How to Cook Jasmine Rice

This is how you cook perfectly fluffy jasmine rice! Here are a few tips for preparing this fragrant long grain rice.

Here’s our tried and true method for cooking a casserole jasmine rice! It’s perfect for serving with South Asian curries and stir-fries. Alex and I love jasmine rice for its smooth, buttery flavor and the texture of the cooked grains. It makes each curry taste like it came from a Thai restaurant. How to Cook Jasmine Rice: a Faster, More Reliable Version of the Traditional Method!

How to cook jasmine rice: a tutorial

At A Couple Cooks we like to cook rice the “pasta method”. With this method, you cook rice like pasta: pour it in boiling water instead of simmering it in water. This method avoids mushy or crunchy rice: jasmine rice turns out light and fluffy every time.

Step 1: Rinse the rice.

Place the rice in a colander and rinse with cold water. Is a rice rinse really necessary? Oh well. (Learn more about rinsing rice.) Rinsing removes surface starch on the grains, which can cause rice to clump together or become sticky.

Step 2: Boil the water, then add the rice and cook for 8 minutes.

What is the rice to water ratio in jasmine rice? For the pasta method, it’s 6 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Boil 6 cups of water, then add the jasmine rice and cook until tender. It takes about 8 minutes. Once soft, pass the rice through a sieve and return it to the pan.

Step 3: Cover and steam.

Put the rice back in the pan and cover. This will steam the rice and make it even fluffier. This step is absolutely necessary as it helps separate the beans from each other (otherwise they will get mushy). Soften with the fork and voila!

Alternative method: pressure cooker

If you have a pressure cooker, you can use it to cook jasmine rice! Alex and I like to use our Instant Pot to cook rice because it’s easy and frees up another pan on the stovetop. Go to Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.

What is jasmine rice anyway?

Jasmine rice is a variety of long grain rice grown primarily in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Also known as Thai fragrant rice, it belongs to the category of rice varieties known as “aromatic rice”. These are medium to long grain rice varieties (like basmati) that have a nutty aroma and flavor. You might notice that it tastes like popcorn!

Jasmine rice pairs best with South Asian curries like our Coconut Shrimp Curry (see below). It looks like basmati rice, but is shorter and a little stickier. We reserve basmati rice for Indian curries such as vegetable curry and chickpea curry. (See more under Basmati vs. Jasmine Rice.)

How much is a portion of rice?

If you plan on serving rice sizes, here’s a handy cheat sheet:

• What is the ratio of water to rice? Use 6 cups of water for 1 cup of dry rice (for the noodle method!).
• How much is 1 cup of dry rice? 1 cup dry rice = about 3 cups cooked
• How much is a portion of rice? ¾ cup to 1 cup of rice per serving.
• How Many Calories in 1 Cup of Cooked Rice? There are approximately 180 calories in 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice.

How to use jasmine rice in recipes

Jasmine rice is one of Alex’s and I’s favourites: it reminds us of the food we ate on our travels in Cambodia and Laos! Here are some ideas of what to combine with jasmine rice:

• Shrimp Curry This Thai Shrimp Curry is delicious! With silky coconut milk and vegetables.
• Quick Coconut Lentil Curry This Coconut Lentil Curry has it all: It’s a quick and easy dinner idea that’s healthy and full of flavor. Perfect for weekdays!
• Easy Stir-Fry Vegetables This stir-fry vegetable recipe is packed with colorful veggies and a simple sauce that makes it irresistible!

This Jasmine Rice Recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

More rice recipes

Here are all of our basic must-have rice recipes: