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Garlic Butter Rice

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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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 affordable, 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, Paleo Roast Chicken, Air Fryer Steak Bites, Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy, Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, or Roasted Frozen Broccoli.

And for my vegetarian friends, try it over this Tempeh Bolognese from Hey Nutrition Lady.

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.
  • 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.
a white and blue bowl with garlic rice topped with chopped parsley.
Print Recipe
4.98 from 75 ratings

Garlic Butter Rice

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Pressurizing Time7 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
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 Facts
Garlic Butter Rice
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 212.94 Calories from Fat 58
% Daily Value*
Fat 6.39g10%
Saturated Fat 3.94g25%
Cholesterol 16.18mg5%
Sodium 392.33mg17%
Potassium 53.29mg2%
Carbohydrates 34.43g11%
Fiber 0.54g2%
Sugar 0.75g1%
Protein 3.68g7%
Vitamin A 354.8IU7%
Vitamin C 0.47mg1%
Calcium 35.64mg4%
Iron 0.33mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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94 comments on “Garlic Butter Rice”

  1. Amazing and so simple and quick.  My husband was like that smells so good! He is not a big rice fan but he loves it!
    Great recipe 5 stars

    • Kelly, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and it helped win over your husband.

      My oldest kid didn’t like rice or french fries for years and I never could wrap my head around that.

  2. A staple at our house! So easy. So quick. So creamy!5 stars

  3. Appreciate it for helping out, fantastic info .5 stars

  4. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! So easy and always a great side dish! It is our go
    to side dish. So easy to whip up. I had to add more chicken broth – my first batch was delicious
    but sticky. Thumbs up!!5 stars

  5. Delicious! Made this in a hurry to go with some quick grilled chicken. My rice came out sticky but so flavorful. I gather instant pots are different. This recipe is a keeper but will add more liquid next time.  Yummy!5 stars

    • Beth, I’m so glad that you liked it! Did you make it in a rice cooker? Ours is never sticky in the IP, so I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot.

  6. I did it on the stovetop. I browned crumbled Italian sausage, use the dripping in lieu of butter, pressed garlic instead of minced, and Italian seasoning in lieu of parsley. After 15 min on low I add some frozen peas and carrots and let it sit for a bit to steam. I only dirtied my garlic press, a spatula, and a saucepan for this. Ok ok also a bowl and a spoon, but this is so good and easy I can just eat it straight from the pot. I am currently having SAD (yay winter!) with no desire to do anything. This easy rice dish ensure that I eat something instead of going to sleep hungry. Thank you.5 stars

    • Ary, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I am honored to have been part of something that helped you feel a little bit better. Best of luck to you until spring. Hang in there!

  7. Have you doubled the recipe? Just curious about the cook time. 5 stars

  8. I don’t know why I’ve never made this but I just did and it REALLY good!5 stars

  9. Oh my gosh, this was AWESOME – since it was so simple, I didn’t expect it to taste so ridiculously amazing, but it did! I cooked it in the IP (I’m a newbie, and LOVING my new toy!) and used brown basmati rice, and maybe an extra clove of garlic…and a little extra fresh parmigiano reggiano.. 🙂 Didn’t have any fresh herbs, so I used two drops of doTERRA cilantro essential oil. Served with organic chicken sausage with mushrooms (apologies to my vegetarian friends), and yellow squash and zucchini (sauteed in evoo, balsamic vinegar and za’atar) topped with feta cheese and sliced garlic-stuff green olives. Will definitely make a double-batch next time!5 stars

  10. I’m not a huge rice fan but my husband loves it so I thought I’d try something different. This was really good, my husband said that it was better than any restaurant rice he has ever had. My daughter also loved the flavour combination and thought it would also be great for quinoa. Excellent recipe, will be in our regular rotation! Thank you!5 stars