Do you struggle to make your rice have flavor? In the past, I certainly have. I recently ordered food from a local restaurant. My meal came with some of the BEST seasoned rice that I had ever tasted. I decided to recreate it just from my memory. It tasted delicious and almost exactly like the one from the restaurant So, I am sharing the recipe here with you!
Seasoned Rice
Course: Sides, Lunch, dinnerDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
2 tablespoons 2 butter
1 cup 1 long-grain white or brown rice, rinsed
1 1 sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons 2 smoked paprika
2 tablespoons 2 Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons 3 garlic powder
1 teaspoon 1 crushed red pepper
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups 2 chicken or vegetable stock
Directions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned.
- Add diced onion, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, and stock. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Years ago, I used to think of rice as a bland side dish. If it wasn’t fried rice or drenched in some sort of sauce, I wasn’t too excited to eat it. Over time, I learned that it didn’t have to be boring. In order for me to enjoy what I was actually eating, it needed to be seasoned. And, by seasoned, I mean well and properly seasoned!
Years ago, I always seasoned my rice with basic ingredients. You know, the seasoning that we all have: salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. However, there is so much more to rice than those three seasonings. Of course, you need salt, but how about some smoked paprika for a lingering taste on your tongue? Or, some crushed red pepper for a little bit of a kick? Some Italian seasoning will surely mellow out all of those flavors while adding a familiar taste.
Let’s get started on making this rice. This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted), 1 cup of long-grain white rice (rinsed), 1 sweet onion (diced), 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, 3 tablespoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. You want to use stock instead of water to boil your rice since it adds a lot of flavor. All of these ingredients together flavor the rice well. However, the method of cooking this rice is also what helps to give it its unique flavor.
To cook the rice, toast it in some melted butter for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Be sure to stir so the rice gets evenly cooked. Toasting up the rice gets it nicely browned and gives off a phenomenal flavor. I can assure you that you can certainly tell the difference between toasted and untoasted rice. After toasting my rice, I never want to eat it another way ever again. Once the rice is toasted, add the seasonings and the stock. Bring everything to a boil. Then, simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. After that timeframe, the rice should still be moist when fluffed with a fork. Serve with your favorite meal and enjoy!
See? This is fairly easy to make. It just takes a little bit of patience and care to make it tasty and unique. When you serve this to guests, they will wonder what you did to the rice to make it so flavorful. They might even think it is from a restaurant. Either you can tell them that it’s your secret touch, or guide them to this recipe! I hope you enjoy this Seasoned Rice! What is the best rice that you have ever had?
I get the toasting the rice trick which does add flavor but in today’s era of rising prices, you can get the same toasting done using your oil of choice prior to cooking the rice for the boil cook part, just add the water to the same pot after the toasting. I always add a teaspoon of oil to my rice during the boil cycle along with the seasoning I am adding to flavor the rice. In fact adding the diced onions to the rice when toasting will caramelize them too. Rice doesn’t have to be plain with no flavor.