Upgrade your meal with this Tomato Basil Rice! Tastes like a tomato basil pasta – in rice form. Copycat of a popular convenience pack seasoned rice, this is a terrific recipe base that can be adapted with your herbs of choice!
When you see the ingredients below, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a pasta sauce recipe. All the usual suspects are present. Olive oil, garlic, onion, dried and fresh basil, tomato {paste}.
Except – we’re using rice instead of pasta.
Just a minor difference…. 😂
TOMATO PASTE WORKS BEST!
It’s a straightforward recipe to make, starting off like a pilaf with garlic and onion sautéed in olive oil along with dried basil (just a little sauté really makes the flavour bloom!) before adding rice, broth, tomato paste and some seasonings.
I like to make this Tomato Basil Rice with tomato paste rather than canned tomato or passata / puree because it yields the best result – fluffiest, most evenly cooked rice.
Canned tomato was all round disappointing – both in rice textures, flavour and look. And though you get slightly better tomato flavour using tomato passata / puree, it’s actually quite difficult to ensure all the rice cooks through evenly.
So after a few instances of unevenly cooked rice, I deemed it “too risky” and defaulted back to tomato paste which works every time. 🙂
BASIL BASIL, BASIL!
Basil is actually quite a delicate herb and a rather fussy one at that – it doesn’t like to be cooked (loss of flavour, turns black, limp and sad) so to get good basil flavour into anything it needs to be used fresh.
So to make a Tomato Basil Rice that actually does taste of basil, I get it in there 3 ways:
-
Dried Basil sautéed with the onion and garlic;
-
A generous sprig of basil cooked with the rice; and
-
A good hit of fresh basil right at the end just before serving.
GOES WITH (almost) ANYTHING!
I probably wouldn’t serve this Tomato Basil Rice with Asian food because basil isn’t really a flavour associated with Asian cuisine. But having said that, if the basil is left out or substituted with chives or green onions, it would be terrific with loads of Asian foods. Various forms of tomato rice is big in Asia!
Other than that, I think it’s the sort of side that will go with almost anything. In addition to which, you should totally feel free to switch the basil with whatever herb you want – just adjust the quantity to taste depending on how strong the flavour of the herb with. – Nagi x
PS In case you’re stuck for ideas:
This will go great with….
Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs (above) | Honey Garlic Chicken | Crispy Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce | Baked Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce | Garlic Prawns / Shrimp | Rissoles, | Salmon Cakes (or use tuna!)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Tomato Basil Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1/2 brown onion , finely chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1 cup (180g) long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 1)
- 1 3/4 cups (435 ml) chicken broth , full salt (or Veg broth)
- 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 tsp paprika , sweet or normal (not smoked)
- 1 tsp sugar (any)
- 1 sprig of basil with leaves
- 1/3 cup finely chopped basil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until translucent, 2 - 3 minutes. Add basil and cook for 20 seconds - don't let it burn.
- Add remaining ingredients except basil. Mix until tomato paste is dissolved.
- Crush basil sprig in hand, drop on surface then push in (leave on surface, don't stir).
- Cover and bring to simmer, then immediately turn down heat to medium low (or low if stove is strong) and cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed - tilt saucepan to check.
- Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove basil sprig. Fluff with fork, taste for salt. Then leave to stand for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir through fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- A small amount of tomato paste yields the fluffiest rice (compared to canned tomato, passata, puree etc)
- Sugar takes the edge off tomato paste which is a bit sour
- Basil goes black when heated. So the purpose of cooling the rice before adding fresh basil is to reduce this problem and get max basil flavour.
- Use this recipe as a base for any herb you want. Just switch out the dried and fresh basil. Be mindful of herb strength - eg rosemary is very strong. 3. STORAGE - Keeps great in the fridge but benefits greatly from the addition of some fresh basil. 4. Nutrition per serving.
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
🍎🍎🍎He drooled on someone over an apple, so we made him wear an apple sticker Badge of Shame all day. He didn’t even notice….. so much for punishment!
it was BANGING omg tysm for this recipe – i’m a student so i’m on a budget and didn’t have too many ingredients at home but this was a 10/10
Nagi, I did need to tweak it with a bit more water but I am sure it will get better with practice especially the timing. 😊 Thanks for another winner to add to my list of favourites 🤩
DOZER, I DO THE SAME OVER HER RECIPES.
