Seasoned Rice is a homemade version of the flavoured boxed rices like Rice-A-Roni and Uncle Ben’s! A quick way to add flavour to white rice to make it super tasty, this is a rice side that’s economical, simple to make, and goes with literally everything.
Make a big batch and refrigerate 4 days or freeze 3 months.
Buttery Seasoned Rice
I tell my friends this is the rice version of Potato Salad – you make a big batch, stash it in the fridge and bring it out night after night to serve with everything.
Except unlike Potato Salad, this rice recipe can also be frozen. Whip it out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Anyone for a 2 minute instant side – that didn’t come from a box??!!
Rice Side Dish for everything!
Don’t get me wrong, plain rice has its place in this world. Doused with saucy stir fries, smothered in spicy curries. But you do need a sauce.
So how do you make plain white rice so tasty, you will want to eat a meals’ worth straight out of the pot?? Cook it with stock powder/bouillon, some spices and add a good wack of butter!
Flavourings and spices for seasoned rice
Here’s what goes in this seasoned rice. You can make this with any white rice other than speciality rices like risotto, paella and sushi rice. Also see the recipe notes for how to adjust this for brown rice.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the spices, there are plenty of alternatives! See below the photo for a list.
Substitution for spices
You could skip one of the spices and it will still taste similar. Or you can substitute as follows:
Garlic powder – melt 1 tbsp (15g) butter and cook 2 finely chopped garlic cloves until golden, then add rice, water and all other ingredients and cook per recipe;
Onion powder – add extra 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead;
Paprika – just skip it, adds a touch of warm earthy flavour and a bit of colour, not critical;
Thyme – not critical. Best sub is dried oregano, followed by basil. 1/4 tsp sage powder is SO GOOD as well.
Parsley – optional, this is more for visual, to get the little green specks in the rice. Sub with basil, or stir through 1 cup finely sliced green onion, or 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or chives.
How to make rice taste better!
Here’s how to make this flavoured rice which comes out beautifully fluffy – with the added bonus of no scorched pot base too!
Place rice, water and all the seasonings into a large saucepan or small pot and give it a good stir;
Bring to a simmer over medium high heat until there’s bubbles around the edges and the entire surface is rippling, and it foams a bit (you’ll see in the video);
Place a tight fitting lid on, then turn down to medium low – or low for strong stoves. You want the water to still be simmering – if the heat is too low, then the rice just sits there in hot water, bloating, rather than absorbing. Too high, and it will bubble over and out the sides of the pot. NO PEEKING – the lid needs to stay on to trap the steam inside – this will ensure your rice cooks evenly;
After 13 minutes, remove from the stove and let it rest for 10 minutes – the rice will finish cooking during this time (if you try the rice as soon as it comes off the stove, you’ll find the surface of the grain is wet and the inside is still uncooked);
Add butter and fluff up the rice with a rubber spatula – the residual heat will melt the butter. I recommend using at least 3 tbsp (50g) for a lovely buttery rice, but you can reduce to 2 tbsp (30g) if you want. Or sub with extra virgin olive oil, or just skip the butter – it will still be very tasty rice!
Pile onto serving platter, sprinkle with parsley or something green for presentation if you wish. Dig in!
How to properly store cooked rice
Cooked rice will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge (I say 4 to be safe). Cool the seasoned rice rapidly – tumble it out of the pot into a large bowl, or if you scaled up the batch then spread out on tray(s). Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
The stories you may have heard about food safety and cooked rice revolves around large volumes of cooked rice sitting out for hours and hours, creating a cosy environment for bacteria to grow which can lead to food poisoning. This is typical of large scale cooking, not home cooking (because vast quantities of rice takes ages to cool down).
A single batch of this seasoned rice will cool to room temp in 40 minutes once in a serving bowl, so you’ll have no practical issues with storing.
What to serve with Seasoned Rice
This is a rice side dish that will pretty much go with any foods other than Asian food and curries (they’ve got enough flavour in them as it is!).
It’s tasty enough to eat plain without sauce, quick enough for midweek meals yet so good you’ll want it on the table of grander affairs too! Here’s a few suggestions for mains to serve with this:
It would also be terrific to make a meat-free meal out of things like these:
AND stuff them into BURRITOS!!
Now, kiss those boxed rices goodbye, and make a big batch of this rice and refrigerate for days, or freeze it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Buttery Seasoned Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 1 for brown rice)
- 3 1/4 cups water (cold tap water)
- 2 tsp chicken powder / granulated bouillon , or 2 cubes dissolved in boiling water (Note 2)
- 1 tsp garlic powder *
- 1 tsp onion powder *
- 1 tsp paprika *
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme *
- 2 tbsp dried parsley *, optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir through:
- 50g / 3 tbsp butter, unsalted (or MORE!)
Instructions
- Place all Rice ingredients in a large saucepan and give it a stir.
- Bring to simmer over medium high heat (edges bubbling, entire surface rippling), put the lid on and turn stove down to medium low (LOW for strong stoves). It should be simmering gently.
- Cook for 13 minutes – do not lift lid!
- Tilt pot then QUICKLY peek to ensure all water is absorbed.
- Remove from stove, stand 10 minutes with lid on.
- Add butter and fluff rice with a rubber spatula. Serve!
- Storage – please read Note 4.
- Rice cooker – Same ingredients, water and rice ratio. Pop it all in your rice cooker and cook per manufacturer directions, stir through butter at end.
Recipe Notes:
- Garlic powder – melt 1 tbsp (15g) butter and cook 2 finely chopped garlic cloves until golden, then add rice, water and all other ingredients and cook per recipe.
- Onion powder – add extra 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead
- Paprika – just skip it, adds a touch of warm earthy flavour and a bit of colour, not critical
- Thyme – not critical. Best sub is dried oregano, followed by basil. 1/4 tsp sage powder is SO GOOD as well.
