Crispy Persian Rice (Tahdig)
Updated Apr 06, 2025
Tahdig, crispy Persian basmati rice infused with saffron and turmeric with a golden butter crust. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!
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Step-By-Step Crispy Rice RECIPE
Tahdig (pronounced “taa-deeg”) which is basically Crispy Persian Rice is one of the my favorite Persian recipes. It’s a rice dish that gets crunchy on the bottom while the rice stays fluffy and buttery. Tahdig, which translates to “bottom of the pot”, is made by cooking rice in a way that creates a crispy, golden, crust on the bottom of the pot.
It’s one of those show stopper recipes that is really impressive for guests. If you’ve never had tahdig before, you’re in for a real treat and if you’re never cooked it before, it’s a lot easier than you’d think!
Crispy Persian Rice Ingredients
- Basmati rice: This long-grain rice is traditional for this recipe because it is light and fluffy once cooked. Also, the long skinny shape helps to create an even layer on the bottom of the pot so it gets extra crispy. However, you can use any long-grain rice like jasmine or long-grain white rice.
- Saffron and turmeric: They give the rice dish their yellow color and sweet, floral flavor but you can leave either of them out. I still recommend using one or the other to get the iconic yellow color for the rice.
- Butter and Olive Oil: You need both for this recipe because butter gives it the rich taste and olive oil has a higher smoke point which allows the bottom to crisp up without burning.
- Greek yogurt: This adds moisture the the fat helps to make a brown crust. You can substitute the same amount of sour cream instead.
- Egg: Helps to bind the rice together as it cooks but you can leave it out.
- Salt: If you think ½ cup of kosher salt is a mistake, don’t worry. It’s only used to cook the rice but then rinsed off. It just helps to really season the rice.
Popular Additions
- Add herbs. There’s a sweet and floral flavor in the rice from the saffron and butter. But you can also mix in some herbs with the yogurt. Try 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, basil or dill.
- Add protein. This dish is often served as a side, but you can easily turn it into a main course by adding some ground chicken, beef, or lamb. In step five, mix up to 1 cup of cooked ground meat of choice with the remaining rice (not the rice that is pressed into the bottom of the pot) and proceed with the recipe as written.
How to Make Tahdig
My Best Persian Rice Tips
- Make sure to rinse the rice well. I like to use a mesh sieve and agitate the rice with my fingers while running it through cold water until I notice the water runs clear. You can also put the rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water, changing the water a few times, until the water starts to run clear.
- Do not stir the rice once it’s in the pot. Once you’ve added the cooked rice to the pot you are using for the crispy Persian rice, resist the urge to stir it! This will help create that beautiful crispy bottom.
- Change burners if using an electric stove with a glass cooktop. If you’re using an electric stove, make sure to change burners halfway through cooking, when you go from medium-high to medium-low. This will help ensure your rice gets crispy but not burnt from the residual heat.
- Use a non-stick pot or cast iron skillet. A non-stick pot is important for making tahdig because it helps prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and makes cleanup easier.
Serving Ideas
Crispy Persian Rice is is a great side dish that goes with Middle Eastern grilled meats. Here are a few that go so well with the rice.
Recipe Help & FAQs
Tahdig is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to four days, however I find it’s best if eaten within two days. If possible, store it crispy side up facing so you can easily flip it into a pan when reheating. When reheating, I recommend reheating in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, crispy side down if possible, until warmed through and the exterior is crispy once again. You may need to add a little bit of olive oil or butter to help crisp up the exterior.
You probably don’t want to freeze this recipe. When reheated, the rice will likely be mushy and not as crispy. If you do freeze it, I recommend letting it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat by following the directions above.
If your rice came out burnt, it was likely because your burner was up too high or too hot for too long. If you have a glass electric cooktop make sure you’re cooking on medium-high for the first part of the recipe, and then switch burners and set the heat to medium-low when you add the lid. This will help prevent burning.
There are a few things that could have gone wrong if your rice is chewy. First, make sure you’re using the correct rice. Second, make sure you’re not stirring the rice when you first add it to the pot. Stirring can agitate the rice and release starch, which makes the rice sticky and prevents it from getting crispy. Finally, make sure you’re using enough oil or butter. The fat helps crisp up the exterior of the rice.
