Pumpkin Rice

Made with pumpkin puree, canned coconut milk, and broth, this pumpkin rice is a flavorful side dish that is perfect for any occasion. It’s so wonderfully creamy, buttery, and cozy.

If you have some extra pumpkin puree in your fridge, this pumpkin rice is perfect for using that up! Pumpkin is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, so adding it to your rice is an easy way to amp up the nutrients in your meal without a ton of work.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s the perfect side for any meal. Because the pumpkin flavor is mild, you can pair this pumpkin rice with pretty much everything without worrying that the flavor will be overwhelming!
• Adding some onions to rice is a simple but easy way to bulk up your rice.
• It’s more creamy and rich than traditional rice, making for a delicious bite! It’s also more filling than your standard rice.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• butter — I absolutely love the buttery flavor you get by cooking the onions in butter at the beginning of the cooking process. If you’d like to keep this dairy-free, you can use vegan butter.
• onion — I use half a sweet onion. You can add whatever onion you have on hand, but I prefer the sweetness of sweet onion in this rice recipe.
• garlic — have you seen my post on how to freeze garlic? I love mincing and freezing garlic, so it cuts down on my overall prep time when cooking.
• pumpkin puree — make sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. They’re usually side by side on the shelves, but pumpkin pie filling comes pre-spiced and sweetened. Try my homemade pumpkin puree if you can’t find it in a can!
• coconut milk — make sure to use coconut milk from a can as it’s more thick, creamy, and rich. I always use full-fat.
• broth — you can use your go-to broth. I usually just use vegetable broth for pumpkin rice.
• rice — I use jasmine rice. If you are using basmati rice or brown rice, you will have to adjust the cook time and liquid ratio.

How to Make Pumpkin Rice

• In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the diced onions. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and broth. Stir to combine and bring the mixture up to a boil.

• Add the rice and lower the heat. Cover with a lid for 17 minutes, stirring at the halfway point.

• Remove the pot from the heat, keep the lid on the pot, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes.
• Fluff the rice before serving.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Always rinse rice beforehand! This helps remove any debris or dust on the rice. I always rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Rinsing also helps remove some of the starch and it helps keep the rice fluffy and not gummy.
• It’s important to let the rice rest! As the rice rests, the grains cool off slightly and firm up. If you try to fluff the rice while it’s still piping hot, you might end up accidentally mushing it.
• Make sure to dice the onions finely to ensure they blend in with the rice. You don’t want to bite into large chunks of onion with your rice!

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked pumpkin rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Freezer: allow the rice to cool before transferring to an airtight container in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.

Recipes To Serve with Pumpkin Rice

Here are a few ideas of what to serve with your pumpkin rice:

• garlic butter steak
• bbq chicken thighs
• pan seared salmon
• baked turkey meatballs
• cilantro lime chicken
• slow cooker bbq chicken

More Rice Recipes

• Jasmine Rice
• Purple Rice
• Coconut Lime Rice
• Instant Pot Coconut Rice
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Corn Rice

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