Mushroom Rice

Mushroom Rice is hearty, satisfying, and full of flavor. Delicious served as a side dish, or you can pair this mushroom rice recipe with a green salad for an easy and complete meal. 

Suitable for gluten-free and vegetarian diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated, and this delicious mushroom rice recipe is the perfect way to add more flavor to your diet. Rice is an affordable and filling dish, but plain white rice can be boring.

Luckily, it’s simple to spice up your rice with vegetables, herbs, and broth to make a flavorful and savory side dish or entrée that the whole family will love.

This easy mushroom rice dish starts with rich, earthy mushrooms that are sautéed until bursting with flavor.

The rice is then combined with aromatic onions and garlic and filled in with carrots for extra goodness. Rich vegetable broth, cream, and a host of herbs and spices make the rice creamy, silky, and oh, so good. 

My favorite way to serve this hearty and satisfying rice is as a main dish, paired with a simple green salad and some crusty bread and Baked Corn On The Cob.

But it’s equally perfect as a side dish paired with Air Fryer Steak Bites, Instant Pot Whole Chicken, or Air Fryer Lobster Tail.

Why Make This Recipe

• Simple – Get the rich flavors and hint of creaminess that comes with risotto without having to stand over the stove stirring constantly.  
• Customizable – Add your favorite vegetables to really make this rice pilaf a hearty dish.  
• Affordable – Rice is super affordable and you can use leftover vegetables from other meals to fill out the dish.  

Ingredient Notes

• Mushrooms – Use fresh mushrooms such as baby bellas. You can slice or quarter the mushrooms or use whole mushrooms if they are smaller. 
• Carrots – Dice the carrots into small cubes, so they cook quickly and are easy to eat.  
• Aromatics –  Minced onion and fresh minced garlic add depth of flavor. 
• Butter – Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness of the dish.  
• Cayenne Pepper – Cayenne adds heat to the dish. You can increase or decrease the amount to taste. 
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper – Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Rice – Use uncooked long grain rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice.
• Vegetable Broth – You can also use chicken or beef broth for a more robust flavor.  
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream makes the rice silky. You will omit this for the stovetop version. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – EVOO has a bold flavor, but you can substitute your favorite light oil as desired. 
• Green Onion – Chopped as garnish. You can also garnish with fresh parsley or other fresh herbs.

Ready to make this rice pilaf mushroom? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…

How To Make Mushroom Rice Recipe

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C and grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter.
2. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, carrot, onion, garlic, butter, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
3. Place uncooked rice in the baking dish and pour in vegetable broth, heavy cream, and oil. 
4. Next, add the mushroom mixture on top of the rice. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and place it on a baking tray set on the middle rack of the oven.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, then remove and garnish with green onions.
6. Toss and serve hot or cold.

How To Make Stovetop Mushroom Rice

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet, then add mushrooms and fry until golden. Cook in batches if needed, adding a little more oil between each batch. Remove the sautéed mushrooms and set aside.
2. Add a half tablespoon of oil and the melted butter to the skillet. Then add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots and cook for one minute, followed by the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the uncooked rice, followed by a few splashes of broth, and mix to deglaze the pan.
4. Add the remaining liquid, stir and cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. 
5. Remove from the heat. Open the pan and place the cooked mushrooms on top of the rice without mixing. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and stir everything together, fluffing the rice and incorporating the mushrooms throughout.

Expert Tips 

• Choose high-quality fresh mushrooms. They should smell fresh and should not be slimy. 
• Rinse the rice before cooking. It removes a layer of starch and will give you a fluffier rice dish. 
• Use long grain white rice or boost the flavor with aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine. 
• Short grain rice has more starch and is not recommended for this recipe. 
• Replace the mushrooms and carrots with vegetables of your choice to customize the flavors of this dish. 
• If cooking on the stovetop, eliminate the cream and increase the vegetable stock. 
• When sautéing mushrooms, cook them in batches so they caramelize. 
• When reheating, add additional liquid (water or broth) as needed to bring the rice back to the right consistency. 
• Cooking with the lid on (stovetop) or covered in foil (oven) allows steam to develop so the rice cooks properly. 