If you don’t have a non-stick pot, you can use a regular pot or Dutch oven, but you will likely need to use more oil or butter. Make sure to heat the pot first and then coat the bottom and sides of the pot well, so the rice doesn’t stick and burn.
More Rice Recipes:
If you try this Crispy Persian Rice recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Crispy Persian Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice rinsed very well until water runs clear
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads ground with the bottom of a wooden spoon (optional)
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add ½ cup kosher salt (don't worry, you will not be eating all this!). Add the rice, and stir. Cook until al dente, 4-5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- If using saffron, mix 3 tablespoons of water with ground saffron threads in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix Greek yogurt, egg, turmeric, and half the saffron water (if using). Remove 2 ½ cups of cooked rice and combine it with the yogurt mixture in the large bowl.
- Set a 10-inch or 11-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the butter and oil. When butter melts, add yogurt-rice mixture into pan and gently press it in and up the sides.
- Add remaining cooked rice into pan, making sure not to press into the pan and drizzle with remaining half of saffron water (if using). Turn heat up to medium high until rice is sizzling.
- Let the rice cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid wrapped with a clean towel and cook until rice is fully cooked and the edges are golden brown, 15-17 minutes.
- To remove rice, carefully run a rubber spatula along edges of pan. Top skillet with a plate that’s larger in circumference and carefully and swiftly flip the pan. Top with fresh dill and serve immediately.
Equipment
- 10" Cast Iron Skillet 10 or 11 inch
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
I am planning to make Khoresh Bademjan and the recipe suggested to serve this rice with the stew. Curious if the crispy rice would lose the crispiness if served under the stew?
I think it might a little bit but it will depend on how much stew is on top of it and how long it’s sitting on top of it. But if it’s served immediately together, it should be fine!
Made this once before and it was delicious. Thinking about doing it again using lamb or beef. 9 adults. Do I need to make two? And how much beef/lamb would you recommend? 1 pound per tahdig? Thanks!
I think it’s possible to double the recipe in a larger container but it will be more tricky to flip and make sure that the rice is fully cooked. I think it may be easier to do two and I would use 1.5 pounds of protein per tahdig. Enjoy!
Thank you!🙏
This is my first time making crispy rice, I used my cast iron pan and it came out perfect! I followed the recipe but next time I’m gonna try to add cherries and almonds. Thank you for the recipe!
So happy you liked the recipe, Liz! Yum, cherries and almonds sound like the perfect addition. Thank you!!
Can you use labneh if you don’t have yogurt or sour cream?
I’ve never used labneh to make tahdig, but I think that it could work! It might turn out great, actually. Let me know if you try it and like it!
Made a test run tonight prior to cooking for our Persian friends. Turned out great in my dutch oven!
So happy to hear!
Made this dish for the first time and it was a big hit! Thank you for this great recipe!
So glad to hear!
One of our favourite, special occasion rice dish is Mutton Biryani.
So special! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Getting ready to flip it out of the pan…
Thanks for the recipe! One of my mom’s best friends when I was growing up was Persian and made this for my wedding and baby shower. So yummy! ❤️ I can’t wait to share this deliciousness with my children!
I hope you love it!
Love the recipe and look forward to delicious results.
For rinsing, it is only AFTER cooking the rice to al dente, correct?
Typically I rinse rice three times before cooking. Just want to clarify because of the note about rinsing up to 6 times and I wondered, if the rice is al dente, whether there is much starch left to.rinse off.
Hi Ron, when you rinse after cooking its to help got some of the salt off the rice to keep it from being too salty. Really hope you enjoy!!
Question regarding the towel. Do you apply the clean towel over the pan first and then cover with the lid?
No, instead you wrap the lid itself tightly with the clean towel, then use that to cover the rice and absorb excess moisture.
I tried this recipe after having some delicious Tahdig at a local restaurant. This came out perfect, even better than the restaurant. Easy to make and presents really well on the table. The guests were wowed.
So glad you and your guests liked it!
Any suggestions on a dairy free option? (What to sub for the greek yogurt).
You can use a vegan substitute – the yogurt is really what makes this recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend anything else beyond going with a non-dairy plain yogurt.
If you found a good df yogurt to use in this please share bc some df yogurts are quite a unique flavor and I don’t know what will work best here 🙂
You can try a plain, sugar free coconut yogurt it has a tangy taste.
