5 Insanely Good Rice Recipes You Can Make Tonight

Jasmine rice is by far my favorite rice to cook with.

It has a rich flavor and holds up well as opposed to regular white rice that tends to clump together. It's low in calories and high in protein and comes in white and brown so if you prefer brown rice you're in luck! Brown jasmine rice has a similar nutty flavor to jasmine rice, but it is more robust, and the grains are chewier.

The Easiest Mexican Rice

What you need:

2 C jasmine rice

8oz tomato sauce

4 tsp caldo de tomato

4 tsp caldo con sabor de pollo

2-4 TBS olive or vegetable oil

3 C warm water

This is literally the easiet Mexican rice to whip up. It takes about 20 minutes to cook and tastes as good as at the restaurant. We love to make "Pollo Loco" with this! Which is Mexican rice topped with grilled chicken in Mexican spices and cheese dip.

Here's how you make it:

1. In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice, stirring constantly until golden brown.

2. Reduce heat to avoid splattering and add water and tomato sauce. Stir. Add Caldo de Tomato and Caldo Con Sabor de Pollo. Stir. Return to medium-high heat and bring to a boil before turning to low heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

3. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Recover and set aside for 10-15 minute before serving.

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rice

What you need:

1 stick salted butter

2 C jasmine rice

1 large yellow onion (thinly diced)

1 C finely chopped parsley

2 TBS paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cayenne

1/2 C low sodium soy sauce

4 C chicken broth

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Take your family to the steakhouse without the steakhouse bill! Serve with steak, chicken or skewer shrimp, some Sister Schuberts rolls (no, they aren't Texas Roadhouse rolls but they are delicious!), bacon green beans and seasoned fries and your basically there!

Here's how you make it:

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the rice in butter, stirring constantly until lightly browned.

2. Add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent.

3. Mix in the parsley, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce.

4. Pour the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 5 more minutes.

5. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid fully absorbed.

6. Fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Rice

Here's what you need:

2 TBS butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cinnamon

2 C jasmine rice

3 C chicken broth

1 bay leaf, optional

You can serve this with a variety of meats! Some of my favorites (that my picky eaters will eat) Caribbean jerk chicken or pork chops, Mexican style carne asada, beef stir fry (beef and broccoli for me) & Mongolian beef.

Here's how you make it:

1. Add the butter, garlic, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pot. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic has softened.

2. Add the rice to the pot. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice.

3. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf to the pot. Place a lid on top, increase the heat to high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

4. After letting it simmer for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and set aside for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Garlic & Herb Rice Pilaf

What you need:

2 tbsp Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt

1 C jasmine rice

1½ tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried parsley

2 C chicken broth

This is super basic rice and can be served with a variety of food but my favorite is herb crusted chicken (or salmon) and salad!

Here's how you make it:

1. Rinse the Jasmine rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs clear.

2. Heat the Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt over medium heat until melted and then add in the rinsed and drained rice, garlic salt, thyme, rosemary and parsley, stirring constantly until rice is lightly toasted. About 2 minutes.

3. Add in chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir and cover with lid. Let cook until rice has absorbed liquid, about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

Easy Hibachi Rice

What you need:

9 servings Cooked jasmine rice (it sounds like a lot but my family of 5 goes through this rice like crazy!)

2 TBS oil

2 eggs

1 stick butter

Low-sodium soy sauce to taste

Teriyaki sauce to taste (kikoman's is my favorite)

12oz bag steamable peas and carrots cooked according to package. (Optional. My family is picky so we omit the veggies and I make my own side of veggies!)

If you have a Blackstone, try this recipe on it! Hibachi night is a weekly tradition at our house!

Here's how you make it:

1. Cook jasmine rice according to package directions and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat (or if you're feeling froggy make this on the blackstone). Crack two eggs in the pan. Using a spatula, scramble eggs into small pieces.

3. Melt butter in the pan and add rice and veggies if you so desire. Stir to coat with butter. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.

4. Here's the fun part! Add soy sauce and teriyaki sauce to taste. Add a little at time! You can always add more but you can't take it out! (For reference, I typically add enough soy sauce to where there is very little white peaking through. And 2-3 TBS teriyaki sauce)

5. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with hibachi chicken and veggies!

I love making dishes that my family loves! These rice sides will surely become staples in your house! Which one is your favorite?

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from an affiliate link, I will make a commission from that sale.