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Home » Side Dishes » Homemade Rice-A-Roni

Published: April 30, 2018 Last Modified: March 23, 2019 By Sara 53 Comments

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

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Homemade Rice a Roni Recipe | Rice Side Dish | Easy Rice Recipe #rice #sidedish

This homemade rice-a-roni is a blend of rice and pasta cooked in butter, chicken broth and seasonings until light and fluffy. An easy side dish that tastes WAY better than the store bought kind!

Rice-A-Roni is a popular way to round out a meal, but I don’t love all the unpronounceable ingredients in the boxed version. This chicken Rice-A-Roni has no artificial ingredients and is absolutely delicious.

Homemade Rice a Roni Recipe | Rice Side Dish | Easy Rice Recipe #rice #sidedish Homemade Rice a Roni Recipe | Rice Side Dish | Easy Rice Recipe #rice #sidedish

Homemade rice-a-roni topped with tomatoes and herbs, all in a skillet.

I know this may come as a surprise, but I didn’t learn how to cook until after I graduated from college. In college I survived on pantry food like canned soup, cereal and Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni with meat or veggies mixed in. Once I learned to cook, I didn’t buy boxes of Rice-A-Roni anymore, but on occasion I crave those flavors. I decided to make a homemade Rice-A-Roni and I think it tastes even better than the original!

How do you make rice a roni?

To make Rice-A-Roni, you’ll need white rice, and pasta that has been broken into small pieces. I use spaghetti or vermicelli pasta for this, and my store actually sells something called mini spaghetti which is actually small pieces of spaghetti in a box. The pasta and rice are toasted in butter before the seasonings and broth go in.

Toasted pasta and rice in a skillet.

I use chicken broth in this dish because I feel like it tastes the closest to the box version I used to buy, but you can absolutely substitute vegetable or beef broth if you prefer. After the chicken broth and seasonings go into the pan, everything simmers away until you end up with a flavorful and fluffy rice mix. Be sure not to overcook your Rice-A-Roni so that it doesn’t get mushy.

Cooked rice-a-roni in a skillet.

What kind of rice is used in rice a roni?

Traditional Rice-A-Roni uses a long grain white rice, along with the vermicelli or spaghetti pasta. Long grain rice comes in different varieties, all of which have their own unique flavor. I typically just use a bag of rice simply labeled as long grain, or I use basmati rice for a nuttier flavor.

Can you cook rice a roni without butter?

The butter is important in this dish because it’s used to brown the pasta and rice grains which gives them a lot of flavor. If you’d rather not use butter, you can substitute olive oil instead, but the flavor will be different from the boxed version.

A skillet of chicken rice-a-roni made with pasta, rice and fresh tomatoes.

What flavors can you add to rice a roni?

While this Rice-A-Roni is delicious as is, there are so many different ways to add extra flavor. Some of my favorites are:

  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Fresh chopped herbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Crumbled bacon
  • Pesto
  • Smoked paprika

This homemade Rice-A-Roni is the perfect accompaniment to chicken, fish, steak or shrimp. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to the boxed version!

A bowl of homemade rice-a-roni topped with chopped tomatoes and herbs.

More great side dishes

  • Stove Top Mac and Cheese
  • Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
  • Parmesan Zucchini
  • Garlic Knots
  • Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Homemade rice a roni topped with tomatoes and herbs, all in a skillet.
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5 from 27 votes

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

This homemade rice-a-roni is a blend of rice and pasta cooked in butter, chicken broth and seasonings until light and fluffy. An easy side dish that tastes WAY better than the store bought kind!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 310kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup spaghetti or vermicelli broken into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes optional

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.
  • Add the pasta to the pan and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the rice to the pan and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add the chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to the pan.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan and turn the heat to low.
  • Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with parsley.
  • Stir in tomatoes if using, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 12.8mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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    Comments

    1. Stef says

      October 22, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      Could these ingredients be prepped and stored in a ziplock or Tupperware so that it adds the convenience factor of the boxed version?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        October 22, 2019 at 9:05 pm

        That should be fine!

