Seasoned rice is an easy and flavorful alternative to plain white rice. It gets a ton of flavor from herbs and spices and it’s cooked with chicken broth instead of water for even more tasty goodness. This is a budget friendly side dish that goes well with many meals.
Rice dishes are popular because they are affordable and a great way to pad your food budget. Plus, they pair with just about any meal. Serve this rice side dish with mushroom pork chops, Salisbury steaks, or this delicious pork pot roast for a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
For more rice recipes try this mushroom rice pilaf, simple yellow rice, or this delicious chicken flavored rice.
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Ingredients
- Oil – This rice is made with a combination of olive oil and butter. Use regular salted butter or unsalted if you are sensitive to salt.
- Rice – Long grain white rice works best. Do not use brown rice because the cooking time and method are different.
- Herbs and spices – The rice is flavored with paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, dehydrated onion, black pepper, cumin, and crushed red pepper (optional). Fresh parsley for garnish is also optional. We use dehydrated onion in this recipe, so we don’t have to sauté it yet still get all the flavor. Salt is not added initially, but it might be needed at the end depending on taste.
- Chicken Broth and Base – We use regular chicken broth, but low sodium will work too. The chicken base gives the rice extra flavor. Find chicken base at the supermarket in the broth and soup aisle or online.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
Add the butter and olive oil to a medium saucepan (about 3 quart), place over medium heat.
When the butter is melted and foamy add the rice. Cook for 5 minutes to coat it with the oil and heat it up. Stir occasionally to move it around and prevent it from burning.
Add the paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, dehydrated onion, black pepper, cumin, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir well.
Next, add the chicken broth while stirring. Then, add the chicken base and stir well until it dissolves. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to medium and let the broth simmer until the liquid is almost gone and the rice is visible on the surface (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom.
Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is no longer hard in the center. Stir only one time halfway through the cooking time. Uncover the pan and fluff with a fork to let steam escape.
Taste the seasoned rice and add salt if needed. As a reference we added a pinch to ours. Transfer the rice to a serving plate and garnish with the fresh parsley, if desired.
Top tip
Don’t uncover the pan except one time to stir halfway through the cooking time and don’t over stir; the rice will get gummy.
Storing and reheating
Cool leftover rice as quickly as possible. A good way to do this is to place it in a shallow dish or pan so that it is in a thin layer.
Store the rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Reheat it in the microwave until hot and steaming, loosely cover with a clean paper towel if desired.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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Check out the Web Story for this easy seasoned rice recipe for a quick visual on making this delicious side dish.
📖 Recipe
Seasoned Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Butter use unsalted butter if you are sensitive to salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1½ cup Long Grain White Rice
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dehydrated Onion
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional leave it out if you don’t like spicy
- 3 cups Chicken Broth use reduced sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Base
- Salt if needed at the end
- Chopped Fresh Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Add the butter and olive oil to a medium saucepan (about 3 quart), place over medium heat.
- When the butter is melted and sizzling a little, add the rice. Cook for 5 minutes to coat it with the oil and heat it up. Stir occasionally to move it around and prevent it from burning.
- Add the paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, dehydrated onion, black pepper, cumin, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir well to combine.
- Next, add the chicken broth while stirring. Then, add the chicken base and stir well until it dissolves.
- Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil (this will take about 2-3 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium and let the broth simmer until the liquid is almost gone and the rice is visible on the surface (this will take about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally and briefly to make sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Lower the heat to low, cover the saucepan and cook the seasoned rice for approximately 20 minutes, or until the rice is no longer hard in the center. Stir only one time halfway through the cooking time.
- When the rice is done, uncover the pan and fluff with a fork allowing the steam to escape.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added a pinch to ours.
- Transfer the rice to a serving plate and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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