Best Homemade Seasoned Rice with Garlic Herbs and Butter

Forgo store-bought rice box mix, make your very own and best homemade seasoned rice. It’s super easy, well under the budget and you get to adjust the flavors according to your taste.

Seasoned rice recipe

You don’t need boxed rice mixes, with this recipe you can make the perfect rice at home and oomph up the flavors just the way you like it. To cook rice to perfection every single time isn’t very tricky, you should simply understand the correct rice-to-water ratio. A few tricks will get you perfect rice every single time, and I have the perfect recipe for steamed rice that will work every single time!

I love plain white rice, it’s great with so many dishes, especially doused with lentil curry, chicken curry, saucy cashew chicken stir fry, tomato egg stir fry, shrimp and broccoli stir fry with loads of sauce or Panang curry. You can make rice tasty on its own without needing to have a sauce or curry.

A quick way to add flavor to white rice is by cooking it with bouillon, spices, and herbs. Rice cooked to perfection, seasoned, and flavored is the way you want to be cooking rice from now on!

Why this recipe work

1. Budget-friendly! Cheaper and way better than boxed rice mixes.
2. Ready in 20 minutes or less.
3. Simple and easy to make.
4. Fail-proof recipe!
5. Easy to customize. Feel free to use any herbs like dill, dried basil, or parsley.
6. Stores well. Make ahead big batch and store it away to have it as sides for any meals.
7. Can be frozen. Simply pop frozen rice in the microwave for a few minutes and you have tasty, buttery, seasoned rice with perfect flavors.

Ingredients

This is what you’ll need to make herby-flavored rice.

All the ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.

Ingredients notes

1. Rice: I used short-grain white rice.
2. Stock: bouillon cubes dissolved in water are convenient and easy to use. It sure enhances the flavor of rice. Feel free to use homemade stock.
3. Herbs: for herby flavors, I used dried thyme and dried parsley.
4. Salt and Pepper: Seasoning is the most important step in the recipe. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Butter: don’t skip the butter. It will help keep rice moist and make it tasty. You can increase the butter for a richer taste.
6. For heat: A little cayenne pepper adds a kick to the rice. For extra kick add more. It’s optional.

Ingredients substitutions

• Short-grain white rice can be substituted with long-grain rice. To make it nutritious, you can use brown rice.
• You can add more herbs or change to use your favorite. Herbs like dill, basil, and oregano are best. Italian seasoning can be used.
• Cayenne pepper can be substituted with chili powder or smoked paprika.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Into a pot add rice, salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and dried parsley.

Step 2: For each cup of white short-grain rice use double the amount of stock. For 1 cup white rice, pour 2 cups stock.

Step 3: Stir everything together. Bring the saucepan to boil over medium heat.

Step 4: Once it starts boiling, simmer heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook in its own steam for about 12 to 14 minutes.

Note: Do not keep opening the lid. Steam will escape and rice will not be cooked to perfection if you keep opening the lid to peep in. If you want to peep in, use a glass lid so you can check on the rice without opening the lid.

Step 5: Once done, turn off the flame. Remove the pot from the stove. Let it sit with the lid on for 3-5 minutes, this will allow rice to absorb all the liquids and cook perfectly.

Step 6: Add in butter. Gently fluff the rice and stir in the butter to spread uniformly.

Seasoned rice is ready to be served as side dish for your favorite roast chicken meal or any meal.

You can store rice in the fridge. Make sure you store within an hour or two after it’s cooked, to ensure food safety. Rice can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Tips on how to season rice perfectly

1. Using the right pan is crucial. Use heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan with lid on.
2. It’s really up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not. 
3. Use the same cup used to measure rice for liquid.
4. Use a cooking pot with a glass lid. It’s easy to keep a watch on rice without opening the lid or disturbing it.
5. Avoid the temptation to open the lid and check during cooking.
6. It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 minutes at least before you open the lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to a soft texture.
7. Fluff rice with a silicone or rubber spatula instead of a fork to reduce the breakage of rice.

Storage instructions

You can store rice in fridge for few days and freezer for longer storage. Cooked rice, as soon as it’s cooled should be refrigerated for an hour. Place rice in a container with lid and refrigerate it. Make sure to use up rice within 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, freeze portions of rice in freezer zip lock bags. Freeze for longer storage.

Serving suggestions

Seasoned white rice or seasoned brown rice can be served as side dish alongside any roast meat. Roast chicken and potatoes with this rice on the side is best meal ever.

Serve it with beef, pork or lamb chops.

Use this rice in Mexican meals like burritos.

Recipe FAQs

4.69 from 19 votes

📋Best Homemade Seasoned Rice

Jyothi Rajesh

Forgo store bought rice box mix, make your very own and best homemade seasoned rice recipe. It’s super easy, well under the budget and you get to adjust the flavors according to your taste.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 3 servings

Calories 283

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup white rice
• ▢ 2 cups stock chicken stock or vegetable stock – I used 1 bouillon cubes dissolved in water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

 

• Into a pot add rice, salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and dried parsley.
• For each cup of white short-grain rice, use double the amount of stock. For 1 cup white rice, pour 2 cups stock.
• Stir everything together. Bring the saucepan to boil over medium heat. Once it starts boiling, simmer heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook in its own steam for about 12 to 14 minutes.

  Note: Do not keep opening the lid. Steam will escape and rice will not be cooked to perfection if you keep opening the lid to peep in. If you want to peep in, use a glass lid so you can check on the rice without opening the lid.
• Once done, turn off the flame. Remove the pot from the stove.

  It's crucial to let cooked rice rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before you open the lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to a soft texture.
• Add butter. Gently fluff the rice and stir in the butter to spread uniformly.
• Seasoned rice is ready to be served as a side dish for your favorite roast chicken meal or any meal.

Video

Notes

Water rice ratio:

• Long grain white rice: Use 2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice.
• Long grain brown rice: 2 ¼ cups water for 1 cup rice.
• Brown rice: 2 ½ cups water for 1 cup rice.

Brown rice will take about 20-23 minutes to cook.

1. Using the right pan is crucial. Use heavy heavy-bottomed stainless steel sauce pan with lid on.
2. It’s really up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not. 
3. Use the same cup used to measure rice for liquid.
4. Use a cooking pot with a glass lid. It’s easy to keep a watch on rice without opening the lid or disturbing it.
5. Avoid the temptation to open the lid and check during cooking.
6. It’s important to let cooked rice rest for about 5 minutes at least before you open the lid and stir. This will help rice absorb all moisture and cook to a soft texture.
7. Fluff rice with a silicone or rubber spatula instead of a fork to reduce the breakage of rice.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 672mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 578IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 4mg

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