Cheesy zucchini rice is an easy stovetop side dish that's made in a single pan in less than 30 minutes. It's filled with shredded zucchini, sharp cheddar cheese, and savory spices that go with many of your favorite main dishes.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Cheesy and mild. Zucchini incorporates seamlessly and doesn't add noticeable flavor to the dish.
Simple ingredients. Made with pantry staples like white rice, butter, milk, broth, and shredded zucchini.
Easy to make. Ready in 30 minutes in a single pan on the stovetop.
Serve with: Your favorite protein, like roasted chicken, burgers, or chicken tenders.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter - Adds flavor for sautéing the onions and cooking the rice. Salted or unsalted butter works in this recipe.
- Onion - Adds flavor to the rice.
- Broth - Chicken broth or vegetable broth adds flavor to the rice as it cooks. If you're using a low sodium broth, test for flavor and add more seasoning to taste.
- Milk - Adds creaminess to the rice as it cooks. Whole milk works best. Lower fat milks may separate while cooking.
- Rice - Any long grain white rice works. I don't recommend using instant rice. Brown rice takes significantly longer to cook and requires extra liquid. See the notes in the recipe card if you'd like to substitute with brown rice.
- Zucchini - You'll need one medium, finely grated zucchini, or about 1 cup.
- Cheese - Freshly grated cheese works best in this recipe. I recommend sharp cheddar, but gruyere, gouda, or monterey jack are all great options. Pre-shredded cheese in a bag is often coated in an anti-clumping powder that adds a grainy texture when melted.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and paprika add mild, savory flavor to the rice.
How to make cheesy zucchini rice
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and edges begin to brown.
- Add broth, milk, seasoning, and rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low.
- Cook for about 18-20 minutes, resisting the urge to open the lid repeatedly (this releases moisture and can cause rice to turn out dry).
- Remove from heat, add zucchini and cheese, and gently fold in to incorporate. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Tips and tricks
Rinse rice - Add rice to a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water to remove surface starches that can cause your rise to turn out gummy when cooked.
Grating zucchini - Use the small side of a box grater to finely grate your zucchini. Finely grated zucchini incorporates seamlessly into the dish, while a coarse grate adds noticeable texture.
Don't lift the lid too often - Resist the urge to lift the lid and check on your rice repeatedly. This releases steam and dries out the pan, causing rice to turn out undercooked and dry.
Rice looking dry or sticking to the pan? - Add a splash of water, stir, and reduce the heat.
Stir sparingly - Rice can get sticky and gummy if it's stirred too much.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. I don't recommend freezing cheesy rice because the sauce can separate and rice gets mushy when thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but alterations must be made to the recipe. Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook through, compared to the 18-20 minutes it takes for white rice to cook. Brown rice also requires extra hydration. Check the notes in the recipe card for directions on how to use brown rice.
White rice is processed to remove the hull, bran, and germ. Brown rice is processed to only remove the hull. Since the outer bran is intact on brown rice, it takes longer to cook and requires more water.
Stir in cooked, shredded chicken, cooked ground beef, or top with sauteed shrimp before serving.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice, not instant or brown (see note below)*
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small onion, small diced
- 8 ounces chicken broth
- 8 ounces whole milk
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 medium zucchini, finely grated (about 1 cup or 200g), squeezed to remove excess liquid
Instructions
- Add your rice to a fine mesh sieve and rinse to remove surface starches. This helps the rice cook up fluffy with individual grains. Otherwise, rice can turn out sticky or gummy.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook until it begins to lightly brown around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add rice, chicken broth, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper to pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low (almost off).
- Cook for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Resist the urge to lift the lid repeatedly during the cooking process (this can elongate cooking time and dry out the rice by releasing steam).
- Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese and zucchini. Gently stir and fluff rice with a fork.
- Allow to set for 5 minutes, then serve warm.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Cooking brown rice: *Brown rice takes significantly longer to cook - up to 45 minutes instead of the listed 18-20 minutes. Consult your rice's package directions for best results. Add a splash of water partway through cooking if your brown rice needs more liquid.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!