You’ve been cooking Jasmine Rice wrong your whole life! Most recipes get it wrong because it’s not widely known that jasmine rice is softer than most, so you need LESS water than normal white rice so it’s fluffy rather than gummy. Use just 1 1/4 cups water for every 1 cup of jasmine rice (the standard for typical white rice is 1 1/2 cups water to 1 cup rice).
Use for all things Thai – and anything really. It’s just a really great rice!
Also see How to Cook: White rice | Basmati Rice | Brown Rice
How to cook Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is a lovely, subtly perfumed rice used across South East Asia. It’s strongly associated with Thai food, and used for serving with everything from Thai marinated chicken to Chilli Basil Stir Fry, Satay Skewers and the many Thai curries out there.
It’s also used to make Thai fried rice and Pineapple Fried Rice which is the other recipe I’m sharing today!
The secret for how to cook jasmine rice perfectly
What most people do not know is that jasmine rice is softer than most white rice, which means you need less water in order for the rice to cook so it’s soft and fluffy, rather than gummy on the outside.
So while most rice is cooked with 1.5 cups of water for each cup of rice, for jasmine rice, it’s reduced to 1 1/4 cups of water.
Yes, 1/4 cup really makes a difference! I made a lot of overly soft jasmine rice in my life that I was never really happy with until I finally figured this out.
There is NO NEED to rinse rice!!
Busting an age old myth here – that rinsing the rice is mandatory for fluffy rice. NO it is not! I have made so much rice in my time verifying this exact fact.
Here’s what I know:
No rinsing – if you use 1 1/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of jasmine rice, your rice will be fluffy even without rinsing
If you rinse, you must reduce the water by 2 tablespoons to factor in the extra water than remains in the rice (ie 1 1/4 cups water minus 2 tablespoons)
If you rinse AND soak for 1 hour, you must reduce the water by 3 tablespoons (ie 1 1/4 cups minus 3 tablespoons)
Rinsing vs no rinsing – rinsing yields a barely noticeable marginal improvement in fluffiness. It would not be noticeable to most people;
Only rinse IF you buy your rice direct from a rice farm, or similar, to remove debris and anything that night remain from the processing; and
No need to clean if you buy retail – If you buy rice at the store in shiny plastic packets, your rice should already be clean – and that includes less starch too.
Let’s face it. Rinsing rice is a pain. For an extra 2% fluffiness, it’s just not worth it (in my humble opinion).
If you need to rinse the rice to clean it, if you just can’t break the habit, or if your Asian mother would have your head if you didn’t, here’s how:
Place rice in bowl, fill with water. Swish with hand then drain. Repeat 3 to 4 times – water will never be completely clear. Drain in colander, cook per recipe.
How to cook Jasmine Rice
Once you get the rice and water ratio right, then the steps are exactly the same as cooking normal white rice and basmati rice:
RAPID SIMMER – Put water and rice in saucepan, bring to simmer on high heat as fast as you can. You want the whole surface to be rippling, the edges bubbling and white foam;
COVER and turn to LOW – Turn heat down and cover, cook 12 minutes. Do not lift lid!
Stand 10 minutes to let the rice finish cooking. If you skip this, the grains are wet and slightly hard in the middle;
Fluff! Use a rubber spatula or rice paddle – this stops the grains breaking (Jasmine rice is softer than most white rices).
And voila! Fluffy Jasmine rice. 🙂
Use for all things Thai, Vietnamese dishes, stir fries, and use for fried rice like Nasi Goreng. Though traditionally associated with South East Asian foods, it will goes perfectly with any Asian foods, and even Indian food if you don’t have basmati rice.
And just generally for anything you want to serve with rice, whether Asian or not! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
How to cook Jasmine Rice (stove)
Ingredients
No rinsing method:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cups water (cold tap water)
Rinsed rice:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cups MINUS 2 tbsp water
Instructions
No rinsing (my everyday method):
- Place rice and water in a medium saucepan (one with a tight fitting lid). Bring to rapid simmer with NO LID on medium high.
- Turn down to low or medium low so it's simmering gently, then place lid on. Do not lift lid during cook.
- Cook 12 minutes or until water is absorbed by rice – tilt pot to check (if lid not glass, then QUICKLY lift lid to check).
- Keep the lid on then remove from heat. Stand 10 minutes, fluff with rubber spatula or rice paddle, then serve.
RINSED RICE (Note 3):
- Place rice in a bowl, fill with water and swish. Once cloudy, drain. Repeat 2 – 3 more times until water is pretty clear – it will never be completely clear.
