How to Make Ginger Rice

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 28, 2020 References Tested

Ginger rice is a general term for any rice that has been cooked with ginger. It is commonly found in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Indian dishes. To make ginger rice, peel and mince your ginger. Add it to some water or broth and cook it on your stove. You can use a rice cooker to get a more uniform texture if you have one. Use ginger rice to make a variety of dishes, like fried eggs and rice, chili-garlic shrimp, and chicken katsu. Basically, any Asian dish can use ginger rice in place of standard white, brown, basmati, or jasmine rice.

Ingredients

Ginger Rice in a Saucepan

2 tablespoons (10.4 g) of ginger
1 tablespoon (14 g) of unsalted butter
0.5 teaspoon (5.7 g) of salt
1.5 cups (350 mL) of water or chicken broth
1 cup (175 g) of rice

Yields 4 servings

Ginger Rice in a Rice Cooker

2 tablespoons (10.4 g) of ginger
0.5 teaspoon (5.7 g) of salt
3 cups (525 g) of rice
4 cups (950 mL) of water
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of sesame oil (optional)
2 teaspoons (6 g) of sesame seeds (optional)
Cilantro, to taste (optional)

Yields 6 servings

Chili-Ginger Shrimp

¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of chicken broth
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of ketchup
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of oyster sauce
1.25 pounds (0.57 kg) of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1.5 cup (262 g) of ginger rice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of chili-garlic sauce
0.5 cup (45 g) of broccoli (optional)

Yields 4 servings

Chicken Katsu with Ginger Rice

2 eggs
1 cup (128 g) of flour
1 cup (125 g) of breadcrumbs
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 chicken cutlets

Yields 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Ginger Rice in a Saucepan

1
Peel 2 tablespoons (10.4 g) of ginger with a spoon. Take your ginger and hold it firmly in your nondominant hand. Grab a spoon and hold the round side of the spoon’s bowl against the skin. Drag the spoon away from you to remove a layer of skin. Repeat this process until you’ve removed all of the skin.^{[1]
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- You can use a peeler or knife if you’d like, but it’s pretty easy to peel ginger with the side of a spoon.
- You can purchase pre-skinned ginger from some grocery stores. It usually tastes fresher if you peel it yourself, though.
2
Mince the ginger using a chef’s knife. Set your ginger out on a cutting board. Cut your 2 tablespoons (10.4 g) of ginger into smaller chunks. Continue cutting the ginger until you’ve diced it into 0.25–0.5 in (0.64–1.27 cm) pieces. Scoop loose pieces together by hand and cut through the ginger repeatedly until you have a small pile of minced ginger.^{[2]
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- You can also use a garlic press to squeeze the peeled ginger into a pulp if you have one.
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3
Melt 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a medium saucepan. Grab a clean saucepan with a tall rim. Add 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) (14 g) of butter to the pan. Heat the pan over low heat until the butter melts.^{[3]
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Tip: Alternatively, you can add the butter to the water or broth after you pour it. Melting the butter first ensures that it spreads through the rice more efficiently, though.
4
Add your ginger, rice, water, and broth to the saucepan. Pour 1.5 cups (350 mL) of water or chicken broth into the pan. Then, sprinkle in 0.5 teaspoon (5.7 g) of salt. Slide your ginger into the broth or water by tilting the cutting board over the pan and scraping the minced ginger off with the edge of your blade. Put 1 cup (175 g) of rice into the pan.^{[4]
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- Rinse the rice before pouring it if you’d like. To do this, soak the rice in water and spoon off any cloudy portions before straining the water out. Alternatively, you can put the rice grains on a strainer and run them under a steady stream of water.
- Most ginger rice recipes call for Basmati or jasmine rice. Basmati rice is more commonly used in Indian dishes, while jasmine rice is most commonly found in Chinese, Thai, and Japanese dishes. While these are the most commonly-used varieties for ginger rice, but you can use any type of rice that you’d like.
- Broth will result in tastier rice but cooking the rice in water is a healthier option. It is completely up to you if you want to use broth or water.
5
Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Mix the contents of the pan for 5-10 seconds to distribute the rice evenly in the broth or water. Place a cover over your saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium-high. Continue to heat the pan until the water or broth reaches a rolling boil.^{[5]
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- Use a clear cover if you can so that you can monitor the heat easily. Otherwise, remove the cover after every 2-3 minutes to check on the broth and water to see if it’s boiling.
- It typically takes 5-10 minutes for water or broth to boil.
6
Reduce the heat and cook the rice on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Once the water or broth begins to boil, reduce the heat to low. Leave the cover on and let the rice heat for 10-15 minutes until the rice is finished cooking. To tell if the rice is done, remove a few grains with a fork and let it cool. Then, touch or taste it. If the rice is completely soft in the center, it has finished cooking.^{[6]
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- The rice should look bigger when it’s done. If the rice has doubled in size, it has probably finished cooking.
7
Remove the rice from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Once the rice is tender, turn the burner off and remove the pan. Transfer the rice to a large bowl. If there is still some water or broth remaining, strain it in a strainer or colander before transferring it to your bowl. Wait at least 10 minutes to give the rice time to cool and settle. Fluff the rice with the tines of your fork before serving it.^{[7]
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- You can use a rice paddle instead of a fork if you prefer.
- Ginger rice is often used as an ingredient, but it makes a tasty treat on its own!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Ginger Rice in a Rice Cooker

