Home > Side Dishes > Herb Rice (In ONE Dish!) Herb Rice (In ONE Dish!) December 12, 2021 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This is our favorite Herb Rice and it couldn’t be easier to make! Mix the uncooked rice along with everything else in a large baking dish and throw it in the oven! Watch as the rice bakes to fluffy and tender perfection. Serve this herbed rice alongside your favorite meals — it goes well with just about anything! Try some other delicious rice recipes next, like Coconut Rice or African-inspired Yellow Rice. How Do You Upgrade Plain White Rice? With this amazing Herb Rice, of course! This baked Herb Rice recipe is going to be your new go-to, because not only is it ridiculously easy to prepare, it’s also unbelievably tasty! Easy may be an understatement for this recipe — it’s a complete “dump it and forget about it” kind of meal, and no slow cooker or rice cooker is required. Here’s a quick breakdown: How To Make Herb Rice The full written recipe is included on the recipe card below, but here is a quick overview of the process: Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. We recommend ceramic or glass — metal can sometimes react with the herbs and give the entire dish a metallic flavor. Dump everything in. That’s right — add everything to the greased dish: the rice, dried herbs, butter, and chicken stock. Cover and bake! The bake time is long on this dish, but it’s all pretty hands-off. Don’t try to rush the process; you may end up with unevenly cooked or mushy rice. Rest. Once the rice is baked, it needs a bit of a rest period. Just like cooking rice in a pot on the stovetop, it needs time to stand and steam, which keeps it from getting mushy. This recipe is no different; allow time for the herb rice pilaf to rest and become fully tender. Savory Herb Rice Ingredients Basmati rice. This is non-negotiable in this recipe! We tested with all different kinds of rice and none worked out very well except for basmati rice. If you don’t have this particular variety of rice I wouldn’t recommend making this recipe– you won’t like the results. Truth! Chicken stock. A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. We highly recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock in this recipe. Broth will also work but is slightly less flavorful. Dried herbs. There is a fair amount of seasoning added, but you can simplify a little by replacing the thyme and oregano with Italian seasoning instead. You can also add some garlic paste in place of the garlic powder if desired. Butter. We recommend unsalted butter so you can perfectly season the mixture to your personal preference. Optional finishing touches. To create a lemon-herb rice recipe, add some fresh lemon juice at the end of bake time. You can even add in some lemon zest for a more punchy lemon flavor. Fresh parsley adds the perfect fresh and colorful finishing touch to this herb rice, but is entirely optional! QUICK TIP What are the best herbs for rice dishes? We think a wide variety offers the most robust flavor! In this recipe, we rely on a combination of dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried parsley. VARIATIONS Simple Herb Rice Variations Mediterranean herb rice: Bump up the oregano to 1 full teaspoon, add in a touch of fresh dill at the end, and be sure to add extra lemon (plus some lemon zest!). Garlic herb rice recipe: Bump up the amount of garlic powder and/or add in some garlic paste at the beginning along with the dried herbs. Italian herb rice recipe: Garnish with fresh basil at the end and add in a teaspoon (or two) of Italian seasoning. Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock — easy peasy! Add in some veggies: We’ve enjoyed this rice with some frozen peas — simply add in a bag on top of the rice while it’s resting. The residual heat will warm the peas nicely. Add leftovers to a salad to add some nice bulk: Instead of using wild rice, add some leftover herb rice into this Pomegranate Salad — yum! Or replace the quinoa with rice in this Quinoa Salad. What spices go well with rice? We love that garlic and onion powder are, first off, pantry staples, and second, that they create such a great savory base with a subtle umami note. That said, if you’re looking for even more pizzazz, try adding in some chicken bouillon powder. You can also amp up the amount of seasonings in general. STORAGE Storage Once Herb Rice has fully cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days. Here are a few ways for how to reheat leftovers — in the microwave, stovetop, or oven. To freeze: Let it fully cool and then put it in freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, transfer the rice to a microwave-safe container, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave until heated through, stirring a few times while reheating. You may need to add a tablespoon or more water into the container to keep the rice from drying out. Serve This Herb Rice Recipe With The Following Mains: Grilled Chicken Marinade our favorite all-purpose chicken marinade Baked Chicken Tacos with a simple cilantro-lime sauce Lemon Garlic Shrimp with lots of overlapping herbs/seasonings Chicken Stroganoff replace the pasta with this rice instead! Greek Chicken serve with this rice and a big spoonful of Tzatziki FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Herb Rice 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe This is our favorite Herb Rice and it couldn't be easier to make! Mix the uncooked rice along with everything else in a large baking dish and throw it in the oven! Watch as the rice bakes to fluffy and tender perfection. Serve this herbed rice alongside your favorite meals -- it goes well with just about anything! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Herb Rice 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This is our favorite Herb Rice and it couldn't be easier to make! Mix the uncooked rice along with everything else in a large baking dish and throw it in the oven! Watch as the rice bakes to fluffy and tender perfection. Serve this herbed rice alongside your favorite meals -- it goes well with just about anything! Course Dinner, Side Dish Cuisine American, Healthy Keyword herb rice Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Cook Time 55 minutes minutes Resting Time 10 minutes minutes Servings 6 -8 servings (as a side) Chelsea Lords Calories 223kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.12 EquipmentGlass or ceramic 9x13-inch panCooking Spray (Olive Oil preferred) Ingredients▢ 1-1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice Note 1▢ 2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth Note 2▢ 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon each: dried thyme, dried oregano▢ 2 tablespoons dried parsley▢ Fine sea salt and pepper▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ Optional: fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 large lemonUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Very generously spray a glass or ceramic or glass (not metal) 9x13-inch pan. Cut butter into 8 separate tablespoons and set aside.BAKE: Right into the prepared pan add the uncooked basmati rice, chicken stock, all the seasonings, salt & pepper to taste (I add 1/2 up to 3/4 tsp fine sea salt and 1/2 tsp pepper -- See Note 3). Add cut pieces of butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are incorporated and spread in one even layer. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the foil (save foil -- just set aside for now) and bake for 15 more minutes.REST: Remove from the oven. Don't stir the rice. Top with the foil again and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. This is very important to avoid mushy rice!ENJOY: After 10 minutes, gently mix everything together and lightly fluff rice with a fork. If desired, add fresh parsley to taste (we add 3 tablespoons, finely chopped) and lemon juice to taste (we add 2-3 tablespoons). Taste and add additional salt/pepper if needed. Gently stir and then serve! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Basmati rice: We tested with all different kinds of rice and none worked out very nicely except for basmati rice. If you don’t have this particular variety of rice I wouldn’t recommend making this recipe--you won't like the results. Note 2: Chicken stock: A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor. We highly recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock in this recipe. Broth will also work but is slightly less flavorful. Use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version! Note 3: Salt: Not all salts season the same (you’ll need more or less depending on the salt used). I use fine sea salt in this recipe. You may want less salt if you are sensitive to salt or stock is overly salted. Add less if concerned, you can always add more at the end. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
This rice turned out awesome! First time I have ever had basmati. Followed directions exactly other than I didn’t have any parsley (dry or fresh) on hand. Everyone loved it! Thank you! Reply
