Bored of plain old rice for dinner? Try this buttery rice infused with aromatic garlic throughout! It’ll only take 5 extra minutes and handful of ingredients to transform plain rice into a flavorful side dish!!

Ingredient Notes:
- Long grain rice – There’re different types of rice: short, medium and long-grain rice, which is the rice’s length-to-width ratio when cooked. For this recipe, I recommend long grain white rice, such as basmati and jasmine.
- Garlic – Select garlic that is firm and has no sprouts on it, which means they’re fresh.
- Stock – We find chicken or vegetable stock makes richer and more flavorful rice. In a pinch, you can use water too.

How to make this recipe:
Compared to my plain steamed rice, this recipe takes about 5 extra minutes and handful of more ingredients, but nonetheless, it’s quite easy to make!
Step 1: Melt butter in a 2.5qt saucepan over medium heat. Then add garlic and sauté until garlic is nice and golden. It’ll smell amazing!!!
TIP: Don’t be tempted to increase the heat. Garlic burns easily and will taste bitter!

Step 2. Add rice and sauté for a minute, stirring well to coat each rice grain in garlicky butter. Then pour in stock of your choice, cover and bring it to a slow boil over medium high heat.
Step 3. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Then turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes, covered. Don’t be tempted to open the lid, because steam is what finishes the cooking.

Step 4. Fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with sliced green onion, or herbs, or crispy garlic chips. Serve immediately.

2 Tips for Fluffier Rice:
- I find rinsing the rice a couple of times removes loose starch on grains and it results in fluffier rice grains that don’t stick to each other.
- If I have time, I also like to soak my rice for 30 minutes prior to cooking it. This’s totally optional, but it makes the rice less brittle and helps the grains not to break when you fluff them with a fork.
What to serve with this aromatic rice:
Garlic butter rice pairs perfectly just about any dish. Here’re my favorites:

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know once you’ve tried it by leaving a comment below or sharing a photo and tagging @busy_cooks on Instagram!

Garlic butter rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups long grain white rice Note 1
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Optional garnishes:
- Garlic chips
- Sliced green onions
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- In 2.5qt heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid, melt butter over medium heat.
- Then add minced garlic and sauté for a minute until it turns golden. Keep the heat on medium.
- Once garlic is golden and aromatic, add rice and sauté for a minute, stirring constantly to coat all the grains with butter and garlic.
- Pour in chicken stock and salt. Give it a quick stir and level the rice evenly.
- Cover the saucepan and bring it to a slow boil over medium high heat. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, covered.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes, covered. Don't be tempted to open the lid, because steam is what finishes the cooking.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with sliced green onion, or herbs, or crispy garlic chips. Serve immediately.
Notes
– For 1 cup rice, use 1½ cups liquid
– For 2 cups rice, use 3½ cups liquid
– For 3 cups rice, use 5½ cups liquid Storing Tips:
Store leftover rice in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Reader's Reviews
Betty says
Love love garlic butter rice, my great granddaughter don’t eat onion or garlic, but she love this rice. It’s a big hit in my house 💯
Shinee says
Yay, I’m so happy you gave my recipe a try and that your granddaughter loved it!! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Betty!