How to Make Jasmine Rice in a Rice Cooker

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: October 3, 2022 Approved

Jasmine rice is a very fragrant long-grain rice from Thailand that has a slightly sticky texture. It has a nutty flavor too, which makes an ideal alternative to regular white rice. Best of all, you can make jasmine rice quickly and easily in a rice cooker just as you would with white rice. However, it's important to wash jasmine rice before you cook it so you remove any dirt or starch that may be on the exterior of the grains. That way, you wind up with tasty, fluffy rice to serve with your meal.

Ingredients

1 cup (185 g) jasmine rice
1 cup (237 ml) water, plus more for soaking
½ teaspoon (3 g) salt (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Washing the Rice

1
Place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add 1 cup (185 g) of jasmine rice to a large bowl. Pour enough cold water over the rice to cover it completely.^{[1]
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2
Move the rice around the bowl with your hand to rinse it. Once the rice is covered with water, use clean hands to gently agitate the rice for 3 to 5 minutes. The movement will help remove some of the dirt and starch on the outside of the rice, so you’ll notice the water becoming cloudy.^{[2]
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- Be gentle with the rice as you move it around in the water. You don’t want to grind it or press it too hard with your hands.
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3
Drain the rice and add more water to the bowl. After you’ve agitated the rice for several minutes, pour the contents of the bowl into a colander or strainer to remove the dirty water. Rinse out the bowl, return the rice to it, and cover it with clean, cold water again.^{[3]
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4
Repeat the rinsing process. Once the rice is covered with clean water, use your hands to move it through the water for another 2 to 3 minutes. Less dirt and starch should come off this time, so the water shouldn’t be very cloudy.^{[4]
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5
Pour out the water one last time. When you’ve agitated the rice for a second time, dump the contents of the bowl into the colander or strainer again to drain the water. Shake the rice well to remove the excess moisture.^{[5]
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- If the water still looks very cloudy after a second rinsing, you should repeat the process again. Continue rinsing the rice until the water is mostly clear.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cooking the Rice

1
Add the rice and water to the rice cooker. When the jasmine rice is clean, place it inside the rice cooker’s pot. Next, pour 1 cup (237 ml) of clean, cold water over the rice.^{[6]
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- For jasmine rice, use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. You can increase the amounts of each depending on how many people you’re cooking for. 1 cup (185 g) of jasmine rice and 1 cup (237 ml) of water will make 4 to 6 servings of rice.
- You can also replace the water with chicken broth to make the rice even more flavorful.
2
Mix in the salt. If you’d like to season the rice before it cooks, add ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt to the rice cooker. Use a wooden spoon to stir it into the rice and water so all of the ingredients are well blended.^{[7]
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- Adding the salt is an optional step. You can skip it if you prefer.
3
Leave the rice to soften for an hour. Once you’ve mixed the rice, water, and salt in the rice cooker, put the lid on and let the rice soak for about an hour. That will give the rice time to soften so it has a better texture when it’s finished cooking.^{[8]
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4
Cook the rice according to the rice cooker manufacturer's instructions. After you’ve left the rice to soften for about an hour, turn the rice cooker on. Consult the cooker’s instructions to choose the best setting for the rice and let it cook for the specified time.^{[9]
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- Most rice cookers have a pre-set program that turns the appliance off automatically according to the setting you’ve chosen. In general, though, jasmine rice should be cooked for about 25 minutes in a rice cooker.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing the Rice

1
Allow the rice to rest for at least 10 minutes. When the jasmine rice is finished cooking, turn off the rice cooker. However, you shouldn’t remove the rice from the appliance. Instead, let it rest in the cooker for 10 to 15 minutes.^{[10]
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- Make sure to leave the lid on the cooker while the rice is resting.
2
Fluff the rice. Once the rice has rested for several minutes, use a wooden spatula to mix the rice up a bit. That will help remove any lingering moisture and give the rice a fluffier texture.^{[11]
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3
Transfer the rice to a bowl and serve. After you’ve fluffed the jasmine rice, use the spatula to carefully put it in a bowl. Serve the rice while it’s still warm as a side to your favorite meat main course.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

Do I add oil to the rice to keep it from sticking?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Yes, you should drizzle oil over the rice so that it doesn't stick to the pan and so that it will be easier to serve.
Question

When do I add cooked shrimp to the rice - during cooking or after?

Ayesha Ahmed

Community Answer

You can add shrimp later, if you add them while cooking they can be overcooked.