Yellow Rice

This delicious light and fluffy Yellow Rice is buttery, steamed in savory chicken broth, and seasoned with fragrant classic Spanish spices! It’s a quick and easy 20-minute recipe layered in flavor that makes a fantastic side dish to any meal!

What Is Yellow Rice?

Sometimes the simple dishes are the best dishes! And this recipe is exactly that! Yellow rice is a pretty popular dish in many places all around the world. You can find different variations of this recipe in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It’s basically just white rice seasoned with different spices depending on the culture along with a bit of annatto, saffron, or turmeric, which gives the rice its yellow color. 

But in this case, my yellow rice recipe is most similar to the Spanish version, which is also called arroz amarillo. Made with fluffy basmati rice, my recipe is full of lots of buttery chicken flavor and includes a bit of sweet paprika and turmeric, which are both used quite often in Spanish cuisine. And I also added plenty of garlic and onion to add even more layers of flavor! So this simple dish may be super easy to make but it’s full of flavor!

Not to mention, this rice is so versatile! You can serve yellow rice with almost any meal! From Garlic and Paprika Chicken to Pork Carnitas. It also serves as a great bed under some Sweet And Sour Meatballs.

• Butter – Always use unsalted butter to control the amount of added salt. However, if you only have salted butter on hand, just cut back on the amount of salt added to the rice.
• Rice – I used basmati rice, but jasmine rice will also work. 
• Chicken Broth – I like to use low-sodium broth to limit the added sodium. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer.
• Turmeric – Adds a touch of color to the dish as well as another layer of flavor.
• Chicken Bouillon – Helps to add some chicken flavor.
• Garlic Powder – Gives the rice a little extra garlic goodness. 
• Onion Powder – I opted to use onion powder instead of chopped onion. 
• Sweet Paprika – Used to add a bit of sweet red pepper to the dish.
• Salt – A touch of salt is needed to season the rice.
• Black Pepper – You can use regular or freshly ground black pepper.

This 20-minute recipe is really easy and super delicious! It’s basically steamed rice with some extras added along with one additional step!

To begin, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Then stir in the rice and coat it in the butter. Now, continue to stir and let the rice cook for 2 minutes.

After the rice has been sauteed in the butter for a bit, add the chicken broth to the saucepan along with the turmeric, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika. Then stir everything together and bring the rice to a boil. Next, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and let the rice steam for about 15 minutes. While the rice is cooking it’s important that you do not open the lid. The rice does not need to be stirred. Doing so will only disturb the steaming process.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and then fluff the rice with a fork. Now, taste the yellow rice and season it with salt and pepper if needed before serving.

What Can I Add To The Rice?

You can pretty much add any herbs or spices you want to the rice while it steams. Just stir them in when you add the other seasonings. The most important thing when it comes to cooking rice is the ratio of uncooked rice to liquid. For example, if you add too much moisture or don’t have enough it can totally throw off the whole recipe. So if you want to add things like meat or vegetables to make it a main dish, it’s best to cook them ahead of time and then add them to the rice after it’s fully cooked.

Can I Use Brown Rice?

I don’t recommend using brown rice to make this yellow rice recipe. Brown rice has a much longer cooking time and requires a different ratio of rice to liquid. However, if you know how to use brown rice in place of white rice in recipes, go for it! I’ve just not tried it myself.

Storage

Leftover yellow rice will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle it with some water, cover it with plastic wrap, and then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power. You can also reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop. Yet, if the rice has been frozen, you’ll need to let it thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Other Delicious Rice Recipes To Try

• Cilantro Lime Rice
• 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
• Greek Rice
• Harvest Rice
• Dirty Rice