Cooking rice with chicken broth is one of the simplest ways to make your favorite quick and easy recipes more interesting. I’ve made a lot of rice over the years using various recipes and cooking methods, and the tips and tricks in this post are some of the best advice I’ve come across about how to make white rice taste better.
It’s part rice hack, part recipe — a “rice hack recipe,” if you will. I like the ease and consistency of doing it in my Instant Pot, so that’s the version you’ll see first, but I’ve also provided instructions for those who want to make it on their stovetop.
Table Of Contents
The Secret To How To Make The Best Rice
Steamed rice and boiled rice taste pretty neutral, and cooking rice in broth instead of water is an easy way to amp up the flavor. The savory flavors and aromas of the stock get infused into the rice, and all it takes is swapping out your cooking liquid!
I’ll be featuring a chicken-flavored rice recipe below, but you could just as easily use vegetable broth, beef broth, or any other kind of broth you like. Vegetable broth rice would make a delicious addition to a Meatless Monday stir-fry!
You don’t even have to keep broth or stock on hand to use this rice hack. Add bouillon cubes or Better Than Bouillon to hot water to make a simple broth whenever you need it! (You can also make homemade broth from scratch, and it’s easier than you might think!)
Jillee’s Take:
How To Cook Rice With Chicken Broth In An Instant Pot
I’ve been making rice in my Instant Pot for a long now — it’s so easy and turns out perfectly every time! Here’s how to cook rice with chicken broth (AKA chicken rice) in an Instant Pot, along with 4 tasty variations on the basic recipe.
Ingredients for basic broth rice:
- 2 cups white rice (long grain rice, jasmine rice, and basmati rice all work well here)
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock (or vegetable broth/stock, or beef broth/stock)
For Mexican-style rice, add:
- 1 Tbsp diced onion, sautéed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp tomato bouillon
For Indian-style creamy rice, add:
- 2 cups canned coconut milk (replaces broth or stock)
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
For cheesy Parmesan rice, add:
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice*
For pesto rice, add:
- 1 Tbsp pesto*
*Stir these ingredients into the rice after cooking it, not before.
Directions:
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then put it in your Instant Pot. Add the chicken broth or other cooking liquid (and additional ingredients, if using). Seal the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
More Ideas You'll Love
When the timer goes off, allow 10 minutes of Natural Release, then use Quick Release to release the remaining pressure from the pot. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Instant Pot Brown Rice Variation
To cook brown rice in your Instant Pot, follow the instructions above, but increase the cooking time to 15 minutes and reduce the Natural Release time to 5 minutes.
How To Make Stovetop Chicken Broth Rice
No Instant Pot? No problem! Follow this recipe to make a savory, delicious pot of rice on your stovetop.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups white rice
- 3 cups chicken broth or stock
Directions:
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then place it in a large pot and add the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer the rice for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the pot from heat (but don’t remove the lid) and let it rest for 5 minutes, or until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
“I also add black pepper, crushed garlic, a few drops of olive oil, and butter too […] So good.”
– OGT Reader Dee dee
Stovetop Brown Rice Variation
If you’re making brown rice, I highly recommend checking out my foolproof oven brown rice recipe. You can make it with broth or stock, and it’s so much easier to cook brown rice in an oven than on the stove!
How to Enjoy Leftovers
To store leftover chicken broth rice, put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the rice in your microwave before serving.
More Ideas You'll Love
Use leftover chicken broth rice to make Chicken Fried Rice for a meal the whole family will love!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Make White Rice Taste Better?
The best and easiest way to make white rice taste better is by cooking it in chicken, beef, or vegetable broth instead of water. You can also add spices to the broth like star anise, cloves, cumin, or coriander to enhance the flavor and aroma of white rice.
Is It Better To Cook Rice In Chicken Broth Or Add Broth To Cooked Rice?
Cooked rice will absorb a small amount of broth, but you’ll get much better results by cooking rice in broth, rather than adding it after the fact.
How Much Chicken Broth Should I Use For Two Cups Of Rice?
