This vibrant Turmeric Rice Recipe is a fast and easy side dish perfect for brightening up your weeknight dinner.
Hello friends! It’s been quite a while since I posted a new recipe. If you follow me on instagram, you might know that I recently had a baby! So that explains why I haven’t been able to cook or photograph new recipes. Now that my baby is all grown up at the age of 2 months, I’m ready to send him off to college and get back to work. 😆😆😆 Just kidding! But as I start to get the hang of being a mom, I am trying to get back in the swing of things with the blog.
Due to some complications, I spent about a week in the hospital after my baby was born. After eating hospital food for several days, my brother saved us and brought us some “real food” from a local Mediterranean restaurant. It was probably some of the best food we have ever tasted. Influenced by sleep deprivation, stress and 3 days of hospital food, but nevertheless, delicious.
We loved it so much that we got takeout many more times from that restaurant during the first few weeks of our baby’s life. Mr. Briar LOVED the turmeric rice, and asked me if I could recreate it at some point. This Turmeric Rice isn’t exactly what they serve, but it might be even better!
WHAT IS TURMERIC?
Turmeric is a rhizome (a tuber, similar to a root) like ginger – in fact, turmeric and ginger are in the same family! The powder made from the root is bright yellow, and sometimes used to dye foods. It will stain, so be careful when working with it! Turmeric is not spicy, and is often used in curry.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC?
The jury is out on exactly how healthy turmeric is. Turmeric contains Curcumin which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. These are great for many things – boosts brain function, fights heart disease and cancer. However, turmeric only contains 3% curcumin, and the body doesn’t absorb curcumin very well. But whether or not turmeric has miraculous medical powers, you can still feel good about adding it to your food!
HOW TO MAKE TURMERIC RICE
- Rinse rice until water runs clear, drain.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter.
- When butter is melted, add onion and garlic, saute until softened.
- Add rice and turmeric. Stir until combined. Add chicken broth and bay leaf, cover pan. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, allow to simmer 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf, fluff with a fork and serve.
Turmeric Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup jasmine rice rinsed
- 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 bay leaf dried
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Rinse rice until water runs clear, drain.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter.
- When butter is melted, add onion and garlic, saute until softened.
- Add rice and turmeric. Stir until combined. Add chicken broth and bay leaf, cover pan. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, allow to simmer 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf, fluff with a fork and serve.
Video
Nutrition
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iwant A. says
YUM!
I added the ingredients except the onion to my rice pot cooker and it is DIVINE! After the rice cooker was done, I put 2T olive oil in my wok added the onions, did not have garlic cloves so substituted garlic powder and threw in the onions, added egg and cooked in pan then rice, soy, oyster and it was AMAZING. Made spring rolls in the air cooker lol. I have to get better at them. was tasty but did not look like the picture so if you have an airfryer spring roll recipe let me know. Yum!
Meghan says
Yum, that sounds great!
Thao says
Made this so many time! I always boil some chicken then shred it, then cook the rice in the boiled water plus the chicken shreds.
Meghan says
That sounds great, so glad you like it!
Christy says
I have prepared this recipe many, many times! My husband and son request “yellow rice” often! We actually had it tonight. I follow the recipe exactly but the only change is that we prefer parboiled rice, so I just use the amount of water and time that my rice calls for. Turns out perfect every time. Thanks for such an excellent recipe!!
Meghan says
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you loved it!
Alexis says
I’ve probably made this recipe 20 times. It’s a staple in our house! I like to add a drained can of chicken at the end for some protein.
Meghan says
I’m so glad to hear that!
KR says
Hi – do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
Meghan says
Hi, yep, just added it!
Cindy says
First time commenting, but first time making. My Algerian husband just loves this recipe! He’s always asking me to make it. Tonight I had him help so he can make it now whenever he likes. We doubled the recipe this time so fingers crossed it will cook properly because if the pan.
Meghan says
I’m so happy you both love it!
Kait says
Super reliable, easy to customize, works every time. I love to serve this with fish and a salad of cucumber and tomato tossed in balsamic dressing. Goes great with a creamy yogurt and herb sauce. I also like to stir in chopped parsley, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. So many options!
Jess Klug says
I decided to use chicken bone broth for added protein and a touch of coconut milk for creaminess and it was absolutely delicious. I found that I had to add quite a bit more chicken broth to get the rice to fully cook, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out!
