Garlic Butter Rice

Published June 8, 2021

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The easiest rice recipe! This Garlic Butter Rice is made with basic long grain white rice, fresh garlic, a fair amount of rich butter, and chicken broth for extra flavor.

Garlic Butter Rice

Flavorful Garlic Butter Rice Recipe

One of the perfect go-to side dishes! Because it pairs well with just about anything.

Plus it only needs a handful of ingredients you can always keep on hand, it’s perfectly hearty and filling, and it’s just simple delicious comfort food!

And of course it’s something people of all ages will enjoy. In other words it’s one of those back pocket recipes.

Not sure what side to make? Garlic butter rice is the answer!

Photo of ingredients needed to make garlic butter rice. Includes white rice, chicken broth, onion, butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

Garlic Butter Rice Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dry long grain white rice, rinsed in a fine sieve and drained well
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (or up to 2 Tbsp)
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces, divided
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Possible Substitutes

  • Jasmine rice can be used for white rice.
  • Vegetable broth will work for chicken broth.
  • Salted butter will work in place of unsalted (just cut back slightly on salt added).
  • Dried parsley works in place of fresh, just use a teaspoon.

Garlic butter rice shown in a skillet after cooking.

How to Make Garlic Butter Rice

  1. Melt butter in pan: Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Saute onion: Add yellow onion and saute until starting to deepen in color, about 3 minutes.
  3. Saute garlic: Add garlic and saute until just barely starting to deepen in color (not browned), about 1 minute.
  4. Add broth, boil: Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.
  5. Add rice, simmer: Add rice and stir once, cover with a snug lid then reduce heat to low. Let simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15 – 18 minutes.
  6. Rest add more butter, fluff rice: Remove from heat and let rest 5 – 10 minutes. Add remaining 3 Tbsp butter, toss and fluff with a fork.
  7. Garnish: Serve warm garnished with parsley if desired.

Variations

  • Lemon rice: For lemon garlic butter rice replace 2 1/2 Tbsp chicken broth with fresh lemon juice. Also for stronger lemon flavor you can add 1/2 tsp lemon zest.
  • Heartier rice: If you want to make it more of a main dish you can finish with a cooked protein such as adding some cooked shredded rotisserie chicken at the end, or cooked chick peas.
  • Herby rice: Finish with lots of parsley or try with other herbs such as green onions or chives.
  • Extra garlicky rice: Want even more garlic flavor? Use 2 Tbsp garlic.

Rice seasoned with garlic and butter shown in a blue bowl over a wooden surface. Rice is topped with pieces of butter and chopped parsley.

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Rice seasoned with garlic and butter shown in a blue bowl over a wooden surface. Rice is topped with pieces of butter and chopped parsley.
5 from 7 votes

Garlic Butter Rice

The easiest rice recipe! This Garlic Butter Rice is made with basic long grain white rice, fresh garlic, a fair amount of rich butter, and chicken broth for extra flavor.
See the notes for a tasty lemon variation as well!
Servings: 6
Prep5 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Resting10 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add yellow onion and saute until starting to deepen in color, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until just barely starting to deepen in color (not browned), about 1 minute.
  • Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.
  • Add rice and stir once, cover with a snug lid then reduce heat to low. Let simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15 - 18 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let rest 5 - 10 minutes. Add remaining 3 Tbsp butter, toss and fluff with a fork.
  • Serve warm garnished with parsley if desired.

Notes

  • Jasmine rice will cook more near 15 minutes, long grain rice will take closer to 18 minutes to cook.
  • For lemon garlic butter rice replace 2 1/2 Tbsp chicken broth with fresh lemon juice and add 1/2 tsp lemon zest.
  • In higher altitude add an additional 2 Tbsp broth.
Nutrition Facts
Garlic Butter Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 249 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 239mg10%
Potassium 171mg5%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 441IU9%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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37 Comments

  • TONYA TINMAN

    I needed a side dish in a hurry… I tried this recipe using dehydrated onions- yes, that’s right!- instead of sliced onions. It was a huge hit!!!!! Every grain of rice was gone!

  • Brenda

    I’m sorry but do I have to use onion because some of us in this house don’t like onion although I do I love it but others don’t and if I have to could I use dried onion

  • Sarah T.

    Even though I try to utilize healthier options on the norm, like brown rice and butter alternatives, I went ahead and tried this recipe to pair with some fish last night and I cannot stress how great this was. My kids and I all just loved the flavor and consistency. And the aroma was amazing. We used Jasmine Rice and I added the fresh parsley generously and stirred it throughout just before serving which gave it a beautiful look and a bit of added flavor. This is by far one of my favorite rice dishes now. I just can’t have it too often due to all the butter haha.

    • Sara T

      Made this again tonight and it is by far my family’s favorite new rice side!! I didn’t have fresh parsley so I had to use dried but it didn’t alter it too too much. Still amazing flavor!!

  • Caroline heminway

    I tried this recipe for the first time tonight and I love that it has such exact measurements and tells you what you can use instead of this. Very helpful! I Will make this recipe again.

  • Casey

    Hello! What is the serving size for the calories you posted in the nutrition info?? (1 cup, 1/2 cup, etc).

    Thank you!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I haven’t tried so I couldn’t say for sure but it should work fine as long as you can sauté the onion and garlic first. The broth amount may just need to be adjusted slightly.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      That should work fine as well liquid amounts and cook times may just need to be adjusted (similar to what they are on the package).

  • Denise A

    If I needed to make enough to serve 18 people
    “Christmas Dinner” how much chicken broth & jasmine rice would you recommend that I use?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I haven’t tested scaling the recipe by that much so I couldn’t say for sure unfortunately. But I might suggest trying an oven method for a batch that large for more even cooking (something similar to this) or a rice cooker.