Butternut Squash Rice
This butternut squash rice is the kind of side dish that is easy enough that it's doable for a random Tuesday night, but tasty and elegant enough to work at a holiday table.
FROM THE COOK
"This butternut squash rice is the rare side dish good enough for a holiday spread but easy enough for a weeknight. This has earned it a regular spot in our rotation!"
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Flavor Profile: It tastes like fall in one pot. Sage and thyme give it that warm, cozy, autumnal flavor.
- What Makes This Recipe Great: Easy enough for a weeknight, but tasty enough for your Thanksgiving table.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This butternut squash rice recipe right here is pretty much everything I love about cooking. It's simple. It's easy. It's delicious. It's quick enough for a weeknight dinner, but flavorful enough to serve at a holiday dinner party. This is my kind of food.
I have to be honest, I had these great intentions to store my butternut squash for eating all winter long, but they have definitely been burning a hole in my pocket. I can't resist using them! They are so good this year! We'll be lucky if any of our squash even make it out Fall at this rate. Especially if I keep making this recipe, which is maybe one of my favorite ways to use winter squash ever. EVER!
Ingredient Notes & Swaps
Since this dish is so simple, it pays to use good ingredients.
- Butternut squash: Grab that butternut squash from the farmer's market or your own garden if you can. No butternut on hand? Acorn, hubbard, or even pumpkin will work fine as a swap.
- Fresh herbs: I'm usually a fan of giving all the easy subs, but in this recipe, dried sage and thyme just aren't the same. Grab some fresh for the best flavor.
- Basmati rice: I highly recommend using Basmati rice due to it's nutty flavor and fluffy texture. I promise it's worth it! Jasmine rice is the closest substitute, similarly fragrant and quick-cooking. A standard long grain white rice will work too, just with less aroma. Brown rice is an option if you want more fiber, though you'll need to increase the cooking time and liquid to account for it.
How to prep Basmati rice for cooking
One thing that matters with Basmati rice: rinse it well before cooking. Basmati carries a lot of surface starch, and if you skip the rinse, you'll end up with a sticky, gummy pot instead of separate, fluffy grains.
I fill a bowl with cold water, swirl the rice around with my fingers, drain it through a mesh sieve, and repeat two or three times until the water runs mostly clear. Then it cooks just like any other rice.
This rice is perfect for your weeknight dinner or your Thanksgiving table!
This dish is so simple that it's perfect for a weeknight dinner, but I also want you to put a little mental note in that beautiful brain of yours to keep this dish in consideration for your turkey day table. It's different from the normal Thanksgiving fare (at least, different from the stuff we serve in my family), but it's got a ton of wonderful cozy, warm, autumnal flavors in it that will pair up beautifully with the rest of the holiday standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of broth or water to loosen the rice back up, or microwave in short bursts, stirring in between.
The rice and squash can turn a little mushy after freezing, but it'll still taste good. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
This almost always comes down to skipping the rinse. Basmati carries a lot of surface starch, so give it a few good rinses in cold water until it runs mostly clear before it hits the pot.
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Rice
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion diced
- 8 ounces basmati rice about 1 ¼ cup
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss the butternut squash with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and then spread into one layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and onion, and cook until just fragrant and tender, about five minutes.
- Add in the rice, and stir to coat all grains. Add in the broth, bring to a boil. Reduce head to low, cover, and let cook undisturbed for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat, and let rest for 5 minutes. Then fluff with fork. Add in the butternut squash, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well-combined.
Notes
- Rinse the basmati in cold water until it runs mostly clear before cooking. Skipping this step is the most common reason for gummy rice.
- No butternut squash? Acorn, hubbard, pumpkin, or even sweet potato all work as a swap.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth to loosen the rice back up.
Nutrition
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We've made a few dishes with Butternut Squash, and, Basmati Rice, but not together in the same dish. Great idea. Must try
This looks delicious and gluten free!
I have been looking for a butternut squash recipe and this look delish!! Thanks for posting and for the inspiring photographs 🙂
Your recipe sounds delicious! I make a recipe similar to this! I just add Parmesan cheese and I have never tried sage. I will definitely be giving your recipe a try! Butternut squash is probably my favorite winter squash!
I have been having an obsession with rice side dishes lately. I love the idea of turning it into something super fall by adding squash and sage....yum!
What a great, simple side dish for the fall!
Great recipe, thank you. I used Hokkaido squash (no peeling) and put a fried egg on top. Yummy!
We love basmati rice around here... and I love that you've added some fall into this side with butternut squash!
We've been eating so much butternut squash lately! What a great fall side dish!
I love how easy and simple this dish is ! The flavors of the rice paired with the squash are just genius!
This rice dish is just perfect for Fall. It's beautiful, too.
Basamati rice is a pantry staple at our house. What a flavorful and delicious side dish. Adding this to my must-try soon list!
I love basmati rice! I'm going to have to keep an eye out for this brand! LOVE the pairing with butternut squash 🙂