Cheesy Zucchini Rice
In this cheesy zucchini rice, fine shreds of zucchini are stirred into cheesy, creamy rice. It is a delicious way to use up zucchini!
One of my favorite summer side dishes!
Simple Side Dish
This cheesy zucchini rice couldn’t be simpler. It has risotto vibes, but it is so easy to make!
- Simmer rice and broth until the rice is tender.
- Stir in freshly grated cheese and shredded zucchini.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm and devour immediately.
Notes about Cheese and Zucchini
The cheese aids in creaminess and gives the rice a salty, punchy bite of flavor.
- Using freshly grated cheese (vs pre-shredded cheese) will lend even more creaminess since it melts better than pre-shredded cheese which is often coated in a powdery substance to prevent clumping.
- I highly recommend using a sharp cheddar for maximum flavor.
The zucchini adds a fresh, hearty dimension and melds into the rice in such a delightful, perfect way.
- No need to peel the zucchini before using.
- I prefer finely shredding the zucchini (on the small holes of a box grater). It becomes “one with the rice” better than bigger strands of zucchini.
This rice side dish is best served warm, but it makes pretty decent leftovers, too. Just reheat with a bit more cheese and/or milk for creaminess.
It makes a wonderful accompaniment to any number of meals. Thinking: grilled chicken, roasted veggies (for a meatless meal!), enchiladas and more.
Such a fantastic way to sneak in a few more veggies to ordinary rice! We love this one!
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated on a box grater or with a food processor (no need to peel beforehand)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and chicken broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and let the rice simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the grated zucchini, cheese, and garlic powder.
- Add salt and pepper to taste (don't skip this step – I needed at least 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to boost the flavor). Add a tablespoon or so of milk to adjust the texture if needed.
- Serve warm.
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Recipe Source: found via Pinterest, adapted from Buns In My Oven
Recipe originally posted August 2012; updated October 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Can’t wait to try this!!! Please comment on about how many cup(s) of zucchini to mix into the hot rice. And please also comment if the zucchini gets soft from the hot rice or is it to be eaten semi raw. Either way, I’m sure it will be delicious! Love all the comments, but didn’t see one on this topic. THANKS for providing this amazing blog for all of us out here who love you and making scrumptious recipes for our families. I’ve made lots of your recipes and have yet to make a flop.
Hi Mira, it’s about 2 to 3 cups zucchini (it’s very adaptable and the amount doesn’t need to be exact). I recommend finely grating the zucchini – if stirred into the rice when the rice is piping hot, it will soften a bit, but it shouldn’t be mushy.
I made this tonight with brown rice cooked in the instant pot, then added the zucchini, cheese and other ingredients. Yummy!
We love this rice!!! Maybe everyone knows this but we just discovered that if you happen to have any leftover, it is spectacular in enchiladas or burritos with chicken or beans or beef
Instead of garlic, I added some cayenne pepper for a nice kick! Turned out AMAZING.
Seriously…..such a delicious rice dish! Thanks a million for this one Mel!!
Just made it with fresh garlic and brown rice …. KEEPER! Why oh why did I not think of this before? YUM and highly recommend!
I’m MAKING this tonight! With fresh garlic, because that’s how I roll, and brown rice. Cant wait! Thank you! Haven’t made it yeeeeeet, still unthawing my home made chicken stock. Knowing its going to ROCK! I’m going to crush the fresh garlic into the rice at the end, and then add the salted, drained zucchini and cheese. YUM! This could become an addiction! Giving you 5 stars in advance …. Also, thanks to everyone who said you can grate and freeze your zucchinis! Did not know that! No more wasted fav veg and much more zucchini rice! yay!
Such an easy and tasty last-minute side dish. We loved it! Thank you for rescuing dinner!
This is incredible! So easy and very tasty.
I just made this, it’s not dinner time yet and my kids have eaten half of it already. I had some left over shredded zucchini and literally just poured some garlic powder, cheese and salt and heated enough to melt the cheese and it was delicious. Who would have thought. P.S. my kids hate zucchini. Thanks for the recipe!
Can I use water instead of chicken broth?
Yes, but it may not be quite as flavorful.
This was very tasty and easy! I still have zucchini in my freezer so I’m glad to use it up. I used brown rice and it was delicious! Thanks!
Hi Anne, I have a question. Do you freeze the zucchini yourself or you use a store bought. Every time when I bought excess of fresh zucchini I wanted to freeze it, but I didn’t know how to do it: should I slice it or leave it whole, should it be blanched or not, etc.?
Kate– A whole zucchini frozen won’t work, but if you want chunks/slices, you’ll want to do a quick blanch and flash freeze (I like to do a flash freeze on a baking sheet with a silicone mat).
But shredded is even easier– just grate it and put it in freezer bags (get out excess air and label & date). Then let them mostly thaw before using. I’ve been able to keep bags of shredded frozen zucchini for months and they work great in zucchini bread or even adding to a boxed brownie mix! Bonus– keep the water you wring out of the zucchini and use in the recipe if it calls for water. You’ll get bonus nutrients 🙂
Just made these for dinner for my 2year old.. Added bit of spinach as well. Tastes yummy. Thank you for this great recipe.