Michelle says
I used chicken bone broth and water, one cup of rach
Alexis says
Excellent! I used Basmati rice and added a can of cooked chicken. Great easy meal!
Tammy says
Thank you for sharing this. We made it last night with a slow cooked Moroccan pork. It was a terrific combination. Instead of parsley, I used cilantro but otherwise followed it exactly. I do think it would be delicious to add some toasted mustard seeds to the final product.. Thanks again
Sarah says
Phenomenal recipe!!! Thank you for sharing!
Angela Barker says
Loved it!!! Will definitely make again!
Meghan says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Ramon says
Very delicious recipe. I cook it often
Meghan says
So glad to hear that!
Robin says
Excellent rice! Thanks
Meghan says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Christie says
You have some amazing recipes! Thanks for sharing
C says
I am not a cook, but this was easy and tastes great even with some minor substitutions to use what I had on hand. It tastes good with my first Swiss steak attempt.
Mary says
Can i replace butter with more olive oil?
Meghan says
The butter has better flavor, but the recipe will probably work fine with only olive oil.
Sky says
Delicious flavour. Used basmati rice but despite rinsing my rice still came out kind of sticky. I will definitely try again.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Angella Muwanga says
IMPRESSIVE. KEEP IT UP. I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY. KEEP THE RECIPES COMING
Meghan says
So glad you liked it.
Heartrender 🧇 says
EXCEPTIONAL. My first time trying, I nailed it. I substituted the broth to water and it tasted great.
Meghan says
So happy you loved it!
Angela says
Great tasting rice. My boyfriend loved this more than I did! I will definitely be making this again. The only thing I did differently was that I used Basmati rice instead of Jasmine rice.
Nikki says
THIS IS AMAZING!!!
Meghan says
Yay, so glad you loved it!
Yui says
My sister in law made turmeric rice the other day and it was so colorful and yummy, so I was looking for a recipe. Yours is easy and flavorful, it was even better than hers. I made tilapia and roasted broccoli to go with it. My husband loved it, thanks so much! This will be in my dinner rotation for sure.
Meghan says
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that!
Kristen Tran says
I am looking forward to making this to go with chicken shwarma this week for dinner!
We recently switched from white rice to brown or wild rice in our home. Can we use brown or wild rice? Should I increase the chicken broth per 1 cup of those types of rice? Thanks!
Meghan says
Hi Kristen – I haven’t tried it but I think brown rice would be fine. I would increase the liquid to the amount called for on the package instructions.
Tania says
Could this be made with basmati rice?
Meghan says
Hi Tania – yes, that should work!
Carla Brenni says
Love it!! Looking for more recipes 💯💯
Meghan says
So glad you loved it Carla!
Jacki burke says
Hi 🙂 I’m wondering if I could saute the onion and garlic then add all of the ingredients in the rice cooker? My stomach is growling after reading your Mediterranean bowl recipe and now this Turmeric rice recipe. I cant wait to try this with the bowl! We have fresh cucumber, tomatoes, mint and parsley from the garden too! Thank you!
Meghan says
Hi Jacki – I haven’t tried it in the rice cooker but that might work! Let me know if you give it a try!
Olive says
Very delicious.
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
KimA says
Amazing amazing.. Best Turmericj rice I have ever eaten and made.
Clara Edman says
We loved it. However, instead of cooking on top of the stove, I baked it. I am not a rice lover, so I always bake my rice using chicken broth for the liquid and always adding sauteed onions and whatever else strikes my fancy.
Bill C says
Excellent side dish for my South Asian dinner! Only one change- I saut̩ed the rice for a couple of minutes before adding the broth. Gave it a pilaf flair. Superb recipe. Thank you Рand this is definitely going to be on my regulars list!!
Meghan says
So glad you liked it!
Merry Pearl says
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS AND YOUR INSIGHT!
I’m of Latin descent and I have never been able to cook rice perfectly to save my life. It was a bit of a downer, given my heritage – but your easy step by step guide helped me make my first perfect rice in 20 years!
Thank you again!
Meghan says
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Merry!
Bethany says
This is SO good. I added 1 tsp cumin for more flavor and sautéed onions until they were slightly caramelized. This is my new go to rice recipe! I can’t wait to make it again.
