Say hello to your new favourite kale recipe – it’s time to think beyond a salad!!
There’s an enormous amount of kale hidden in amongst all that buttery, garlicky rice…. This is a terrific two-in-one side dish that will pair with almost anything and keeps for days!
A kale recipe that’s totally scoff-able
Kale is one of the nutritious plant foods in the world, and this Garlic Butter Kale Rice is a fantastic way to incorporate a LOT of kale into a dish that’s so tasty, even kale haters love it.
Really. This kale recipe is that good. Read some of the reviews from people who have tried it!
Actually, I hadn’t planned to share this recipe. I didn’t think it would be of interest to readers, but it turns out that it’s possible the most requested recipe ever! People spied this Garlic Butter Rice with Kale on the side of a Baked Chicken Breast that I shared a couple of months ago. I didn’t even mention it in the post, it was just leftovers I had in the fridge that I added to the plate just to take this photo:
That single photo triggered so many messages via email, on Facebook and Instagram I could hardly believe it!
But you spoke, and I listened. Here it is. 🙂
Little trick to make kale even tastier!
It’s a real easy recipe. The one little trick I have to make this even better is that I marinate the kale before stirring it through the rice.
Just a drizzle of olive oil and tiny sprinkle of salt followed by a 30 second massage not only softens the kale, but also adds flavour.
This is the same technique I use in my Kale and Quinoa Salad which is almost like the salad version of this kale recipe. Marinating the kale truly makes all the difference when using raw kale.
Serve this Kale Garlic Butter Rice as a side dish – it’s a great two-in one, being a carb plus greens. And it’s an excellent way to dramatically boost the amount of nutrition you take in – in a delicious way!
It will go with cuisines, even with Asian dishes! I’ve popped a few suggestions below.
– Nagi x
Try this Kale recipe with:
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Any seared protein, such as Juicy Baked Chicken Breast, Honey Garlic Chicken, Baked Pork Chops, Lemon Garlic Marinated Pork Chops (Just to offer a few suggestions!)
Why kale is good for you
Kale has gained it’s status as a super food for good reason – it’s one of the most nutritious plant foods in the world. Here are just some of the health benefits of kale:
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exceptionally high amount of Vitamins A, C and K
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high in antioxidants
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help lower cholesterol which can reduce the risk of heart disease
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it has cancer fighting substances
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an excellent source of minerals that many people don’t get enough of, including calcium, potassium and magnesium
So this kale recipe is an excellent delicious way to get more nutrition into your diet!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Garlic Butter Rice with Kale
Ingredients
Marinated Kale:
- 7 cups kale sliced leaves , tightly packed (1cm / 2/5" slices) (Note 1)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Garlic Butter Rice:
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
- 3 - 4 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (Note 2)
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
Finishing:
- 1 - 2 tbsp (15 - 30g) butter
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts / seeds of choice)
Instructions
- Place kale in a large bowl. Drizzle over oil, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Scrunch with hands for 30 seconds, set aside while rice cooks.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute until just starting to turn golden and is incredibly fragrant.
- Add rice, stir for 10 seconds.
- Add broth, stir, then cover.
- Turn heat down to medium or medium low so the liquid is simmering very gently. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed (tilt pot to check).
- Quickly toss all the kale on top of the rice, put the lid back on then remove from heat.
- Rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork, stirring kale through.
- Lastly, stir through extra butter and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and sprinkle over nuts (or stir nuts through rice).
Recipe Notes:
LIFE OF DOZER
And the hits just keep on coming…..
This is the inflatable cone I got after I shared the photo of Dozer looking extremely unhappy with the plastic cone, thanks to the suggestion of readers. He is definitely more comfortable…… and providing much amusement to everyone who sees him!!!
That pattern…. why? Why??!!! 😂 It looks like a pool floatie!!
This was loved by my whole family, even my two teen boys. I used frozen Kale, and cooked the rice in the instant pot – my new go to for almost all rice. It was absolutely delicious. Opted for some Parm instead of nuts!! Thank you.
Woo hoo!! I am so glad that you enjoyed it Julie! N x
I had some oven roasted duck legs but nothing to go with them and then I stumbled across your recipe (as I had half a bag of kale left). This recipe is absolutely incredible! The rice had SO much flavour and worked very well with the kale’s texture. Will definitely be cooking this again! Thanks so much Nagi! x
I am happy that you liked it Ayasha!! N x
Another winner! Your recipes are the best! Great way to eat a lot of kale (I bought a 2 pound bag and wondered how I would eat it all until I tried this)! Thank you, Nagi!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it Susan! N x
I messed up the sequence and stirred the kale in before letting the rice rest, but it still turned out great!
Great addition to any meal. I forgot to add my nuts 🤔. I also tried to cut back on my salt and that’s no good. Even lemon juice is a good addition. Thank you
I made this today, it was so good. But i have a hard time to cook rice on the stove. I paired with your chicken with brown sugar recipe( cant remember the name)
Easily our favorite way to eat kale. This recipe has made our regular menu rotation. Many thanks!
It’s always more fun to eat your veggies when you enjoy the taste! N x
Made this tonight using quinoa, and it was delicious!
Loved this dish. Although I didn’t add kale. I didn’t have any. The rice turned out great. Had it with your creamy lemon butter sauce with fish. Perfect!
I made this in a rice cooker and it turned out great. I used broth rather than water in the cooker. Cooked the garlic in a pan with butter and then just added it to the rice and kale.
So delicious thank you! I love all your recipes 😊
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Hi Nagi! If I were to use silverbeet, would it still need a massage/marinade – or more of a stir through at the end kinda deal?
I’ve made this twice in the last week because of having a giant bag of kale. I thought it was delicious as written but decided to sauté an onion before adding the garlic…. Plus I added a handful or two woof baby spinach/ arugula mix because I needed to use it.. love this recipe as plain rice is boring to me….
I am a bit confused at the instructions, is the rice cooked prior to it being added to the pan? Or is it uncooked and cooked when the broth is added.
Hi Michi, uncooked rice is used here and it cooks after you add the broth. N x
Can you use frozen kale for this?
You did not answer the question re frozen kale
Can you use any kind of kale
Sure can Lea! N x
Yeah I followed the recipe, put it on medium low heat and it completely burned the bottom of the pan and the rice. All this work for nothing. Are you supposed to stir?
Hi Mary, sorry you had issues here!! If it burnt, it sounds like the heat may of been up a little too high unfortunatelyN x
Did you add the broth in time?
Hi Nagi, looks delicious!
Can I use baby spinach instead of kale? If so would I need just to add it in the end to wilt ?
Hi Irene, you definitely can, it’s not the same texture though and will be quite soft so just add it towards the end and stir through the rice to wilt it. N x
Can I use a rice cooker for this?
Not this one as written Kk, the water ratios probably need adjusting. N x
Hi Nagi,
I want to do the garlic butter rice with kale for 4 people. How do the cups translate into grams?
Thanks Marianne
Hi Marianne, click the metric toggle and all my ingredients will convert to mls and grams for you. N x