How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Rice

How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Rice that is so flavorful, you may never look at rice the same way again. The buttery garlic aroma alone will have everyone wandering into the kitchen, and this easy rice is the perfect side for so many meals.

If you’re looking for an easy way to turn plain rice into something a little more special, this Sun-Dried Tomato Rice is a new favorite around here. Jasmine rice cooks with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and a little salt, then gets finished with butter and black pepper for a simple side dish that has so much flavor.

The sun-dried tomatoes add a savory, slightly sweet flavor to the rice, while the garlic and oregano give it that Mediterranean inspired taste without making the recipe complicated.

Best of all, it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner. Serve it alongside roasted chicken, grilled chicken, or chicken meatballs for a meal that feels like you put in much more effort than you actually did.

Why You’ll Love This Sun Dried Tomato Rice

There are plenty of ways to make rice, but adding a few flavorful ingredients while it cooks makes such a difference.

First, the sun dried tomatoes add flavor as the rice cooks. The garlic and oregano season everything from the beginning, so the rice isn’t bland underneath.

Then, once the rice is cooked, butter is stirred in while the rice is hot. That little finishing step gives the rice a richer flavor and makes the texture especially nice.

Finally, a little freshly ground black pepper brings everything together.

It’s simple, but the combination works so well.

What You Need

• Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice has a naturally fragrant flavor and cooks up beautifully for this recipe.
• Sun dried tomatoes: Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. The tomatoes and some of their flavorful oil add a lot of flavor to the rice.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the rice a savory base.
• Oregano: Dried oregano is an easy way to add Mediterranean flavor.
• Salt: Adds seasoning to the rice as it cooks.
• Butter: Stirred in after cooking for a rich, flavorful finish.
• Black pepper: Add it at the end to taste.
• Water: The rice cooks with water and the sun-dried tomatoes.

What to Serve With Sun Dried Tomato Rice

This rice is especially good with chicken.

I love serving it with chicken meatballs because the rice adds a flavorful side without competing with the main dish.

It also works well with:

• Roasted Sour Cream Chicken
• Roasted chicken (roast one or pick up a rotisserie chicken)
• Cast Iron chicken breasts
• Mediterranean chicken thighs
• Lemon Pepper chicken
• Grilled vegetables

You could also make this part of an easy Mediterranean inspired dinner with chicken, vegetables, and this rice on the side.

I put in whole garlic, instead of sliced or minced. I wanted the sun-dried tomato to be the star of this dish and while I still wanted that delicious garlic flavor I didn’t want the garlic to be the first thing you tasted. Adding whole garlic was perfect.

Tips for Making the Best Sun Dried Tomato Rice

Use jasmine rice. The fragrant flavor of jasmine rice works particularly well with the sun dried tomatoes and oregano.

Don’t skip the butter. Adding it after the rice cooks gives the finished rice a richer flavor and silky texture.

Let the rice rest. A few minutes of resting time helps the rice finish steaming and makes it easier to fluff.

Taste before serving. Depending on the sun-dried tomatoes you use, you may want to add a little more salt or black pepper at the end.

Use the flavorful oil. If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, that oil has plenty of flavor. Include some of it with the tomatoes when adding them to the rice. Or heat some oil with the sun-dried tomatoes so the flavor permeates the oil.

A New Favorite Rice Recipe

I love recipes like this because they don’t require a long list of ingredients to make dinner taste homemade.

Plain jasmine rice becomes something completely different with sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Then the butter and black pepper finish it off.

The best part is how versatile it is. Make a batch for a weeknight chicken dinner, add it to a meal prep container, or serve it when you want an easy side dish that has more personality than plain rice.

Once you try this version, you may find yourself looking for excuses to make it again.

How to cook chicken for the week, make as much or as little as you need. Multiply this rice recipe for more servings.

This dish is also great with chicken meatballs

This sun dried tomato rice recipe makes great leftovers and freezes well too.

I love how rice cooks in a Dutch oven, and it stays warm for a long time, making it easy to prep out the meal and still have time to maybe go outside and grill the chicken if needed, but it can be cooked in a grill pan on the stove or baked in the oven as well, so many options.