I'm here to show you how to cook jasmine rice the easiest way. In a few simple steps, you'll get perfectly cooked rice every single time. You don't even need a rice cooker!
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What Is Jasmine Rice
What's so special about it, you might wonder, right?
It is a long-grain variety of rice and is famous for its aromatic fragrance. Mainly grown in Thailand, it is heavily consumed in South East Asia.
When cooked, it's fluffy, soft, and slightly sticky. It also has a subtle, sweet touch to it. Its texture and flavor make it perfect to be eaten with other meals like my crispy air-fryer soy sauce chicken, Thai basil beef, Chinese steamed fish, and 30-minute chicken massaman curry! Or keep it in the fridge and use it to make my delicious nasi goreng kampung the next day.
Why This Recipe Works
Being a Malaysian and having been living in South East Asia since I was born, rice is compulsory in our daily meals. I've been cooking rice since I was 10 and I can cook it with my eyes closed!
Follow my easy instructions on how to cook jasmine rice successfully and I promise you'll get perfectly cooked rice, every single time. There are too many myths and useless rules out there on the internet, if I might say.
You don't need a rice cooker. I'm going to show you how to cook jasmine rice on a stovetop. And my secret to cooking a perfect large batch of it is to use a wide pan instead of a pot!
Ingredients
Jasmine rice - White, not brown. Don't substitute for basmati, short-grain rice, or any other rice as it's not the same.
Water - My jasmine rice water ratio has forever been 1 ½ cups of water to 1 cup of rice. It's easy to remember and it works every single time! Or instead of water, use chicken stock to flavor it as I did in my Hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Salt - To season the rice. Depending on what you're going to eat it with, you can use 1 tablespoon of chicken or beef bouillon powder instead.
*See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Boil the water. On medium-high heat, bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. For a bigger batch, use a wide pan or a casserole pan with a lid to make it boil faster. Or boil it in a kettle.
2. Rinse the rice. Meanwhile, place the rice in a strainer under a tap and let the water run through it for a minute or so. Lightly move the rice around to help remove the starch. Do this until you see the falling water is clear (not light-milky color).
3. Add in the rice. Pour the rice into the boiling water and wait until there are bubbles on the edges of the pot and some foam forming in the center.
4. Cook and rest. Put the lid on and reduce the heat. The lowest possible for a gas stove. Number 3 for vitroceramic cooktop, or induction stove. Cook for 20 minutes and remove from the heat. Rest for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, chopsticks, or a wooden spoon. Enjoy!
Recipe Expert Tips
My easy tips on how to cook jasmine rice to perfection. Follow these and you'll never fail!
- Choose the utensil correctly. For a small batch (1 cup of rice), use a small pot. For a bigger batch (more than 1 cup), use a wider surface utensil like a wide pan/pot, or a casserole. This will ensure the rice to cook evenly and the rice at the bottom is not mushy.
- Lid on. While cooking, try not to open the lid. It's not the end of the world if you open it for a few seconds, for 2,3 times. Just make a habit of not opening it.
- Rinse the rice. It only takes 1 minute. Using a strainer makes rinsing rice way easier and faster! Not rinsing it will result in sticker, clumpy rice.
- Rest the rice. Always rest the rice with the lid on, for 10 minutes. I noticed that the rice is sticker when it's not rested.
How To Serve And Store
Serve - Preferably hot together with other meals like my Thai chicken green curry or my basil beef stir-fry! Its texture and flavor are perfect to be eaten with curries, stir-fry, or made into fried rice.
Store - Keep the leftovers in an air-tight container. It lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days and 6 months in the freezer. Reheat without thawing, in a microwave. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon of water beforehand.
Recipe FAQs
Although both are long-grain rice, once cooked jasmine rice is stickier whereas regular rice is not. Jasmine rice is primarily grown in Thai and has a distinctive aromatic fragrance that regular rice doesn't have.
It has similar nutritional values as any other white rice. Although, it's much more filling than basmati rice if you have to compare them.
Yes. Rinsing it will remove the starch and make the cooked rice less sticky and not clumpy. Follow my method for rinsing it, it's so easy and faster!
If you followed my rice-to-water ratio and it's still mushy, it means that the pot that you're using is too small. For more than 1 cup of rice, use a wide surface utensil like a wide pan/pot or a casserole.
What to Eat this With
If you tried this Jasmine rice recipe or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
How To Cook Jasmine Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cup (250 ml) water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil in a small pot, on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, rinse the rice by putting it in a strainer, under a tap of running water until the water runs clear. It takes around 1 minute or so.
- Pour the rice into the pot of boiling water. Wait until there are bubbles at the edges of the pot and some foam forming in the center.
- Cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to a minimum. Cook for 20 minutes, turn the heat off, remove from the heat, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Fluffy it with a fork, chopsticks, or a wooden spoon. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't open the lid when the rice is cooking.
- For the 20 minutes of cooking, use the lowest heat possible for the gas stove. Use number 3 for a vitroceramic cooktop or induction stove.
- For more than 1 cup of rice, use a wide utensil like a wide pan/pot or a casserole. Don't use a small tall pot to avoid mushy rice.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Jul 23, 2018. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on May 20, 2023.
Craig Mccluskey says
Bea I would love to join your family of followers can you please put me on your email list.love to try new recipes.
Bea says
Of course, Craig! I just added you in our community. Look out for my coming email(s)! 😊
Shari says
Hello Sweet Bea, I just love your site, I am so looking forward to cooking your recipes. When I cook my Jasmine rice I always have used my rice cooker to do it... What are your feelings on that? I like the fact that you said I can use broth instead of water that sounds sooo good Bea.
I have moved to a different state since I joined your group and then haven't been able to cook anything, I can't wait to make your pork buns, I bought a bamboo steamer to do them. Have a blessed day to you and your husband Marco Thanks Shari
Bea says
Hi Shari! When I was back home in Malaysia I used to cook rice in rice cooker also but now I don't have one so I've been cooking rice (of any type) in a pan or casserole pan ever since. Personally for me, I find it easier as I can flavour it the way I want (saute ginger, garlic etc first) and everything is in one pan. I also don't need to cook so much amount since it's just 2 of us. But that's just me. If you have a rice cooker and are happy with it, then no problem. Hope it helps. Glad you're enjoying the recipes here, thank you!
Seini Elliot says
HI Bea,
Family love Jasmine Rice Bea.
I'll try this one out.
thank you
Bea says
Awesome, hope you'll find it as easy as I do!
Renee Clay says
Hi sweet Bea!!!!
I think I made a mistake. I used 1 1/2 cups rice and 1 cup of water. Am I allowed to put butter in the rice and water or add the butter after the rice is cooked? Thanks for your help.
Renee from Michigan
🙏😸✝️🇺🇸🙏
Bea says
Hi Renee! Yes you can put the butter in the water while the rice is cooking (I like to do it like that also). The ratio of water to rice is 1.5:1 cup though. Hope it helps.
patricia says
Look so forward to making this rice Bea.
We LOVE rice . Thanking you for your lovely recipe on how to make it perfect.
Bea says
Ahh really? Me too! I can't go a week without having rice 😀 . I'm happy to know that you find the tips useful, thank you Patricia!
Javier says
Very simple and super useful!! Thanks Bea
Bea says
Thank you Javier! 😀
Sylvia says
Hi Bea,
You are good cooker and baker.
I look today on you tube Your recepies.
Best wishes from Germany.
Sylvia
🎂🔪🍽👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Bea says
Hi Sylvia, thank you for your kind words. I'm happy to know that you like my recipes and I hope you find them useful. Have a lovely weekend!