        Reply
    2. Nikki Stone (Business) says

      September 12, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Can this be made with brown rice?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 12, 2019 at 9:45 pm

        Yes that’s fine!

        Reply
    3. Bea says

      September 9, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      This was really very good! Everyone loved it!

      Reply
    4. Carolina Anna says

      August 13, 2019 at 1:57 pm

      5 stars
      So good! I had to write & let you know that I’ll never purchase anymore boxed or pre seasoned rice now that I’ve got this recipe memorized. I was looking for this exact taste, but thought I’d only find a flavorless healthy one. This is not! It’s rich in flavor and tastes delicious. I’m a pescetarian so I substituted chicken broth for veggie broth. I put some angel hair pasta in the blender for vermicelli. I used pink himalayan sea salt and mostly all other organic seasoning. This recipe can literally become whatever flavor you’d like – just like the boxed gunk. I look forward to trying different seasonings with it. This is now a staple for my Sister and I. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
    5. Sherry Hawkins says

      July 15, 2019 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      My son asked me to make him Rice a Roni. I don’t have any of the boxed type so I made him this version from your recipe. He absolutely loved it and I felt better knowing whet ingredients were in the dish. Thanks again. A new favorite!

      Reply
    6. Aj says

      April 19, 2019 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply
    7. Kellie says

      March 30, 2019 at 4:40 pm

      5 stars
      First time trying this recipe tonight and it is excellent!

      Reply
    8. Virginia O'Shea says

      November 20, 2018 at 7:34 am

      Is the white rice instant or regular?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 20, 2018 at 7:56 am

        Regular white rice!

        Reply
        • Virginia O'Shea says

          November 20, 2018 at 8:06 am

          Thank you for the quick reply! I’m making this for Thanksgiving. 🙂 Looks fabulous!

          Reply
    9. Cynthia M Anderson says

      September 11, 2018 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      I have this on the stove, now. It smells amazing!! I can’t wait to try it!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 11, 2018 at 8:55 pm

        I hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    10. Carol Todd says

      August 17, 2018 at 6:42 pm

      I made this the other night, but didn’t say anything to my teenage boys who like the box stuff. When they asked me what they were eating I asked them why and they said “this is the best rice I’ve ever had”. They like it better than the processed boxed stuff! Thanks for a great recipe with simple ingredients!

      Reply
    11. Harsh Gupta says

      May 10, 2018 at 2:41 pm

      I am definitely trying this recipe tom. The wife is gonna love it

      Reply
    12. fashionmommy says

      May 10, 2018 at 2:25 am

      I love the idea of this, rice and pasta and that chicken stock sounds delicious and filling too.

      Reply
    13. Debbie says

      May 7, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      My family would just love this side dish!

      Reply
    14. Jocelyn says

      May 6, 2018 at 6:34 pm

      I love rice-a-roni so this would be great for a healthier version! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    15. Albert Bevia says

      May 3, 2018 at 8:16 am

      oh yeah rice a roni but homemade! this looks amazing, I´m like you I don´t like eating ingredients I can´t pronounce! great recipe in everyway

      Reply
    16. GENNY says

      May 2, 2018 at 11:24 am

      This is absolutely perfect, my kids enjoy eating rice and try to do something different for them it will be awesome. Nice recipe

      Reply
    17. Kristen from The Road to Domestication says

      May 1, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      Okay, that looks delish! Definitely way better than what you buy in the store, like you said!

      Reply
    18. Mickey says

      May 1, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      Never heard of this dish before. I will need to veganise it, Hope it goes well. Sounds like a simple dish.

      Reply
    19. GiGi Eats says

      May 1, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      Crazily enough, I don’t think I have EVER had Rice-A-Roni before in my life! 😮

      Reply
    20. Michele says

      May 1, 2018 at 1:44 pm

      5 stars
      I do like Rice-a-Roni on occasion. And I do have a box of that small sized spaghetti in the house and some white rice. I think I will attempt this this weekend. It does sound delicious!

      Reply
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