Simple Asian Rice

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Easy to make and versatile, this rice recipe is one you’ll never get tired of; it makes the perfect accompaniment to any Asian inspired meal.

With just a few minutes of extra effort, you can transform your favorite Asian dishes into a complete meal. Enjoy Asian rice with Asian Steak Bites or Honey Soy Chicken for a meal that’s better than take-out.

Salty and savory, this rice is a perfect pairing for Sticky Asian Chicken or any of these stir fry recipes. I served this rice with the Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry last week – you know, the vegetable one that is also loaded with chicken and bacon.

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Simple Asian Rice

With or without the optional peas, this bowl of rice was declared two thumbs up by all of my boys. My youngest emptied his bowl twice and still asked for more.

Asian Rice Recipe

I discovered this way of making rice when I was looking for something a little more flavorful than a plain bowl of white rice to serve with dinner. We eat quite a bit of Asian food around here, so rice is a staple.

Of course, I love rice with lots of things in it, like this Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice and this Mushroom and Pepper Rice Pilaf. But sometimes you need a side dish that’s going to be tasty enough to stand on its own without taking all the attention away from the main dish.

Simple Asian Rice is cooked in chicken stock to impart every grain with savory flavor. After cooking, you season the rice with soy sauce, sesame oil. Thinly sliced green onions are sprinkled on top to finish this side dish.

Asian Rice

How to Make Asian Rice

To make Asian rice, bring jasmine rice and chicken stock to a boil in a large sauce pan or skillet. Cover and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice, then toss to coat. If you don’t have sesame oil, peanut oil or other vegetable oils will do. However, the sesame oil really does add the best flavor in my opinion.

The first time I made this, I also added frozen peas after the soy sauce and let the heat of the rice cook them through for a couple of minutes.

We all really enjoyed the flavor and color the peas added but they are completely optional. Feel free to leave them out if your family doesn’t love peas!

Serve the rice topped with sliced green onions.

Love Asian rice? Try this Thai Coconut Mango RicePineapple Rice with Cilantro and Lime and this Fried Rice with Ham and Vegetables next! This Cauliflower Asian Rice looks like a great spin on this idea, whether you need a low-carb side or just love cauliflower.

Serve this Asian Rice with a Chinese stir fry for a better-than-take-out dinner option!

Rice Recipes

Looking for the perfect rice to serve with a Mexican meal? We love Chipotle Lime Rice and Spanish Rice with our tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

Cauliflower Fried Rice offers a grain-free alternative to rice that’s delicious in its own right. Italian Herb Rice goes well with just about any entree and Turmeric Butter Rice is heavenly with Indian Chicken Bites.

I love the freshness cilantro adds to rice, so I’m looking forward to giving Foodie With Family’s Scallion Cilantro Rice a try too.

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Asian Rice

Simple Asian Rice

4.77 from 26 votes
Make this simple Asian Rice as a side dish for your favorite stir fries!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings, depending on size

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Optional: ½ cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, only as needed
  • 2 green onions, very thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Combine the rice and the chicken stock in a large saucepan or skillet, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes.
  • At the end of the cooking time, stir the rice and check the rice for tenderness. If the liquid has been absorbed, drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss well to coat.
  • Add frozen peas, if desired, and stir to combine. The heat of the rice will cook them in just a minute or two. Taste the rice, and add salt, only if needed. Add the green onions, stir and keep covered until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal · Carbohydrates: 41g · Protein: 7g · Fat: 4g · Saturated Fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 4mg · Sodium: 341mg · Potassium: 186mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 2g · Vitamin C: 1mg · Calcium: 17mg · Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 9/28/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/29/20}

Asian Rice is the side dish all of your stir fries need!

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Christine says

    My dinner plans included some tofu and broccoli, and I was looking for side dish, something more exciting than just plain rice. I just switched the chicken stock with vegetable stock, other than that, I followed the recipe, and it was a hit with my family (“not as boring as plain rice but also no weird ingredients”, said my 13-year old). Thank you for posting this recipe : )5 stars

  2. Jillian Ricard says

    Amazing rice! I’m so grateful to have found your website. Thank you for spicing up my Jasmine Rice!
    I added toasted garlic for a little extra zing and lemon zest. So delicious!5 stars

  3. Dottie Fisher says

    This is delicious!! I can’t eat soy so I substituted it with coconut aminos and it was a treat!! I love Asian food but if I want it now that I know of my allergy, I have to make my own. This is going straight to my”will make again multiple times” category. Thank you, so easy (I cheated and used a rice-cooker too).5 stars

  4. Kymber says

    Very tasty. I added my scallion ginger sauce & took it to another level. Delicious. Thank you for a great recipe.5 stars

  5. Mel says

    The flavoring of this rice was wonderful. I made this along side of Vietnamese chicken everything was delicious.5 stars

  6. Downiegirl says

    I absolutely loved this rice recipe!! I put it in my recipe book as soon as I made and tasted it. It’s even better the next day (if you have any leftovers) it’s just me so I have plenty left. Its even good cold!! Only thing I will do next time is add more green onions. Great and easy recipe!! Thanks for sharing!!!5 stars

  7. Alysa says

    This recipe was so good that my kids would not stop asking me to make this for dinner. It has become my go to meal for any occasion!5 stars

  8. Dottie says

    I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit! I cheat a bit and make it in the rice cooker, so it’s easy, but still yummy! Just cook the rice with the chicken broth instead of water and then mix it the other ingredients once it’s done! I totally recommend making this!!5 stars