Zesty Buttered Rice

Name: Zesty Buttered Rice
Prep time: 6 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 24 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth; 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 30 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Jasmine rice lightly toasted in butter, simmered in savory broth with fresh lemon juice and thyme. Slow heat, steady simmer, lid tight to coax flavors and perfect texture. Adapted with olive oil instead of butter for a lighter finish. Lemon zest provides bright, aromatic punch. Watch rice closely to avoid sticking or mush. Low-sodium chicken broth balances salt and depth. Fresh thyme over dried to brighten notes. Cooking by sight and feel key here. No browning, just gentle aromas emerging, soft but separate grains at end.

Prep: 6 min

Cook: 18 min

Total: 24 min

Servings: 3 servings

#rice #jasmine #lemon #thyme #olive oil #low sodium broth #side dish #American cuisine

Why bland rice when you can make every grain sing? Tried countless methods. Butter browning goes south fast—ends chewy or bitter. Switched butter for olive oil once; lighter, cleaner flavor. Jasmine rice’s delicate aroma a game changer. Lemon juice wakes it; zest zings with playful bitterness. Thyme’s herbal punch keeps it lively, bright green flecks throughout. Chicken broth tames brightness, adds umami depth—not just salt water. Cook low and slow, or it turns mushy. Lid tight, no steam escaping, magic trapped inside. Wait before peeking; patience translates to fluffy, separate grains bursting with flavor. Hand on experience; eyes and nose your best timers. You don’t just cook rice—you coax it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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About the ingredients

Olive oil instead of butter cuts saturated fat and gives cleaner mouthfeel with no loss of toasty nuance. Fresh thyme preferred, hands down. Dry thyme makes mixing flakes and powder, muddied flavor. Fresh lemon juice is essential; bottled lacks punch and kills vibrancy. Use low-sodium broth; too salty ruins balance fast. When broth’s unavailable, vegetable stock okay but lowers unctuousness. Jasmine rice must be rinsed until water runs mostly clear to avoid cloudy, gummy texture—unless you like sticky rice. Salt and pepper adjusted to broth saltiness. Lemon zest done fine but not pulverized—coarse shreds evoke fresh perkiness. Watch your heat. Too high and rice boils off too fast; too low, grains stay hard.

Method

Medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Wait till it shimmers, not smokes. Toss in jasmine rice, stirring quickly. Toast just until texture shifts, tiny pops maybe, no color change. About 1-2 minutes; smell should be nutty, not burnt.
Pour in chicken broth, lemon juice, zest, thyme, salt, pepper. Stir to combine, break up any clumps. Increase heat—watch carefully till bubbling vigorously across surface, not just edges. That's your boil. This step wakens rice to absorb flavors; keep stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, but no frenzy.
Cover immediately with a tight lid, reduce heat to lowest simmer possible. Almost no movement in broth’s surface—gentle bubbles only. Close lid silently—no peaks popping up. No peeking before 18 minutes. This trapped steam is rice’s cooking magic.
Check liquid by gently lifting the lid once simmer ends. Rice should look plump, liquid fully soaked in, grains tender with slight bite. If wet spots linger, cover and wait 3 more minutes off heat, letting residual warmth finish job.
Fluff rice lightly with a fork, breaking any stubborn clumps but avoiding mashing grains together. Fresh thyme leaves sprinkled on top for aroma and fresh impetus before serving.
Serve warm; lemon brightness with aromatic herb freshness hits best fresh. Leftovers reheat well with splash broth or olive oil to loosen grains.

Cooking tips

Salut to flavor first. Warm oil till it barely ripples, toss rice in. Toasting activates nutty aromatics and keeps grains separate. No color change—browning kills jasmine’s natural floral aroma. Add cold broth and lemon; a sizzle to wake rice. Constant stirring first few minutes keeps rice loose. Hit boil fast, then seal it under lid. Steamy steam traps moisture, evenly softening grains from all sides. No peeking. Each lift kills steam, slows cooking. After 18 minutes, test top grain; tender but has structure. If not done, replace lid, rest off heat 3 minutes—a steam finish. Fluff gently or grains crush. Too vigorous, rice becomes mush. The sprinkle of thyme at end wakes the dish again. Use fork for fluffing, not spoon. Trust touch and sight over timers to become a rice pro.

Chef's notes

💡 Start olive oil on medium-high. Look for shimmer not smoke. Toss rice quick. Toast just until subtle nutty aroma. No color shift allowed or rice loses flower notes. Listen for tiny pops, grain texture change feels crisp but not browned. Timing tight here—1 to 2 minutes max.
💡 Add cold broth and lemon juice together. Stir fast. No clumps. Wait till bubbles spread across whole surface, not just edges. That’s your true boil signal. Too low means grains hard, too high burns edges or steam escapes. Keep stirring slow at first to avoid stick but don’t frenzy.
💡 Cover tight with lid immediately after boil. Drop heat to lowest simmer. Almost still broth surface. Tiny bubbles only. Magic happens here, steam traps moisture for even softening. No lid lifts before 18 minutes; each peep kills steam, wets grains and lengthens cooking. Patience is key.
💡 Check by lifting lid gently at time mark. Look for plump, separated grains. Bite should be tender with slight chew, not mushy or raw. If wet spots remain, reseal, remove from heat and wait 3 more minutes off burner. Steam finish helps avoid soggy rice when you miss a mark.
💡 Fluff with fork gently — no spoons. Break clumps but keep grains apart. Ripening thyme leaves over top wakes aromas last minute. Fresh thyme over dried every time; powder flakes muddy flavor and texture. Lemon zest shredded fine but not pulverized adds tiny bursts of brightness.
💡 Sub olive oil for butter cuts saturated fat but keeps toastiness. Skip dry thyme for fresh always. Lemon juice fresh squeezed or else it kills zing. Low sodium broth crucial—too salty ruins balance fast. Vegetable stock ok if no chicken broth but loses umami depth.

Common questions

Why no browning rice?

Browning kills jasmine rice’s floral aroma. You want toasted texture but no color change. Burnt smell means bitter taste later. Toast briefly till you smell nutty but no darkening. Otherwise aroma gets lost.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Bottled lemon juice often lacks the sharp acidity and fresh zing. It dulls flavor and flattens brightness. Fresh squeezed lemon juice zings with playful bitterness that lifts rice flavor. Use fresh always if possible.

Rice sticks to pan. What now?

Oil shimmer first step. Stir rice fast when adding. Toasting activates surface starch but no sticking. If you see stuck bits, lower heat next time, stir gently but regularly at start. Always rinse rice well till water runs clear to reduce starch.

How to store leftovers?

Cool rice fast first. Store in airtight container. Reheat with splash broth or olive oil to loosen grains or risk clumps. Microwave or stovetop both fine. Avoid freezing—texture changes and tends to become mushy when thawed.