Mushroom Rice is an easy rice pilaf made of fresh mushrooms, rice, simple spices, and basic vegetables. This one-pot rice recipe has been a family favorite for years! You will love this mushroom rice pilaf and it’s one of my easy rice recipes to have on hand for a quick meal!
What is rice pilaf? Pilaf is a rice dish with added spices, vegetables, and meat. Typically, it’s a one-pot meal by cooking the meat first, but mushrooms cook much quicker making it vegetarian, yet filling. For more rice recipes try our authentic Uzbek Plov prepared in a Kazon, fried rice, or Stovetop Uzbek Plov.
What Is Mushroom Rice?
Mushroom rice is combined with water, seasonings, and a sauteed melody of fresh vegetables. This mushroom rice recipe is all made in one pot and you can even chop and prep all the veggies the night before for a quick make-ahead meal! Rice and mushrooms happen to be vegetarian and a frugal meal in itself.
Which Kind Of Rice Should I Use?
Long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine rice is the kind of rice you’ll want to use here. Since long-grain rice remains more intact it tends to create individual grains whereas medium or short-grain rice is stickier after cooking. You can also convert this into brown rice with mushrooms by simply cooking it longer. You can often find Brown Basmati Rice at Azure Standard or Aldi for a healthier option.
Mushroom Rice Ingredients:
This mushroom and rice recipe comes together with just a few basic ingredients. I do use an all-purpose seasoning blend of Mrs.Dash but you can use any versatile blend of herbs and spices like my homemade Vegeta seasoning.
- Vegetables- julienned carrots, onion, and mushrooms are the veggies that you can chop the night before and keep in your fridge until you’re ready to make this dish. I like my carrots on the chunky side so I cut them wide.
- Rice- rinse basmati or jasmine rice in a fine mesh colander under cold running water. Wash rice 2-3 times for the water to clear up. For stickier rice rinse once.
- Rice Seasonings- like salt, black pepper, Mrs.Dash, and paprika are used. I like to give the rice an orange hue with a little paprika. Season rice with spices that you have on hand.
- Olive Oil- is used for sauteing the vegetables and keeps the grains separate.
How To Cook Mushroom Rice:
To cook rice you’ll need a 5-quart pan with a lid to steam the rice. This is spacious enough to fit all the ingredients without overflowing. It’s a 30-minute meal that you can make in an instant pot, stovetop, or oven. Cooking rice in the oven will take about the same time if you cover your casserole pan with foil.
- In a large 5-quart pan, saute the carrots, onion, and mushroom in olive oil.
- Stir in the seasonings and rice.
- Add the water and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes covered with a lid.
- Fluff up the rice and serve.
Note: The rice-to-water ratio will change if using brown rice. Increase the liquid to 1 extra cup of water if using brown rice. Cooking rice this way will take 10 extra minutes.
Add-ins and Variations:
- Chicken and Rice: omit the mushrooms and cube 1.5 pounds of chicken breast meat or chicken thighs instead. You can also do both by adding 16 oz of mushrooms and 1 pound of chicken breast meat to make chicken mushroom rice.
- Instant Pot Rice: can all be made in an instant pot. Simply saute the veggies on saute mode for 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and select the rice setting for 15 minutes. Depressurize for 10 minutes.
- Wild Rice Mushrooms in Rice: substitute rice for 2 cups of wild rice. Add 1 extra cup of water and cook an extra 10-15 minutes.
- Mushroom Rice Casserole: Saute the veggies in oil as directed. Transfer veggies to a large casserole dish like this deep 13x9 pan. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
- Parboiled Rice Variation: substitute 2 cups of parboiled rice for the uncooked rice and add 4 cups of water instead. Use a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice for every cup of parboiled rice. So for every cup of parboiled rice use 2 cups of water and cook for 10 minutes less.
- Crock Pot Mushroom Rice: Place sauteed veggies into a slow cooker. Layer the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours over low.
Can You Freeze Cooked Rice?
Yes! Rice dishes are freezable depending on the veggies used. The mushrooms here get sauteed well so they will freeze fine once cooked. This mushroom fried rice can keep up to 3 months in the fridge. Cool and store leftovers in a gallon-sized freezer bag. This makes a handy quick meal!
Storing Mushroom Rice:
How long does rice last in the fridge? Mushroom rice can keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. Place leftovers into an air-tight container to keep any fridge odors out.
How To Reheat Rice: the best way to reheat mushroom rice is to put it into a pot with a splash of water and a tight-fitting lid. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally until warm and water is absorbed. This can take 5-8 minutes.
What To Serve With Mushroom Rice:
Once you use up those mushrooms you can eat this rice dish with many sides! Here are some of my favorite sides or meat dishes to go with this mushroom rice recipe;
- Serve it with Baked Chicken Legs Quarters
- A side of Dill Pickles or homemade Ketchup is vinegary and delicious! We paired this combo with our Baked Unleavened Bread (the perfect meal for Passover.)
- Mix up a creamy cucumber and tomato salad or try this cabbage salad
- Pork meatballs or Beef Meatloaf for a heartier meal.
Q&A
Is Rice a Grain?
Yes, rice is a starchy grain. There are many types of rice. The ones I commonly use are short-grain rice (for sushi rice), long-grain brown rice like basmati, white rice such as jasmine rice, and wild rice. Short-grain rice is stickier and great in a rice pudding whereas long-grain rice is ideal for pilaf.
Tips
- Substitute with pork chops, ground sausage, broccoli, or a different type of grain like risotto (arborio rice.)
- For firmer rice use less water, and for softer rice use more water.
- Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes for extra length (optional.)
- Rinse rice once if you want to leave some starch to bind your rice dish better.
- You can use white button mushrooms or Bella mushrooms. I like to use whole brown mushrooms and slice it at home. Mushrooms tend to keep longer whole.
- Buy a bag of julienned carrots for an easy shortcut in prep.
More Mushroom Recipes to Try:
- Mushroom Scalloped Potatoes
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
- Wild rice and chicken soup
- Mushroom Gravy (this can be used as cream of mushroom soup)
How to Make Mushroom Rice:
Mushroom Rice Recipe
Equipment
- 1 5-quart pan with lid (3.5-4-quart pan will work too)
- 1 wooden spoon (to stir)
- 1 cutting board (for chopping vegetables)
- 1 chefs knife (for cutting)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Mushroom Rice:
- 16 oz white button mushrooms
- 3 carrots
- 1 onion
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups Jasmine rice (uncooked)
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
Directions:
Prep the vegetables: dice the onion, cut the carrots into strips, and slice the mushrooms.
Heat a deep pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the mushrooms, carrots, and onion for 10 minutes or until juices release from the mushrooms and the onion is tender.
Stir in the rice and seasonings.
Add the water and then bring the mixture to a boil.
Cover and simmer the rice over low heat for 30 minutes. Fluff up the rice before serving.
Nutrition per serving
