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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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!
I made this for family dinner and it was absolutely AMAZING!! Everyone was in LOVE with it. Even my grandma who isn’t a big fan of mushrooms
It was delish. Thank you.
This is one of my favorite side dishes to make. I follow the recipe exactly as stated except I use two 4 oz cans of sliced mushrooms instead of fresh mushrooms. Depending on what I have open in the fridge, I’ll either use vegetable broth or chicken broth. This side pairs great with Beth’s garlic herb baked chicken breast recipe!!
I make this a lot, at least a couple times a month. It’s so delicious and easy! I make this along with your simple sauteed veg recipe and whatever protein I have on hand. I had my mom over and she ended up eating a whole bowl of just this rice for lunch – she said it was great on it’s own.
I made this for the first time, and it was a big hit! Even my 6 year old, who is a decidedly picky eater, enjoyed it and asked for seconds. Its simple, fast and delicious. I paired it with roast chicken and green beans. And I used the leftovers in a frittata the next morning with spinach and Parmesan (it was delicious!) This will definitely be going into my regular rotation!
Hi. Can I reheat this dish?
Yes! Depending on the portion size, I like to sprinkle a tsp/tbsp of water over the leftovers (to re-steam the rice and prevent it from getting hard/crunchy), and then microwave it for a few minutes until it’s heated through, fluffing it again to release the extra steam. ~ marion :)
Can I use brown rice?
Yes, of course. But the cook time and liquid ratios will be different, and as we haven’t made it with brown rice, we can’t give you guidance. XOXO -Monti
Love it!!! Especially when mushrooms are on sale!!
Great recipe and flavors, although the reccomened time for the rice to cook was definitely too short for me, which was a bummer.
Loved this. Added extra garlic and mushrooms, half creminis and half porchinis, with the porchinis soaking in homemade stock which I then used for the rice. Used Thai jasmine rice and 15 mins plus 5 mins stand time was perfect after the 2 min toasting. Stirred in cooked peas at the end so I didn’t need another side dish. Everyone loved it!
I made this to go with baked citrus cod. Used free range chicken broth instead of water. Cut the recipe inhalf because I live alone these days.
If my comment doesn’t agree with others, it’s because they haven’t tried this recipe…it is FANTASTIC with cod and should be with chicken of pork.
A freakin’ winner!
Made this for dinner last night as a side dish to baked salmon, and it will definitely be in my regular rotation from now on! The only thing I changed is I added the mushrooms to a dry pan first to sweat out as much liquid as possible, then I added the butter, garlic, and seasoning to cook down a little more. It was delicious. I think I will add onions and cook them down with the mushrooms next time. I also love the idea of making a rice bowl with an egg on top. Thank you for such an easy and delicious side!
Just made it for a side dish. VERY TASTY! Next time, probably going to do what a previous commenter suggested and add chicken to make it a 1 pot meal.
This turned out amazing! who knew just two ingredients could pack so much flavour! I forgot to toast the rice after the mushrooms cooked and added the rice and broth and butter together. When I realised my mistake i just kept stirring until all the butter melted, covered and continued with the other steps. it was phenomenal! perfect separated rice! I did rinse the rice and soak for less than 10 minutes while i cut up the mushrooms.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I make this weekly, it’s that good and simple of a side dish. I usually make it with brown rice or quinoa (but have made with white) and it turns out just as good (I use the correct ratio of broth for 1 one cup quinoa or brown rice). Much healthier than those packaged sidekck things too, and better flavour.
I cannot get enough this recipe!