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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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 rice is wonderful. Made it with homemade chicken broth so I added 1 tsp. salt per cup of broth. I’m excited to try coconut oil next time
I used my InstantPot and followed their directions for the amount of liquid which is equal parts jasmine rice to water. There is very little evaporation since the pot seals. I used the 4 minute manual cycle which took about 10 minutes to come up to temperature, 4 minutes at pressure, and 10 minutes cool down. Excellent flavor, distinct yet versatile.
Add me to the list of people that love this recipe! I made it exactly as written and served with some grilled beef/veggie kebabs. So delicious and a great way to add interest to a meal!!!
I *love* this recipe! Simple and delicious. My family gobbles it up! I’ve also made it with plain white rice when I didn’t have jasmine on hand and it worked well, too.
This is the best rice to have as an accompaniment to so many dishes, indian, chinese, Italian it goes with anything and is absolutely delicious. I make mine in my rice cooker just add it all in and walk away. So easy ;)
Believe the hype! My family and I loved this rice. Made no adjustments to the recipe and it was perfectly fragrant and delicious.
This is very savory and delicious. My daughter likes it cold the next day, too. A few times I’ve made a mistake and added twice as much cumin and it gives it a different, smokier flavor that is also tasty.
This rice is the bomb. The end.
Hi Beth–I tried Jasmine rice after reading your review, but I have to say that Basmati is still my favorite (not that Jasmine rice wasn’t good, it is VERY good per your instructions). If you haven’t tried Basmati, it is SO worth it to go to one of your local Indian stores and pick some up–It is the same rice that is used in Indian Biryani recipes, and it is my personal favorite. I am going to try your preparation using the Basmati I have on hand–I’m sure it will be great, just like every other recipe of yours I’ve tried–I have your book and it’s WONDERFUL btw– :)
You’ve convinced me! I’m definitely going to try basmati now. :)
I think I’m a little late in the game making this recipe, but I plan to for dinner tonight! I am wondering if I use plain white rice if I should alter the amount of chicken broth I use? I generally cook plain rice with double the amount of liquid to rice.
I find that jasmine and regular white rice take the same amount of water. Some people do prefer to use a 2:1 ratio when cooking rice, so if you usually do, I’d stick with that. I used to do 2:1, but I’ve gradually changed to 1.5:1 over the years because I like the slightly more firm texture better.
Wow, this was absolutely amazing! Made it as a side and it’s just so wonderful and inexpensive. Made with coconut oil instead of butter, turned out super flavorful and light!
Can’t wait to make it again :D
WOW! This rice dish lived up to all the wonderful reviews. It’s hard to describe all the amazing flavors you taste when you take a bite. I am so pleased with this dish! GREAT recipe!
So far this is the first recipe I try from your blog, but I’ve made it twice. This is the most delicious rice ever!! Thank you for such and awesome recipe! I’m looking forward to trying many other recipes!
I have made this rice several times, but it makes so much I found a fun way to treat the leftovers! My partner and I only ate about 1/4 of the rice the night I made it, so the next night I used the Dragon Noodle recipe but substituted the noodles with the left over rice and added a 10oz box of frozen peas and carrots. IT WAS AMAZING FRIED RICE! Note: I had so much rice left over I doubled the butter, egg, and sauce component amounts. Please try this!
OOooh, great idea! I need to try that!
I made this along with the honey balsamic chicken tenders, and oh my goodness, this really is the best rice I’ve ever had. Maybe just short of Chipotle rice… but certainly much cheaper! Despite living with roommates I mostly cook for myself, so I froze most of it, but I couldn’t stop sneaking extra forkfuls while waiting for it to cool down. My roommates got home later that night and the next day asked me what smelled so good! I seriously think I could eat this nonstop.
I love the community in the comments! I don’t have all the ingredients that the recipe calls for, so I substituted the turmeric, cumin and cinnamon for curry powder, and cooked it all in the rice cooker. Turned out very well! I paired the rice with 5-spice slow cooker chicken – sooo goood.