If white rice had a personality, it’d be… beige. This Jasmine Ginger Rice is the glow-up your dinner needs- fragrant, fluffy, and packed with fresh ginger flavor that makes everything from stir fry to grilled chicken taste like it tried harder.
It’s still “dump-and-simmer” easy, but with that Asian rice vibe you usually only get from takeout.
What is Jasmine Rice?
Jasmine rice is a long-grain, aromatic white rice from Thailand, and it’s my go-to because it cooks up fluffy with a naturally fragrant flavor- aka the perfect base for upgrading plain rice.
This Ginger Rice is an easy side dish that tastes special with minimal effort, and it plays well with everything from weeknight dinners to full-on Asian feasts. Top it with scallions, toss in veggies like peas or carrots, or use it as the flavor-packed foundation for stir-fries.
Ingredients & Simple Substitutions
Grab this easy list of ingredients to get started.
- Water or Low-Sodium Chicken Broth– Water is the simplest, but if you are looking for a little more flavor use a low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- Jasmine Rice (not instant)– No instant rice here- it is parboiled and we want plain, rice to soak up all the delicious flavors.
- Fresh Ginger– Grated or ginger paste, which is previously processed. Grating will evenly divide the flavor into the broth whereas chopping or mincing will give you bits, so I highly recommend using a micrograter or rasp grater.
- Fresh Garlic– Same as the ginger, grating is the best scenario, but however jarred garlic doesn’t have the same flavor as real garlic so I don’t suggest using the premade stuff.
- Unsalted Butter– If using salted butter, omit the additional salt.
- Coarse Kosher Salt- The best for real salt flavor and best for dissolving.
- Ground Black Pepper– Using freshly ground is the best for flavor. White pepper can also be used if you prefer a milder pepper flavor.
- Scallions- Also known as green onions, chives can also be used. They aren’t mandatory, but do provide color and a fresh crunch.
How to Make Ginger Rice (Step-by-Step)
- Rinse the rice – Prep the rice by placer it in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. (Less starch = fluffy, not gummy.)
- Flavor the Fat– In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the grated ginger (and garlic if using) and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- Combine- Add rinsed rice and stir for 1 minute to lightly toast. Pour in water or broth and add salt. Stir once to combine.
- Simmer- Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 12–15 minutes (no peeking) so the steam stays inside.
- Rest & Fluff– Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5–10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, top with scallions, and finish with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil (optional).
Chef Tips for Ginger Rice
Microplane the ginger. Chopping leaves fibery bits; microplaning melts ginger flavor right into the rice.
Toast the rice for 60 seconds after the ginger- this adds a subtle nutty aroma and helps keep grains separate.
Don’t trust every bag. Rice brands vary in dryness. If your rice is consistently firm, add 2 tablespoons more liquid next time. If it’s soft, reduce slightly.
No peeking, no stirring. Stirring releases starch- great for risotto, tragic for fluffy jasmine.
Resting is non-negotiable. That 5-10 minutes off heat finishes steaming and fixes “wet top, dry bottom” syndrome.
Best flavor boost: use broth instead of water. It’s the laziest way to taste like you tried.
Easy Variations
- Sesame Ginger Rice: Finish with ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.
- Veggie Ginger Rice: Stir in 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas, carrots, or edamame during the last 5 minutes of resting (they’ll warm through).
- Coconut-Ginger Rice: Replace 1 cup liquid with light coconut milk (now you’re flirting with coconut rice, but in a good way).
- Scallion Oil Finish: Warm 1 tablespoon neutral oil and pour over sliced scallions, then spoon over rice.
- Chili Crisp Oil– Add heat with 1-2 teaspoons of chili crisp oil tossed in at the very end.
What to Serve with Ginger Rice
This is a versatile Asian Rice so you can serve it with many different dishes. Here are a few of my favorites.
