This recipe was a happy accident and I might never make rice another way ever again! Crispy Buttered Rice is cooked rice, toss with caramelized onions and dotted with butter that’s then baked to perfection. It is actual perfection and the perfect thing to serve alongside some Shawarma Salmon!

After making a batch of rice and using the wrong amount of water one day, I wound up with way too sticky rice. Rather than scrap the entire thing, I threw it into a skillet with some caramelized onions and zucchini and butter and tossed it into the oven to crisp up a bit. The result was perfectly flavorful Crispy Buttered Rice. It had a crispy bottom and I gave it a healthy dose of feta on top for a salty finish. You’ll be utterly obsessed.
The recipe below calls for cooking rice according to the package directions and that’s exactly what you should do. BUT… if you do happen to add a little too much water by chance, just know you’ll still be golden and this is how to remedy the problem.

Grab the entire Salmon Shawarma inspired dinner menu here!

Crispy Buttered Rice
Ingredients
- 1½ – 2 cups white rice cooked according to the package directions
- 1 stick unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 zucchini finely diced or shredded
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium braiser or skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the zucchini and saute until soft. Remove to a bowl and season with salt, pepper, feta and then toss in the cooked white rice. Toss to combine.
- In the same skillet, melt ½ of the stick of butter over medium heat. Once melted, Add the rice mixture to the skillet and carefully press down. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and dot the top with the remaining butter. Transfer back into the oven and continue to cook for about 15 minutes more until the underside of the rice is crispy. Remove from the oven and either invert to serve, or serve straight out of the skillet or braiser.
Skillet is from here for those who are curious!
Sounds delish!!
Is the 1 1/2 – 2 cups rice before or after cooking! SO EXCITED TO MAKE THIS MEAL!
DRY RICE – cooked according to the package directions – so you’ll have 3+ cups to cook with
What is the best rice to use? Can we use jasmine rice?
yes – I’ve done it with jasmine and it’s amazing