How to Cook Jasmine Rice

This stovetop recipe for jasmine rice will give you slightly sticky, fluffy, and aromatic jasmine rice steaming right off the pot in under 30 minutes, you don’t even need a rice cooker!

jasmine rice in bowl, and pot

What is jasmine rice?

uncooked jasmine rice in bowl

Jasmine rice is a type of long-grain rice that is typically grown in areas of South East Asia like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Like many other types of rice, jasmine rice is made up of two types of starches: amylose and amylopectin

The more amylose starches the rice has, the more separate the grains will be after cooking. Amylopectin starches gelatinize during the cooking process and contribute to the overall sticky texture of rice. Jasmine rice is long-grain rice, which means it contains a low amount of amylopectin and therefore is less sticky than short-grain rice varieties that have more amylopectin starches. 

You can find jasmine rice in white or brown varieties, the only difference is that the brown rice variety still has its outer bran layer intact. Since brown rice has a bran layer, it will be even less sticky than jasmine rice when cooked.  

What cuisines or dishes use Jasmine rice?

Chinese fried rice

Many Asian recipes have jasmine rice as a staple side dish. Jasmine rice is paired with some of the most delectable dishes because its simple flavor gives a great balance to savory, spicy, and tangy dishes like char siu, sweet and sour pork, pork adobo, lemongrass chicken, and more.   

Jasmine rice is also great in fried rice, whether that’s traditional fried rice with lap cheung or Filipino fried garlic rice (sinangag)–it always hits the spot when I’m having a craving. 

Rice to water ratio for jasmine rice

weighed water and rice in glass bowls

To get fluffy and perfect jasmine rice, use these proportions for 1 cup and 2 cup measurements. Both of these ratios use weighted measurements for the most accurate measurements since not all measuring cups are created equal.

Rinsing or washing the rice

rinsing rice in sink

To rinse or not to rinse, there are so many articles around the Internet these days discussing if rinsing is necessary. To figure out if you need (but really want) to rinse your rice, you need to keep in mind the type of rice grain you are using, if it’s enriched, and what overall texture you prefer your rice. 

Most rice grains are made up of two types of starches that determine their texture once cooked: amylose and amylopectin. The more amylose starches in the rice, the separated the grains (like long-grain rice). The more amylopectin starches in the rice, the more sticky the grains are after cooking (like short-grain rice). 

Since Jasmine rice is long-grain rice, you should get plump, separate grains and a slight stickiness. I like to rinse Jasmine rice to remove any excess starches or debris. If your rice is fortified and enriched, you may want to refrain from rinsing because you would be removing any additional vitamins the company added. 

How to cook Jasmine rice on the stovetop

boiling pot of jasmine rice

This recipe will give you perfectly fluffy jasmine rice in under 30 minutes straight from your stovetop. Before cooking the rice, I wash the excess starches of the rice with running water until it runs clear. I like doing this with a strainer for faster washing. 

After adding the rice and water to a small pot, bring it to a boil. Once you begin to see pockets of rice peek through the surface, add the lid and bring down the heat to low. Active cooking at this point is only 10 minutes. You want to begin to steam the rice so it cooks properly and doesn’t overcook–this can give you mushy rice. 

After cooking, you want to rest the rice in the pot for an additional 5 minutes to get supple rice grains. Then you uncover the lid and fluff your rice with a paddle–this will get the excess moisture off and slightly cool down the rice. 

Your rice should be evenly cooked, and soft without being too mushy or hard. If you have extra rice leftover and want to learn how long does cooked rice last, read about it here.

Troubleshooting common issues

jasmine rice bowl with chopsticks
  • If your rice is burned at the bottom that means the heat was too high. Not all stoves will cook at the same temperature, so keep this in mind and lower the heat next time. 
  • If your rice is too hard, there is either not enough water or you need to cook it longer. You can add additional water to the pot, stir and bring it back to the stove for another minute or two. 
  • If your rice is too mushy, unfortunately, there is no coming back from this and you need to start again with a lower amount of rice. Instead of throwing away the rice, you can make it into rice pudding or cháo gà

Cooking Jasmine rice on the stovetop is just the beginning, there are an infinite amount of ways to cook rice: 

jasmine rice bowl closeup

How to Cook Jasmine Rice on the Stovetop

5 from 4 votes
Fluffy and perfectly cooked jasmine rice is at your fingertips and you only need a pot and a stovetop! This recipe will get you aromatic and soft jasmine rice in under 30 minutes.
BY: Huy Vu
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
SERVINGS: 2

