Ginger Rice
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This Ginger Rice recipe is packed full of flavor and pairs perfectly with many different dishes. No more worrying about boring white rice; try out this simple 6 ingredient recipe!
This easy garlic and ginger rice recipe is super versatile and pairs well with most meals, especially Asian dishes. Toss it with some veggies, protein, and your favorite sauce, and you’ll create a delicious main dish.
Easy Ginger Rice Recipe
Ginger Rice is incredibly simple to make, and you only need six ingredients, most of which you will already have in your cabinets at home. Plus, you only need a sauce pot with a lid – no rice cooker needed!
This simple rice recipe has recently become my favorite because of how flavorful it is, without being overbearing. It’s an excellent substitute for bland, flavorless white rice…and it goes with almost anything.
What do I need to make Ginger Rice?
Jasmine rice: my favorite rice to use for this recipe is jasmine rice, with long-grain white rice coming in at a close second. You can use your favorite rice or any rice that you have on hand, but those are my favorite.
If you prefer brown rice, you could use that too!
Fresh ginger: the warm spicy flavor that the ginger gives the rice pairs well with this recipe. Sometimes I cheat and use Trader Joe’s Frozen Ginger Cubes, you’ll never know the difference!
Garlic cloves: I love adding garlic to this recipe because it combines perfectly with ginger to bring delicious aromatic flavors.
Cilantro: you will need cilantro that is fresh and chopped to add to the rice once it’s done cooking. You could also use green onions or fresh parsley if you prefer.
Extra virgin olive oil: you need EVOO for the best flavor, a light olive oil or vegetable oil won’t have the same robust flavor. You can always substitute your olive oil with sesame oil or butter for an even richer flavor. You can also add a splash of soy sauce.
Tip: try cooking your rice in chicken broth or coconut milk for an even more exotic flavor.
How to Make Ginger Rice
1. Boil water. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water and rice to a boil over medium heat in a medium-sized or large saucepan. Once boiling, remove from the heat and cover for 10-12 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
2. Cook the rice. Once boiling, mix in the ginger, garlic, and salt. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the rice continue cooking, covered, for 10-12 minutes.
3. Season the rice. Once the rice is fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed, fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the cilantro and olive oil. Taste and season with more salt before serving if needed.
What kind of rice should I use?
For this recipe, I like to use jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is a kind of long-grain white rice which means that its texture, when cooked, is light and fluffy. It also separates and doesn’t get sticky like short-grain rice. Jasmine rice is great for flavored rice, like this one, or casseroles, stir-fry or rice bowls!
Can I use a different type of rice?
If you don’t have jasmine rice on hand, or if you’re just not a big fan, it’s okay to use another kind of rice. I would stick within the long-grain rice family, so I would recommend either using white long-grain rice or Basmati rice. Either one will still give you a similar texture to jasmine rice.
What is the secret to good rice?
It takes some practice to cook the perfect rice; many times, you will either get it too hard and crunchy or even soft and mushy. This is very common when you’re first starting to make rice dishes. Here are some of my top tips for cooking rice:
- First, make sure that you rinse your rice before you cook it. This is so important because it will clean the rice and get rid of all the debris along the surface. It also helps make the rice fluffier instead of sticky and mushy when it’s finished cooking.
- Whatever you do, while you’re cooking be sure not to peak! It will let all of the steam out, which will lower the temperature, and makes it hard for the rice to cook properly.
- Fluff, fluff, fluff! I can’t say this enough. Once your rice is done cooking, be sure to fluff it up with a fork. If you dig in with a spoon, your rice is going to get super mushy.
How do I store leftover Ginger Rice?
You can place any leftover rice in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator. If you want to freeze it, you can store frozen rice for up to about 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Tip!
When you’re warming up leftover refrigerated rice, place a damp paper towel over top so that it keeps some moisture inside.
Can you freeze cooked rice?
You can freeze cooked rice. I recommend freezing vs. refrigerating because it keeps the rice from drying out. The easiest way to reheat it would be to toss it into the microwave for about 2 minutes, checking about every 30 seconds and stirring.
Or you can also put frozen rice with a splash of water in a pot on the stove at low for about 10-15 minutes. Keep in mind you just need to reheat your rice, not recook it. Be sure to let your rice cook completely before putting it into the freezer.
Trader Joe’s Jasmine Rice
I make this recipe with Trader Joe’s frozen jasmine rice all the time! Here’s how I do it:
- Microwave the frozen rice for 3 minutes.
- Add two Trader Joe’s Frozen Ginger Cubes, 1 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsps of cilantro to a bowl and place the cooked rice on top. Cover for 1-2 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve!
How to Serve Ginger Rice
Garlic ginger rice will pair perfectly with any Asian dish, like these Crispy Hoisin Chicken Thighs topped with sesame seeds, or this Citrus Soy Asian Salmon with fresh lime juice. You can also mix it in with your favorite veggies and protein to create your own stir fry!
I particularly love serving it with crispy Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp and Air Fryer Chicken And Broccoli!
Here are a few of my other favorite Asian-inspired recipes:
- Salmon Rice Bowls
- Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass
- Maple Miso Mushroom Rice Bowls
- Trader Joe’s Soyaki Tacos
- Vegetable Fried Rice
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Ginger Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 tsps grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsps fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring 1 1/2 cups of water and rice to a boil in a medium sized saucepan.
- Once boiling, mix in the ginger, garlic, and salt. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the rice continue cooking, covered, for 10-12 minutes.
- Once the rice is fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed, fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the cilantro and olive oil. Taste and season with more salt before serving if needed.
Oh wow! This looks like an amazing side. I will be making this this weekend!
Flavors were amazing. Perfect with chicken for dinnertime.
This was fragrant and super tasty! Loved it, thank you so much!
I never realized how adding a little bit of ginger could make boring white rice so flavorful! Definitely making this again!
This looks delicious! I will definitely be trying this one tonight! Has anyone tried using minute rice with this recipe?
Thank you