This lemon parsley rice recipe is the easiest side to make to complement any weeknight dinner, and is so quick throw together. The butter and lemon juice complement each other well and add a lot of flavor with just a few simple steps. As with anything, the recipe is flexible and you can substitute pre-squeezed lemon juice and dried parsley if needed, but fresh is best if you have it available.

Rice is one of those pantry staples that keeps well as dry food storage, you can buy in bulk for cheap, and is a great side to practically anything: pork, chicken, turkey, beef, fish, or vegetarian. The general rule of thumb I follow when cooking rice is one part dry rice to two parts water. You can adjust this recipe as needed, but make sure to have twice as much water for however much rice is used. For example, I adjusted the rice to 1 1/2 cups with 3 cups of water below to allow for additional servings.

Finely chop the parsley on a cutting board, and slice half of a lemon. Set out the butter for it to adjust to room temperature while the rice is cooking. Place the rice and water in a saucepan and cook on medium-high heat until boiling. Cover with lid. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer until water is almost completely absorbed.

Fluff rice with spatula or fork, and quickly add in butter, parsley, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in gently, and return lid to saucepan for 5-10 minutes to allow rice to set until no longer steaming. This helps the rice retain its texture when serving. Serve once finished.

Buttered Rice with Lemon and Parsley

Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Resting time

5-10

minutes

Ingredients

1 cup rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. lemon juice (approximately half a lemon)
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Chop parsley and slice lemon if using fresh lemon juice. Place rice and water in saucepan, set to medium-high heat and cover.
Once water is boiling, reduce heat to low. Cook 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed.
Remove lid to fluff rice. Quickly add in butter, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine and return lid to saucepan for 5-10 minutes to allow rice to set.
Serve rice once steam is no longer rising from saucepan and enjoy.

Notes

Tip: Keeping the saucepan covered once the rice is removed from heat allows the steam to finish cooking the rice and for it to retain its shape when serving. Allow a few minutes after cooking before serving to prevent rice from becoming too soft or mushy.