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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.
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.
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.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Want more fast pressure cooker sides? You’ll love these Easy Instant Pot Side Dishes.
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Jasmine Rice in Instant Pot
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice
- Fried Cabbage With Bacon
- Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice
Garlic Butter Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
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
- Use 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley in place of dried
Use 1.5 tsp garlic powder in place of fresh - If you use instant rice, reduce cooking time to 4 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- I used long-grain Jasmine rice in this recipe.
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super easy and very good. Thank you for sharing.
So thrilled to hear you liked it, Peachy!
This recipe was so so good and tasty! Love that it was super easy to make too. Definitely will be making it again!
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.
What do you think about using frozen cauliflower rice?
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.
Can this be made in a rice cooker? Thank you
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.
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.
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”.
Can you use white rice instead of basmati? Does that change the cooking time at all?
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.
If I double the recipe; do I just double every ingredient?
Yep! The cooking time will remain the same.
Did you rinse the rice first? My rice came out a little aldente. I used the instapot version.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can you use minute rice for the stove top version? If so, how long would you cook it for?
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.