Texas Roadhouse Seasoned Rice is a rice pilaf with lots of flavors that is a delicious side dish to add to any main dish.
TEXAS ROADHOUSE SEASONED RICE
Texas Roadhouse Rolls are not the only thing that is a staple on the Texas Roadhouse restaurant menu. Seasoned rice is a popular side that is offered. It has a strong flavor from seasonings and with crushed red pepper flakes, the rice also has a little kick to it.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Rice: Use long-grained white rice for this recipe, like jasmine or basmati. It separates better than medium or short-grained rice, which easily sticks together.
Seasonings: The seasonings give bold flavor to the rice. If you don’t want a little extra kick in each bite, leave out the crushed red pepper flakes.
Chicken Stock: You will need 5 cups of chicken stock
RINSING RICE
The first thing to do before making this recipe is to rinse the rice. The reason to rinse the rice is to give it a more consistent texture and remove any pesticides or debris that may be on the rice. Rinsing also gets rid of excess starch, which, in turn, keeps the grains fluffy and not stick together.
To know when the rice has been rinsed enough, the water coming out of the bottom of the strainer should be almost clear. At that point, the rice is ready to be cooked.
HOW TO MAKE SEASONED RICE
Once the rice has been rinsed, set it aside and melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and saute it until browned. This takes from 5-7 minutes. Next, add the seasonings and mix them in with the rice. Pour in the chicken stock, mix, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. At this point, the rice should have softened and most of the liquid will have been absorbed. When it’s done, it will still look a little wet. Be careful not to overcook the rice. Serve immediately.
WHY IS THE RICE MUSHY OR DRY?
Nobody wants mushy or dry (crunchy) rice. So, how do you prevent either from happening? If the rice is too mushy, or gummy, it was probably cooked too long. Or, it wasn’t rinsed enough before cooking it.
If the rice is still crunchy, or undercooked, it could have been cooked at too high of a temperature. Or, if you removed the lid too soon, steam could have escaped, causing the rice to be crunchy. Finally, there may not have been enough liquid added. If that is the case, add a little more liquid to the rice and let it cook a little longer.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 5 cups chicken stock
Instructions
In a large saucepan over medium-high, melt butter.
Add rice and saute until browned (about 5-7 minutes).
Add onion, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Mix until combined.
Add chicken stock, mix, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until rice has softened and most of the liquid is absorbed. (Be careful not to overcook; it should still be a little wet-looking.) Serve immediately.