The right amount of liquid for rice depends on the cooking method. If you’re making it in a pressure cooker, use 2 cups of chicken broth and rice (1:1). If you’re cooking it on your stovetop, use 3 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of rice (1.5:1).
Can You Use Broth When Cooking Minute Rice?
Yes! Cook the rice according to the directions on the package, but use chicken broth (or your broth of choice) where it calls for water.
Conclusion
While I’m still a big believer in putting butter in rice, I’m glad I’ve been able to expand my horizons and find new ways to make white rice more flavorful. Give this delicious rice hack a try and experience flavorful rice like never before!
How do you cook rice?
Instant Pot Rice With Chicken Broth Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice
- 2 cups chicken broth or other broth
Instructions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly, then add it to your Instant Pot with the broth.
- Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Use Natural Release for 10 minutes, then use Quick Release to depressurize the pot.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm.
Notes
- 1 Tbsp diced onion, sautéed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp tomato bouillon
- 2 cups canned coconut milk (replaces broth or stock)
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice*
- 1 Tbsp pesto*
So, I cook rice on the stove. It doesn’t take very long.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have the Instant pot Duo-Mini. Because there is only 2 of us.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What size is your Instant Pot?
Preheat the broth to boiling to cut down on the time it takes the instant pot to come up to pressure.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As I get older, I’m more and more concerned about salt and sugar in my diet. I found sodium-free chicken bullion made by Herb Ox. I now use that when cooking rice and add salt to taste at the end.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I, too have been doing broths as my cooking liquid for years, as well. Makes good mashed potatoes, too! But I got some great ideas from everybody today. I have a question…Has anyone out there ever had good luck making rice in the microwave? I have tried, following the instructions to a T and still, it goes ALL over the inside of my micro! (no matter how big the container) Well, no matter, I’m going to do this way from now on. ******JILLEE******* I LOVE it when you have the info set up like this to print! I wish they all could be this way, it is so easy to understand and print. Thank you so much! I cannot figure out the way to print information by using that “DropBox” thing so I have to use about 20 pages every time and some have very little printing on them with large blanks spaces. Therefore, I have to really think hard about which things I really want to have.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Being the frugal person I am, I came upon this same trick when I decided to use the chicken bullion cubes that always languish in my spice cupboard. The tastiest rice ever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Rice is a staple here. To vary flavour, sprinkle some powdered soup over the rice and water in your rice cooker – add a few soaked shiitake mushrooms with a cream of mushroom soup. Add some vegetables to a tomato or vegetable soup. Twist the leafy tops of lemon grass and toss it into the rice cooker with the rice and water. I usually add a tsp of sunflower oil but that’s my usual cooking medium. Rice cooker addicted am I.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also add in black pepper, crushed garlic, a few drops of olive oil, and butter too, with or with out the broth what ever kind you choose. So good.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use (homemade) chicken/beef/vegetable broth depending on the dish I serve. I also add a teaspoon or tablespoon of butter, and, yes, lemon juice. Lemon juice enhances the flavour of vegetables, too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I left out a couple of things from my earlier post. Brown rice is healthier than white but has a strong nutty flavor. To cut down on the flavor I have mixed the brown and white. Just follow the brown rice directions for liquid and time to make sure it gets cooked properly! Best of both worlds!! I have added a small can of shrimp to the rice. Cooked and sliced sausage links can be used in the breakfast rice. Water chestnuts, cut up, would add a little soft crunch! Add some soy sauce or teriyaki sauce if making Asian rice! As for salt, I mix salt with NO SALT, a salt substitute. Reduced salt intake with good salt flavor! HAPPY COOKING!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is new to me, and a definite must-try. Thank you for posting.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The mini-recipes are terrific! My “flavor hack” when I want only white rice is to add 1-3 bay leaves to the pot while cooking. They impart a flavor reminiscent of jasmine rice, without the cost. Meatballs and milk gravy over bay leaf rice is exquisite; a real man-pleaser at breakfast or dinner.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try using tomatoes sauce yum!