Meghan says
Yay! So happy to hear that Bethany!
Molly says
Made this to go alongside some chicken pitas tonight and we all fought over the last serving, kids included. This will be a new staple in our house. Thank you!
Meghan says
Yay! I love hearing that! So glad your family loved it.
Melody Risch says
so easy and yummy!!!
Meghan says
So glad to hear it!
Linda Muse says
I really loved this recipe for rice. I made it to go with your Mediterranean bowl. It was a big hit with my husband and me. Delicious as is!
Meghan says
Wonderful! I am so happy to hear that!
Katherine says
This rice was a huge winner in my house. It looks beautiful, tastes delicious and the turmeric, as an anti-inflammatory, is so hearty for you. We paired with with the recipe for Mediterranean Lamb Bowls, and enjoyed the two so much that they will become part of our meal rotation.
Meghan says
I’m so happy you loved the rice, Katherine!
Louise says
Love this recipe. I made it to go with braised beef short ribs and gravy from the drippings. Oh, a tossed salad on the side.
Meghan says
So happy to hear that! It sounds like a delicious dinner!
Kailyn says
Can I use traditional white long grain rice if I can’t access Jasmine Rice? I really want to try the recipe.
Meghan says
Hi Kailyn, that should be fine!
Kimberly says
I really loved this rice! And what a great way to add more turmeric into my diet. The changes I made were no onions (can’t stand them!) and I used 3 frozen garlic cubes and 1 frozen ginger cube. So yummy!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it Kimberly!
Naz says
Rice turned out amazing! So easy and quick as a side dish. I added a bit of fresh ginger. Threw the onion, garlic and ginger in a mini processor and chopped them up in 2 seconds. Everyone loved it – husband and kids!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it! Love the addition of ginger!
Shadylady says
Excellent recipe! I used veggie broth instead of chicken and I was not disappointed. Thank you for sharing!
Meghan says
Wonderful! So glad you loved it!
Sheila J Azzara says
Loved this recipe made it with lamb chops and added mushrooms to the saute before the chicken broth. Husband loved it too! There is something about the flavor of jasmine rice that is so pleasing. Thank you for the recipe.
Meghan says
I love that you added mushrooms! So glad you guys loved it Sheila!
luke Goff says
I tried this recipe…kind of bland. I added some lemon zest and that was just what it needed! Of course, I can’t cook with garlic in my house, mother is allergic, and I’m allergic to onions..lol
Meghan says
Hi Luke – Yes I can imagine it would need some extra flavors if you can’t use garlic and onion. The lemon zest is a great idea!
WITCHY says
Well if you left out the garli and onions of course it was bland. I don’t think you should have posted that it was bland when you didn’t follow recipe.
Instead you should have stated, we had allergy issues and had to leave out garlic and onion. To keep it from being bland I added lemon zest!
Lesley says
so tasty!
Meghan says
So glad you loved it!
Kevin says
Love this recipe. I tried it as is a couple times and then added a little cayenne and some precooked andouille sausage. Yum!
Meghan says
So glad you love it Kevin! Those sounds like great additions!
Zach says
Hey! How much approximately is 1 serving? I didn’t see a serving size and wanted to check before I made it, but it does sound really good 🙂
Meghan says
Hi Zach – it is 1/4 of the whole recipe, which is slightly more than 1/2 cup – A heaping 1/2 cup I would say.
DOTTIE says
Not really a comment, a question I am allergic to poultry could pork or vegetable broth be used?
Meghan says
Hi Dottie – yes, absolutely!
Ivana says
First time making it . It’s delish, will be a staple to make at home 🙂
Meghan says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Ivana!
Sachin Agrawal says
Love this recipe. Reminds me of kitchari!
Meghan says
Thank you Sachin!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
This is the perfect side dish! I love turmeric rice!!
Meghan says
Thanks Megan!
Phil Gilbert says
What is the purpose of rinsing Jasmine rice? In Hawaii, depending on who the target consumer is, we prefer rice that is slightly “sticky” in order to gather it easily with the served foods.
Meghan says
Hi Phil – I am a recent convert to rinsing rice, and of course it is ultimately personal preference. I like it because it helps the rice to be fluffy and not gummy.
luke Goff says
Exactly. This is a Mediterranean rice generally, not Japanese. Only use sticky rice with Asian food…lol just my opinion.