Saffron Rice

Elevate your basic side dish with this simple and easy Saffron Rice recipe. You’ll be amazed how much flavor your humble grain can have.

This beautiful and fragrant rice is a showstopper side dish that will make any meal more special. It’s perfect for company meals and special occasions.

Rice is my favorite base for a side dish. Some of the most popular rice dishes on GypsyPlate are our Arroz con Gandules and Cajun Dirty Rice.

This saffron rice is the simplest and easiest to make, but has such beautiful flavors that it might be the best yet.

Saffron has a reputation for being expensive. In fact, it’s the world’s most expensive spice by weight, at $5000 per pound! But don’t worry, this rice isn’t going to break the bank. You only need a tiny amount of saffron to achieve a gorgeous and delicious dish.

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Tips for the BEST Saffron Rice

• Make sure you’re using real saffron. Buy it from a reputable supermarket or online source.
• Use basmati or jasmine rice. It cooks much better than regular long grain, and adds its own fragrance.
• Don’t skip rinsing the rice. This strips off some of the starch and keeps your rice more granular.

Ingredients

You will find exact measurements for all ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you’ll need:

• Basmati rice – My first choice for this dish.
• Saffron – Just a few strands is all it takes.
• Butter – I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
• Shallot or onion – For a little aromatic base.
• Chicken broth – Better than Bouillon goes great here.

How to Make Saffron Rice

1. Seep saffron: Start by seeping your saffron in boiling water. This allows time for the beautiful color to come out.

2. Sauté shallot: Heat the butter in a pot and sauté the shallot till it softens.

3. Toast the rice: Add in the rice, and sauté 5-6 for minutes.

4. Boil: Stir in the chicken broth and the saffron infused water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. We like to garnish ours with parsley and pomegranate arils.

Serving Suggestions

Saffron rice is a great side dish to pair with so many different meats. The flavors are subtle enough that it can go with just about anything.

Some of our top pairing choices would be Harissa Chicken, Keftedes, Chicken Marbella, Pork Pinwheels, or Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini.

Leftovers and Storage

You can refrigerate leftover saffron rice in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When ready to eat, reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

If you wish to freeze the leftovers, spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator. Then once it has completely cooled, portion the rice into ziploc bags, then freeze.

Give your simple rice a makeover with this easy saffron rice. Once you taste it, you’ll be making it again and again.

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Saffron Rice, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great side dishes!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Moroccan Couscous
Habichuelas Guisadas
Potato Rosti
Spicy Noodles
Farro Salad

Saffron Rice

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Elevate your basic side dish with this simple and easy Saffron Rice recipe. You’ll be amazed how much flavor your humble grain can have.

Print

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon saffron
• ¼ cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3.5 cups chicken broth

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine boiling water and saffron. Allow to steep for 15 minutes.
2. Heat butter in a rice pot over medium high heat. Add shallot and sauté for a few minutes, until it becomes soft.
3. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed rice to the pot and sauté 5-6 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken broth and the saffron infused water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Notes

• You can refrigerate leftover saffron rice in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When ready to eat, reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 116Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 13mgSodium 572mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 3g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.