Ingredients

1 cup serving (enough for ~1 person)

  • 480 g (16 fl oz) filtered water plus tap water for washing
  • 205 g (1 c) jasmine rice

2 cup serving (enough for ~2 people)

  • 780 g (26 fl oz) filtered water plus tap water for washing
  • 410 g (2 c) jasmine rice

Equipment Used

Instructions 

  • Measure the filtered water and set aside. Measure the rice then pour into a strainer.
    weighed water and rice in glass bowls
  • In the sink under running water, briefly wash the rice in the strainer until the water turns clear.
    rinsing rice in sink
  • Add the washed rice and water into a saucepot. Level the rice with your hands so it’s an even layer.
    pouring water into pot of rice
  • Put the pot on the stove and heat to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes and 30 seconds or until you begin to see the water level get very close to matching the rice. This happens because the rice soaks the water, and the water evaporates a bit.
    boiling pot of jasmine rice
  • Lower the heat to low and simmering, put the lid on the pot, and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Turn off the stove, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes covered. (Please excuse my ill-fitting lid.)
    resting rice pot covered with lid
  • Uncover the pot. Here's what it should look like fully cooked.
    cooked jasmine rice in a pot
  • Use a rice paddle or a fork to fluff up the rice, and serve immediately.
    stovetop cooked jasmine rice, fluffed with rice paddle

Notes

Note: the nutritional values is based on the 1 cup of rice serving. 
IMPORTANT: Do not scale this recipe up or down using the recipe card’s serving size scaling feature. The amount of water needed to cook the rice does not scale proportionally. Use the ingredient ratios to cook either 1 or 2 cups of rice. In other words, do not scale this up for 3, 4, 5 cups of rice, etc since the results will not turn out right.
Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Jasmine Rice on the Stovetop
Amount per Serving
Calories
374.13
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.68
g
1
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.18
g
1
%
Sodium
 
17.13
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
117.88
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
81.95
g
27
%
Fiber
 
1.33
g
6
%
Sugar
 
0.13
g
0
%
Protein
 
7.31
g
15
%
Calcium
 
35.9
mg
4
%
Iron
 
0.82
mg
5
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Ingredients, Side Dish, Sides
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: long grain rice
Did you cook this recipe?Tag @HungryHuy or #hungryhuy–I’d love to see it!
jasmine rice bowl with chopsticks

How to Cook Jasmine Rice in a Rice Cooker

No ratings yet
Learn how to make jasmine rice in a rice cooker, all you have to do is set it and forget it!
BY: Huy Vu
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients

  • water for rinsing
  • 205 g (1 c) jasmine rice
  • 8 fl oz (1 c) filtered water

Equipment Used

  • dry and liquid measuring cup
  • strainer (optional)

Instructions 

  • Use a dry measuring cup (or scale) to measure out the Jasmine rice and add to a strainer.
  • Wash the rice under running water until the wash off water turns clear. Use your fingers to move around the rice so each grain gets clean.
  • Add the clean rice into the rice cooker pot and add the filtered water. Use your hands to even out the top of the rice so it is level.
  • Place the pot back into the rice cooker and close the lid. Follow the instructions on your rice cooker as deemed for Jasmine or long grain rice. I typically use my rice cooker's "normal" setting.
  • Once the rice is finished, leave the lid on for another 5 minutes to reduce any leftover liquid and allow the rice grains to plump up more.
  • Open the lid and use a paddle to fluff up the rice. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Jasmine Rice in a Rice Cooker
Amount per Serving
Calories
187.06
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.34
g
1
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.09
g
1
%
Sodium
 
5.52
mg
0
%
Potassium
 
58.94
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
40.98
g
14
%
Fiber
 
0.67
g
3
%
Sugar
 
0.06
g
0
%
Protein
 
3.65
g
7
%
Calcium
 
16.13
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.41
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Side Dish, Sides
Cuisine: American, Asian, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese
Keyword: long grain rice, white rice
Did you cook this recipe?Tag @HungryHuy or #hungryhuy–I’d love to see it!

Like this recipe? Subscribe to my newsletter!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating