to my rice cooker and set the timer. I do everything in the morning before I leave for work and it turns out WONDERFUL everytime.
I love that you BLOOM your spices!! Yes yes yes!! XOXO -Monti
I’ve been making this now for years – I am SO thankful I learned of your wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing – before this I never knew one could home-make yellow rice. It is indeed the best yellow rice ever!
I made this today as part of my meal prep for the week and it came out so good. The only thing I added was a little bit of chopped onion and bell peppers when I was sauteing the garlic and spices! Thanks for this amazing recipe I will be using it often in the future.
Great recipe. Here’s my tweak: I micro-dice a nice big carrot and add it in with the broth. The combo of orange carrot & yellow rice is pure sunshiny happiness!
Do you wash the rice before putting it in the pot?
You can, it’s up to you. If you do, just make sure to drain it well so there isn’t a lot of extra water added to the recipe.
This is delicious! The best rice I’ve ever made and made exactly as is!
Thank you!
I found your recipe years ago and pinned it… I HAVE BEEN MAKING THIS RICE EVER SINCE… I LOVE IT!
Thanks for sharing it!
I had made this recipe for dinner today and I half the ingredients to make less. Will use it again but will omit the cinnamon.
This was very bland, but the ratings make me think I was using bland stock or old spices. It made a ton of rice, but could have easier doubled the spices. I’ll put some tomatos in and try to rive.
This rice is like crack! I followed the recipe, but used canned chicken broth instead of Better than Bouillon. My husband likes to butter his rice so I also added a half cube of butter to the finished product. It really bumped up the creaminess factor. Had some leftovers and it was just as good the next day! My new go-to rice dish! Thanks Beth!
I make this rice all the time. It’s a perfect dish by itself or with so many different meats, seafood. Love It!
Question, you stated that to
“Add 3 cups of chicken broth to the pot, along with one bay leaf (if using). but you use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth”
My question is:
How much of the Better Than Bouillon did you use with what amount of water?
Please advise…
Thanks
recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/yellow-jasmine-rice
Hello! Just follow the instructions on the label, which say to use 1 tsp of Better Than Bouillon per 1 cup of water to make 1 cup of broth. :)
Mine wasn’t yellow because I left out the turmeric for my husband who really doesn’t like it and this was still amazing. I just ate the leftovers for breakfast and savored every bite. Seriously so freaking good!