This fragrant turmeric rice is full of delicious spices and comes together with just a handful of ingredients so quickly with the help of a rice cooker. Serve this delicious yellow rice as a side dish with your favourite Indian style curry or dairy free butter chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ as the name suggests it really was easy! we had ours with butter chicken and it was fantastic. will certainly be making again! – renee
Honestly this is one of those recipes that I held off posting for years as it’s so simple, combining stock, spices and rice together in a rice cooker. But it’s something I love to make, and make quite often, and ever since I published it in 2021, it’s become a reader favourite too!
One of the cheats meals I love to make is an Indian style curry using a jar of curry paste from the supermarket (such as butter chicken or tikka masala), and cooking it up with some protein and coconut milk to make the most delicious cheats curry for dinner.
How I elevate this meal though is by making a fragrant golden rice to serve alongside it. With the help of my rice cooker, making this yellow rice is really no different than making regular rice except that it brings so much extra flavour and colour to the plate making it one of my favourite meals to enjoy at home.
Recipe Background
For me, this recipe evolved into my life. I used to make a lot of golden saffron rice whenever I was making an Indian inspired feast. I had the recipe written on this scrap of loose paper that I constantly lost and then found again. Saffron however is quite expensive, so it wasn’t the sort of thing I usually just had on my spice shelf.
I decided I needed an alternative that I could quickly make without thinking about it which is where this recipe came into play.
This recipe is inspired by Indian cuisine but in no way is it trying to be authentic. It’s taking the flavours and the goodness of beautiful spices, and making them simple and approachable.
Key Ingredients
This turmeric rice is a simple 6 ingredient side dish recipe with 4 of those being spices so hopefully you already have them on your shelf ready to go. If not, these spices are so versatile that if you do need to buy them for this recipe, you’ll use them again and again.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Rice – I use either basmati rice if I have it, otherwise just the standard long grain white rice works well. Plus I always have it in my pantry.
- Garlic powder – all the garlic flavours without needing to peel, chop and cook it first.
- Onion powder – similar to the garlic, some recipes will call for an onion to be cooked, but I like just adding the flavour without the extra step, plus this recipe is great for kids who won’t touch the rice if they can see pieces of onion.
- Turmeric – I’m using a generous amount of ground turmeric powder to flavour this rice and give us that spectacular colour. This is our key ingredient.
- Salt – to season, reduce though if your chicken stock is not salt-reduced.
- Chicken stock – I like to use salt-reduced so I can control my salt amount but the better your stock, the more flavour your rice will have. You can also substitute for vegetable stock to make this dish vegetarian.
You’ll Also Love: Turmeric Fried Rice
Step-By-Step Instructions
This recipe couldn’t be easier. You’re going to need a rice cooker, or something similar (ie my Philips All in One Pressure Cooker also has a rice function). I am only giving the instructions in this recipe for using a standard rice cooker, but feel free to take this to the stovetop if you feel comfortable cooking rice that way and don’t have a rice cooker.
Step 1: Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well.
Step 2: Add the rice with the rest of the ingredients to the rice cooker and mix to combine. Turn the rice cooker onto cook.
Step 3: Once the rice cooker is finished, let the rice sit covered for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Fluff the rice and serve.
👉Tip! Use salt reduced chicken stock if possible, otherwise omit the salt and season after cooking to ensure the rice isn’t too salty.
What to Serve with Turmeric Rice
This yellow rice is a simple side dish that pairs well with a wide range of proteins, curries, and fresh salads. Its warm, lightly spiced flavour makes it perfect for soaking up sauces or forming the base of an easy rice bowl. Here are a few delicious ways to serve it:
- Curries – try serving it with chickpea curry, coconut chicken curry, lentil dal, or pumpkin and chickpea curry.
- Chicken or seafood – try it with BBQ chicken thighs, lemon garlic chicken, or grilled prawns for a simple but flavourful meal. Add a fresh salad or steamed greens on the side.
- Rice bowls – top it with grilled chicken, crispy tofu, or roasted vegetables and add sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, avocado, and a drizzle of tahini or dairy free yoghurt sauce.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Allow the rice to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Portion the cooled rice into freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheat the rice in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water to help create steam and loosen the grains, then cover and heat until warmed through. Stir halfway through reheating for even heating.
Recipe FAQs
Basmati rice works very well in this recipe and will give the rice a slightly lighter, fluffier texture. You can also use regular long grain rice however with a very similar result.
I haven’t tested it. As a general rule, brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time so you’ll need to adjust the liquid ratio.
Yes. Turmeric rice can easily be made on the stovetop.
Add the rice, liquid, turmeric, and seasonings to a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More rice recipes:
Rice Cooker Mexican Rice
Budget-Friendly Fried Rice
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Easy Rice Cooker Turmeric Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (190 g) long grain white rice
- ½ tablespoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt see notes
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
Instructions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Add the rice with the rest of the ingredients to the rice cooker and mix to combine. Turn the rice cooker onto cook.
- Once the rice cooker is finished, let the rice sit covered for about 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated in 2026 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
Glenna says
Slow cooker tumeric rice is so easy and so good.
Thanks for this healthy recipe.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this one!
June says
Thank you it was so good the recioe is a keeper.
Sally says
Thanks June, so glad you enjoyed!
Tiffany says
Turned out perfect. Adding this recipe to my book of “go to” side dishes! Thank you.
Sally says
That’s great Tiffany! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for coming back to leave a comment 🙂
Anna says
Hi, stupid question but just checking that the stock is used instead of the water that usually gets added when cooking rice?
Sally says
Hey Anna. Yes that’s correct. So wash your rice as usual in water, drain and then add to the rice cooker with the stock as the liquid – this will absorb into your rice giving it so much flavour 🙂
Renee says
As the name suggests it really was easy! We had ours with butter chicken and it was fantastic. Will certainly be making again!
Sally says
So glad you found it easy and enjoyed this rice! It’s my favourite with butter chicken as well!
James says
Thanks for the recipe.
kristi says
can you use brown rice?
Sally says
Hi Kristi, I haven’t tested with brown rice so I am not sure how you might need to adjust the liquid and cooking time. Let me know if you do!