Coco Yo! It’s by FAR the best vegan yogurt I’ve found.
This is the BEST Persian rice recipe!! The directions were easy to follow and the results were wonderful! It came out perfect and even my 11 year old twins loved it. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Aw, thank you! I am so glad you liked it!
Is the recipe right? 1/2 cup salt?
Hi Nicole, yes, you want to use 1/2 cup of salt. Think of it like cooking pasta. Since we are only par-cooking the rice in the water (it will not absorb the water completely), you want it to be salty like the ocean. We are also rinsing the rice after 4-5 minutes of cooking so the excess salt will not stick. Trust me, I promise it’s amazing!
I made the recipe exactly as written (used sour cream instead of yogurt). It came out perfectly and tasted amazing. Mine was done at 16 mins, with a very small, lightly burned spot. Made it in a cast iron pan with lid. We loved it. Thank you very much!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the rice! Sour cream is a great sub when you don’t have any yogurt on hand.
Just made this tonight! So easy to follow and it came out perfect!
That is exactly what I was going for! Yay!!
I have brown basmati rice, can this be used in the recipe?
I haven’t tried that rice in this recipe yet, but I think it could work if you cook it for longer!
Was my first time making tahdig and it turned out perfect. I was so happy! That said I did leave it to cook for a bit longer than the recipe says: about 30mins on a low heat and then no more than 5mins at the end on a slightly higher heat.
That’s so great to hear! Yay!! I’m glad it worked out that way.
My wife was Persian & her mother served this frequently. Have been missing it so much and am looking forward to following your recipe and preparing it myself. Thank you for the instructions!
Can’t wait for you to give it a try! Let me know what you think once you try it!
Apologies disregard, I just read the whole method. 🤦🏻♀️
I love this rice I’m going to try it.
Hope you enjoy!
What is saffron water I don’t see it mentioned anywhere in the recipe but it’s in the method
Saffron water is the saffron and water mixture made in step 2!
Does it really take 16 cups of water to make this? Is it supposed to be 4 cups maybe instead of 4 quarts?
It’s correct, as you’re cooking the rice until al dente and then you’ll be draining the remaining water.
Ahh this recipe was a hugeee hit with me and my fiancé!! I had all the ingredients in my kitchen already (minus the saffron which we didn’t miss!) and it was super easy to put together but still made a very good impression! Double delicious and easy peasy. I highly recommend!
That’s amazing! I’m glad you found it easy to make and both enjoyed it. Yay!
Made this recipe for tahdig 2 weeks ago and it was sensational.
I have never made this before, but will be making it again for sure, and soon.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I always make “Tahchin” for my non-persian friends and they always fall in love with it. Thanks for showing this amazing persian dish to your followers and thanks for being so exact. You explained it better than me!
A couple of things:
-The name of the dish is “Tahchin” not Tahdig. Tahdig is a general term for crispy part of the rice and not a name for a dish.
– If you cook some barberries on the side with Tahchin, it even can take it to the next level. You can buy barberries from persian convenience stores everywhere. The persian name is “Zereshk”. It’s really easy to make:
You wash and rinse some barberries and put them in a pan with butter, sugar(the amount is your own choice, if you like it sweet use more or vice versa) and a little bit of saffron water. You sauté them on medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar melts. Don’t overcook them as they can burn easily. Poor it on Tahchin and enjoy both the looks and the taste!
– You can omit the eggs and just use yogurt but don’t omit saffron! The whole deliciousness comes from it and Tahchin with no saffron is not a Tahchin anymore! It’s something like another dish called “Dampokhtak” which is delicious too but without yogurt.
You’re so welcome! Thank you so much for these tips and suggestions – I’m definitely going to have to try it!
Is there a way to make it with out egg. My child has an egg allergy. Thank you.
I have yet to try this dish without an egg. You could try a flax egg, but I’m not sure it’ll turn out as well.
So excited to try this. I had Persian neighbours who would make this rice and kabobs. I loved the crunchy part of the rice. Sumac is in my spice rack because of these neighbors. Excited to try the recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing
Tracey
The crunchy part is the best part! Hope you enjoy!
I realized too late that we were out of eggs and made it without it tonight. It was still excellent! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad it still turned out great! You’re so welcome!!