Yes, you can cook Jasmine rice perfectly in the microwave—and no, it doesn’t turn out soggy or sad. It’s surprisingly fluffy, beautifully tender, and a total game-changer on busy nights!
As someone who grew up eating rice every day (hi, Asian here 🙋🏻♀️), I promise this method works like a charm—as long as you get the rice-to-water ratio right and follow the timing. It’s not quite rice cooker level… but honestly? Pretty darn close. And it’s way faster with less cleanup!
What is Jasmine Rice? (And Why I Still Love It from the Microwave!)
Jasmine rice is the everyday rice for millions across Southeast Asia—including me growing up in Vietnam. It’s a long-grain rice with a soft, fluffy texture and that signature fragrant aroma (kind of like pandan). Basically, it’s what we eat with everything.
Compared to basmati (the long-grain darling of South Asian kitchens), jasmine rice is softer, slightly sticky, and feels a little more comforting in a bowl. Both are fab in fried rice, but jasmine’s my go-to for anything saucy—think Thai red curry, stir-fries, or anything with loads of sauce begging to be soaked up.
Back home, we always used a rice cooker. Foolproof. But after moving to Germany, I had to figure things out—stovetop, Instant Pot, even (gasp!) the microwave.
And you know what? Microwave jasmine rice actually turns out pretty great! It’s not quite rice-cooker perfect, but it’s fluffy, fast, and gets the job done when life’s a little chaotic. Total weeknight win. 🙌
Love easy microwave recipes? You’ll love these too:
Why this recipe works
- Faster than a rice cooker: Rice cookers are fab, but they take their sweet time—30 to 45 minutes, easy. This microwave method gets fluffy jasmine rice on your table in around 15 minutes. Yes please!
- Tastes pretty darn good: Is it exactly the same as stovetop or rice cooker rice? Not quite. But the difference is so small, even my Vietnamese friends gave it the thumbs up—and we’re serious about our rice
- Your microwave is more useful than you think: Forget just reheating leftovers. This is proof that your microwave can cook, too. No rice cooker? No worries—you can still have perfect rice, the easy way.
Equipment
- A microwave
- A microwave-safe bowl (big enough to leave some headroom)
- Two microwave-safe plates: one to cover the bowl, the other underneath to catch any spills—because we love easy cleanup!
Ingredients
After lots (and I mean lots) of testing, here’s the magic ratio:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 ¾ cups boiling water (yep, boiling—speeds things up and gives better texture)
Instructions
👀 Do You Really Need to Rinse Rice?
YES. Rinse that rice, friends!
It’s not just about removing excess starch for fluffier grains (though that’s a bonus). The main reason? You’re washing off any dust, dirt, or… tiny passengers 🐜 that might’ve hitched a ride from the rice fields of Vietnam or Thailand to your kitchen.
My Vietnamese mates—many from farming families—are super strict about this. No shortcuts, no skipping. Rice gets rinsed. Every time.
- Put the rice in a bowl and fill it with water. Swirl the water around with your hand and then drain. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times until the water looks clear.
- Drain the rice well.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the rice with 1+3/4 cups of boiling water.
- Cover the bowl with a plate and place another plate under it to catch any water that might leak during cooking.
- Microwave the rice on high for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice, cover the bowl again, and microwave for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the microwave and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
What to Serve with Jasmine Rice
Steamed jasmine rice is the ultimate sidekick to just about any Southeast Asian dish. It’s soft, fluffy, slightly fragrant—and perfect for soaking up bold, punchy flavours from Thai and Vietnamese cooking.
Here are some of my go-to dishes that pair beautifully with it:
- Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken (Gà Nướng Xả)
- Ping Gai / Kai Yang (Lao / Thai BBQ Chicken)
- Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup)
- Vietnamese Omelette (Trứng Chiên)
Got leftovers? Don’t let that rice go to waste! Use it to whip up a quick Fried Jasmine Rice, or check out my collection of jasmine rice recipes for more easy ideas!
Troubleshooting Microwave Jasmine Rice
Microwaves can be a bit unpredictable, and not all jasmine rice is created equal! Older (aged) rice tends to soak up more water, while newer rice stays a bit softer—so your perfect rice-to-water ratio might need a little tweaking.
Here’s how to troubleshoot the usual suspects:
- Rice too firm or still a bit raw?
Totally fixable. Just splash in 1 tablespoon of water, pop it back in the microwave for 2 more minutes, and you’re good to go. - Rice too soft or mushy?
It happens! Make a note to reduce the water by 1 tablespoon next time. (A little goes a long way—don’t overcorrect!) - Dry or scorched bottom layer?
Your microwave might be running a bit hot (especially if it’s higher than 700W). Next time, shave 1–2 minutes off the cook time or try medium-high power instead.
More Asian Rice Sides You’ll Love!
Looking for more ways to turn humble rice into something amazing? These Asian rice dishes are packed with flavour and perfect alongside any main—or even as the star of the show!
(Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausages)
(Kimchi Fried Rice)
Microwave Jasmine Rice – Fluffy, Fast & Asian-Approved!
Equipment
- 1 Microwave
- 1 Microwave-safe bowl
- 2 Microwave-safe plates (one as lid, one to catch any leaking water)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Jasmine rice (250ml)
- 1¾ cup boiling water (440ml)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a bowl of water, swirling with your hand, and draining. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times until the water appears clear.
- Drain the rice thoroughly.
- Combine the rinsed rice with 1+3/4 cups of boiling water in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Place a plate over the bowl and set another plate underneath to catch any potential water leaks during cooking.
- Microwave it on high for 10 minutes.
- After microwaving, fluff the rice, cover the bowl again, and microwave for other 3 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the microwave and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Rice still hard? Add 1 tbsp water, microwave 2 more mins.
- Mushy rice? Reduce water by 1 tbsp next time.
- Scorched base? Reduce cook time for powerful microwaves (higher than 700W).
Does this jasmine rice recipe (1x) produce two cups of rice when cooked? I’m used to cooking with regular long-grained white rice with a one cup rice to two cups of water in microwave, but it’s not quite as fluffy as I’d like and I’m hoping for better results with the jasmine rice.
Thanks!
Hello Sarah, one cup of Jasmine rice could yield around 2 cups of cooked rice or slightly less. Jasmine rice tends to be stickier than American long-grained rice and Basmati rice, so it requires less liquid when cooking. It has a slightly chewier and softer texture and a mild, aromatic flavor. Just give it a try; I hope you will like it 🙂 .
If I take the time to boil the water first, then I’m losing the time saved by using the microwave. What’s the timing if I use room temp water ?
Hello. You can increase the cooking time by 2-3 minutes, but it also depends on your microwave wattage.
Mark, you’re not wasting time because you’d boil the water at the very beginning, before you even take the rice out of the pantry. So by the time you take the rice out, measure it, and rinse it 2-3 times, the water is boiled and ready to go. At least, this should be the case if you’ve got a hot water kettle (and if you don’t have one, I’d highly recommend getting one as its a huge timesaver and very handy to have for cooking and making hot drinks).
Also, I didn’t have to microwave a second time (the last 3 minutes), so my rice gets done in 15 minutes flat (10 mins cook + 5 mins rest), which is kind of incredible if you think about it!
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! However, in my case, I found that microwaving for those extra 3 minutes was unnecessary. I just took it out at 10 minutes, fluffed it up, then put it back in (with the lid on) and simply let it rest for 5 minutes, so the residual heat was enough to finish the cook. The end result was perfect, the rice the right amount of bite, softness and moisture.
Thank you for your feedback =). I definitely will try your way the next time.