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5 from 2 votes

How to Make the Best Rice Ever (Stove Top and Instant Pot)

How to Make the Best Rice Pilaf: An easy guide to a mouthwatering rice pilaf side dish. This recipe is made with tender long grain rice and small pasta pieces flavored with onion, garlic, salt, and butter.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Author: Lexi

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ⅓ cup dried GF spaghetti, broken into 1” inch pieces (about 40 pieces spaghetti or 1.75 ounces)
  • ½ small onion very fine dice (about ¼ cup diced onion)
  • 1 garlic clove minced fine
  • 2 cup long grain rice
  • 4 cup water
  • 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice: Place rice in a large bowl and fill with cold water and move the rice around with your hands. Drain the rice and repeat this step until the water inside the bowl is clear.
  • Heat a medium to large pot and add oil. Once hot at the dried spaghetti (you'll need about 40 small pieces of spaghetti or 1.75 ounces) and toast, until the pasta is light brown. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onion and garlic and cooking, stirring,  for 3 minutes until just slightly beginning to soften.
  • Add the rice, salt and water and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until all the water has evaporated below the rice and the bubbles have disappeared, about 10 minutes.
  • Cover and reduce temperature to the lowest heat and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Once done, fluff with a fork and serve immediately. If you’d like to make a pega (crispy fried rice bottom) you can leave the rice with the low heat for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Notes

  1. We really love the flavor of the full 2 teaspoons of salt, but if you prefer you can reduce it slightly to about 1-1/2 teaspoons, though it will be a little more bland.
  2. To cook in the Instant Pot (note the different amount of water added than on the stove top, all other ingredients stay the same):
    1. Rinse the rice: Place rice in a large bowl and fill with cold water and move the rice around with your hands. Drain the rice and repeat this step until the water inside the bowl is clear.
    2. Press saute on instant pot and and add oil. Once hot at the dried pasta and toast, until the pasta is light brown. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes until just slightly beginning to soften.
    3. Add the rice, salt and 2 cups of water (this amount is different than the remainder of the recipe) and press the rice button (or cook on manual pressure for 12 minutes).
    4. When done use the quick release function.
    5. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately or cool down to use for meal prep.
  3. The rice will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively you can freeze in single serve portions to use for a quick weeknight dinner. To reheat place rice in a medium pot with 2 tablespoons of water and place on low heat with a cover. Cook for about 10 minutes until the rice is completely heated through and the water has been absorbed.