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use coconut milk, pineapple juice, green onion and lime zest which actually works well with quinoa too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been using chicken broth and vegetables broth for years. Another ingredient that makes rice spectacular is oyster sauce, just a dash or two in the broth makes rice sing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like to saute the rice in butter before I cook the rice in liquid. Then, I will add frozen diced peas and carrots to the liquid in the middle of cooking. Also I do add a pinch of salt as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is another great tip, too, especially when making Spanish Rice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the reminder about using chicken stock for cooking rice. I have two big containers of homemade broth in the freezer. I add tumeric to a brown rice and water in my rice cooker. You can cook with broth and tossing about a teaspoonful (or more depending on your taste) of tumeric in adds so much flavor and colour.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m for sure going to try this. One of my favorite things to add to cooking rice is dried chives. Gives a subtle onion flavor and pretty color.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love putting beef or chicken broth in to cook the rice instead of water, depending on what I am serving it with. Another lovely addition is a whole lime, and a bunch of fresh cilantro, a bit of dried onion, and some pepper can also be added before cooking to knock it out of the park, remove and trash the lime after the rice is done.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I saute onions and garlic in the instant pot before i add rice or liquid. Even if you use plain water, this will add good flavor to the rice. I also season my water — salt, pepper, etc. so by the time i add the rice, the water tastes almosts good enough to eat by itself.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love cooking rice with broth! One of my favorite additions is the Knorr soup stock cups. Very flavorful. I have to be sure I don’t eat the whole batch!
One of my favorite ways to eat rice is the old Campbell’s Souper Rice. I’ve adapted it by sometimes making my own condensed cream soup and adding rotisserie chicken and broccoli for a full meal.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been doing this for years! I just add a bullion cube to the water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely! The jar of Better Than Bouillon photographed is seasoned vegetable flavor – it’s delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Better than Bouillon is the best stuff ever.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use basmati rice, which is very aromatic, not bland at all.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was so disappointed when I learned that my bouillon cubes contained MSG! Does your product Better Than Bouillon contain MSG?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.They do not contain MSG!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To plain cooked rice,some of my family like to sprinkle brn sugar & butter & mix together. Or add the following before cooking rice: Add coconut oil to water that you plan to cook the rice in (prox 3/4 TBSP per cup rice) – sprinkle in some cumin – add chili beans or refried beans – we love cooking rice with cilantro – or add a can of diced tomatoes
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make a lot of rice cinnamon pudding, what would replace chicken broth in this case?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best rice pudding I’v eaten is the way my Mom made it. She was from Finland and there they make rice pudding using milk. Delicious! I’m sure there’s a recipe in English for it somewhere on the net.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It is baked in the oven, doesn’t have eggs, and a minimal amount of sugar. It is often served with “fruit soup” – a European fruit dish of fruit cooked until soupy (many countries make this).
You really don’t need a recipe. All my Finnish mom ever did was cover the rice with water, one finger’s width above the rice and boil the water off, then add whole milk and bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Do not cover. In the time before Teflon my mom literally sat by the stove and stirred the whole time. Obviously this is a whole lot easier in a Teflon pot but it still needs to be stirred every 10 minutes or so. As the mixture gets thicker, add milk. The more times you add milk and let it simmer, the sweeter it becomes as the water evaporates. That’s all.
As a trial batch, I would start with one cup of rice.
That is another way of making rice pudding and it, too tastes delicious.
Milk! Regular or nut milks work wonderfully :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.yu can buy veg broth –located on the same shelf as chicken broth
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Like Roxanne, I’m from South Carolina and Carolina Gold is simply the best rice ever! Not only does it smell good cooking, but it taste great too. I use curry and chicken broth, turmeric and chicken broth and sometimes add chives to either of those. Try using smoked paprika for a really “exotic” and interesting tasting rice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip for making a good rice is to wash it very, very well before cook it. After cooking it with broth I like to add a bit of red sweet wine and stir up a little while it is very hot.