Great flavor but. we dats me always cook onions first add paste and garlic at same time stirring Witt a wood spoon till that paste breaks down that way ya can’t let that garlic turn brown by mistake it really changes every thing as it turns color I don’t want a toasty garlic flavor to intense got 6 bushy Basil plants you can hang tied on a string or Mom always froze it in a clean ricotta container crushed paper towel whole leaf and stem. paper towel next day picking repeat yes it turns black but when inda sauce who cares can’t see it using canned whole tomato just throw in blender Witt garlic and tomatoes. den add to simmering pasta and onion. YUMMY
yikes dats simmering paste not pasta. ” Good Eating “
Love your cooking videos You take the guess work out
Thanks so much Sandra!! 🥰 N x
Really delicious. I added crumbled ground beef and a splash or two of fish sauce to the cooking liquid. It really brought it to the next level.
would this be too overpowering to serve with your christmas baked salmon? i think that the flavour combination could work well but i am not sure how subtle the basil flavour is in this recipe
Hi Nagi,
Happy New Year!!
I love this recipe and decided to make it for New Year’s Eve.
I used the serving slide to Change to 3 cups of uncooked rice. I was really surprised that it said I needed 5.25 cups of stock. Of course I did not use that much or else I would have ended up with really mushy rice or a risotto. 😊 just wondering how accurate is the serving slide?
Cheers
Can I cook it in rice cooker?
Hi Johara, yes that’s the correct amount of stock for that much rice 🙂
Thanks Nagi, but I put much less and it was still a bit too mushy for my liking. I guess I can’t take my middle eastern heritage out of me. 🤔 But I do love the flavors and will definitely be doing it many more time.
Made this in the pressure cooker with raw rice. Changed it a bit, no prawns. Added frozen veggies at the end. Used option 3. Turned out lovely with your Thai wings. Thanks heaps!
Sounds great Liv!
Made this in the pressure cooker. Changed it a bit, no prawns. Added frozen veggies at the end. Used option 3. Turned out lovely with your Thai wings. Thanks heaps!
Nagi, you are amazing with your truly wonderful recipes.
You lift my day sky high with your recipes ideas.
I want to cook them all, and I have to choose between them, which is very difficult. They are so appetizing.
THANK. YOU
Aww shucks!!! Thanks Barbara ❤️
love this! I usually cook it with fish as a side dish — one note– be careful with the sugar- last time I didn’t measure and added too much that made it too sweet which took away from the flavor of the rice…
Hi Rachel, a great side with fish (or anything really) – I’m so glad you love it!
Another winner Nagi! This was delicious. Please keep the rice dishes coming – rice is my favourite food and I’ve loved experimenting with all your flavoured rice dishes!
Oh I’m so glad you loved it Samina!!
Hi Nagi my mum used to make something very similar hers was just tomato rice. She passed without me getting the recipe, this is so damn close and brought back so many memories. I love your style of cooking even down to the notes and videos. I am so glad I found you! Thank you.
Hello Nagi, I tried this tomato basil rice for dinner and I paired it with pan-fried salmon. it was a huge hit with my family. could I cook this in rice cooker? thanks again for a wonderful and easy recipe
Hi Nagi. I cooked the tomato basil rice with brown rice and after 45mins it was still not ready. Should I precook brown rice. Am loving your recipes
Hi Keith! The main thing is that brown rice needs more liquid – 2.25 cups per 1 cup of rice for this recipe. So add water to make up the difference, and it should be done in 25 to 30 minutes. N x
hello Nagi, tried this recipe for weekday dinner with pan-fried salmon. the tomato rice was super and family enjoyed. can i cook in rice cooker?
Hi Nagi – I love your recipes and the videos make even a culinarily-challenged person such as myself feel as though they can do it!
If I wanted to double this tomato basil rice recipe, should I double the chicken broth as well or use a different measure?
Thanks 😊
Hi Mel! Please adjust all the ingredients 🙂 Click on Servings and SLIDE to scale the recipe to the amount you want! N xx
Fantastic – how helpful! Thanks 👍🏼
I made this tonight exactly as your recipe calls for and with basmati rice….everyone devoured it. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! Great to hear Jeanne! N x
Thank you, thank you for this lovely rice recipe. God bless and a special hug to Dozer.
hugs passed on and happily received! 😂
Omg Nagi this was my request! I am the chosen one! You’re the best. That old git Uncle Ben is officially banished from my pantry. Aunty Nagi rice all the way!!
I had to! I wanted it for myself! 🙂