This Pesto Rice is a quick weeknight aspect dish that the entire household will love! Made on the stovetop or within the On the spot Pot, this tasty rice dish is nice for meal prep.

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Rice is a kind of sides that goes with virtually the whole lot. It’s inexpensive, filling, and nice for meal prep.
This pesto rice is filled with taste and nice as a aspect to your favourite foremost dishes, or the bottom of a incredible rice bowl meal.
Serve it alongside a dry brined hen, air fryer salmon desserts, air fryer tofu, or French onion pork chops.
Pesto Rice Elements and Variations

Now, if you wish to get fancy or make this a extra strong dish, you possibly can add crumbled feta, toasted pine nuts, shredded Parmesan, sliced olives, or tomatoes.
The right way to Make Pesto Rice
I’ll stroll you thru it with some ideas and methods and pictures, and also you’ll discover a printable recipe card on the backside of the submit with actual measurements and cooking occasions. And the printable recipe card may even stroll you thru easy methods to make this in an On the spot Pot.
There are two choices with this recipe – the brief model and the lengthy(er) model. Each might be scrumptious, so in the event you’re pressed for time, go for the brief model.
You’re going to start out by rinsing the rice in a superb mesh sieve underneath cool operating water till the water runs clear.
Seize a heavy-bottomed saucepan (I used a 4-quart dutch oven) and warmth it over medium warmth. Add the olive oil after which the rice. For the reason that rice continues to be damp, the oil would possibly pop a bit, however that may cease when you begin to stir it.
Stir the rice round till it’s mixed with the olive oil. Let it cook dinner, stirring often till the rice begins to brown/toast. This takes about 5-10 minutes (see the highest left photograph within the grid under). I at all times comprehend it’s prepared when it begins to odor like popcorn.
Add the inventory and salt to the rice, stir it and let it cook dinner for 1 minute. Then scale back the warmth to low, plop a lid on, and set a timer for quarter-hour. Don’t take that lid off; don’t peek!
After the quarter-hour are up, flip off the burner, take away the pan from the warmth, and permit it to take a seat for 10 minutes, nonetheless totally coated.
When the ten minutes are up, fastidiously take the lid off, add the pesto and fluff the rice with a fork.

Professional Suggestions/Recipe Notes
- If you happen to select to not toast the rice, scale back the olive oil to 1 tbsp. Add it with the rice, salt, and inventory (see the recipe card under).
- If you happen to’re pressed for time and use minute/instantaneous rice, skip the toasting step.
- Retailer cooked rice within the fridge in an air-tight container for 2-3 days.
- Reheat within the microwave for 1 minute on medium energy.
- This pesto rice freezes like a dream! Enable it to completely cool and switch it to freezer-safe containers. I take advantage of the 1-cup Souper Cubes after which pop the frozen cubes into reusable freezer baggage. They’ll hold within the freezer for 3-4 months.
- If in case you have leftover pesto, take a look at my tutorial on The right way to Freeze Pesto.
Extra Tasty Rice Recipes You’ll Love

Pesto Rice
This scrumptious pesto rice is a quick weeknight aspect dish that the entire household will love! Made on the stovetop or within the On the spot Pot, this tasty rice dish is nice for meal prep.
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Rinse rice in a sieve underneath cool water till the water runs clear.
1 1/4 cup lengthy grain rice
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In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan warmth olive oil over medium warmth.
2 tbsp olive oil
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Add rice and stir to mix with the olive oil.
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Stir often till the rice is flippantly browned and toasted (~5-10 minutes).
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Add the inventory and salt and convey the rice to a boil for 1 minute.
2 cups hen inventory, 1/2 tsp sea salt
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Stir, and scale back the warmth to a simmer. Cowl the pan with a lid and set a timer for quarter-hour.
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After quarter-hour, take away the pan from the warmth, and permit it to take a seat for 10 minutes, totally coated.
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Add the pesto and fluff the rice with a fork.
1/4 cup pesto
- If you happen to select to not toast the rice, scale back the olive oil to 1 tbsp. Add it with the rice, salt, and inventory.
- If you happen to’re pressed for time and use minute/instantaneous rice, skip the toasting step.
- Retailer cooked rice within the fridge in an air-tight container for 2-3 days.
On the spot Pot Directions
- Set the On the spot Pot to sauté. Enable it to get sizzling and add the oil.
- Add the rice and stir to mix with olive oil. Prepare dinner on sauté till rice is toasted (~9 minutes).
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Press “off/hold heat” to show the On the spot Pot off.
- Add hen inventory and salt. Use hen inventory to deglaze the insert if something caught to it.
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Place the lid on the On the spot Pot and set the vent to sealing. Press Handbook>Excessive>6 minutes.
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Enable for a 5-minute pure launch after which do a fast launch.
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When the vent has dropped, fastidiously open the lid, add the pesto, and fluff the rice to mix.
Vitamin Info
Pesto Rice
Quantity Per Serving (0.5 cups)
Energy 188
Energy from Fats 63
% Each day Worth*
Fats 7g11%
Saturated Fats 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fats 1g
Monounsaturated Fats 3g
Ldl cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 305mg13%
Potassium 96mg3%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 158IU3%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight-reduction plan.
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