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Garlic Butter Rice is a fast weeknight side dish that the whole family will love! Made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, this garlic rice is great for meal prep.

a white and blue bowl with garlic rice topped with chopped parsley.
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Rice is one of those sides that goes with almost everything. It’s readily available, filling, and beloved by even the pickiest of family members. It’s like the rice version of Cheesy Garlic Bread.

But you don’t need to turn to those heat and serve packets from the grocery store to make delicious flavored rice. I got you boo.

In a perfect world, I would serve a side of this garlic rice with Air Fryer French Onion Pork Chops, Dry Brine Roast Chicken, Air Fryer Steak Bites, Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy, Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs, Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, or Roasted Frozen Broccoli.

Garlic Butter Rice Variations

The garlic in this rice is pretty apparent, so if you need something more subtle, either dial back the garlic or use roasted garlic. I always have some Instant Pot Roasted Garlic or Air Fryer Roasted Garlic hanging around my freezer.

For even creamier garlic rice, add milk or cream to the finished rice 1 tbsp at a time, stirring with each addition, until it has reached your desired consistency.

Making this after the holidays? Use Turkey Bone Broth instead of chicken.

3 photos showing step by step how to make garlic rice in the Instant Pot
a photo showing cheese being added to an instant pot for garlic rice

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • Want a vegetarian version? Sub in your favorite veggie broth.
  • Like your rice more cheesy? Top the finished rice with additional parmesan.
  • If you need to make this on the stovetop, combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low, and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on.
  • In this recipe, I do not rinse my rice beforehand because I’m lazy, but if you choose to rinse, the cooking time and measurements remain the same.
bowls of garlic parmesan rice on a white board with parsley and garlic bulbs.
4.96 from 96 ratings

Garlic Butter Rice

Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Pressurizing Time: 7 minutes
Total: 18 minutes
a white and blue bowl with garlic rice topped with chopped parsley.
Garlic butter rice is a fast weeknight side dish that the whole family will love! Made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, this garlic rice is great for meal prep.

Ingredients 

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/3 cup rice (see notes for options}
  • 2 cups broth {use your favorite}
  • 3 cloves garlic {minced}
  • 3/4 tsp parsley {dried}
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese {grated}

Instructions 

  • Set Instant Pot to "saute" to melt the butter (it will take about 1-2 minutes). Once melted, turn the Instant Pot to "off/keep warm".
    3 tbsp butter
  • Add the rice, broth, garlic, and dried parsley. Stir.
    1 1/3 cup rice, 2 cups broth, 3 cloves garlic, 3/4 tsp parsley
  • Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>6 minutes. It will take 2-4 minutes to get up to pressure.
  • When the cooking time is up, flip the vent to venting and perform a quick release.
  • Carefully open the lid and add the parmesan and stir.
    2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Notes

Stovetop Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except Parmesan in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low, and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on.
  1. Use 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley in place of dried
    Use 1.5 tsp garlic powder in place of fresh
  2. If you use instant rice, reduce cooking time to 4 minutes in the Instant Pot.
  3. I used long-grain Jasmine rice in this recipe.
  4. If you prefer brown rice, increase the Instant Pot cooking time to 22 minutes and allow for a 10-minute natural release. I would also recommend increasing the broth by 1/4 cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 212.94kcalCarbohydrates: 34.43gProtein: 3.68gFat: 6.39gSaturated Fat: 3.94gCholesterol: 16.18mgSodium: 392.33mgPotassium: 53.29mgFiber: 0.54gSugar: 0.75gVitamin A: 354.8IUVitamin C: 0.47mgCalcium: 35.64mgIron: 0.33mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Fusion
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah Cook

I'm here to help you make easy, seasonal, and no-fuss recipes for yourself and your family.

Whether it's a quick one-pot dinner or if I am teaching you how to can and preserve local produce, you can consider me your elder millennial grandma

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4.96 from 96 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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129 Comments

  1. Thanks for the recipe – it’s got really good flavor and is easy and a nice change from plain rice.

    Also, fun fact, if you make it and mistakenly use Arborio rice, it turns out more like a risotto. This happened because I was waffling between the risotto and this recipe and my brain was stuck on using that kind of rice. But it was still very good.

    And I was going on blind faith as I usually cook my jasmine rice with a 1/1 ratio (of rice to liquid) at 3 mins HP with a natural release. So I’m looking forward to trying this, again, with the correct rice to see how the rice cooking compares :-).

    Thanks again for another easy winner.5 stars

    1. Jackie, it sounds like you made “Garlic Butter Risotto” and frankly, zero notes on that. It sounds like a great texture and a cozy meals. 🙂

  2. This rice is perfect and easy and delicious. I live for these types of recipes during the week! Paired with chicken tacos, it was so good! Followed the recipe exactly except for the Parmesan. We all know that gets measured with your heart so I probably doubled the measurement but I know Sarah would be proud knowing my son. :). Thanks for a keeper, Sarah.5 stars

  3. Yumm!! This was a super quick and easy way to make a last minute side for dinner. Bonus for the few ingredients.5 stars

    1. Hi Patricia, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it so much! It’s truly something we make weekly in our house.

