Saffron Rice with Raisins
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 14, 2025 
Saffron Rice with Raisins and Pine Nuts, AKA Persian Rice, combines the luxurious flavor of saffron with the natural sweetness of golden raisins and crunchy pine nuts. The plump raisins offer a lovely contrast in flavor and texture, providing a burst of sweetness in every bite!
The Most Gorgeous Golden Rice!
I’ve been in the food blogging ‘biz for quite some time now, to say the least. And I absolutely love our community of recipe developers… It’s such a joy to be able to support each other and be inspired by all of the wonderful foods we make! For example, this Persian Rice Recipe is from An Edible Mosaic – and I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s a keeper!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Aromatic and so flavorful, this Golden Saffron Rice is one of my absolute favorite ways to make rice! The rice is sautéed with olive oil, pine nuts, and onions, then cooked with golden sultanas raisins, and saffron for a rice dish that has a variety of textures and flavors that are absolutely irresistible!
Why You’ll Love This Persian Rice Recipe
- Rice for Special Occasions – Saffron strands can be quite pricey, but the incredible flavor they offer makes it so worth a splurge every-now-and-then!
- Dietary-Friendly – This scrumptious side dish happens to be gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free.
- Beautiful and Delicious – Just look at that golden color! Present a dish of this rice on the table and get ready for lots of ooos and ahhhs followed by several rounds of mmms!
Best of all? It’s ready in only 30 minutes!
Ingredients and Variations
- Basmati Rice – Or use any long-grain rice, such as jasmine rice.
- Rice Add-ins – We’re including traditional Persian rice ingredients like pine nuts, onions, and sweet golden raisins.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – To sauté the pine nuts and onions
- Boiling Water – To cook the rice, but you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock for extra flavor
- Saffron Threads – Just a pinch of saffron is enough! For a more budget-friendly option you can substitute saffron with turmeric.
Tips for How to Make Saffron Rice with Raisins
- Make sure to soak the rice! Soaking the rice releases the starches so that the rice doesn’t stick together once it is cooked. This Persian-style saffron rice is great because it has individual grains of rice that are tender, but not mushy!
- Cook on low heat! Make sure to cook the rice on low heat, and then leave the lid on for 15 minutes after to let the rice soak up all the moisture.
- To add extra spice, throw in two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and a cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.
- The liquid you use to cook the rice needs to be hot before you pour it into the pot or saucepan! This will immediately start the cooking process. If you use water, simply boil it in a kettle. But if it is vegetable broth or chicken broth, you can boil it in a saucepan before pouring it over the rice!
Find the full Saffron Rice with Raisins recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store any leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – Cool the rice completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating – Reheat in the microwave, until piping hot. You might want to sprinkle on a bit of water to help loosen the rice if it tightens up in the fridge.
What to Serve with Saffron Rice
You can serve this rice dish in so many different ways! The flavors would go well with Middle Eastern recipes like simple grilled chicken or salmon. But you can also serve it with chicken shawarma, some tandoori chicken skewers, or a delicious saag paneer!
Saffron rice with golden raisins and pine nuts would also make a wonderful gluten-free side dish for Thanksgiving!
Faith from An Edible Mosaic suggests serving it with Middle Eastern Shrimp in Tomato Sauce, which you can find in her cookbook!
Frequently Asked Questions
Golden saffron rice is aromatic and flavorful thanks to the saffron. However, it is actually the world’s most expensive spice! So you don’t have to use saffron in this recipe if you don’t have any on hand. You can definitely substitute it with turmeric to get that classic yellow color and an added subtle flavor!
Presoaking rice helps remove a lot of the starchiness, which makes the grains nice and fluffy versus sticky.
Saffron threads are harvested by hand from Crocus flowers, which grow primarily in the Middle East and only produce a small amount of saffron when in bloom. So the high price is due to it being both limited in quantity and laborious to harvest.
Similar Recipes to Try
Saffron Rice Recipe with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 4 tablespoons sultanas golden raisins
- 1 3/4 cups boiling water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
- Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.
- Optional: Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store any leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days!
- Freezing – Cool the rice completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating – Reheat in the microwave, until piping hot. You might want to sprinkle on a bit of water to help loosen the rice if it tightens up in the fridge.
Tonight is the 5th time I have made this and it does not disappoint! I stumbled upon this recipe while looking for a recipe I could use my new Trader Joe saffron with! Pared with the suggested chicken shawarma is amazing! It even impressed the In-Laws! I am tempted to I probably add a bit of extra saffron, add the cloves, and cinnamon stick. Next time I may use half chicken broth/half water to see if it adds a bit more savory… but it is amazing as is.
I made this without raisins & served it as the side of Fresh Baked Salmon. Very nice combination.
I was looking for a recipe like this my mom did. It included Orzo mixed in with the rice, so cooked 3/4 C Orzo (when dried) and mixed into the recipe once it was all done. It is almost exactly as the one I remembered growing up. Yummy warm or cold. Thank you!
A few years ago I did this and my family was a big success. Delightful! Happy! I’ve since made it several times. Tonite on the menu and water for my mouth!
Legit speechless, that saffron rice with golden raisins and pine nuts recipe look unreal! Definitely, I will make it on the weekend for my family.