Name: Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 2 cups long-grain rice; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 3 cups chicken stock; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups zucchini (ends removed & shredded); 2 cups white cheddar (shredded)

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Cheesy Zucchini Rice is a yummy side dish perfect for any weeknight meal- it’s easy to make and pairs well with all your family favorites!

The hunt for the perfect side dish to go with all your weeknight meals is over once you discover how delicious Cheesy Zucchini Rice is! Full of creamy, comforting cheese, tender rice, and nutritious zucchini, this side dish is ready in less than 30 minutes and is amazing with chicken breast, steak, or your other favorite main dishes!

spoonful of cheesy zucchini rice over the pot with recipe name at the bottom

Kid Approved

When it comes to making dinner, we know the struggle is real when deciding what to make that everyone will like versus what is good for them. Cheesy Zucchini Rice has been a game changer for us because not only does everyone love it, but it’s the perfect side to many other dishes and has veggies! I love getting more veggies into my family’s diet, and it sure doesn’t hurt that there’s also delicious gooey cheese and perfectly cooked rice in this dish. Whether having meatloaf or grilled chicken breast, this is our go-to side dish for everything!

Enjoy great quick and easy weeknight dinners like Air Fryer Chicken Breast or a veggie-filled Turkey Meatloaf. Both are amazing with Cheesy Zucchini Rice!

Other Recipes to Serve with Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Breaded Pork Chops are perfect for family dinners, especially when you don’t have to think about what side dish to make!
Time for dessert! Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting will knock everyone’s socks off!

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients: To make this dish, you will need chicken stock, olive oil, and butter.

Veggies: Shred a couple of medium-sized zucchini for this dish. If you have picky eaters, peel the zucchini before you shred it so there are no green pieces in the dish.

Dry Ingredients: This dish calls for rice. Long-grain rice is preferred, but you can use any rice you have on hand.

Seasoning: For this recipe, you will need minced garlic and salt. Pepper is also great in this recipe, so feel free to add it to your liking.

Cheese: For this dish, grab shredded white cheddar. Preshredded cheese is great, but if you have the time, shred the cheese yourself, and it will melt even better. You can also use your preferred cheese in this recipe.

How to Make Cheesy Zucchini Rice

STEP ONE: Combine the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted and hot, add the rice and garlic and saute for a few minutes to toast the rice.

garlic added to melted butter and olive oil in a saucepan

STEP TWO: Pour the chicken stock and a sprinkle of salt over the rice and cover the pan. Bring the pan to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.

chicken stock being added to toasted rice and garlic in a saucepan

STEP THREE: Fluff the rice with a fork when the rice has finished cooking.

cooked rice being fluffed with a fork in a pot

STEP FOUR: Stir in the cheese and shredded zucchini, mixing well until the cheese is melted. Serve warm with your favorite dinners!

shredded white cheddar and zucchini added to cooked rice in a saucepan

Tips for Success

If necessary, you can peel the zucchini before you shred it so there are no green specks in the dish.
Chicken broth is flavorful in this dish, but you can use vegetable broth for an even lighter taste or beef broth for a deeper flavor. Whatever you have in the cupboard will work!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The zucchini may release more water as the dish sits, which you can pour off before reheating in the microwave or pot.

wooden spoon in a pot of cheesy zucchini rice

What is the best rice to use for this dish?

Cheese Zucchini Rice is a wonderfully easy dish to make, especially because you can use absolutely any rice you have! Long grain, short grain, Basmatti, and Jasmine are good rice choices. You can use brown rice as well, or even quinoa! When using one of those options, brown rice or quinoa, be sure to cook those grains according to the package, and once cooked, you can follow this zucchini rice recipe for folding in the zucchini and cheese. Cook your rice in a rice cooker or even use microwavable Minute Rice. This rice dish was made to make your weeknight dinners hassle-free!

portion of cheesy zucchini rice on a plate with sliced chicken breast

How do I make Cheesy Zucchini Rice not watery?

Zucchini naturally holds a lot of water, making it one of the many reasons this veggie is perfect for Summer! However, All that water isn’t so great in dishes, so to prevent your dish from getting waterlogged. At the same time, when cooking or discovering soggy leftovers later on, it’s essential to squeeze the water out of shredded zucchini. Once you’ve sliced the zucchini, pop it into a colander and let it drain while the rice cooks. Before you add it to the cooked rice, wrap it in a paper or cloth towel and give it a few good squeezes to get the last of the water out, and then add the zucchini to your rice. You may find a little water in the leftovers after a day in the fridge and that is easy to pour off and your leftovers are good to go!

forkful of cheesy zucchini rice over the plate

So Many Reasons to Love Zucchini!

Cheesy Zucchini Gratin
Super Easy Parmesan Crusted Zucchini
Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Zucchini Fritter with Greek Yogurt Ranch

*This post originally posted on 04/08/2015.