Thank you Jillee and everyone else for the great ideas! Pineapple! I really have to try this !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Absolutely! I have a son with severe food allergies, and the best way for us to make sure that his foods are safe is to maintain a vegan diet. We cook rice and quinoa both using vegetable broth, and it is pretty simple to make your own if you are concerned about the sodium in store-bought versions.
Another way to cook yummy rice is to finely dice your hard veggies (carrots, celery, onions, etc.) and toss them into the pot with your uncooked rice. The veggies cook along with the rice, imbibing it with flavors just as if you are using veggie broth.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m from South Carolina which is a rice eating/growing state! Try some Carolina Gold for a real treat. I like to make jasmine rice with chicken broth and toss in a generous handful of dried cranberries to the broth while it’s coming to a boil. It’s delicious and beautiful.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Saffron: in powder form (ground) and mixed with small amount of warm water, may be added during cooking or sprinkled on rice just prior to serving. Note: high quality saffron is expensive, but you’d only use a small amount (one teaspoon powdered saffron for enough rice to serve 6).
Mo
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite item to add to cooked rice is cilantro in a tube. You find it in the refrigerated section in the produce department.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree!!! The Aldi jasmine is amazing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas. My mom has a recipe for a rice pilaf with meat. When she makes it you use the dry rice and add a packet of the Lipton chicken broth and then add the water. She doesn’t make it very often. It’s more of a dish we use for company.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.First off, I am a male and I love to experiment when I cook! I like simple and good taste! Rice is so fun and easy. A few of my favorite ways with rice are: Breakfast Rice, add scrambled eggs and crumbled bacon or diced ham; Hawaiian Rice, add pineapple tidbits and diced ham; Other things that can be added individually or in combination are: olives – sliced or diced, canned mushrooms incl. the water, diced jalapenos, diced broccoli, sliced or slivered almonds, garlic powder, onion flakes or diced fresh onion, green onion, diced celery, canned or shredded chicken, Sliced Italian sausage- sweet or hot, canned cream of ……… soup- broccoli, celery, mushroom, tomato, etc., 1 can soup, 2 cans water and 3 cans of rice! Peas & carrots, diced peppers (red green, yellow, orange), etc.! What can you think of???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think that I’m wanting to join your family for breakfast.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s like making rice pilaf, which is rice, some veggies and some sort of broth. I also really like adding some wild rice to the pilaf for extra crunch. I only do regular white rice if I am making egg foo young because I do a gravy for the rice. Love reading your tips.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for all your tips, your blog is amazing! It’s true rice can be made so many ways (and I agree with the comment that the jasmine rice from Aldi’s is def the way to go!) I have another tip for you, if you like grits cook them in chicken stock too. Add a little shredded cheddar cheese…. Amazing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yum – I love grits!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Suzanne your right about grits! It’s awesome. I cook a lot of thinks in broth. Pasta especially.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for such great tips Julie. I have been eaten plain rice for my whole life and never think of that. However if you eat rice with 2 main dishes entries, I believe they prefer plain rice go with it. Because when you add some flavor to the rice, they can’t taste the difference of the entries.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you’re eating a chicken dish, then chicken broth rice is a very welcome addition! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To make a side dish for a plain meal a little better if you’re in a hurry, make the rice with chicken broth and throw in some frozen veg too. Boil it all together. The veg tastes nice cooked in the broth also.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My family heritage is Italian and growing up we pretty much always had pasta with tomato sauce for dinner at least once a week. I was not a fan but my favorite side dish was the rice my mother would make later in the week if there was any leftover sauce. She would combine plain cooked long grain white rice with the leftover sauce, diced mozzarella, some parmigiana cheese and some basil. It was so yummy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m glad to know I’m not the only one to do this. I love to take it for lunch at work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I purchased a microwave rice cooker several years ago.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It takes 10-12 minutes in the microwave to have perfect rice.
Chicken stock makes everything taste better. It’s also great for boiling potatoes for some
Please log in or create a free account to comment.tasty mashed potatoes.
If you don’t cook them in chicken broth, try using it instead of milk, and cream cheese instead of butter.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tip Pamela!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.