      If you’re doubling it in the Instant Pot, just know that it will take longer to come to pressure and longer to depressurize.

  4. I just wanted to say THANK YOU for such a FAB recipe! It’s so simple with the Instant Pot (and your detailed directions). I have made this recipe three times now and have used chicken broth, vegetable broth and water. It turns out great, everytime. I do skip the “melting butter” step and just throw the stick in with the rest of the ingredients. It works just fine when you fluff the rice at the end. Just a heads up if anyone is pushed for time! Thanks again!!5 stars

    1. Kellie, I’m so happy to hear you love this one! I’ve never done the “skip the butter” step, but you can bet your butt I’m trying it next time like that.

      This recipe came about because a friend’s family really loved a packaged rice side she bought all the time. She hated the list of ingredients in it, and challenged me to create a homemade version. I tested it multiple times, and finally settled on this version. What started as a challenge has become a recipe that tons of people love, and that brings me a lot of joy.

  5. I just got my Instapot today & tried your recipe ~ we loved it!!! Thank you for a great recipe that is so easy & delicious 😁5 stars

    1. So glad to hear that, Dona! It’s definitely a family favorite of ours and it makes me so happy when other people enjoy it.

  6. I have used this time and time again. I try not to make it because if I do, I end up eating too much rice! I omit the cheese but that’s just how I like it.5 stars

  7. This was such an easy and delicious instant pot rice recipe. Definitely moving into our dinner rotation! Thank you 😊5 stars

  8. Hi Sarah, I just tried one of your recipes for the first time. I had tried cooking rice in the Instant Pot before and was not very excited about the result but your Garlic Butter Rice is really good. The family loved it. You have inspired me to further experimentation with the Instant Pot.

    Thank you5 stars

    1. So glad you liked it, Tiara! It’s a family favorite that we make weekly. I love that other people have enjoyed it as well.

    1. I think the base recipe would work, but I think only on the stovetop. My best guess is that it would turn to mush in the Instant Pot.

      If you try it, I’d love to hear about your results. I can add notes to the post to help other readers.

    1. Hi Angel, I do not have a rice cooker, so I’ve been unable to test it out for myself. If you give a try, I’d love to hear how it goes.

  9. I made this on the stove with jasmine rice, and it cooked fine. We definitely weren’t blown away with it or anything, but I’ll keep it in my recipes for an easy side. We just had to add a lot of salt. 3 stars

    1. Glad to hear you were able to adapt it to your preferences, Christin. That’s what makes cooking so fun; everyone gets to personalize it to make it “theirs”.

    1. Yes, you definitely can. I find that basmati rice generally only needs 5 minutes in the Instant Pot instead of 6. I haven’t tried it in this exact recipe yet, but I think I’d start with 5 minutes and see how that works. You can always add 1 extra minute if you open the pot and find that it’s undercooked.

    1. Hi Anna, I don’t rinse the rice first. Our comes out perfectly every time, so here are a few things that might impact your texture:
      1) are you at a higher elevation than 1500 feet?
      2) did you use a liquid measuring cup for the broth, or a dry measuring cup? (it should be a liquid cup)
      3) did you allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure?

      1. Hi Sarah, 
        For#3 in your response above, the recipe doesn’t say anything about letting the rice sit for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure. 

        Step 4 says: “ When the cooking time is up, flip the vent to venting and perform a quick release.”

        Should this natural release for 10mins or should it be quick release? Thanks.

        1. Hi Janice, you’re absolutely correct. I have 7 Instant Pot rice recipes and was confusing this one with another.

          You can do either for the release. When I’m home and have the time, I often do 10 minutes. If I’m in a rush, I do a quick release on it.

  10. This recipe was so easy to make and tasted great. I loved that you added the amounts to the ingredients in the directions along with the list above. Then it’s one less step to scroll up and down to remember the amounts for everything. I used the insta pot version.5 stars

    1. So glad you enjoyed it, Dani. It’s one of our family’s favorite easy recipes.

      And yes, the ingredients in the directions are one of my favorite features. I get frustrated when I’m making a recipe from another site.

      1. Just FYI, adding ingredient amounts in the directions is not loved by everyone! (You can’t please us all!) I’m NOT complaining, but want you to be aware that when amounts are in the directions, and one changes the number of servings, you have to go back and manually change every one of the amounts in the directions or risk a major boo-boo….. The automatic adjustments affect the amounts of what is listed in Ingredients, but never affect notes, or cooking times. Thanks for the recipe!

        1. Curious about your comment, I just tried it myself. With this very recipe.

          I doubled the number of the servings in the recipe card and the ingredients below the instructions also doubled. I tried tripling the servings and the ingredients also tripled.

          I also tried it with 4 other recipes, and all the ingredient amounts adjusted. I also asked a few friends to try it and none of them were able to replicate the issue you mentioned.

          I’m not sure what you were seeing on your end, but when I viewed it in an incognito browser window (so that it wouldn’t know I was logged into my own site), everything adjusted accordingly.

    1. I have never cooked minute rice before, but I assume it would work. As for the cooking time, I couldn’t say since I have never worked with it. I’d probably just follow the instructions on the package.

      I would also dial back the chicken stock a bit since minute rice doesn’t need to absorb as much liquid.