This Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice is my newest obsession. I know what you are thinking – strange, weird, just a little a bit out there.
But this fluffy seasoned rice pilaf tossed with mixed vegetables is so yummy, so simple, and so perfect on EVERYTHING. It’s a wonderful rice side dish that your whole family will love!
Looking for more rice recipes? Check out these other favorites on the blog! Steak Fried Rice, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, and One Pan Baked Lemon Chicken and Rice.
Vegetable Rice…made easy!
I made a large batch, like ultra large batch, of this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice the other night, and it has been the side dish that went with ALL THE THINGS we ate since then.
Salmon, chicken, pork, beef, a bunch of random veggies, inside a taco (that’s my husband’s new thing), by itself for lunch when there’s nothing else to eat (me this afternoon).
This Vegetable Rice recipe seriously goes with EVERYTHING.
It’s a simple rice side dish that you need in your hip pockets because it also happens to be very flavorful and very delicious.
The funny thing is I made this rice pilaf with vegetable dish totally on accident. I wanted some fluffy rice to go with the baked salmon I was making for dinner one evening. If you have been following my insta-stories on Instagram, you might recall 😉 .
I saw rice in the pantry, and also one of my favorite seasoning in the world – Better than Bouillon, Roasted Chicken Based. And we were out of veggies – except for a bag of frozen mixed veggies in the fridge.
At that fateful moment, this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice came into existence.
Ingredients for Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
Mixed Vegetable Rice is a super simple recipe that calls for a short list of pantry-friendly ingredients. 5 ingredients, to be exact:
- Rice – my favorite rice to use for this recipe is basmati rice. Basmati rice is commonly used in Indian and Mediterranean cooking, and is fragrant and has a light and fluffy texture. I highly recommend using that for this recipe. Other rice such as long grain, jasmine etc works as well, I just prefer basmati. Do not use minute rice or already-cooked rice for this recipe.
- Chicken bouillon – this is responsible for seasoning the Vegetable Rice and giving it plenty of flavor. My only advice is to use good quality chicken bouillon because it will make such a difference to the flavor of your dish! If you are trying to figure out what are good bullion’s to use, I highly recommend the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Based (which is what I use here) or Trader Joe’s Chicken Flavor Bouillon concentrate.
- Mixed vegetables – grab a bag of frozen vegetables! They usually consist of peas, carrots, corn and green beans already chopped into small pieces. That’s the easiest, quickest way to go about this recipe.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Avoid substituting with garlic powder.
- Cooking oil – your favorite cooking oil – vegetable oil, avocado oil, olive oil…whatever you have at hand works!
How to make Vegetable Rice
I’m going to walk you through how to make this easy Vegetable Rice recipe.
All you need is a medium pot with a lid (to cover the rice while it cooks), and it takes no more than 25 minutes from start to finish.
Start by heating pot with cooking oil and searing minced garlic and rice in the pot.
Once garlic is fragrant, add water and chicken bouillon to the pot.
Keep in mind that different chicken bouillon will be different in terms of its salt levels, flavor etc. I am recommending 2 tablespoons of the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Based for this recipe, but adjust accordingly if you are using another chicken bouillon. Or if you prefer it less or more salty.
Give rice a stir and let it come to a boil. Then immediately lower heat to medium low and cover with lid.
Cook rice pilaf for 15-17 minutes. I like to check at the 15 minute mark.
Once it’s done, add in defrosted mixed vegetables (I usually microwave it briefly) and give rice and vegetables a stir. Mixed vegetables is a great add in to the rice because mixed vegetables = easy peasy.
It’s a super easy ingredient, and it is after all, vegetables, which always makes me feel like I am putting good stuff in my tummy. Even if it is a few sprinkle of it over a large bed of rice.
Fluff Mixed Vegetable Rice and remove from heat promptly.
And that’s it! Serve rice and vegetables with your favorite protein, or enjoy it on its own!
Incredibly flavorful, great textures, this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice side is perfect side for any meal! It also keeps really well, and seriously, it goes with everything! Except maybe ice cream. 😉
Storage and Reheating
Mixed Vegetable Rice stores and reheats incredible well.
Keep it in an air tight container in the refrigerator and you can store it for up to 7 days.
When ready to reheat, simply reheat in microwave, and it tastes just like it was freshly made!
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure to cook rice covered on medium low (or even low) heat. Check at the 15-minute mark, fluff rice and remove from heat promptly once rice is soft.
If you are using raw veggies, make sure to cut it into small pieces and add along with rice, and cover to cook both rice and vegetables. If you are using more than 1 cup of raw veggies, you will want to add more water.
I personally don’t like to do that because chicken broth itself doesn’t give the rice enough flavor. Chicken bouillon is more concentrate and will season the Mixed Vegetable Rice better.
You might want to reduce the amount of chicken bouillon used. My suggestion is 2 tbsp of Better than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon, however all chicken bouillon has different salt levels so you will have to adjust accordingly. Note: I adjusted the recommended amount of Chicken Bouillon to 2 tbsp from my original suggestion of 3 tbsp after retesting this recipe based on feedback.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest! We very much your help! 🤍
Other Rice Dishes
- Steak Fried Rice
- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup
More Yummy Sides
Because why not?!? 😀 Happy cooking, all!
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
- Caramelized Onions Sautéed Green Beans
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
- Brown Sugar Pecan Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Avocado Quinoa Salad
- Caramelized Roasted Carrots (by Rachel from Little Chef Big Appetite!)
Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp Chicken Bouillon (Better Than Bouillon, Roasted Chicken Base)
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetable
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a large pot, add olive oil and minced garlic and cook under medium heat till fragrant (this goes quick!). Do not brown or burn garlic.
- Add rice to pot. Stir and cook for a minute. Then add water and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine. Bring to medium high heat and to a boil.
- Once the water boils, lower to medium low heat, cover pot (make sure it is fairly tight), and cook for 15-17 minutes.
- Bring frozen mixed vegetable to bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until vegetable is soft (do not overcook). Drain access water.
- Once rice is cooked, remove cover and use spatula to stir and fluff rice. Add mixed vegetable to rice. Stir and combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Benjamin Toso says
Honey smoked salmon, riced broccoli, 2c Madagascar pink rice, bouillon, 1/2 tsp fish sauce, homemade hot sauce, 16 oz beer in Instant pot for 17 min
Joyous Apron says
Sounds delicious! I love the modification!
Jodi says
This was easy peasy juuuust like you said! No clean up but the pot, WIN WIN!!!!!
Joyous Apron says
I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂
Merry Pearl says
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS AND YOUR INSIGHT!
I’m of Latin descent and I have never been able to cook rice perfectly to save my life. It was a bit of a downer, given my heritage – but your easy step by step guide helped me make my first perfect rice in 20 years!
Thank you again!
Joyous Apron says
I so SO HAPPY to hear that! Thank you so much for your kind review! 🙂
Aaron March says
I sauteed chopped fresh carrots, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Removed them from the pan and set then aside. Cooked the rice (I had jasmine on hand) in the same pot after deglazing. Added the vegetables back to the pot along with some microwaved frozen peas, and it was delicious. Oh I forgot I put in some fresh corn off the cob.
Joyous Apron says
Love your variation! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Debi says
This was easy to make and delicious. I used the vegetarian base instead of the chicken and thought it was great.
Joyous Apron says
Love your modification! Thanks for sharing!
Sheila Thigpen says
I keep a jar of better than bouillon in my fridge, too! This simple rice recipe is delicious and has become one of my new go-to recipes when I need a quick side dish!
Joyous Apron says
Thank you so much! I love how simple and yummy this is too! 🙂
Amy Nash says
I share in your obsession! Rice is so good and this is perfect with so many dishes! The chicken bouillon makes such a difference!
Joyous Apron says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Erin says
We are also obsessed with rice, so this dish went over with my family so well! We’ll be adding this into our weekly rotation for sure!
Joyous Apron says
Yay! Love hearing that!
Kathleen Pope says
YUMMY! I needed a quick, tasty rice recipe to go with dinner last night and found this, so flavorful and delicious!
Joyous Apron says
That’s awesome! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Oh heavens, this rice dish looks so fluffy and delicious. Exactly the way we like it. All of your recipes look amazing!
Joyous Apron says
Thanks so much Julie! Glad you all like this!
Michaela Kenkel says
This is our FAVORITE side dish!! It just goes with anything that I make, and everyone is always happy to see it on the table! Thanks for a great recipe!
Joyous Apron says
Yay! Love hearing that! 🙂
Sam says
Great recipe base for a hearty meal. We like it with some protein so added chicken and/or pork. Chicken bullion is key!
Joyous Apron says
YES!!! Gotta have the chicken bouillon for flavor! Thanks for the kind review, Sam!
trp says
Well, I think the author of this mistakenly said 3 tablespoons and meant teaspoons. This was like eating pure salt. She literally ruined our dinner. And you cannot “adjust accordingly” when you have never made it before. Thanks
Joyous Apron says
Hi there! I’m so sorry to hear that it didn’t go well for you. I make this using 3 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon and it’s usually just right for me – not too salty but just enough flavor! I can see how different bouillon has different levels of saltiness and that is hard to account for – that is why I suggested to ‘adjust accordingly’ 🙂
Manafema says
I agree 3 tbsp is too much. I use Better than Bouillon chicken in my rice rice all the time you only need 1 tsp per cup of water. I woukd use 2 cups of rice 2 tsp of bouillon. I also use 4 cups of water. It comes out perfectly. I have made my own version of your recipe for years. I think everyones taste buds sre different. Just do you.
Joyous Apron says
Makes sense! Thank you for sharing!
Willa B says
We love this recipe and make this all the time! The chicken bouillon makes the rice so flavorful. It also makes a lot more rice than I thought but I was happy to have lots of leftovers. Easy and delicious and goes with everything. It’s our go-to rice recipe.
Joyous Apron says
That’s great! So glad you are enjoying it!
Jenni G says
Our go to rice recipe. So flavorful and delicious. Chicken bouillon is the key!
Joyous Apron says
So glad to hear!
Patricia says
I am questioning the amount of water to rice. When making rice I use 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. Therefore this would take 4 cups of water.
Joyous Apron says
I typically do 1:1.25 rice to water and cook it on low heat. That works well for me to make fluffy but not very wet rice. If you like your rice more water-y, and aren’t able to cook it on low heat, or/and prefer to cook it longer, adding more water could help. I say if that’s what you are comfortable doing and have always done, feel free to add more water! There’s no one perfect amount as there are so many variables that could affect it.
Fiona says
Hi, I’m hoping your readers are wrong about the chicken bouillon being key, because as a vegan I’m going for vegetable bouillon . However, the recipe sounds great -easy and tasty.
I noticed a typo on point 4. It should read, ‘drain excess water’.
Thanks for your good work.
Joyous Apron says
Vegetable bouillon should work well too!