- Drain rice in a colander, transfer to saucepan.
- Add water – 1 1/4 cups of water MINUS 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of rice. Follow cook steps above in No Rinsing.
Recipe Notes:
- Use a medium to large saucepan for up to 2 cups. For 3 cups rice+, use a pot.
- If lid is not tight fitting or heavy, then you may get bubble overflow – reduce heat if this happens, it will subside as water gets absorbed by rice.
- Glass lid is easiest – you can see what’s going on inside without lifting the lid, especially useful at end to check if all water is absorbed.
- Reason we bring to simmer without lid is to reduce risk of overflow once lid goes on. If you bring to simmer with lid on, you need to be more careful about exactly when you turn the heat down so it doesn’t get foamy overflow. Much easier to to lid off first, then lid on when you turn it down.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
A common sighting – Dozer trotting off ahead of me to join his friends on the beach. I get there eventually!!
I’m going to make your rice recipe tonight! Mine always turns out too sticky! Question though? Do I add salt and some butter to the water when i cook it? If I asked this before? I forgot the answer! Thanks!
I’m going to make your rice recipe tonight! Mine always turns out too sticky! Question though? Do I add salt and some butter to the water when i cook it?
I made this rice and I had to come back to say how great it turned out! I was taught by my ex-in laws who are Laotian and they taught me to add to much water! I couldn’t understand why mine was never fluffy and like it is- in some good resteraunts. I will be sure to write this 1 down in case my memory doesn’t serve me. Thanks so much!
Soooooo many people get rice wrong! It’s my pet peeve!! N x
Omg I struggled 3 times before I read your recipe.
Always sucky and clumpy.
The No rinse method is KEY
Thank you ! I love all your recipes.
Especially the epic Chinese stir fry Sauce
First time that my Jasmine rice came out perfect. It went great with your honey garlic chicken. Only way I’ll make it from now on.
I am so glad you enjoyed it Erin! N x
I am not sure, maybe it is me that is gone crazy but you say 1 cup rice to 1 1/4 cup water. Now since I am a metric person I have switched to metric and I get 1 cup = 200gr rice and 1 1/4 cup water according to your recipe 310ml. Should that not be 1 1/4 cup = 250 ml?
Hi Thomas! 1 cup = 250ml, so 1 cup x 1 1/4 = 312ml which I round down to 310ml 🙂 N x
I just gave it a try cooked rice your way and even though it got burnt a little at the bottom of the pot the overall rice turned out great!! I just need to perfect it. All this time my rice has been turning out like rice pudding and the internet doesn’t help sometimes but I came across your way of making rice and I want to thank you. So simple and easy and tasty. 🥰😃
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. For the first time my Thai Jasmine rice cooked perfectly.
Best rice I’ve ever cooked… and 1000% easier.
Greatest rice , so simple to make and always delicious 😋
Hi Nagi
Your page is increadibly life saving.. ive tried many recipes of yours. This recipe came also turned out great. Now i would like to serve it for a larger crowd so if i increase the quantity of the rice does the cooking time change.. ? Thanks for your help.
Hi Nagi, quick question I hope I will get a response:) is it the same ratio and technique for broken jasmine rice ?thanks love all your recipes and have never been able to cook rice until reading this…
I didn’t know that rice could be this fluffy! I have always used way too much water. Thank you Nagi for the great rice tips.
Great recipe, I was Notorious for burning the rice making it stick to the bottom, as long as you follow the instructions and don’t open the lid. The right came out great
Perfect Rice. Absolutely perfect. Followed step by step.
This was the most perfect rice i have ever made. I cook a lot. I cook rice a lot. This was perfect. Follow it step by step exactly. Unbelievable.
Thank you so much. Jasmine rice and basmati rice can be so finicky but my rice came out perfect on the first try thanks to your tips and recipe!
Thankyou, Thankyou, And Thankyou. First time Jasmine rice has turned out, have made befor ,wrong way,to throw out ,always was a mushy sticky rice. was perfect. thanks, I will continue to eat Jasmine rice now.
Perfect every single time. Thank you!
First time my jasmine rice was not sticky. However, we like our rice more tender/softer. What can I do to make it come out that way?
Thank you! Your instructions are perfect! Have sometimes added spices, warmed in the pot first, then added dry rice, mixed to combine with spices and let it toast a minute or two, then add the water and cook per your directions. Perfection! Thanks again.