How to Cook Jasmine Rice

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: November 7, 2022 References Approved

The mild flavor and sweet scent of jasmine rice makes it a favorite among rice lovers. Popular in Thai cuisine, you can also serve jasmine rice with other dishes as well, such as chicken or curry. You can even use it in pilafs, casseroles, or rice pudding.

Ingredients

Stovetop

1 1/2 cups (350 mL) of water
1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional)

Serves 4

Rice Cooker

1 cup (240 mL) of water
1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional)

Serves 12

Microwaved

1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice
2 cups (475 mL) of water
1/8 teaspoon of salt (optional)

Serves 4

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Steaming Rice on a Stovetop

1
Rinse 1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice 2 to 3 times with cool water. You can do this in a pot or in a strainer. This is important, as it will remove the starchy coating from the rice and keep it from turning sticky.^{[1]
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- The water should run clear after you are done rinsing the rice. About 2 to 3 times should be enough, but you may need to rinse it more than that.
2
Add the rice and water to a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. You will need 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) of water for every 1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice that you are making. Make sure that the pot has a heavy bottom and a tight-fitting lid.^{[2]
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- For more flavorful rice, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- If you want to cook more or less rice, use a 1 to 1.5 ratio of rice to water.
- Choose a pot that can hold 4 times the amount of rice you are cooking. The rice will expand to 3 times its, so you want the pot to be big enough.
- You can add flavor to rice by putting a little chicken stock in the pan instead of just water.^{[3]
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- Or saute onions and garlic on low heat. Then add the rice until the rice gets coated, then add the water to the pan.^{[4]
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- Or add coconut milk, scallions, and fish sauce. You can even sweeten it with a little brown or palm sugar.^{[5]
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3
Bring the rice and water to a simmer over medium heat. You can bring the water to a simmer over high heat if you are in a hurry, but be careful not to let it come to a boil, or the rice will stick to the pot.^{[6]
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- Make sure that the rice is still covered by water. If there are any rice mounds sticking out of the water, stir the water with a spoon.
4
Cover the pot and cook the rice over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure that you use a tight-fitting lid. If you don't have a lid, cover the pot with aluminum foil or a heat-safe plate.^{[7]
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- Covering the rice is important; you want to trap the steam.
5
Let the rice stand covered for 5 minutes. Do not remove the lid just yet. Simply take the pot off the burner and transfer it to a different burner. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
- During this time, the trapped steam will finish cooking the rice for you.
6
Fluff the rice with a fork before you serve it. The rice at the bottom of the pot should be dry. Sometimes, rice does not come out perfectly, even if you followed the instructions exactly. Don't worry if this happens; you can still fix it:^{[8]
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- If the rice is too dry or crunchy, add some water, cover the pot, and cook it over low heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- If the rice is too wet, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook for another 5 to 7 minutes over low heat.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Rice in a Rice Cooker

1
Rinse 1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice with cool water. You can do this directly in the rice cooker or you can do it in a strainer over a sink instead. Keep rinsing the rice until the water runs clear—about 2 to 3 times should be plenty.^{[9]
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- Rinsing the rice is important as it will remove any starch and prevent the rice from turning sticky.
2
Place the rice into a rice cooker and add 1 cup (240 mL) of water. Double-check the manual that came with your rice cooker first. This method should work for most types of rice cookers, but there may be some variations in terms of water-to-rice ratios and cooking times.^{[10]
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- For a more flavorful meal, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- You do not need to dry the rice ahead of time—simply drain the excess water and add it to the rice cooker.
- If you are cooking a different amount of rice, adjust the amount of water accordingly. In most cases, you'll use a 1 to 1 ratio of rice to water.
3
Turn the rice cooker on, then let the rice cook until it turns off. Again, how you do this will depend on your rice cooker. In most cases, you'll just have set the rice cooker on a heat-safe surface, plug it in, and turn it on. Most rice cookers will turn off automatically once they are done cooking the rice.^{[11]
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- Some rice cookers have different cooking options. Read the labels to find the right option, then select it.
4
Let the rice sit in the rice cooker for 10 to 15 minutes after it turns off. Leave the lid on during this time. This will allow the steam to finish cooking the rice for you. It will also prevent the rice from turning too sticky or mushy.^{[12]
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- In some cases, you can leave the rice in the rice cooker for up to 30 minutes.
5
Fluff the rice with a wooden paddle, then serve it. You can serve it straight from the rice cooker, or you can transfer it into a serving bowl instead.
- After you take the rice out, leave the rice cooker open and let it dry out. Brush off any leftover grains of rice, then wipe it clean with a damp sponge or washcloth.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Microwaved Rice

1
Rinse 1 cup (225 g) of jasmine rice until the water runs clear. About 2 to 3 times should be enough. This is important as it will remove any excess starch and keep the rice from getting to sticky.
- Use cool water to rinse the rice, not hot.
- You can rinse the rice in a strainer or pot.
2
Combine the rice and water in a microwave-safe dish. Place the rice into a microwave-safe dish that's around 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 L), then add with 2 cups (475 mL) of water. Do not cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid.
- For more flavorful rice, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.^{[13]
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- If you are using a different amount of rice, adjust the amount of water accordingly. You'll need a 1 to 2 ratio of rice to water.
3
Cook the rice on high for about 10 minutes. Most of the water should be gone by now, and there should be little holes in the rice created by escaping steam. If the rice doesn't look like this, keep cooking it for 1-minute increments until the steam holes appear.^{[14]
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- Cooking times may vary from microwave to microwave, so the steam holes may not appear after 10 minutes.
- If you have a powerful microwave, you may even have to reduce the cooking time. Keep a close watch for the steam holes.
- Don't worry if the rice looks undercooked. This step merely jump-starts the cooking process.
4
Cover the rice with a lid or plastic wrap and cook it for 4 minutes. Use a pot holder or oven mitt to carefully take the dish out of the microwave. Cover it with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap. Put it back into the microwave, and cook it for another 4 to 5 minutes.^{[15]
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- Do not poke holes into the plastic wrap. You want to trap the steam.
- The rice should look almost done by this point. You are not completely done cooking it just yet, however.
5
Let the rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes. During this time, the trapped steam will finish cooking the rice for you. If the rice looks too wet, keep cooking it at 1-minute intervals until it is done.^{[16]
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- If the rice is too dry, add a sprinkle of water, re-cover it, and cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes to rehydrate it.
6
Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the rice before serving it. A fork will be the easiest to use when fluffing the rice, but you can use a wooden rice paddle too. Be very careful when removing the plastic wrap, as there will be lots of hot steam.

Eating Jasmine Rice

Ways to Include Jasmine Rice in Your Diet

Jasmine Rice Toppings

Community Q&A

Question

How many servings does one cup uncooked jasmine rice make?

Community Answer

Rice generally doubles in volume when cooked. That amount would make two one-cup servings of rice.
Question

How much water will I need for 4 cups of jasmine rice?

Community Answer

This depends on your cooking method. If you are cooking on the stove, use 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) of water for every 1 cup (255 g) of rice--so about 6 cups (1.4 L) of water total. For most rice cookers, you'll need 1 cup (240 mL) of water for every 1 cup (255 g) of rice. In this case, you're looking at 4 cups (1 L) of water total.