This Yellow Rice is full of flavor, with sweet notes from raisins, corn, and cinnamon, rich butter and chicken stock, and a savory kick from curry powder and turmeric.

For an Indian Yellow Rice Recipe, try this One-Pan Curry Rice instead!

Overhead image of the Yellow Rice

Yellow Rice

My in-laws lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, and during our visit, I was inspired by the South African Yellow Rice we tried there, especially when paired with Piri Piri chicken—it was an amazing combo!

Today, I’m sharing my version of yellow rice. It’s not an exact recipe, but it has the same flavors we enjoyed on our trip. This simple, oven-baked version is super easy to make—just toss everything, including uncooked rice, into a casserole dish and let the oven do the work.

No stovetop, no need to watch it, just fluffy, perfectly cooked rice with amazing smells filling your kitchen!

What Does Yellow Rice Taste Like?

This rice has a warm, pleasant smell with a light nutty flavor and a bit of garlic, ginger, and onion. It’s savory with a hint of spice and sweetness from brown sugar, raisins, corn, and cinnamon.

Scoop of Yellow Rice

What Is Yellow Rice Made Of?

  • Basmati Rice: Stick with basmati; other rice types can get mushy.
  • Spices & Seasonings: Adjust any to your liking.
  • Brown Sugar: Just a bit is enough to round out the flavors.
  • Bay Leaf: Remember to take it out before serving.
  • Garlic & Ginger Paste: Use pre-minced garlic and ginger paste to save time.
  • Raisins or Currants: I love golden raisins.
  • Chicken Stock: Use full-flavor stock, not low-sodium, for the best results.
  • Butter: After testing with 4, 6, and 8 tablespoons, 8 works best.
  • Frozen Corn: Stir it in after baking to keep it fresh and bright.
Process shots of Yellow Rice-- images of the rice, spices, ginger, garlic, raisins, and chicken stock being added

How To Make Yellow Rice

Below are my top tips for success when cooking Yellow Rice.

  1. Grease the baking dish well with cooking spray to stop the rice from sticking, and don’t skip the butter!
  2. Be patient. The bake time is long, but it’s mostly hands-off. Rushing may cause the rice to cook unevenly or become mushy.
  3. Let the rice sit. Just like stovetop rice, it needs time to steam and soften so it doesn’t get mushy.

Quick Tip

Frozen veggies like corn thaw almost instantly when they’re added to a hot dish. So don’t bother to thaw them in advance. Just stir ’em in and they’ll heat through quickly!

Process shots-- images of the bay leaf and butter being added

Transform Into A Main Course Meal

  • Make Chicken and Yellow Rice: Serve with seasoned rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken thighs.
  • Add a Sauce: A creamy yogurt sauce, ripe avocado, or goat cheese adds coolness and creaminess to balance the spice.
  • Add Toppings: Thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh mango, avocado, or a squeeze of lemon add crunch, freshness, and color.
Process shots of Yellow Rice-- images of the dish being baked and then frozen corn being added

Storage

This Yellow Rice recipe makes a lot! Leftovers stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
To freeze, divide rice into 2-cup servings and store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then heat in the microwave with 1-2 tbsp water in 30-second bursts or warm in a pan on low heat.

Overhead image of Yellow Rice in the casserole dish

More Easy Rice Dishes

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5 from 1 vote

Yellow Rice

By Chelsea Lords
Yellow Rice is a flavorful, aromatic dish bursting with sweetness from raisins and corn, richness from butter and chicken stock, and savory spices from curry powder and turmeric. Every bite is an explosion of flavor!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 as a side

Equipment

  • 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking pan

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1-1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice see note 1
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder see note 2
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf optional
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic see note 3
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste see note 3
  • 1/3 cup raisins or currants or golden raisins
  • 2-3/4 cups chicken stock or broth, see note 4
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups frozen corn

Instructions 

  • See note 5 for suggestions on how to make this side dish into a main course! Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously spray a ceramic or glass (not metal) 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray. Cut butter into 8 slices (1 tablespoon each) and set aside.
  • Add everything except butter and corn into the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1-1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are incorporated and spread in one even layer, making sure rice is covered by the liquid. Evenly top with cut pieces of butter. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove foil (save foil—just set aside for now) and bake 15 more minutes.
  • Remove from oven. Don’t stir the rice. Top with the foil again and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. This is important to avoid mushy rice!
  • After 10 minutes, remove bay leaf and add frozen corn. Gently mix everything together and lightly fluff rice with a fork. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I tested this recipe with several kinds of rice, and the only successful one is basmati rice. Other varieties of rice gave inconsistent results—ranging from very mushy to unevenly cooked.
Note 2: Use a curry powder you know and enjoy, with a level of heat you can tolerate (I use McCormick®, which is very mild). If you aren’t sure, add less, but know that you will be missing out on some flavor!
Note 3: To keep things quick, use refrigerated minced garlic and refrigerated ginger paste. Or use fresh ginger and garlic; simply grate (with a fine grater) ginger root and individual garlic cloves into the dish—no other preparation is necessary.
Note 4: Chicken stock is very important to the flavor—use a full-bodied (not low sodium) stock. I love Swanson® stock best.
Note 5: To make this side dish into a main course, serve with a cooked protein (I love a hot rotisserie chicken or seasoned grilled chicken), topped with some full-fat Greek yogurt (or a cooling yogurt sauce, ripe diced avocado, or goat cheese) and thinly sliced cucumbers. See the blog post for more ideas!
Storage: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5–7 days. To freeze, I like to portion leftovers 2 cups at a time and store them in individual freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months, thawing bags of rice overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.6g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 12.8g | Cholesterol: 32.3mg | Sodium: 102.6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8.3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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3 Comments

  1. Michelle says:

    Well you can ignore that question. If I would have paid attention I would have seen it. Sorry.

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Sorry I couldn’t get to your comment sooner to help! Hope you love this recipe if you give it a try 🙂

      Reply
  2. Michelle says:

    Where do you put the Pin sign so I can pin your recipes. The only thing I see is PRINT or RECIPE BOX
    Thank you

    Reply