Italian Herbed Rice Recipe

Photos of Italian Herbed Rice Recipe

Here’s a simple herbed rice recipe that will add a touch of elegance to any meal. It’s made tasty by fresh herbs, chopped garlic, chicken broth, and salted butter, with an added fresh citrusy notes from lemon juice. Pair this herbed rice pilaf on a fine dinner date with seafood gumbo or grilled chicken on the barbie.

Tips on Making Herbed Rice

We used chicken broth instead of water for this herb rice recipe. It instantly gives a subtle savory flavor to the rice without making it too overpowering when paired with chicken, pork, or fish. Plus, we fried the spices for rice first to awaken their aroma before adding the liquid. Here are more tips in making herbed rice that you should know about:

Use long grain rice such as Jasmine or Basmati rice. Rice of these types doesn’t easily get mushy. They stay fluffy and separate as they cook.

Substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs if that’s what you have available. It’ll work just fine. Use half the amount needed for fresh herbs when you will use dried, as dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor.

Other spices you can add, for instance, are fresh or dried oregano, cardamom, and some black pepper powder for some spice. Moreover, if you opt for a strong and spicy seasoned rice pilaf, you can add a teaspoon or two of cajun spice and some chilli flakes.

Rest the rice before serving it. This rest time will allow all the moisture to be absorbed.

Fluff the rice using a fork and not a spoon or spatula. As a result, the grains will not break apart.

How To Make Italian Herbed Rice

This tasty and fluffy herbed rice is cooked in chicken broth and is filled with fresh herbs, onion, garlic, butter, and lemon juice.

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 35 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup butter, salted
2 cup rice, uncooked, white, brown or wild
1 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 cups chicken broth

Instructions

Sauté onions and garlic in butter in a deep saucepan for 2 minutes or until translucent.
Add rice and spices and cook for another 2 minutes or until rice is fragrant.
Stir in chicken broth.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.

Nutrition

Sugar: 1g
:
Calcium: 51mg
Calories: 455kcal
Carbohydrates: 76g
Fat: 13g
Fiber: 1g
Iron: 1mg
Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
Potassium: 318mg
Protein: 8g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Sodium: 1000mg
Vitamin A: 664IU
Vitamin C: 20mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What can be added to rice for flavor?

The easiest method on how to flavor rice is to cook it with flavored liquid such as stock or broth instead of water. You can also replace a part of the liquid with pureed vegetables like spinach or kale. Another way is to cook steamed rice as you normally would, drizzle some oil-based herb dressing like this basil vinaigrette while it’s hot, and then fluff it up using a fork.

Can you put herbs in a rice cooker?

Yes. Measure the rice and water accordingly, then mix in the herbs before you set the rice cooker on.

Conclusion

This herbed rice recipe shows that a few simple extra steps can give your meals an upgrade. So reach into your herb garden or pantry, and try this recipe today!