- Parsley – optional, this is more for visual, to get the little green specks in the rice. Sub with basil, or stir through 1 cup finely sliced green onion, or 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or chives.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer thinks the social distancing rules don’t apply to him – lucky police aren’t fining DOGS for non compliance with these new laws!!
I have been cooking for over 60 years.Your site has helped me in so many ways. Love your humor keep it up
Thank you Wayne! Please stay safe – N x
Hi Nagi!,
I just wanted to thank you for all the joy you bring us with your virtual presence (as well as adorbs Dozer!) We appreciate your worrying about us all and your ideas for getting through any hard time with the comfort of family, friends & food. God bless you & Dozer and stay safe throughout this trying time. Like our NY Gov. Cuomo said: “There’s no Blue or Red. There’s only Red, White & Blue.” We are all related as human beings and should act kindly toward one another. <3 😀
I have to say, reading how he is handling all this, he’s impressive. You are lucky to have such a great leader 🙂 N x (I’m taking about Cuomo)
Thanks for this gorgeous recipe! 🙂 I used fresh garlic and onion, I cooked it in a little bit of olive oil – until soft. Then I added rice, spices, butter, and cooked for a moment too before adding the water 🙂 So tasty!
Oooh YUM!
Hi! Can I use unsalted chicken broth for this instead of the chicken powder? My husband is on a low sodium diet and one of the things I miss most is the ease of boxed rices, lol. TYIA
You sure can! Use in place of water 🙂 N x (PS There is also low salt chicken powder where I live, maybe you can find it too?)
Thanks for the Buttery Seasoned Rice recipie,just the job also the toilet paper jokes, made me chuckle.
Job done! N x
I am another one asking about making in a rice cooker. Just add everything in with the uncooked rice except for the finishing butter, I assume?
Yep! Popped directions in the recipe! N x
Ah, thanks Nagi!
Hi Nagi, could I make this in the oven at 180 °C like the rice in oven baked chicken and rice? Love all your recipes too. Our daughter uses them for good tech and last year she got 100% and first in year 10.👏
Could I make this in a rice cooker?
Yep! Popped directions in the recipe! N x
Thank you
Thanks for the smiles today from your column. Your recipes are wonderful and usually have ing. on hand. Dozer is such such a joy to see his antics are what I usually read first. Stay safe…
I LOVE that you check out what he’s up to first!!! N x
Can I make this in a rice maker ?
Yep! Popped directions in the recipe! N x
When we were in financial crisis many years ago, I use to do this. Rice was cheap and we enjoyed this with our dinners. Thanks for bringing front and center again. Stay safe.
You too Carol! N x
Hi Nagi. It’s Linda from Canada. I’m wondering if your plant (which Dozer is so interested in) was ever left outside for any lenth of time? I have a big plant like that, and every time my son and his puppy used to visit, the puppy would piddle right where the plant sat indoors. My son checked it out and discovered that there was old (doggie?) urine on the plant container. After a very thorough cleaning, that was the end of the problem.
Hi Linda!! I did some digging around (I didn’t want to, hate sticking my hand into places I can’t see!) and it turned out there was a bunch of popcorn down the side (there’s a pot inside the pot!)!! Lucky he couldn’t get to it – no popcorn for Dozer! N x
Hi, when making this rice in the rice cooker, how much water do I need with 1 cup basmati rice??? And so I have to wash the rice or just add it to the pot unwashed?
This reminds me of a rice dish I had in youth. Great combo of flavors and top it of with a stir of butter, yummo!
Looks to me as if Dozer was putting the young pups in their place.
You know full well the butter totally makes this 😂
Hi Nagi
Hope you & Dozer are well & keeping safe.
This is especially nice with some strips leftover chicken
YUM, yes!
Hi Nagi
This looks delicious. Do you think it would work using your how to cook rice in the microwave method?
I have no kitchen at the moment and only have microwave and airfryer for a bit!
Hi Melissa! 100% yes. It will work PERFECTLY N x
Hi Nagi
Could you please suggest a recipe for chicken mince.
Absolutely love love love your recipes.
Hi Priscilla! Try this https://discountspot.info/baked-cheesy-broccoli-chicken-patties/%3C/a%3E or this! https://discountspot.info/avocado-chicken-burger/%3C/a%3E OR substitute it for beef in any of the recipes in this category -> https://discountspot.info/category/ground-beef-recipes/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Your recipes are the best😍
Thanks so much Poormina 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi…thanks for this one…it looks delish! Quick question: do you have a recipe for a “Rice a Roni” substitute that actually has the vermicelli bits in it? I used to eat that stuff by the box when I was little…but find the sodium level is no good for me at this stage of my life.
P.S. Dozier looks like the community goodwill ambassador…so he is an essential service! 😁
The Lebanese make a rice dish with vermicelli. I have to remember the recipe. It’s really really good. Gimme a day or two and I will definitely have it for you. Pro tip: you start by browning the noodles in olive oil. Break the noodles into small pieces before you fry them up.
I don’t but this one has an excellent rating -> https://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-rice-a-roni-24476 N xx
Please Nagi, what sort of plant is Dozer sniffing around. It looks lovely. Thanks for the giggles and of course, the recipe.
It’s that Fiddle Tree Fig thingy?? Oh I’m SO BAD with plants 😂 It is all the rage at the moment. This one was half price!! N x
Can this recipe done with brown rice ? I was ‘lucky’ enough to get a 5 kg bag.
Hi Jim, I talk about this in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
Felt like you won the lottery? 🙂 N x
Do you think I can cook this in the rice cooker? 😅
Yup! Popped directions in the recipe! N x