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Have you ever looked at the pre-made rice mixes in the store and thought about how convenient they are? It’s true! They really are but have you looked at the ingredients? So. Many. Preservatives. These rice mixes will rival those you find in the store for a fraction of the cost and with ingredients you can pronounce!
Batch Rice Mixes for Easy Weeknights
Rice mixes are one of the easiest ways to simplify weeknight dinners… especially when you batch them ahead of time. This recipe is one I use often, but it’s part of a bigger system that keeps my pantry stocked and stress low.
There are a few reasons you should make these rice mixes.
- They are DELICIOUS.
- They are VERSATILE! You can use them as a side, as a base for toppings, as a filling and more!
- They are CHEAP! These rice mixes cost a fraction of what you would buy in the store, saving you MONEY!
- They STORE for long periods of time so your pantry can always be stocked with high quality foods.
- YOU control the ingredients. You don’t like the taste of an herb? Leave it out! You don’t like a bunch of ingredients you can’t pronounce? Make your own! I encourage you to try it! I know you will love them as much as I do.
This post is all about rice mixes from scratch.
Materials Needed for these rice mixes
The wonderful thing about scratch cooking, is that you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.
Simple Materials if you are on a budget:
- Large Mason Jars
- Ziploc Baggies for the spice mixes
If you want to go a little fancy and let store the mixes for way longer, these are the “nice to have” materials.
- A Canning Funnel
- A Mason Jar Sealer This can add months to the storage time!
- Small Mason Jars– for the spice mix
How to cook these rice mixes
- I like to rinse my rice first so I will start with it in a pot, fill it with water, swish the rice around a bunch and then carefully drain the water. You can repeat this until the water runs clear but typically I only do it once. To the 2 cups of rice, I add 3 cups of filtered water. Feel free to follow the directions on your package though!
- Pour in the spice mixes, give it a stir and then you can let it sit for 15 minutes just like this, or if you are low on time, you can just start the cooking time.
- When you are ready to cook, turn the heat to medium (leaning more towards low so the bottom doesn’t burn- yes I have been there.) Allow it too cook until all the water is gone which is typically around the 20 minute mark. Take it off the heat, let it sit for about 5 minutes and then gently give it a mix. Your rice is ready to eat!
*Note: I do not use a rice cooker but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work in one.
Let's get into the recipes!
How to make your own Chicken Bouillon
Chicken boullion is one of those spice mixes that is quite straightforward to make, and is filled with vitamins and nutrients (thank you nutritional yeast!) While it doesn’t have any meat in it, it is a great alternative to stock cubes as those can have some yucky preservatives. If you find a clean brand you love, the ratio of conversion would be 1 Tbsp homemade chicken bouillon powder is equal to 1 cube of bouillon.
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp onion powder
3 tbsp dried oregano
3 tbsp basil
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 tbsp celery seed (optional)
Mix this all together in blender, give it a blitz and store in a jar for up to 6 months, or longer with a vacuum sealer.
Chicken Rice
Now that we have our chicken bouillon prepped, lets get into the first rice mix recipe which happens to be chicken rice.
2 cups of rice
2 tbsp chicken boullion
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder.
1/2 tsp pepper
I like to mix all of my seasonings into a small jar that goes on top of my rice so I can rinse my rice and then add the seasonings. For extra chicken flavour, you can cook this in chicken broth.
All Purpose Rice
The second rice recipe I have is a general, all purpose rice that tastes great with almost anything. I like to use this rice as the base for pork chops, chicken breasts or thighs or even my rice bowl dishes. This seasoning is also one that I use in almost all of the meat I make, including meatballs, spaghetti sauce and a myriad of other ground meat recipes. I would honestly make extra of this just to store in the pantry like I do.
2 cups of rice
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2- 1 tsp pepper
If you like this, you'll LOVE the new baking mixes Ebook!
Find over 70 pantry mix recipes including baking mixes, rice mixes, seasoning mixes, drink mixes, baking extracts and more!
Greek Style Rice
The third recipe is a greek style rice. This goes amazing as the base for a greek style bowl or as a side dish to chicken kebabs. You could also add this rice to a pita and make a faux gyro of sorts.
2 cups of rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chicken boullion
1 tsp lemon zest (optional but dry it out first)
2 tsp Parsley
2 tsp dill (or a combo of mint, basil)
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Smoky BBQ Rice
This fourth recipe sounds super wild and trust me, when you go to make this you may be confused or concerned about how much seasoning goes into the rice. Stay the course. Most of it is brown sugar and it is not at all spicy (perfect for kiddos!) If there is any of these mixes to make, it is this one. When I say this recipe is incredible, I truly mean it.
2 cups of rice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp garlic and onion
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder (optional)
Curry Style Rice
This curry rice is perfect as the base of any Indian style dish, curry dish, chicken, pork or beef.
2 cups of rice
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp each garlic and onion powder
2 tbsp chicken boullion
1-2 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp pepper
A Complete Collection of My Favorite Mixes
This rice mix is a staple in my kitchen, but it’s just one of many dry mixes I make ahead so meals are faster and more affordable.
If you want all of my most-used pantry mixes in one place, I’ve compiled them into a single, easy-to-use ebook.
Thank you so much for reading!! Happy pantry stocking!
Prefer to watch? Check out the video
If you liked these recipes, you may also be interested in these posts:
Your links to subscribe don’t seem to be working. Nor did the link to get the recipes. Thanks
I am so sorry to hear that! Sometimes the email can go to your spam folder but in any case, I sent the link directly to your email. Thank you so much for reaching out!
-Nikki
Ok, I have the recipes, but you didn’t say if this is instant rice or long cooking rice? That will determine how to make it up. Instant is 1:1 water and rice, but long grain is 2:1 water to rice.
I should add that! I always use Jasmine rice (long cooking) and I have found a 1.5:1 water to rice has always yielded the best results for me but I am so glad to hear you found a method that works for you!! 2:1 is a good general rule to follow. Thank you for the comment!!
Why can’t you just store the seasoning mixes in with the rice? That would also save money so you wouldn’t have to buy the smaller jars or baggies.
You totally could, but you wouldn’t be able to wash the rice before you cook it. I always like to give mine a rinse to remove some of the starch but if you don’t, feel free to skip the baggie or smaller jar 🙂
I like this but what’s the process for storing the mixes for a longer time?
You can use a vacuum sealer to extend the shelf life of each and add an oxygen absorber if you want to be sure. You could also use a mylar bag! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