Our saffron rice is very fluffy, delicious and fragrantwith beautiful sunshine yellow. It’s easy to make and really makes any meal special.
I’m happy to share this saffron rice recipe that has attracted the influence of Persian and Mediterranean cuisine. I have almost nothing (really!). Think of kabobs, falafel, stew, barbecue, grilled chicken, seafood, and more!
Thanks to the soup ingredients, a little butter and onion, the rice became very delicious. Thanks to our saffron and a little bit of turmeric, it has the most beautiful shades of yellow. I can’t wait for you to try! For more rice recipes, see our Coriander Lime Rice or This Coconut Rice!
Key Ingredients
- rice: For the best and most aromatic effect, use long crystal basmati rice. Regular long crystal rice will work, but Basmati rice offers more flavor and aroma. Please note my tips in the rice recipe. It changes a lot and ensures a completely fluffy, non-stick texture! I don’t recommend this recipe for brown rice.
- Saffron: You only need a small amount of saffron to serve this rice, which means you can repeat this recipe (I bet you want to make it once you try it!). Looking for quality saffron (cheaper choices don’t have the same flavor). It’s expensive, but worth the extra money. I used McCormick’s saffron in the photo and it worked very well. Nevertheless, for the best quality, which is usually better value, I highly recommend sourcing saffron from reputable online spice suppliers (I like world spices, burlaps and barrels) or race markets, rather than traditional grocery stores.
- Turmeric and cardamom: A little bit of turmeric enhances the sunshine yellow color, while the lightly crushed cardamom pods add another layer of warm sweet aroma. I mean it was lightly crushed, the outside of the pod cracked, but the seeds inside remained inside.
- Butter and onion: You can substitute olive oil if you want, but I like the buttery flavor in this rice. You will melt it and cook some chopped onions in it until they smell nice and soft. The onion adds flavor and a little sweetness to balance the saffron’s salty, aromatic flavor. That said, I haven’t made this recipe with onions but still love it.
- in stock: I usually use chicken or vegetable soup. In our recipes, we recommend tasting your stock before adding it to the rice to see if you need additional salt. Depending on the sodium content of the stock, you may hardly need extra salt. My goal is to season the stocks as delicious soup.
The trick to perfectly delicious saffron rice is to inject your stock into saffron and spices before cooking. Bring your stock to a boil and pour it over the lightly crushed saffron thread, turmeric and cardamom. This important step also allows you to taste and adjust the salt.
I like soup ingredients to season like soup, so give it a flavor and add more salt until it’s cooked with rice until the flavor actually pops up.
Fluffy saffron rice
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This aromatic sunny yellow saffron rice turns any supper into something really special. Saffron is expensive, but we only use a little to make this gorgeous rice. With Persian cuisine and Mediterranean influences, I love it on the sides of barbecue, falafel, barbecue, chicken, fish, curry, stew, etc. This Greek marinated chicken, grilled swordfish or grilled garlic capers grilled salmon is especially delicious.
Make 5 cups of rice
You will need
1½ cups (280g) long-grain basmati rice
2 pieces of saffron line, 1/4 teaspoon of round shape
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 cardamom pod, lightly crushed
2¼ cups (530 ml) chicken soup or vegetable soup
3 tablespoons (42g) butter
1/2 cup chopped onion, half medium onion
Salt, as needed
direction
1Rinse and drain the rice: Place the dried rice in a bowl, rinse it in cold water, and rotate it with your hands. Drain the cloudy water. Repeat this flush and drain process 4 to 5 times, or until the drained water is completely clear. Transfer the rinsed rice to a colander and drain completely when preparing stock.
2Prepare spices: In separate glass, metal or ceramic bowls, add turmeric and cardamom (turmeric and saffron can dye more porous materials, such as plastic). Gently rub the saffron lines between your fingers and break them a little into small pieces (you’re looking for small pieces, not fine powder). Add the broken saffron thread to the bowl along with the other spices.
3Heat and inject stock: In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil over medium heat. When it boils, pour the hot soup into a bowl of turmeric, cardamom and saffron. Taste and add salt as needed. You want the soup to taste well so that your rice is good. Season until the broth tastes like a well-seasoned soup.
4Cook onion: Heat the stock using the same skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally until they become soft, translucent and smell about 5 minutes.
5Roasted Rice: Add drained rice to the pan and bake, stirring constantly to prevent sticking for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the saffron-infused soup from the bowl, making sure to scrape off all spices from the bowl.
6Making saffron rice: Bring the soup and rice mixture to a boil and lower the heat to a minimum setting (cook very softly on low heat). Cover the pan with a lid, cook and cover for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, but do not lift the lid. Let it stand (still covered) for an extra 10 minutes. Once the rice is finished, gently spread the rice with a fork. Serve.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Chicken stock: Depending on the inventory you choose, you may need extra salt to season the rice. I love to taste the soup infused with saffron, and I love its seasoning and soup seasoning. I usually add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt and low-sodium soup and usually pour the salt together when using experienced stocks (such as when made with Bouillon paste or cubes).
- Vegetarian and Vegan Alternatives: Using vegetable soup, replace butter with plant-based butter or olive oil.
- If the rice is still a little hard in the center: If the middle is not tender after testing the rice, return the lid to the pan and continue cooking over low heat for 5 minutes.
- If the rice looks too dry but is not completely cooked: Sprinkle one or two tablespoons over the rice and return it to heat. Return the lid to the pan and continue cooking over low heat for 5 minutes.
- storage: The remaining saffron rice can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months (melt overnight in the refrigerator).
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or in a pot with water or broth and stir until warm.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
About 1/2 cup (5 cups of recipe making)
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Calories
155
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Total fat
4.3 grams
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Saturated fat
2.4 grams
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cholesterol
10.8mg
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sodium
106.4mg
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carbohydrate
24.9 grams
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Dietary fiber
0.5g
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Total sugar
1.2 g
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protein
3.5g
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
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