How to Cook Jasmine Rice

a bowl of jasmine rice on a grey countertop

4 from 9 votes

Make perfect, fluffy jasmine rice every time. This includes directions for 3 different methods 1) stovetop 2) Instant Pot or 3) boiling it in a big pot of water like pasta. All three work great, so choose your favorite.

This recipe makes between 2 and 4 servings, depending on how much you plan to serve and / or if you’re using it to make another recipe like fried or crispy rice.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: DIY Thai, easy rice recipe, easy Thai recipe, perfect jasmine rice, Thai rice

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $1.00

Equipment

Saucepan or Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 cup jasmine rice (1 cup jasmine rice = 230 grams)
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 cup cool water (1 cup water = 250 milliliter)
pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

Stovetop or Instant Pot Method:

Rinse rice in cool tap water, using your fingers to swirl the rice around to remove as much starch as possible. (You can do this in a fine mesh strainer or by placing the rice in a pot of water and pouring the starchy water off.) Drain well.
Instant Pot - Rub the inside of the Instant Pot with oil. Combine rice, water, and salt (if using) in the bowl of an Instant Pot. Close and lock the lid. Turn the knob to “sealing”. Pressure cook on “High” for 3 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure. Once pressure has been released, remove the lid.
Stovetop - Rub the inside of a heavy-bottomed saucepan with oil. Combine water and salt (if using) in the pan. Place over high heat. When the water begins to boil, stir in rice and immediately cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer rice, covered, until all of the water has been absorbed, ~20 minutes. Move pan off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. (Tip: If your stove is electric and the temperature does not come down quickly when going from high to low heat, use two burners and transfer the pot of rice to the cooler burner as soon as it starts to boil.)
Fluff rice with a fork to gently break apart rice. Serve warm.

The Boiling like Pasta Method (skip the initial rinsing):

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. (Use a pot like you would for spaghetti, like a stockpot.)
When the water is boiling, add the rice. Stir it a few times to loosen up any grains of rice that might be stuck together.
Boil the rice for 9-11 minutes, until tender. Check the rice at the 9 minute mark, and then continue checking every minute after that until tender.
Drain the rice through a fine mesh strainer, gently shaking the strainer to release excess moisture.
Serve warm.

Notes

Adjusting for the age of rice - The age of the rice you use will affect how well the grains absorb water and, therefore, how much water you need to use. If you purchased the rice recently from a place that has a lot of turnover (like an international grocery store), it is probably quite new and you will not need as much water - remove 1 Tablespoon of water per cup. If the rice is older and has been sitting in your pantry for a few months, add an additional 1 Tablespoon of water per cup.

Nutrition