Texas Roadhouse seasoned rice is a flavorful rice pilaf that goes well with any main dish. This simple copycat recipe is the perfect side dish for steak, grilled shrimp, or pan-fried tofu.
The Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain features steaks and ribs served alongside the chain’s famous seasoned rice. Texas Roadhouse seasoned rice is perfect for weeknight dinners since it doesn’t take too long to make and requires a few simple ingredients.
Texas Roadhouse Rice is a pilaf because it is toasted in butter and then cooked with spices. The cooking process differs from those used to cook other rice dishes, which are usually steamed or boiled, and is instead one of our best one skillet recipes.
It also complements a variety of dishes as an alternative to plain rice.
Ingredients
This copycat rice dish is easy to make and only requires seven common ingredients: Rice, onions, butter, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, and parsley.
Rice
Use long-grained white rice, which doesn’t become sticky or mushy as easily as short-grained rice. American long-grained white rice is a good option, and Basmati rice works as well. If available, Jasmine rice is another excellent option; although, it costs more than other long-grain rice.
Brown rice and wild rice are also long-grained varieties that will work for this recipe. Both rice varieties add their familiar, chewy texture to the dish and wild rice also brings color.
It’s essential to rinse the rice well before cooking to avoid clumping and a gummy texture. Rinsing it will give it the fluffy consistency you want in a pilaf.
Onion
Yellow onions are mild in flavor and less overpowering than other varieties. You can use white onion in this recipe, but it has a more robust flavor and bite. Shallots are also an alternative to onions, which have a more mild flavor.
Whatever onion you choose will enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce offers a rich, salty, umami flavor that adds depth. Stick with low sodium so you can adjust the level of salt as desired.
Cayenne Pepper
You can use as much or as little as desired, even omitting it altogether. If you need an alternative, chili powder is an excellent cayenne pepper substitute. It provides a milder heat while still giving the rice its deep orange color.
Parsley
Curly parsley rather than flat is recommended for this dish as it has a very mild, fresh flavor and provides a contrast of color that makes for a more pleasurable presentation. If you don’t have any to hand, cilantro and tarragon are both excellent parsley substitutes.
Paprika
When a recipe calls for paprika, it usually refers to sweet paprika. This type of paprika adds an earthiness to the flavor profile rather than smokiness or heat if you use smoked paprika or hot paprika.
Butter
Salted or unsalted butter will do as both work well for toasting rice, giving it a nutty flavor and a firmer texture.
What to Serve with Texas Roadhouse Rice
Any entree you would typically serve with rice pairs well with Texas Roadhouse Rice.
Try serving this perfect pilaf alongside grilled steak, smoked shrimp, or barbeque pulled chicken, as the smoky flavor of any of these proteins pairs beautifully with the subtle heat of the rice.
Leftover rice also is excellent in a breakfast burrito with sausage and eggs.
How to Make Texas Roadhouse Rice
It is vital to wash the rice before cooking. Rinsing removes debris and starch from the grain, so the rice will cook up fluffy without sticking together. When the water from the strainer is no longer cloudy, the rice is ready to cook.
Once you prepare the rice, melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until it is translucent. Stir in the rice and saute until toasted. Mix in the cayenne pepper, paprika, soy sauce, and parsley. Pour in broth or water, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 5-10 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork before transferring it to a serving bowl.
Expert Tips
How to Store Leftover Cooked Rice
You can store leftover rice in a resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
How to Reheat Leftover Cooked Rice
You can reheat rice on the stove or in the microwave.
When using the stovetop method, reheat a tablespoon of butter or oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until hot, then add a splash of water or stock to help steam it.
To reheat using the microwave, place 1 cup of rice in a microwavable dish with two tablespoons of water or stock. Microwave on high for one minute and then remove from the microwave and fluff with a fork.
How to Fix Mushy or Dry Rice
When rice does not cook perfectly fluffy, it is either overcooked or undercooked.
You can fix sticky rice by letting it rest after it’s cooked for ten minutes, allowing excess water evaporate from the grains. Alternatively, ensure you rinse the rice before cooking to help remove excess starch.
When the rice is mushy or watery, it simmered at too low a temperature, absorbing too much water. You can salvage mushy rice in the microwave by spreading it on a large plate, then microwaving it in one-minute increments until it fluffs easily with a fork
If the rice is too dry, it simmered at too high of a temperature, causing water to evaporate too fast. It’s also possible that the lid wasn’t secured, allowing steam to escape, or you didn’t add enough liquid before storage. You can fix hard, crunchy, or dried-out rice by adding half a cup of water and simmering with the lid on.
Texas Roadhouse Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups long-grain rice rinsed
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper adjusted to taste
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 5 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, add onion, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in the rice and saute it until it’s toasted before adding the cayenne pepper, paprika, soy sauce and parsley flakes. Mix in broth or water, bring the mixture to a boil with the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Fluff the cooked rice with a fork before serving.
