Sautéed in olive oil to lock in the flavors, this Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice is an irresistible side dish to complete and complement all your meals.

You might like to use this rice with carrots recipe to make these Ground Beef & Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers or pair this rice and carrots recipe with any of these recipes; Baked Sea Scallops or this Chicken Spinach Pancetta for an exceptionally delicious meal!

Garlicky Carrot Fried rice in a white bowl. Brown and white dish towel. Green herbs.

This garlicky carrot brown rice is packed with flavor and comes together quickly and easily. Feel free to change it up based on what you’ve got on hand and your taste preferences.

For me this simple brown rice is the perfect pairing to most of everything. Growing up rice and beans was an everyday meal combination and main source of protein and fiber to a typical Brazilian/ Latin diet.

Rice is also an incredibly versatile food. You can add veggies and cook in different ways. I love to make this wild rice with mushrooms, and this garlicky fried rice with Swiss chard.

How is brown rice different from white rice?

Brown rice is more nutritious than plain old white rice, though they both consist almost entirely of carbs, white rice has the bran and germ removed, which are the most nutritious parts of the grain. This germ has fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In most cases, you can substitute brown rice for white rice, however white rice cooks faster than brown rice.

Olive oil, brown rice, cilantro, onion, onion powder, carrots and garlic.

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Rice Recipe

Handful of ingredients. Just a few simple ingredients to make this rice recipe.

Tasty: Loaded with flavor from the garlic and onions this rice with carrots tastes great.

Adaptable: Change up the veggies and seasonings to suit your taste.

Versatile: This carrot rice pairs well with any dish.

Ingredients

  • Brown rice – Brown rice gives this dish a hearty flavor.
  • Water
  • Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is best but any kind will work.
  • Onion – A small white onion, diced, adds flavor.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves, minced, give the rice that nice garlicky taste.
  • Sea salt – Sea salt enhances the flavor of the rice.
  • Onion powder -A touch more flavor from the onion powder.
  • Carrots – Fresh carrots, cubed, add color and some texture.
Onions in olive oil and cilantro
Onions and carrots in olive oil and cilantro.

How To Make Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice

Step 1: Heat oil in a medium pan and sauté onions, garlic and carrots until they have softened. Add salt, and onion powder and continue to sauté.

Step 2: Add the rice and continue to sauté to lock in the flavors.

Step 3: Stir in water and mix well.

Step 4: Cover about 90% of the pan leaving a small slit to release the steam. Cook on low for 40-45 minutes.

Step 5: Serve the rice with fresh cilantro or parsley.

QUICK TIP

Avoid constantly uncovering the pan to check on the rice. This will release the steam that has built up in the pot and the rice will take longer to cook.

Onions, carrots and brown rice in a pot. Cilantro.
Garlicky brown rice, serving spoon, white and black dish towel and cilantro.

Tips and Variations For This Rice and Carrots Recipe

Change up the rice. Instead of brown rice, you can use white or wild rice. Even quinoa or cauliflower rice would be good alternatives.

Add more veggies. Any diced vegetable would be great in this brown rice dish.

Cook the rice in broth. Add more flavor by using chicken, vegetable or beef broth to cook the rice.

Stir in different herbs. In addition to cilantro or basil add oregano or rosemary.

Mix in some greens. Mix in chopped fresh baby spinach or kale to increase the nutritional value of the brown rice.

Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice

FAQs

what can i add to brown rice to make it taste better?

There are loads of things to add to brown rice so that it tastes better. You can add ginger, herbs spices, and lots of your favorite vegetables to ramp up the flavor of your brown rice.

should you rinse brown rice before cooking?

This is a matter of choice but rinsing does remove excess starch which may help alleviate your rice from getting too sticky.

does brown rice have more nutrients than white rice?

Yes, brown rice does have more nutrients than white rice. Since the bran layer is not removed on brown rice as it is on white rice, brown rice has more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

What is the ratio of water to brown rice?

When cooking brown rice, a good rule of thumb is to follow a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice; however for a softer and more loose rice I prefer to use 2 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of brown rice.

Garlicky Brown Rice, cilantro, white and black dish towel.

Make Ahead and Storage

This garlicky carrot and brown rice recipe is perfect to make ahead as it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You an also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat over the stove or in the microwave.

Garlicky brown rice, cilantro, white and blue dish towel.

Looking for more tasty rice dishes?

RECIPE TIP

If you don’t have any fresh carrots on hand feel free to use frozen diced carrots. No need to thaw them before adding them to the pot.

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5 from 2 votes

Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice

by Silvia Dunnirvine
Sauteed in olive oil to lock in the flavors, this Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice is an irresistible side dish to complete and complement all your meals.
Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 58 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 medium carrots cubed

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a rice pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots. Sauté until vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes)
  • Season with salt and onion powder. Add the rice and continue to sauté for an additional 2 minutes to lock in the flavors.
  • Stir in water and give it a good mix.
  • Cover about 90% of the pan leaving just a small slit to release the steam. Cook on low for 40-45 minutes.
  • When done garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5096IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Keyword: Brown Rice Recipe, Garlic Brown Rice
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Brazilian
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice
Garlicky Carrot Brown Rice

Hi! I’m Silvia.

My goal is to make cooking simple and enjoyable.

Garden in the Kitchen is full of easy and balanced recipes for busy families. Classics get a healthier twist with additions of veggies or alternative ingredients.

I hope my recipes will inspire you to cook more home meals and above all have fun in the kitchen!

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16 Comments

  1. Awesome recipe! I love rice so much. This gonna be the newest dish I’ll try. Thank you for sharing!

  2. Made this last night – super easy, my kids loved it, and my husband didn’t even complain it was brown rice. Thank you!

    1. It’s the power of garlic 🙂 I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe Katie!Thanks for your feed back