Turmeric Garlic Rice (Easy Yellow Rice Recipe)

This turmeric garlic rice is an easy way to add more flavor to plain white rice with almost no extra work. Ready in about 20 minutes, the turmeric gives the rice an earthy, savory flavor and beautiful bright yellow color, while garlic and green onions add even more flavor. It’s one of my favorite rice recipes for meal prep grain bowls or as a simple side dish for Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Mexican-inspired meals.

Given the choice, I almost never make plain white rice because I’ve learned how much flavor you can add with just a few simple ingredients. I’ve been making this turmeric rice for years and used to sauté fresh garlic first, but over time I’ve simplified the recipe to use garlic powder instead. It’s faster, requires less prep and still gives me the flavorful rice I want, especially with green onions stirred in at the end.

This turmeric garlic rice is an easy side dish for so many meals. Serve it with Greek chicken and vegetables or Italian chicken and veggies for a simple dinner. It’s also great with Mexican black bean burgers, or use it as the base of a grain bowl with spiced Mexican black beans and Mexican veggies.

Ingredients

• Jasmine or basmati rice: I prefer jasmine or basmati rice because they cook up light and fluffy and reheat really well. Regular white rice and brown rice tend to get harder and clump together after refrigerating, so I almost always use jasmine or basmati, especially when I’m making rice for meal prep.
• Turmeric: Turmeric gives this rice its gorgeous bright yellow color and adds a unique earthy, slightly bitter flavor. I use ground turmeric for this recipe. If you only have fresh turmeric, a general substitution is about 1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh turmeric for every 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, although I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh turmeric. Keep in mind that fresh turmeric stains easily, so wear gloves and use a cutting board you don’t mind staining.
• Water or broth: You can cook the rice in water, but chicken broth or vegetable broth is an easy way to add even more flavor without adding any extra steps.

How to make turmeric garlic rice

Tips for success

• Be careful when cooking with turmeric. Turmeric stains very easily, including wooden utensils and kitchen linens. I recommend using stainless steel utensils to stir the rice and being careful with towels or anything else that could come in contact with the turmeric.
• Use the Instant Pot when you need a more hands-off option. If you don’t want to keep an eye on the stove or worry about the pot boiling over, make this turmeric rice in the Instant Pot instead. It’s an easy set-it-and-forget-it option. Add everything to the Instant pot and cook for 3 minutes high pressure (white jasmine rice).

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Easy Turmeric Garlic Rice

Turmeric garlic rice is a quick and easy way to make plain rice more flavorful. Ready in about 20 minutes, this fluffy yellow rice is perfect for grain bowls, meal prep or as a simple side dish.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 2 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup white jasmine rice - or white basmati rice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 cups water

Instructions

• Add the rice to a mesh strainer and rinse well until the water runs clean. Once clean, add the rice to the pot.
  1 cup white jasmine rice
• Add the turmeric, garlic powder, salt, olive oil and water to the pot with the rice and stir well.
  1 teaspoon turmeric, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 cups water
• Turn the heat to high and cover the pot. Once the water is boiling, turn down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, take the rice off the heat (covered) and let it sit for 3-5 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Recipe Notes

• Rinse the rice well before cooking. This removes excess starch and helps the rice cook up fluffy instead of clumping together.
• Use a large enough pot. The rice can bubble up as it cooks, so make sure there is enough room in the pot to prevent it from boiling over.
• Let the rice rest before fluffing. Once it’s done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it sit covered for 3-5 minutes. If you have a glass-top stove, move the pot to a cool burner. This gives the rice time to absorb any remaining liquid before you fluff it with a fork.
• Brown jasmine or basmati rice needs more water and more time. Use about 1¾ cups water for every 1 cup brown jasmine or basmati rice. Once it comes to a boil, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
• Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (I like to use Soupercubes to pre-portion out leftovers). 

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

203

Fat

 

4

g

Carbohydrates

 

38

g

Fiber

 

1

g

Sugar

 

0.1

g

Protein

 

3

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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Author: Samantha Rowland

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: garlic turmeric rice, garlic yellow rice, turmeric garlic rice

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Easy ways to change the flavor

I usually keep this turmeric garlic rice simple, but there are a few easy ways I change the flavor depending on what I’m serving it with.

• Add fresh herbs: Stir in chopped green onion, cilantro, mint or chives after fluffing the rice. This is the variation I make most often, especially when I’m using the rice for grain bowls.
• Use fresh garlic and onion: When I have a little more time, I’ll sauté fresh garlic and onion in olive oil, butter or coconut oil for 3-4 minutes before adding the spices and rice. It adds more flavor but also adds an extra step, which is why I usually stick with garlic powder.
• Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper with the spices for a little heat.

If you love this recipe, you should try

• Instant Pot Lemon Turmeric Rice
• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
• Mexican Rice and Lentils
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Beans
• Pesto Cauliflower Rice
• Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice