Green onion rice might just be the best rice you have ever had. It is buttery and delicious with just the right amount of onion, pepper, and salt. It is so easy to make and has so much flavor – it will quickly become a family favorite.

an instant pot with green onion rice in it

🥘 Ingredients Needed

the ingredients in green onion rice, labeled
  • Salted Butter
  • Diced Onion
  • Diced Celery
  • Chopped Green Onions
  • Fresh Parsley
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Water
  • Long-Grain White Rice (Rinsed) – I like to use any kind of long-grain white rice. Most sticky, short-grain rice varieties will get really mushy in when cooked for a while in the Instant Pot, but long-grain rice holds up really well. I don’t like rice like jasmine or basmati in this context because they have a strong aromatic flavor, so I stick to just plain old Mahatma white rice.

🍽 Equipment Needed

  • An Instant Pot (or 3-quart pot on the stove, see alternative directions below)
  • A Rubber Spatula
  • A Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
  • Measuring Spoons/Measuring Cups

🥣 How to Make It

Green onion rice is so easy to make and is SO damn delicious.

To Make Instant Pot Green Onion Rice

Begin by pressing the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and letting it heat up. (Picture 1 – 2)

Add butter and let it melt. (Picture 3)

Once melted, add onions, celery, and green onions. Cook for a few minutes, just to get the veggies a little tender. (Picture 4 – 5) While this is cooking, you can rinse your rice until the water runs clear.

a process collage of images with the steps for making green onion rice in an instant pot, steps 1 - 5

Then add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, rice, then water. (Picture 6 – 9)

Stir everything together. (Picture 10)

a process collage of images with the steps for making green onion rice in an instant pot, steps 6 - 10

Close the lid on the Instant Pot and close the vent so it is set to Sealing. (Picture 11)

Now, cancel Sauté mode and press the rice button if your Instant Pot has one. (Picture 12 – 13) If not, use the +/- buttons or the dial and set the Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook mode at LOW Pressure for 12 minutes.

After the cooking cycle is finished, press the Cancel button and let the Instant Pot sit and naturally release pressure for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully manually – or Quick Release (QR) – the pressure. AKA, turn the knob and let the steam release. Do not stand above the pot when doing this. (Picture 14)

Once the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork and season with a little extra salt if needed. Then serve. (Picture 15)

a process collage of images with the steps for making green onion rice in an instant pot, steps 11 - 15

To Make this on the Stove

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add celery and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 2 – 3 minutes.

Add rice and cook for about a minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to very low.

Cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, season with a little extra salt if needed, then serve.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of rice should you use for green onion rice?

I like to use any kind of long-grain white rice. Most sticky, short-grain rice varieties will get really mushy in when cooked this way, but the long-grain rice holds up really well. I don’t like rice like jasmine or basmati in this context because they have a strong flavor, so I stick to just plain old Mahatma white rice.

Can you use frozen green onions for green onion rice?

Absolutely. We grow our own green onions and they grow like crazy – we always keep a bag of sliced green onions in the freezer for making gumbo, stir-fries, jambalaya, and green onion rice. Frozen green onions can be mixed right in when they are frozen and they will cook up perfectly!

Can this recipe be doubled?

This recipe is really easy to double or triple for a larger group. Just make sure to scale all ingredients equally.

🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses

Green onion rice is a pretty unique thing. It is not very common, but my gosh is it good. We like to serve it with Crawfish Étouffée, Shrimp Étouffée, or Shrimp Creole. It is also really good with a big bowl of gumbo or served just plain. I usually gobble it up while I am serving it!

A product image of a 6 quart instant pot.

🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating

Green onion rice, much like most cooked rice, will only be good for a few days. My favorite way to reheat rice is to cover it with a damp towel and microwave it on low heat. Stir, then repeat once or twice. This will add moisture back into the rice and make it soft again.

Button linking to the Pinterest page for Southern Bytes.

✏️ Helpful Tips

  • Don’t use short-grain rice when making this – it will get mushy – use long-grain white rice. Cheap, store-brand white rice is perfect – just make sure to rinse it first.
  • When you buy green onions, dice up whatever you don’t use so that it doesn’t go bad and store it in a container in the freezer. You can throw frozen green onions into gumbo and green onion rice – still frozen – and you can’t tell the difference.

🌶️ Other Great Cajun & Creole Recipes

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an instant pot with green onion rice in it

Green Onion Rice

4.86 from 7 votes
Green onion rice might just be the best rice you have ever had. It is buttery and delicious with just the right amount of onion, pepper, and salt. It is so easy to make and has so much flavor – it will quickly become a family favorite.
Author: Kari
Servings: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Natural Release: 5 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup white or yellow onions finely chopped
  • ¼ cup celery finely chopped
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup white or long grain rice
  • 2 cups water

Instructions 

To Make Green Onion Rice in an Instant Pot

  • Begin by pressing the Sauté button on your Instant Pot and letting it heat up.
  • Add butter and let it melt.
    1 tablespoon butter
  • Once melted, add onions, celery, and green onions. Cook for a few minutes, just to get the veggies a little tender. While this is cooking, rinse your rice until the water runs clear.
    ¼ cup white or yellow onions, ¼ cup celery, ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • Then add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, rice, then water. 
    ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper, 1 cup white or long grain rice, 2 cups water
  • Stir everything together.
  • Close the lid on the Instant Pot and close the vent so it is set to sealing.
  • Cancel Sauté mode and press the rice button if your Instant Pot has one. If not, use the +/- buttons or the dial and set the Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook mode at LOW Pressure for 12 minutes.
  • After the cooking cycle is finished, press the Cancel button and let the Instant Pot sit and naturally release pressure for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully manually or Quick Release (QR) the pressure. AKA, turn the knob and let the steam release. Do not stand above the pot when doing this. 
  • Once the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork and season with a little extra salt if needed, then serve.

To Make Green Onion Rice on the Stove

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add celery and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 2 – 3 minutes.
    1 tablespoon butter, ¼ cup white or yellow onions, ¼ cup celery, ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • Add rice and cook for about a minute.
    1 cup white or long grain rice
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to very low.
    ½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper, 2 cups water
  • Cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, season with a little extra salt if needed, then serve.

Video

Notes

How to Store Leftover Rice Reheating

Green onion rice, much like most cooked rice, will only be good for a few days.

How to Reheat Leftover Rice

My favorite way to reheat rice is to cover it with a damp towel and microwave it on low heat. Stir, then repeat once or twice. This will add moisture back into the rice and make it soft again.

Tips

  • Don’t use short-grain rice when making this – it will get mushy – use long-grain white rice. Cheap, store-brand white rice is perfect – just make sure to rinse it first.
  • When you buy green onions, dice up leftovers and store them in a container in the freezer. You can throw them into gumbo and green onion rice from frozen, and you can’t tell the difference.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 622mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 283IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.

Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: Cajun, Southern
Keyword: green onion rice, instant pot rice, instapot rice
Did you make this recipe?Mention @southernbytes or tag #southernbytes!

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Hi, I'm Kari!

I am a newlywed, food blogger, health coach, and mama to a hot mess of a border collie. I love to put a new spin on old family recipes and I try to make as many meals as possible with an Instant Pot.

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  1. 5 stars
    This Green onion rice recipe is a great dish! Didn’t have an instant pot but very easy to do on stove top. Perfect side dish for grilled fish. Loved it!