Yellow Rice

At a glance

What stands out: Flavorful and fragrant yellow rice is reliable for pairing with your favorite Indian and Mediterranean dishes but it’s equally at home alongside almost any cuisine. It’s as straightforward to mix as regular white rice!

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: fine mesh colander (for rinsing the rice), saucepan
Servings: 6

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Savory Yellow Rice

What is yellow rice? Rice is a universal food that shows up in cuisines around the globe, and the same is true of yellow rice. If you don’t believe us, just ask Wikipedia, which places yellow rice in countries ranging from Iran to Peru to Portugal to India.

The method of making yellow rice may vary, but basically it always involves turning white rice yellow by cooking it with turmeric (which is what we use here), annatto, or saffron. These spices impart a beautiful golden hue and also introduce a subtle, aromatic flavor, along with other seasonings like garlic, salt, and pepper.

Made with straightforward pantry ingredients. With a few ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can jazz up everyday white rice and make it extra tasty. We think yellow rice looks more appetizing than white rice, too—it’s like a visual cue that tells your brain, “This rice is going to be rich!” And if you can make white rice, you can make yellow rice. The process is not much different.

Versatile. Yellow rice is a fabulous base for meal bowls, excellent for soaking up curries, rich alongside grilled salmon—basically, there are endless ways to use it!

Linda Said:

“This is our go to recipe when we make kabobs. straightforward and tastes great.”

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What goes in

• Butter: Butter adds a nice rich flavor to rice dishes. If you want to make vegan yellow rice, feel free to use oil instead. (Coconut oil would be fantastic!)
• Long-grain white rice: We don’t want this rice to be sticky so you’ll need to use long-grain rice rather than short-grain. Some common types of long-grain rice are basmati, jasmine, long grain white rice, or long grain brown rice.
• Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth both work.
• Spices: Ground turmeric is what makes the rice yellow and fragrant, while garlic powder, kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, and ground black pepper fill out the flavor profile.
• Optional: A handful of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley is a nice colorful garnish.

How it comes together

Toast the rice. Rinse and drain the rice well. Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat, then add the rice. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the rice is fragrant and lightly toasted. Stir frequently as you toast the rice to keep it from burning.

Add broth and seasonings. Pour in the broth, then stir in the turmeric, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Increase the heat.

Simmer. Once the yellow rice mixture comes to a boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Rest. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5 more minutes.

Serve. Fluff the rice with a fork and season to taste. Serve with cilantro or parsley if you’re using them.

Tips and Variations

• Rinse the rice first. Rinsing the rice under cold water until the it runs clear removes excess starch to keep the rice light and fluffy instead of sticky. Drain it well before adding it to the skillet.
• Add currants. We love the addition of currants to this yellow rice, especially if we're pairing it with Indian or Middle Eastern foods.
• Incorporate vegetables. You can sauté a shallot or onion in the butter before adding the rice, or stir in frozen peas during the last minute or so of cooking time.
• Give it crunch. Stir toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts into the cooked rice for toasty flavor and another layer of texture.

What to Serve With Yellow Rice

• Indian dishes. Chicken tikka masala and butternut squash curry pair well with yellow rice.
• Caribbean dishes. Caribbean-inspired dishes like jerk chicken chili go evenly with yellow rice too.
• Middle Eastern dishes. Yellow rice can be served alongside Middle Eastern favorites like grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks and air fryer falafel with a drizzle of tahini sauce.
• Meat. This rice is also a great side dish for chicken kofta kebabs and braised lamb shanks. Make a simple meal of yellow rice with air fryer salmon and sautéed spinach. We like to serve it with steak kabobs.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerator: Transfer yellow rice to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Store yellow rice in a freezer bag or airtight container; freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. We like to put the rice in freezer bags so we can lay them flat and stack them.

Reheat: Rice dries out as it sits in the refrigerator (which is why leftover rice is reliable for making fried rice) so we like to rehydrate it a bit when reheating it. Add a splash of broth or water, then reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat or loosely covered in the microwave.

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• optional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Method

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This helps remove excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming too sticky. Drain well.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice to the saucepan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted and fragrant.
3. Add the broth to the saucepan, along with turmeric, garlic powder, salt, paprika, onion powder, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid.
5. Once the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice and for the flavors to meld together.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
7. Serve the rice immediately, garnished with cilantro or parsley, if desired.

Notes

Adjust yield: It’s straightforward to mix a double batch of yellow rice simply by doubling all the ingredients.

Storage/reheating: Refrigerate rice in a covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze it in freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Leftover rice tends to dry out; add a splash of broth or water when reheating.

Variations: we love adding currants to this yellow rice, especially if we're pairing it with Indian or Middle Eastern foods. Often, we sauté a shallot or onion in the butter before adding the rice, or stir in frozen peas during the last minute or so of cooking time. For added crunch, stir toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts into the cooked rice.