1
Rinse your rice and add it to your rice cooker. Rinse your rice by soaking it and spooning the cloudy water off or set it out on a strainer and run it under water. Take 3 cups (525 g) of rice and pour it into your rice cooker. You can use any variety of rice that you’d like for this recipe.^{[8]
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- This recipe yields 6 servings. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to produce less rice, though.
2
Cut 2 tablespoons (10.4 g) of ginger up add it to the rice cooker. Take 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) (10.4 g) of ginger and peel it using the round edge of a spoon’s bowl. Set the ginger out on a cutting board and cut it up into small pieces, no larger than 0.5 in (1.3 cm). Take the blade of your knife and press the blunt side into the ginger to compact it. Use the edge of your knife to slide the ginger off of your cutting board and into the rice cooker.^{[9]
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3
Add around 4 cups (950 mL) of water to the rice. The water requirements for rice cookers depend on the variety of rice that you’re using. Pour 3.5 cups (830 mL) of water and press the rice down gently with a spatula or the palm of your hand. If the water rises up a little past the rice, you should be fine. Add water as needed until the water raises 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) above the rice when you compress it.^{[10]
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- Some rice cookers have hash marks on the inside of the pot that show you how much water to add based on how much rice you’re using.
4
Sprinkle 0.5 teaspoons (5.7 g) of salt into the pot. Measure out 0.5 teaspoons (5.7 g) of salt and add it to the water. Gently mix the contents of the rice cooker with a spoon to spread the salt out into the water.^{[11]
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5
Cook the rice for 15-20 minutes until it’s fluffy and soft. Plug your rice cooker in and turn it on. If you have an electronic rice cooker, use the automatic setting for standard rice. Some rice cookers will shut off automatically when the rice is ready. If your cooker isn’t automatic though, check on the rice after 15 minutes. If the water is mostly gone, try touching or eating one of the grains after letting it cool. If it is completely soft, your rice is ready.^{[12]
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- Most of the special settings on a rice cooker are designed for additional ingredients you may add along with your rice. The standard setting should be fine for rice on its own, though.
6
Fluff the rice with a fork and remove any remaining chunks of ginger. Put on an oven mitt and remove the rice cooker’s bowl. Transfer the rice to a clean bowl, straining any excess water if necessary. Use the tines of your fork to fluff the rice and separate it. If you see any big pieces of ginger, remove them with a spoon.^{[13]
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7
Drizzle sesame oil and sesame seeds over the rice before serving. If you’re eating the rice on its own, you can season it with sesame oil and sesame seeds if you’d like. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of sesame oil over the rice and sprinkle 2 teaspoons (6 g) of sesame seeds on top. Mix the rice with a slotted spoon. You can garnish the rice with cilantro if you enjoy the flavor.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Ginger Rice in Common Dishes

1
Replace standard rice with ginger rice in any Asian dish. Ginger rice is incredibly versatile, and it pairs well with a variety of Asian dishes. The next time you want to take your rice dish to the next level, use ginger rice instead of standard white, brown, jasmine, or basmati rice. This will work for almost any Indian, Chinese, Thai, or Japanese dish.^{[15]
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- Indian dishes that will work with ginger rice include chicken tikka masala, biryani, and bisi bele bath. You can also introduce ginger into your favorite coconut rice recipe to turn it into coconut-ginger rice.
- Thai dishes that can utilize ginger rice include any fried-rice dish, khao man gai, and Thai-style chicken soup.
- Any Chinese dish can use ginger rice instead of regular white or brown rice. Orange chicken, beef with broccoli, chicken-fried rice, and kung pao chicken can all work with ginger rice.
- The main Japanese dish that you’ll want to avoid toying with is sushi—the ginger won’t mix nicely with some varieties of raw fish. However, Japanese curry rice, takikomi gohan, and donburi can all use ginger rice.
2
Fry an egg and lay it on top of ginger rice for a simple breakfast dish. Eggs and rice are a classic combination in many Asian dishes. Cook any amount of ginger rice. At the same time, melt some butter in a skillet. Crack your desired number of eggs in the skillet and cook them until the edges are set but the center is still runny. Add your rice to a small bowl or plate and add your eggs on top. Garnish with diced leeks if you’d like.^{[16]
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- You can make the egg any way that you’d like—it doesn’t need to be sunny-side up.
- This is a great way to use leftover rice from last night’s dinner since you can use any amount that you’d like.
3
Add shrimp and chili-garlic sauce to the rice for a spicy seafood dish. Mix ¹⁄₂ c (120 mL) of chicken broth, ¹⁄₃ c (79 mL) of ketchup, and 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of oyster sauce in a measuring cup. Cook 1.25 pounds (0.57 kg) of peeled and deveined shrimp in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Fill a skillet with your oyster sauce and cook 1.5 cup (262 g) of ginger rice in it. Combine the shrimp and rice. Top with 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of your favorite chili-garlic sauce.^{[17]
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- You can add 1/2 cup (45 g) of broccoli to get some vegetables in the dish if you’d like.
- This recipe yields 4 servings. Adjust the ingredients by dividing them in half to create 2 servings.
4
Cook some chicken katsu and lay it on top of your ginger rice. Beat 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, pour 1 cup (128 g) of flour. In a third container, add 1 cup (125 g) of breadcrumbs. Season 4 chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste. Then, dredge the cutlets in the flour. Dip each cutlet in the egg before dredging them in the breadcrumbs. Cook the chicken in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes on each side. Put each cutlet on top of a bed of ginger rice before serving your dish.^{[18]
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- This recipe yields 4 servings. You can divide the ingredients in half to yield 2 servings.
Tip: Katsu chicken is also known as Panko chicken because it traditionally uses Panko breadcrumbs. You can use any type of breadcrumbs that you’d like.