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
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Buttery Seasoned Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 1 for brown rice)
- 3 1/4 cups (815 ml) 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).
- 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!!
Hi thank you for sharing all these delicious yummy & easy to make recipes. Tried to cook this rice for lunch & it’s amazing. ! I like cooking something that it’s achievable boost my confidence! Once again thank you . I’ve shared your recipe to my children . They are vegetarian & the first thing I’ve cooked for was the mushroom orecchiette, even my husband ate it . It’s our favourite food during family events.
Made this yesterday. Basmati rice cooked well as directed. Halved paprika for kid friendly meal. Genius move – used pan drippings from roast chicken in place of butter. Absolute knockout!
Wahoo, winner winner chicken dinner! N x
Best rice ever
The flavor was everything
I’m so glad you loved it Ursula! N x
This saved me from an impromptu dinner with a picky boyfriend! Being an Asian girl, I can’t live without rice.. but this doesn’t always please my Caucasian partner. I made this recipe last night and it was such a hit, he asked for seconds and thirds! Cooked this in the rice cooker and it turned out perfectly. I also made the Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy to go with it. Was a heavy dinner but so hearty and we had clean plates by the end of it. Thanks so much Nagi!
YESSSSS! I love hearing this Anne! N x
Made this to have with dinner tonight. Pretty good, but the texture seemed a little dry and it tasted like something was missing.
I’m definitely making it again but with a little more butter, and I might try adding 1/2 tsp cumin, or maybe some coriander, or both.
Hi Scott, can I ask what type of rice you were using?? N x
Just ordinary white rice. I probably just left it on the heat a little too long or something like that.
I tried it again tonight and it was perfect!
I made this tonight as side for drumsticks cooked on the grill. It was absolutely a hit! My fiancee loved it. My 20 month hit all of hers and proceeded to want more. This is such an accomplish right now because I feel like she hasn’t been eating much! Thank you for the wonderful and easy recipe.
Also I have been making recipes off of your site for awhile and for the most part, they turn out wonderful 🙂
I cook recipes from this site all the time and they usually turn out amazing.
The few times they don’t, well, it’s pretty easy to figure out what it’s missing.
Hi!
Hope you’re keeping safe right now.
I don’t have any stock cubes as our supermarkets have run out. Do you suggest I use liquid stock as a substitute? Thank you!
This rice is absolutely beautiful
Sounds delicious. However I thought you shouldn’t reheat cooked rice because of food poisoning ?? Or is there something we can do to avoid food poisoning risk? Would love clarity around this. Also gonna try your lentil curry, I love your basic chicken curry one , kids love it.
Hi Beth! It is absolutely safe to reheat rice. The whole idea that some people have that reheating rice has food safety issues was born from issues around hot rice sitting out for hours and hours, causing bacteria to form in it. But it’s no different to meat – you wouldn’t eat meat that’s been left out for hours. It’s the same as rice – except rice can stay out for longer than meat. If you make normal household quantities of rice (as opposed to giant vats in hotels and restaurants), just cool it to warm within a couple of hours, get it in the fridge and it is 100% safe to eat for up to 4 to 5 days. 🙂 N x
This rice is a GAME CHANGER thank you! My husband loves rice but kids wouldn’t eat it so I rarely made it. Everyone loved this. I threw all the ingredients in my pressure cooker ahead of time and fried the cooked rice in butter for dinner. Raves all around 🙂
Thank you and stay safe.
That’s the BEST Jill!! N x
I misread as butterfly seasoned rice – now that would be different!
Seriously, it does sound delicious. I’ll be making it soon…
Hi Nagi
Just made your boiled rice recipe for tea.. no washing. It turned out perfectly soft & fluffy. Couldn’t believe it.
I was taught years ago rice HAD to be washed or you’d end up with gluggy rice. I think now of all the goodness & water that went down the sink over 50+ years
Thank you Nagi. Its been a blessing the day I stumbled across your webpage.. for many many lovely recipes, hints & tips
Cheers
Heather
You’re totally converted Heather, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! N x
Can this be done in a rice cooker??
Yep! Just popped directions in the recipe 🙂 N x
Thank you about the rice cooker. I love so many of your recipes. Now will have more time to try them and to comment.
I am using so many of your recipes during this time of not shopping as often as usual. Your use of basic Ingredients made into delicious food is making it easier to still eat well. I find myself browsing your recipes to put together my weekly shopping list. Pantry staples and veggies and meat and we are good to go til next week. Thank you. And the Hot Cross buns were brilliant!!
Turned out perfectly. We had run out of dried parsley so I finely chopped some fresh flat-leaf parsley. It was lovely with schnitzel tonight and lots in the fridge to have tomorrow. x
Perfect Miranda!! N x
Hi Nagi, I made half this recipe but my rice came out super mushy but the flavour was excellent….what can I do differently next time?
Hi Randee, sorry you had issues here – how much rice and water did you use?? N x
Hi Nagi! This looks delicious! Can it be made with converted rice? That’s what I have on hand and can’t get out to shop. Love your recipes and your positive attitude!
Hi Kelly! I’m afraid for that one, you’ll need to follow the packet directions because most brands differ 🙂 But just use the flavourings in this recipe! N x
I made this last night and WOW it was a hit. Instead of chicken bullion I used beef stock that I had made. (controls the salt better for me). I can see fried rice on the table in a couple of days :>) This is excellent and extremely versatile. I enjoy your creativity, keep it up.
So glad you enjoyed this Deborah! N x