This Mushroom Rice side dish has so much great flavor from using two types of mushrooms and using them in different ways. This recipe is delicious paired with so many meals.
My Mushroom Rice recipe is so much more than just adding sautéed mushrooms to plain rice. We’re maximizing that wonderful mushroom flavor by cooking the rice with rehydrated dried mushrooms and with the mushroom soaking liquid, and then tossing the cooked rice with wonderfully-browned sautéed fresh mushrooms.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
I’m a huge fan of mushrooms. They’re one of my favorite things to add into so many dishes. Some of my favorites are this creamy mushroom sauce and these air fryer mushrooms. But when I want to add mushrooms to a meal, one of my favorite ways is by making the below mushroom rice recipe. It is full of the delicious mushroom flavor that I can never get enough of.
Video: Making Mushroom Rice
What Kind Of Mushrooms?
This recipe uses two kinds of mushrooms to make the most delicious side dish. First, we’re soaking dried mushrooms, these can be porcini mushrooms or a mix of different types. To maximize the mushroom flavor, we’re cooking the rice in the liquid that the dried mushrooms were soaked in. This has much more flavor than your standard broth or stock. We’re also adding those rehydrated dried mushroom while the rice is cooking because they have a mushier texture anyhow. They’ll therefore add flavor and some softer mushroom texture to the rice.
The recipe also uses fresh mushrooms, for double the mushroom flavor. The fresh mushrooms get sautéed until nice and brown, and then added to the rice at the end. I like adding them at the end so that they aren’t simmering in the water and getting watery or rubbery. You develop a nice texture on them when sautéing them, and they retain that once they’re added to the cooked rice. For the fresh mushrooms I usually use regular button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. You can use any type of mushrooms that you like the flavor and texture of though.
Can I Use Brown Rice?
While you technically can use brown rice for this recipe, it’s not a direct substitution. Brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time, so you will need to refer to your rice packaging and make adjustments.
I prefer to stick with long grain white rice which is the type of rice I used to test and develop this recipe.
How To Make Mushroom Rice
First, you’ll need to soak the dried mushrooms. It does take 30 minutes to rehydrate them, but this is hands off time and can also be done up to two days in advance.
After the dried mushrooms have soaked, you’ll strain the mushrooms out of the soaking liquid. But don’t toss it! That liquid is now our secret ingredient for boosting the mushroom flavor in this rice dish.
You’ll chop up those rehydrated mushrooms and sauté them in some oil with a bit of salt salt, and then you’ll add in garlic along with that mushroom liquid you saved. Simmer for a few minutes to let it reduce down.
Then it’s time to add in your white rice and cold water and bring it up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, drop the heat down to low, cover the pan and let it cook until the rice is tender, 17-20 minutes. While it’s cooking you’ll be prepping the other mushrooms.
You’ll slice those fresh mushrooms and sauté them in butter and oil. You want to cook them until they’re well-browned. The idea here is to cook the button mushrooms separately from the rice so they retain their browned color and don’t get soft and mushy.
When the rice is cooked, fluff it gently with a fork and then stir in the browned mushrooms. This rice is delicious served with chicken, pork chops, and so much more.
Mushroom Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Soak Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 oz. dried mushrooms (mixed or porcini)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 3/4 cups cold water
- 8 oz. button or cremini mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Place dried mushrooms in a sieve and rinse them with water to remove any loose grit. Transfer rinsed mushrooms to a medium bowl. Top with the boiling water. Stir and then allow to sit for 30 minutes.*
- Once the dried mushrooms have soaked for 30 minutes, place a sieve over a bowl. Pour the mushrooms and the soaking liquid into the sieve, catching the soaking liquid in the bowl. Set the liquid aside but do not discard it. Transfer the rehydrated mushrooms to a cutting board and roughly chop them.
- To a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Once heated, add the rehydrated mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook while stirring often for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the soaking liquid. Cook while stirring often until liquid has reduced to 1/4 of a cup, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Increase heat to high and bring rice to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, stir, cover saucepan, and allow to cook covered over low heat without stirring until there are tunnels down in the rice and the rice is tender, about 17-20 minutes. Remove from heat
- Meanwhile, slice the button mushrooms thinly. Heat the butter and the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat in the butter and oil, then spread them out into a single layer. Allow to cook until well-browned underneath, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook while stirring occasionally until any liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are well-browned in a lot of places. Remove from heat.
- Remove cover from rice and fluff it gently with a fork. Stir in the browned button mushrooms.
Notes
*The mushrooms can be soaked up to 2 days in advance. Soak and then strain them as instructed. Then store the rehydrated mushrooms and the mushroom soaking liquid in separate containers until you’re ready to use them.
Love the flavor of this rice! I had some dried mushrooms I wasn’t sure what to do with, and this was perfect. I’d definitely make this again.
So happy to hear it, Carter!