Delicious Variations

• Use Other Vegetables – Mushrooms have a rich and robust earthy flavor, but you can use many different kinds of veggies in this rice pilaf recipe. Try using broccoli, bell pepper, white mushrooms, cauliflower, or butternut squash. The key is to cook them first to soften them before adding them to the rice. 
• Use Chicken Broth – Replace the vegetable broth with chicken broth or stock for a richer flavor. 
• Make it Vegan – Replace the butter with oil or vegan butter, and replace the cream with an additional cup of vegetable stock. 
• Make it Spicy – Add a chopped jalapeno along with the onion, or add a pinch of red pepper flake to add a bit of spiciness. 
• Top It Off – Top your rice with parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, or fried onions. 

Prep And Storage

• Prep Ahead – This mushroom rice reheats well, so you can prepare in advance. 
• Store – Store leftover mushroom rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• Freeze – Freezing is not recommended because the rice and vegetables tend to become mushy. 
• Reheat – Leftover mushroom rice can be reheated in a microwave or a skillet. Add additional liquid (water or broth) as needed to bring the rice back to the right consistency. 

FAQs

More Recipes You May Like

• Air Fryer Garlic Mushroom Steaks.
• White Cheddar Mac and Cheese.
• Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms.
• Easy Greek Rice.
• Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast.
• Instant Pot Enchilada Rice.
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice.

Serving Suggestions

• 10-Minute Blackened Salmon.
• Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders.
• Juicy Air Fryer Steak.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Thank you for reading my mushroom and rice recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog. 

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Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Mushroom Rice

A delicious mushroom filled rice side or main dish.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: american, western

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: 6

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ cups (250g) mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1 cup (128g) diced carrots
• ▢ 1 medium onion minced
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup (210g) rice uncooked (long grain or basmati)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (375ml) vegetable broth
• ▢ ½ cup (125ml) heavy cream
• ▢ ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

To garnish

• ▢ ¼ cup chopped green onion

Instructions

Baking Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C and grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter.
• In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, carrot, onion, garlic, butter, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
• Place rice in the baking dish and pour in vegetable broth, heavy cream and oil.
• Then add the mushroom mixture on top of the rice. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it on top a baking tray set on the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake for 50 minutes, then remove and garnish with green onions.
• Toss and serve hot or cold.

Stovetop Instructions:

• For the stovetop version, eliminate the cream and increase vegetable broth to 2 ⅓ cups. You will also need extra olive oil for frying the mushrooms.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and fry until golden. Cook in batches if needed, adding a little more oil between each batch. Remove the cooked mushrooms and set aside.
• Add ½ tablespoon of oil and the melted butter to a skillet. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots and cook for one minute, followed by the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the rice, followed by a few splashes of broth and mix to deglaze the pan.
• Add the remaining liquid, stir and cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from the heat, open the lid and place the cooked mushrooms on top of the rice without mixing. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and stir everything together, fluffing the rice and incorporating the mushrooms throughout.

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Video

Notes

• Choose high-quality fresh mushrooms. They should smell fresh and not be slimy. 
• Rinse the rice before cooking. It removes a layer of starch and will give you a fluffier rice dish. 
• Use long grain white rice or boost the flavor with aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine. 
• Short grain rice has more starch and is not recommended for this recipe. 
• Replace the mushrooms and carrots with vegetables of your choice to customize the flavors of this dish. 
• If cooking on the stovetop, eliminate the cream and increase the vegetable stock. 
• When sautéing mushrooms, cook them in batches so they caramelize. 
• When reheating, add additional liquid (water or broth) as needed to bring the rice back to the right consistency. 
• Cooking with the lid on (stovetop) or covered in foil (oven) allows steam to develop so the rice cooks properly. 
• Storage – keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for 5 days.
• There are 9 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4209IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg