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This Garlic Butter Rice is simple, flavorful, and the perfect side dish for just about any meal. Made with pantry staples, it’s fluffy, buttery, and infused with garlic for a dish that tastes far more special than the effort it takes.
Garlic butter rice is one of those simple recipes that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to make something delicious. You just need rice, butter, and garlic, to make a fluffy, flavorful side dish that pairs well with almost anything. It’s comforting, versatile, and perfect for both busy weeknights and special dinners.
Fresh garlic is sauteed in butter, and then the rice cooks until it is fluffy and tender. It is so easy and great to serve alongside chicken, steak, shrimp, or roasted vegetables. It can take your normal white rice to a whole new level with just an extra step!
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Long Grain White Rice
- Chicken Broth
- Butter
- Garlic
- Salt & Pepper
- Parsley – an optional garnish
Garlic Butter Rice
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
- 2 3/4 cup chicken broth or water
- salt & pepper to taste
- chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat to melt. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes until it is soft and very fragrant.4 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- Stir in the rice to coat in the butter mixture.1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
- Pour in the liquid. Bring the pan to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 18-20 minutes. The rice will be tender and the liquid absorbed.2 3/4 cup chicken broth or water
- Add the remaining butter to the rice and mix until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.4 Tablespoons butter, salt & pepper to taste
- Serve topped with chopped parsley if desiredchopped parsley
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Garlic Butter Rice
- Saute Garlic. Using a saucepan, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes. You want the garlic to get soft and infuse the butter with flavor, but not burn.
- Cook Rice. Stir in the rice to coat with the butter. Pour in the liquid, bring the pot to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low. Cook for about 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Finish. Once the rice is cooked stir in the rest of the butter until it is melted and the rice is fluffy. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Broth. I almost always cook white rice in chicken broth. It just gives it more flavor and makes it better without any extra work.
- Garlic. You want to be very careful when cooking your garlic. You want to soft and cooked so you don’t get the crunch of raw garlic in your rice. But be very careful not to use a high heat and burn it. If you do burn it, you will want to completely start over.
- Make It Cheesy. Stir in Parmesan cheese with the butter at the end to make it a little cheesy and even more flavor.
- Brown Rice. You can absolutely use brown rice, you will just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Rice Cooker. You can also use a rice cooker, I just sauté the garlic on the stove, and then mix everything together in the rice cooker, and cook with the appropriate settings for your appliance.
Serving Suggestions
This rice is super versatile and you can really serve with anything you like. Smothered Chicken is the most recent thing I have made and served it with. But here are a few other great options.
- Baked Caesar Chicken
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Honey Dijon Chicken
- Onion Soup Meatloaf
- Baked Chicken Bites
Storage
Rice is great leftover and can be used for meal prep for the week. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just reheat in the microwave until it is warmed through.
