Description
This Buttery Seasoned Rice recipe offers a flavorful and fluffy side dish that elevates any meal. It mimics the classic boxed seasoned rices with homemade ingredients and simple steps, making it an economical and tasty addition to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked
- 3 1/4 cups cold tap water
- 2 tsp chicken powder or granulated bouillon (or 2 cubes dissolved in boiling water)
- 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
- 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Place all the rice ingredients in a large saucepan and stir well to mix.
- Simmer the Rice: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, with bubbling edges and a rippling surface. Once simmering, put the lid on and reduce heat to medium low or low depending on your stove’s strength to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook Without Lifting Lid: Let the rice cook for 13 minutes without lifting the lid to ensure even cooking and absorption of liquid.
- Check Water Absorption: After cooking, tilt the pot and quickly peek to make sure all water has been absorbed by the rice.
- Rest the Rice: Remove the pot from heat and let it stand for 10 minutes with the lid on for steam to finish cooking the rice evenly.
- Add Butter and Fluff: Stir in the butter and fluff the rice with a rubber spatula to combine and aerate before serving.
- Storage and Variations: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Optionally, prepare in a rice cooker using the same ingredient proportions and stir in butter at the end.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 6 cups of cooked rice, serving 6 to 8 people as a side dish.
- You can substitute brown rice with a longer cooking time adjustment (about 40-45 minutes simmering).
- To make it vegetarian, use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken powder.
- Make sure not to lift the lid during cooking to maintain proper steaming.
- Butter amount can be adjusted to your taste preference for richer flavor.
- Refrigerate cooked rice for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months for meal prep.
- The recipe works well with standard stovetop cooking or rice cooker for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 266 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 595 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
