Garlic butter rice is an easy to make and incredibly delicious side dish. The buttery, garlicky rice topped with crispy garlic is sure to be a winner in your house.

Complete the meal with a side of juicy baked pork chops or soy sauce chicken and some roasted broccoli. And if you love trying new rice recipes, also try our spicy Mexican rice!

Garlic butter rice in a serving dish topped with crispy garlic.

Garlic butter rice

Of all the rice recipes in the world, this one is our favorite. And if you love garlic, you're going to love this recipe, too. There's so much delicious garlic buttery flavor going on here that you may even be tempted to eat this and call it dinner. (Some veggies and protein will certainly round things out, but we're not judging if garlic butter rice is your meal.)

On top of the perfectly cooked, flavorful rice is a sprinkle of crispy garlic. This is big-time umami and truly takes this humble side dish to the next level.

How to make garlic butter rice

There are two parts to making this recipe and both are very simple.

  1. Make the crispy garlic. Simply cook thinly sliced garlic in some butter for 3-4 minutes, until it is golden and smells incredible.
  2. Make the rice. Cook some minced garlic in butter then add the rice, broth, salt, and pepper. Now simmer the rice for 12 minutes then let it rest off the heat for 10 minutes more.

When you serve the rice, top it with some of the crispy garlic for a little bit of heaven on your plate.

Full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

4 pictures showing how to make this garlic butter rice recipe.

How long does cooked rice last?

Cooked rice will keep for 3-4 days in a covered container in your fridge.

Can you freeze cooked rice?

Yes! Cooked rice freezes very well. Let it cool completely then store it in freezer-safe containers for up to three months. We love these reusable Stasher freezer bags to store just about everything in our freezer, including this garlic butter rice.

What to serve with garlic butter rice

Garlic butter rice is a versatile recipe that will go well with most of your favorite main dishes. Here are a few that go really well this rice:

A close up of garlic butter rice with crispy garlic and scallions on the top.
Garlic butter rice in a serving dish topped with crispy garlic.

Garlic Butter Rice Recipe

Garlic butter rice is an easy to make and incredibly delicious side dish. The buttery, garlicky rice topped with crispy garlic is sure to be a winner in your house.Ā 

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.98 stars (46 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 ½ cups basmati rice
  • 2 ¼ cups broth or water
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
  • Sliced green onions, to serve

Instructions 

  • Cut half of the garlic cloves into thin slices. Mince the other half of the garlic.
    10 cloves garlic
  • Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until it's golden. Reduce the heat if the butter begins to brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the pot.
    3 tablespoons butter
  • Add the minced garlic to the pot and let it cook for 1 minute. Add the basmati rice, broth, salt, and pepper and stir the pot. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 12 minutes.Ā 
    1 ½ cups basmati rice, 2 ¼ cups broth or water, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
  • Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork then serve topped with the cooked sliced garlic and some green onions.
    Sliced green onions
Serving: 1 serving = ½ cup, Calories: 226kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 247mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 175IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
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Garlic butter rice in a serving dish topped with crispy garlic and the recipe title on top of the picture.