Questions You Might Have About Making Ginger Rice
Yes, but the cook time and liquid ratio change a lot. Follow the package timing for that rice, and still sauté the ginger and toast the rice first for flavor. It also won’t have the signature fragrance of jasmine rice.
Unfortunately not. However, I do have a recipe for coconut rice as well as other rice favorites like ranch rice, almond rice pilaf and cheesy rice and Spanish rice.
Absolutely. Use the white rice setting. For maximum flavor, sauté the ginger in butter first (in the cooker if it has sauté, or in a small pan).
Usually it’s too much starch (didn’t rinse) or too much stirring. Rinse well and only stir once after adding liquid.
That’s typically not enough liquid or the lid wasn’t tight (steam escaped). Let it steam 5 more minutes with 2–3 tablespoons water added, then fluff.
You can, but it’s not the same. Start with ½ teaspoon ground ginger, taste, then adjust. Fresh is brighter and more “restaurant-y.”
More Rice Recipes You Might Love
Rice is one of my favorite easy side dishes. Here are a few more recipes that will impress the fam.
Ginger Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice (not instant)*
- 2 1/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons scallions
Instructions
- In a colander, rinse the 1 cup jasmine rice (not instant)* well, shaking off excess water.
- Combine 2 1/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth, rinsed rice, fresh grated 1 tablespoon ginger, grated 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in a medium sauce pan.
- Bring to a low boil and then lower heat to a low simmer.
- Cover and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
- Top with chopped 2 tablespoons scallions or serve with your favorite meal.
- If you've tried this recipe, please come back to leave us a comment and give it a star rating!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This was delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
We love different kinds of rice sides (sometimes), since potatoes are SO yesterday! This is a super tasty recipe. We also like Saffron Rice. Yes, rinsing the rice is very important. Since we have rice often, I researched rice on the internet, & found that it contains arsenic – b/c of where & how it grows. I have friends who will never eat rice because of this. Personally, I’m not too alarmed, since there would be no people left in the Asian countries if this was a huge problem – since they eat rice every day. Check it out, & what are your thoughts regarding this.
Hi Angelina, I am not a health professional, so please take this with a grain of salt (or rice),but my opinion on the matter is that there are A LOT of foods that contain trace amounts of arsenic. In fact, is is in nearly all foods, not just rice grains. And if you aren’t going to eat rice grains, then you also can’t eat any rice products including rice cereals or crackers, or anything with rice flour.
The moral of the story is that not eating rice (or rice products) will not eliminate arsenic from your body or diet and small amounts aren’t harmful, according to doctors. High amounts, however are, and are higher in some areas because of pollution that then pollutes the water that feeds the rice patties. In these areas it has been linked to serious health concerns. But again- certain areas and large consumption.
Also, white rice is so processed that nearly everything in it- good and bad- is processed out by the time it gets to you.
Fantastic rice recipe! I ate it with lentil curry and it complimented it perfectly!
Lovely! And thank you for coming by to let us know- means the world!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times. It pairs with everything! It’s so so yummy I even received compliments from my friends of how great this rice is. Thank you for sharing!
Yay! So glad you enjoy it!
Seeing this Ginger Rice made my tummy growl!
I absolutely love the addition of ginger here!
This is going to go great with my chicken recipes.
I really liked the flavor profile and I’m always looking for ways to incorporate fresh ginger so this was great, but the rice to water ratio was way off. The first time I made this per the recipe and ended up pouring off some of the water and cooking a long time. The second time I used 1 1/2 cups water instead of 2 1/4 and that was much better. Also cooking times vary on jasmine rice – some cook for only 15 min (your instructions say cook 2-25, I think you meant 20-25?). I also reduced the pepper from 1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp. I stirred 1 TBS of the scallions into the rice after fluffing at the end and topped with the rest.
Thanks for the feedback! It surely makes a difference from brand to brand.
Yum! This was so much better than just making plain white rice.
This makes such a great side dish! So easy and full of flavor!