Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice is an all-around amazing side dish! Rather than serving plain white rice, change it up with this fresh, flavorful, easy to prepare rice! Use this recipe as a side dish to baked chicken, salmon, beef, or even use it for your burrito bowls!
Ever feel like you want a simple refreshing side dish to go alongside your weekly staples? WELL. This. Just. In.
I consume a lot of rice. We’re talking a lot. While I’m a huge fan of plain jane steamed brown rice or white rice, I’ve gotten creative over the years to change things up.
Just take for instance my Spanish Rice, Rice Pilaf, Pineapple Fried Rice, Basil Fried Rice, and more! There’s no end to the magnificence of the rice!
For this rendition, we’re going zesty and herby with lemon and rosemary. The two work great together, and the addition of ghee, onion, and garlic really infuses rice with such comforting flavor!
Pair this with anything! I brought it to a family dinner where the main dish was ribs, so you know it is versatile.
Ingredients for Lemon Garlic Rosemary White Rice:
Long-Grain White Rice: I like using organic white rice, and I soak it for at least 1 hour (often overnight) prior to cooking. This ensures the rice cooks to a nice fluffy consistency and also removes some of the arsenic.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: Sauteed onion and garlic provide amazing flavor in this rice! You only need to saute them for a couple of minutes to unleash some mega flavor. The flavor cooks into the rice, creating a magical, flavorful dish.
If you’re a mega fan of garlic, consider roasting a whole bulb of garlic and chopping up ½ of the cloves (or all of the cloves) and adding them to the rice.
Avocado oil and ghee (or butter): We use avocado oil and ghee to saute the onion and garlic and add nice rich flavor to the rice. You can swap the ghee out for butter if you prefer.
Dried Rosemary: Rosemary and rice go great together! Rosemary provides a nice rustic herby essence, which pairs beautifully with any rustic chicken, beef or seafood main dish. You can also use fresh rosemary, but I use dried because I always have it on hand.
Lemon Zest: Lemon zest goes a long way in this dish! You only need the zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon worth), and no lemon juice. I find lemon juice is a bit too much as I go for a very subtle zesty flavor, but you can add in lemon juice (I’d start with 1 tablespoon and go from there) if you’re so inclined.
Optional Add-Ins
- Dried oregano and parsley. Huge fan of herbs? Add in more dried herbs like oregano and/or parsley!
- White Wine: You can also add ¼ cup white wine. If you do so, add it at the same time you add the water, reducing the water by ¼ cup. Also add a small amount of pure maple syrup, honey, or sugar to offset the zing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Cheese lover? Stir in 1 cup of grated parmesan, gouda, or gruyere cheese to really make this recipe POP!
How to Make Lemon Rosemary Rice:
Place rice in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Allow rice to soak at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour (up to overnight). When you’re ready to cook, drain the water from the rice.
Heat the avocado oil and ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to sweat, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour in the rice and continue sautéing, stirring constantly, until rice barely begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
Add in the remaining ingredients, cover, and bring to a full boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until rice has cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove rice from the heat and remove the cover. Fluff rice with a fork, then replace the cover and allow it to sit another 5 to 10 minutes undisturbed.
Serve alongside your favorite main entrée.
Note: this makes a pretty sizable batch of rice – it should comfortably feed 6 to 10 adults. If you are serving fewer people and don’t want leftovers, simply halve the recipe.
Main Entrée Suggestions:
- Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper
- Paleo Beef Stroganoff
- Paleo Swedish Meatballs
- Gluten-Free Chicken Marsala
- Quick and Easy Turkey Meatballs
- Cod Salad with Basil Walnut Pesto
May all the rice be with you.
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If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice, soaked
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp ghee, or butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 1/2 cups water, or chicken broth
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
Instructions
- Place rice in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of water. Allow rice to soak at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour (up to overnight). When you’re ready to cook, drain the water from the rice.
- Heat the avocado oil and ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to sweat, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour in the rice and continue sauteeing, stirring constantly, until rice barely begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, cover, and bring to a full boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until rice has cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove rice from the heat and remove the cover. Fluff rice with a fork, then replace the cover and allow it to sit another 5 to 10 minutes undisturbed.
- Serve alongside your favorite main entrée.
Peggy Heintz
Saturday 18th of June 2022
If you use regular long grain rice, does it still need to be soaked?
Julia
Monday 20th of June 2022
Hi Peggy,
The rice doesn't have to be soaked. I just like soaking it because it removes a little bit of the starch and helps it to cook evenly. That said, the soaking step is more optional than it is mandatory :) xoxoxo