This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very delicious recipe. I cook it often
So glad to hear that!
Excellent rice! Thanks
I’m so glad you loved it!
You have some amazing recipes! Thanks for sharing
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.
Can i replace butter with more olive oil?
The butter has better flavor, but the recipe will probably work fine with only olive oil.
Delicious flavour. Used basmati rice but despite rinsing my rice still came out kind of sticky. I will definitely try again.
So glad you loved it!
IMPRESSIVE. KEEP IT UP. I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY. KEEP THE RECIPES COMING
So glad you liked it.
EXCEPTIONAL. My first time trying, I nailed it. I substituted the broth to water and it tasted great.
So happy you loved it!
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.
THIS IS AMAZING!!!
Yay, so glad you loved it!
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.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that!
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!
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.
Could this be made with basmati rice?
Hi Tania – yes, that should work!
Love it!! Looking for more recipes 💯💯
So glad you loved it Carla!
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!
Hi Jacki – I haven’t tried it in the rice cooker but that might work! Let me know if you give it a try!
Very delicious.
So glad you loved it!
Amazing amazing.. Best Turmericj rice I have ever eaten and made.
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.
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!!
So glad you liked it!
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!
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Merry!