Garlic and Herb Rice
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Garlic and herb rice is a simple but flavorful side dish, perfect for changing up your regular rice routine! Use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Ready in 30 minutes!
Rice is an affordable and filling side dish, but it doesn’t have to be boring! Throw a few add-ins to your rice to make it more than just a fill-in side.
Meal Prepping Tips
- Allow rice to cool completely before storing.
- Store in an airtight container to prevent rice from drying out. A container with a seal works best.
- Keep leftover rice in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
- Reheat rice with a splash of broth so it stays moist.
- Make it even easier and use a rice cooker instead!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter or oil – Toasting your rice is optional, but it helps add some extra flavor.
- Long grain white rice – This recipe works for long grain white rice only. Other types of rice like, brown rice, need different cooking times.
- Chicken broth – The secret to making your rice extra flavorful is to cook it in broth instead of water! Substitute for vegetable broth.
- Fresh herbs – I’ve tested this recipe with fresh parsley, green onions, and basil. Substitute for any other herbs like cilantro or chives. It’s a good way to use up leftover herbs that are going bad.
- Kosher salt – All the recipes on Meal Plans For Two use Diamond Crystal kosher salt (which I highly recommend). Kosher salt has larger salt flakes meaning it takes up more volume for the same amount of saltiness. Because of this, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt does not always equal other types of salt so take that into consideration when making this dish!
The Process
- Toast the rice in butter or oil until the grains are lightly golden brown.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and bring it up to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and cook for 17 minutes (this is the magic number for long grain white rice!)
- Fluff rice with a fork, then cover again to steam for about 10 minutes off heat.
- Serve with your favorite protein and sides!
*Don’t skip the steaming step! This ensures the rice get cooked through, is nice and fluffy, and doesn’t stick to the pot.
Equipment
- Want to make this recipe even easier? Use a rice cooker!
- I can never have enough silicone spatulas in the kitchen.
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- Rice makes a perfect pairing for hearty stews or pot roast!
- Serve it alongside a roasted vegetable, like simple roasted broccoli, and a main protein like basil marinated chicken (both pictured below).
Lauren’s Meal Planning Tips
This recipe makes 4-6 servings, so you can use it for 2-3 meals for two people.
- Serve garlic and herb rice when its freshly made as a side dish with a roasted vegetable and a main protein for meal 1.
- For meal 2, repurpose it as the base of a rice bowl with a different protein and a sauce. The sauce will add back some moisture since rice tends to dry out when reheated.
Garlic and Herb Rice
Garlic and herb rice is an easy side dish that’s way better than plain rice! It’s also a good way to use up leftover fresh herbs.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Rice cooker optional
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil, optional
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- TOAST: Melt butter or olive oil over medium heat in a small but heavy sauce pot. Add rice and toast for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains are lightly golden brown.
- SIMMER: Add chicken broth, garlic, herbs, and salt to the pot. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 17 minutes until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
- STEAM: Once all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pot from heat. Fluff the rice with a fork. Cover the pot again to steam for 10 minutes off heat.
- SERVE: Serve as a side dish or in a rice bowl.
Notes
- Substitute for any fresh herbs.
- Substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Allow rice to cool completely, and store in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, add a splash of water or broth and reheat in the microwave.
- Rice cooker directions: Add all ingredients to your rice cooker, cover, and hit start! Be sure to adjust the amount of liquid according to your brand of rice cooker.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 912mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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