Our favorite, simple recipe for yellow rice – with no artificial colors! Perfect with chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable curry – a savory, flavorful bed for any Meditteranean or Eastern-inspired dish.
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A few years ago, my husband and I started strength training. You know what they say about bodybuilders – how all they eat is chicken and rice? While we aren’t obsessive gym rats, it turns out the chicken and rice thing isn’t half bad. In fact, it is fairly inexpensive. All you need is the right seasonings to turn simple meal elements into something special.
That is why instead of plain dry rice, we make this easy Mediterranean Yellow Rice.
Mediterranean Rice Ingredients:
- Rice (white or brown)
- Water (or broth)
- Garlic powder
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Pepper
The resulting rice is savory, flavorful, and the perfect bed for any Meditteranean or Eastern-inspired dish. We serve it with chicken, beef, fish, or a simple vegetable and lentil curry.
Simple Yellow Rice
This rice is:
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Flavorful
- Bright yellow with no artificial coloring!
- Perfect for the Instant Pot
- Or Stovetop
- Leftovers are delicious!
If you don’t like dinner repeats, toss the leftovers into a pot of Hamburger Vegetable Soup (the beef or vegetarian version).
Instant Pot Brown Rice
If you haven’t tried making rice in the Instant Pot (affiliate link), you are missing out!
I always struggled to make good brown rice until I made it in the Instant Pot. It turned out undercooked, overcooked, or just mealy – like trying to eat a bowl of erasers. Now my brown rice is tender, flavorful, and perfect every time.
Reason number 1,435,782 to love the Instant Pot!
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Mediterranean Yellow Rice
Our favorite, simple recipe for yellow rice – with no artificial colors! Perfect with chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable curry – a savory, flavorful bed for any Meditteranean or Eastern-inspired dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice, (or 1 cup brown)
- 2 cups water or broth, (2 1/4 cups for brown rice)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Stovetop:
- Place water and salt in a small saucepan over high heat. When it boils, add rice and seasoning. Let the water come to a boil again, stir it quickly with a fork, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook 20 minutes (45 for brown rice).
- Turn off heat and allow rice to sit for 5 minutes (15 for brown rice), covered. This step is very important!
- Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.
Instant Pot:
- *For white rice, use 1 1/2 cups water or broth.
- * For brown rice, use 1 1/4 cups water or broth.
- Plug in your Instant Pot. Pour in all of the ingredients and stir them briefly. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it until it beeps. Then press and twist the button at the top to seal it (see Instant Pot manual).
- For white rice, select the "Rice" setting. It should read around 12 minutes. Press Start and let the appliance do its thing.
- For brown rice, select the "Pressure Cook" setting. Manually set the time to 22-28 minutes and the pressure to high. Press Start and let the appliance do its thing.
- When the rice is done cooking, and the Instant Pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
Serve with:
Chicken, beef, fish, veggies, or vegetable curry.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 74Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 2mgSodium 236mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 3g
Please note: The actual calories and nutrition of this dish will change depending on what ingredients you use. Nutrition information is not always accurate.
What You Can Do Now:
Did you grow up eating yellow rice?
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Not only is this gluten, free, dairy free, and vegan, it is also nightshade free! Yay!!
I can’t eat things like potatoes, tomatoes, or peppers, OR gluten.
I love recipes like this!
So glad you can use it, Laura! Makes my day 🙂
Sue Gregg of Sue Gregg Ckbks says each cup of grain needs a tsp of salt. It sounds like a lot. It’s not. Salt is also GOOD for you, not bad. Use quality salt, not the little blue canister or sea salt. Redmond’s Real salt is excellent and relatively cheap, esp in bulk.
Just try doubling the salt and see if you taste it. You won’t. It’ll just be more flavorful and satisfying.
Salt allows less sugar used too. Always put the salt in desserts or sweet breakfast things.
Thanks! You’re right – Redmond’s is great.
This was so easy and very tasty. My kids were so impressed with “fancy yellow rice.” Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad.