Perfect Jasmine Rice
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Learn how to cook jasmine rice perfectly every time—an essential skill for making delicious Thai, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian food at home.
Named after the fragrant jasmine flower, jasmine rice is a long-grain rice native to Thailand, known for its delicate floral aroma and buttery taste. The secret to cooking it perfectly lies in getting the right water-to-rice ratio. The package usually recommends 1½ cups of water for every 1 cup of rice, which works if you like your rice “al dente,” but I prefer mine a bit more tender, so I use a little more water. Some recipes suggest rinsing the rice first, but I find it’s not necessary—jasmine rice has a natural stickiness that helps the grains cling together, even after rinsing, which makes it easier to scoop or eat with chopsticks.
Rice may seem simple, but it can be tricky to get just right. The key is adjusting the ratio of water to rice or the cooking time. I usually start with less water than I think I need, then taste it after steaming. If it’s too firm, I’ll add a few tablespoons more water and let it steam a bit longer. Jasmine rice is ideal for making fried rice. For more foolproof rice and grain cooking methods, see my basmati rice and couscous recipes.
What You’ll Need To Make Jasmine Rice
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the rice and salt.
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed.
Taste the rice to check for doneness. It should be perfectly cooked, but if it’s still too firm, just add a few tablespoons more water. Cover the pan again and let it steam off the heat for a few more minutes until it’s tender.
You can cook jasmine rice ahead of time and freeze it for later. Just store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy storage, flatten the rice in sealable plastic bags so it takes up less space in the freezer. There’s no need to thaw it before reheating—just pop it in the microwave with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, and it’ll be good to go!
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Perfect Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is the perfect side for your favorite Southeast Asian dishes. With the right water-to-rice ratio, you’ll have tender, perfectly-cooked rice every time!
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups water, plus more if necessary
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice and salt; cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Taste the rice to test for doneness; it should be perfectly cooked, but if it is still too firm, add a few more tablespoons of water, cover the pan, and let the rice absorb the water off of the heat for a few more minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Cooked jasmine rice can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Putting it in a flat layer in sealable plastic bags works well, as the rice will take up less space in the freezer. There is no need to thaw the rice before reheating; simply remove it from the freezer and reheat in the microwave with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 169
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 108 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I followed the recipe exactly as it is and this is the best Jasmine rice I’ve ever had! Thank you!
If the ratio is 1:1-1/2, why does this call for 2-3/4 cups water? I trusted the recipe and went with it but now have soup and its the last of my rice 😭
Hi Jess, I mention in the recipe intro that most packages specify the 1: 1 1/2 ratio, but that I add a bit more water because I prefer the rice to be softer. So sorry, you had a problem with this!
I’ve made this rice so many times – and it always comes out perfect. Perhaps your measurements were incorrect and that’s why it came our like soup?
This turned out awfully. Not sure if I messed up by stirring the rice while simmering, but many of the creations remained under hooked and crunchy while some others were over cooked. I chose to follow this recipe based on the good reviews but I regret it.
wrong type of cooking pans results in undercook food or scoarched food ……try heavy duty pans,cast iron , thick copper coated ones , NO cheap pans like sets for $30 or $40 because they wont work , only for beginners learning basic cooking like breakfast
Came out maybe 3/4 cooked.
Hi Deana, how long did you cook the rice?
I made this and it came out absolutely delicious! This is now my go to recipe for when I make Jasmine rice. Thank you!!
Hello everyone! This recipe is wonderful! My rice cooker went kapootz 2 week ago! I thought I’d try to cook it on the stove (scary thought for me). This recipe worked out perfectly. The ratio is also perfect. The rice was cooked exactly the way we like it. It was so fluffy. I have made it twice since with the same excellent results. I am so happy I found this recipe. Thank you, Jenn.
Yes, we got perfectly cooked jasmine rice based on Jenns suggestions, thank you Jenn!
I just have to say that this recipe for Jasmine rice came out perfect and amazing! Thank you so very much! I cannot tell you the countless times I have ruined all rice. I have a very picky 10 year old daughter who only likes the rice at our “Thai” restaurant. She and my husband told me it was exactly like the restaurant. I made this with your incredible Chicken Satay recipe that also came out EXACTLY like our fav Thai restaurant. Was such a great surprise for recipes to actually come out. Your amazing!! Thank you.
I really need to know what select brand of Jasmine rice will have the line in the grain of rice after it’s done.
Hi Rhonda, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what line you’re referring to. I use Mahatma brand Jasmine rice and get good results with it.
It turned out absolutely perfect! I had it as a side to what everyone seems to agree is Salmon Katsu. This is the first time I’ve made jasmine rice and I felt so proud of myself. It really helped boost my confidence in cooking as I had lost it when I failed to cook brown rice perfectly (multiple times) despite following multiple recipes. I will most likely end up gushing about this good feeling to my therapist when I see her next week.
Years ago I used to eat African rice dishes that used jasmine rice when I dated an African man. I tried countless times to duplicate the rice. Every jasmine recipe I tried, the rice came out mushy or cooked too much. For the first time in years I have found the perfect recipe. I just add some olive oil and little extra salt and boil it with few onion slices for extra flavor. Thank you for posting correct rice cooking directions! I’m so happy lol