Bone Broth Rice

Cook rice with bone broth instead of water to make this hearty Bone Broth Rice! It’s easy, rich, and full of added nutrients like collagen, amino acids, and protein.

This Bone Broth Rice turns an ordinary side dish into an extraordinary one! By replacing water with bone broth, the rice gets a boost in flavor AND nutrition. Plus, it’s easy to make on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or in a rice cooker.

Cooking rice in bone broth may seem like a simple switch but there are plenty of layers it brings to the grains. The rice soaks in the meaty and aromatic flavors as well as its long list of health benefits. It’s delicious as-is, or you can season it with cilantro and lime juice or Spanish spices.

Once the bone broth soaks into the grains, the rice takes on 10 to 15 grams of protein per 1 cup serving. You’ll also find added collagen, amino acids, and minerals. The amino acids have strong anti-inflammatory properties and, as a result, support a healthy gut, joint mobility, better sleep, skin, hair, and nails. 

Recipe features

• Using bone broth to cook rice adds a big boost of flavor and protein to an otherwise ordinary side dish.
• The rice tastes best when it’s made with homemade bone broth, but storebought is a simple and convenient option too.
• You can use bone broth rice in a million different ways! It’s a flavorful, flexible, and versatile side dish or main.

Ingredient notes: 

Jasmine rice - The instructions in the recipe are meant for long-grain rice, like jasmine rice. You can make it with your favorite variety of rice (basmati, brown, arborio, etc.) or another grain (quinoa, farro, bulgar, etc.) instead but the cooking times will need to be adjusted.

Butter - Ghee works well too. Both will give the rice a rich, buttery flavor and prevent it from becoming too thick and sticky. For a dairy-free option, replace the butter with olive oil or plant-based butter.

Bone broth - Bone broth is made by simmering bones, vegetables, and water for up to 48 hours to extract as many nutrients from the bones as possible. This is much longer than your typical broth used for soup and results in a deeper flavor profile. My Instant Pot bone broth recipe is just as flavorful as the lengthy simmered broths but cuts the cooking time from nearly two days to just 2 hours. 

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Rinse the rice. Pour the rice into a mesh sieve and rinse it under cool running water until the water runs clear.

Step 2: Cook the rice in bone broth. Add the rice and butter to a large saucepan. Pour in the bone broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Leave it to simmer until the bone broth is fully absorbed and the rice is tender. 

Step 3: Fluff, season, and serve. Take the saucepan off of the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then enjoy!

Tips and FAQs

• Making your own bone broth from scratch? It can be made with any type of bones you have leftover in the fridge, whether they’re from a roast chicken, the Thanksgiving turkey, pig feet, or beef short ribs. Different bones have different benefits, which you can learn about here.
• Rinsing the rice is an important step. Don’t skip it! The water washes away impurities and excess starch, preventing the grains from sticking together and leaving you with gummy, sticky rice.
• Replace the rice with another grain or grain-like food you love, like barley, quinoa, riced cauliflower, couscous, orzo, or farro.

Can I use regular broth or stock instead of bone broth?

Technically yes, you can cook rice in regular vegetable, chicken, or beef stock. But since they aren’t made with bones, you’ll be missing out on the added collagen, amino acids, and protein.

Can I make bone broth rice in the Instant pot?

Yes! Add the rinsed rice, bone broth, butter, and salt to the Instant Pot, making sure the rice is submerged completely. Either set it to the rice setting and let the Instant Pot take care of the rest or cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure before removing the lid. 

Can I use a rice cooker?

Yes, and it’s really easy. Place all of the ingredients in the rice cooker, give it a good stir, close the lid, and the rice cooker will automatically steam the rice at the precise temperature. When it’s done, the rice will be perfectly cooked, fluffy, aromatic, and delicious. 

How do you serve bone broth rice?

There are endless ways to enjoy bone broth rice. Make it a go-to in fried rice dishes, in meal prep bowls with steak bites, or use it as the base in a healthy, protein-packed grain bowl, like steak fajitas bowls and Mediterranean hummus bowls. Just use it anywhere you’d usually serve regular rice.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Store the cooled rice in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. 
• Reheating: Reheat the rice in the microwave with a splash of bone broth. Heat in 20-second increments, fluffing in between, until the rice is warmed through. 

More recipes to make with bone broth

• Whole30 Mushroom Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!