I’m all about keeping side dishes really easy, but that doesn’t mean you need to stick to plain white rice. Adding a ton of flavor to rice is really simple and can take your meal to the next level. This simple mushroom rice combines earthy mushrooms, savory garlic, rich butter, and flavorful vegetable broth for a simple yet flavorful side dish. So if you find yourself buying boxed flavored rice mixes, you’ve got to try it from scratch at least once. I promise it’s just as easy! :)
What Kind of Mushrooms to Use
You can use just about any type of mushrooms for this rice, which means you can be flexible based on your budget. I used baby Bella mushrooms today because I was able to get them for a good price and they produce a nice deep brown color when sautéed.
What Type of Rice to Use
You can use any type of long-grain white rice. Plain white rice is great, but if you happen to have something a little more aromatic like basmati or jasmine rice, that would be even more next level. You could even turn this into a risotto by using short-grain rice, like arborio rice, but you might need more broth and you’ll need to add it incrementally while stirring.
What Type of Broth to Use
This mushroom rice will only be as flavorful as the broth you use, so make sure to use a quality broth with vibrant flavors. I used vegetable broth, but you could double down on the mushroom flavor and use a mushroom broth, if you prefer. You can use chicken broth or beef broth, if that’s what you have, just keeping in mind that it will change the flavor and potentially the color of the finished dish.
What Else Can I Add?
I like to keep recipes super simple and basic, then offer more add-in ideas for those who want a little more. Here are some other ingredients that you could add to this mushroom rice to make it a little extra special:
- Peas
- Crumbled bacon
- Parmesan cheese
- Spinach
- Top with crispy fried onions
- Green onions
What to Serve with Mushroom Rice
Mushroom rice would make a great side to something classic like Homemade Meatloaf, Baked Chicken Drumsticks, or Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin. Add some Roasted Broccoli or a Simple Side Salad as a second side dish and you have an easy, well-rounded meal!
Mushroom Rice
Servings 4 ¾ cup eachIngredients
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.49)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided ($0.30)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.62)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional) ($0.10)
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, and 1 Tbsp butter to a deep skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all of their water and the water has evaporated off the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the rice and 2 Tbsp butter to the skillet and continue to sauté for about two minutes more.
- Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
- Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a full boil. When it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low, or just above low, so the broth remains simmering.
- Let the rice simmer for 15 minutes without stirring or removing the lid. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest for another 5 minutes, without removing the lid.
- Finally, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and add salt or pepper, if desired. Top with chopped fresh parsley as a garnish.
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Equipment
Nutrition
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How to Make Mushroom Rice – Step by Step Photos
Slice 8oz. of mushrooms and mince two cloves of garlic.
Add the mushrooms and garlic to a deep skillet along with ¼ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, ⅛ tsp salt, and one tablespoon of butter.
Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all their water and the water has evaporated off the bottom of the pan.
Add one cup long-grain white rice and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Sauté the rice in the butter for about two minutes more.
Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth to the pan. Stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Place a lid on the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth come up to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low, or just above low, so the rice remains simmering. Let the rice simmer for 15 minutes, with the lid in place and without stirring. After 15 minutes, remove it from the heat and let it rest (again without stirring and without removing the lid) for an additional 5 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked and has rested off the heat for five minutes, remove the lid and fluff it with a fork. Taste and add salt or pepper if desired.
Top with chopped fresh parsley to garnish, if desired!
We loved this! Great way to make to have an easy side but tastes fancy!
Yum! ย Thanks for this amazingly buttery rice recipe. ย My husband and I LOVED it!
We love this and always double the mushrooms (we use baby bella).
I like to make it a one-pot meal by searing some seasoned chicken breast in the skillet first. It doesn’t have to be cooked thru. Then remove and keep warm (I just cover the plate with the skillet lid while prepping the rice). Continue with the recipe as normal and replace the chicken by placing it on top of the rice putting the lid on. I’ve thought about adding some frozen broccoli florets with the chicken as well but haven’t tried it yet.
This recipe is now in regular rotation in my household, thank you!
Made this with marinated fried tofu and asparagus and it was AMAZING. I made the tofu marinade with equal parts soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, with a pinch or two of black pepper. I did slabs, but next time Iโm doing cubes and mixing it in with the rice when itโs all done. Then I added the asparagus to the same pan I made the tofu in with a little extra garlic. ย Delicious!
Had to come on here to leave and review and tell you just how AMAZING this dish is! I mean likeโฆ. WOW!!!! I topped it off with some freshly shredded Parmesan and some crushed red pepper. Absolutely perfect dish for mushroom lovers!ย
I used half unsalted butter & olive oil! Yay! PERFECT!ย
I added sautรฉed onions, will beef up the garlic! Basmati rice is perfect! Finally I added shredded Parmesan!ย
DELICIOUS! Leftovers can be MUSHROOM FRIED RICE. โบ๏ธโบ๏ธ๐๐พย
Thank you! Easy & affordable! Endless Variations!ย
This rice is SO delicious! I was eating it straight out of the pan. I left off parsley only because I forgot it but otherwise followed the directions exactly and it is amazing.ย
Can I use Brown rice instead?
Brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time, so you’ll have to adjust those to compensate. :)
Do you think I could do this in a rice cooker if I saute everything but the broth first?
Definitely. :)
Sauteing the rice before adding hot broth is the classic way to make pilaf–it ensures that the grains stay whole and don’t turn into mush. This recipe is so easy, and so good with just about any everyday meat or poultry. I did saute about half a cup of diced onion with the mushrooms and garlic, used homemade chicken broth, and served with pork tenderloin (less than half an hour in the oven), green beans, and some of the cranberry chutney I’ve made ahead for Thanksgiving–great midday Sunday meal. Instead of dried thyme, I added about 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves toward the end of cooking. Thyme is a winter hardy herb, so I haven’t even brought my pot into the house yet–although this week’s hard freeze would have been the end of my basil had I not rescued it. I have to say that mushroom rice and green beans do seem to go together. I think this would also be terrific with any of the wonderful rice mixes available–I just had basmati in my cupboard today.
would love to make this using brown rice, but brown rice takes much longer. Would it still turn out with the extended cooking time?
I don’t think the mushrooms would overcook, so I think you could do that. Also keep in mind that you’ll probably want to add more liquid for brown rice as well.
Hey! If I wanted to make this ahead of time for thanksgiving, what would be the best way of going about that?
Rice can be tricky to reheat without it drying out, so I don’t think this is one that I would make ahead of time.
If you use a rice cooker, it keeps the rice nice and warm for a few hours.ย
Great tip! That sounds like the best option. :)
A couple beginner cook questions:
_ About how many minutes will it take for the mushrooms to release all their water and the water to evaporate off the bottom of the pan.
– Can I use frozen peas or spinach?
– At what point would I add the peas or spinach, and the parmesan cheese?
I saw your questions on Instagram and answered them there, but I’ll add it here too in case anyone else has the same questions. :) Cooking time for the mushrooms will vary a lot depending on many factors such as the size of the pieces, the type of cookware used, and the settings on your stove top, but maybe somewhere in the neighborhood of five minutes. Higher heat will make it go faster, lower heat will be slower, but the “medium heat” setting on stove tops can vary quite a bit from unit to unit. You can add frozen peas or spinach, I would add them with the broth. I would add Parmesan at the very end. :)