Skip to Content

Easy Flavorful Kale Rice

Sharing is caring!

This easy kale rice is a step up from plain and boring white rice. It’s full of flavor and can be cooked on the stovetop or in your electric pressure cooker.  

kale rice in white bowl with spoon and kale in background


 

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love rice and I like to eat it plain with no additional seasonings. Unfortunately, my family doesn’t approve and they fuss at me anytime I give them a bowl of plain white rice. Hence this flavorful kale rice recipe was created just for them but it’s so darn good. 

The great thing about this rice recipe is that it’s easy, healthy, and amped up with ingredients like onion, garlic, kale, and rice wine vinegar. My go-to device when making this recipe is my Electric Pressure Cooker but this can be done on the stove as well.

How to Make Kale Rice

Instant Pot Instructions

First, chop your 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic and set it aside. Set your pressure cooker to sauté and set it to the “more” setting. Once the display says “HOT”, add butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more. 

Then add rinsed rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt, and rice vinegar.

instant pot insert with onions on left and instant pot insert with onions, rice, and water on the right

Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare your kale but removing the stems and chopping the kale into fine pieces. Set aside.

chopped kale on teal cutting board

Once your 5 minute pressure cook time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure. Press Cancel on the pressure cooker. 

Open the lid and pour chopped kale into the insert and use a spoon or fork to stir in the kale. Rest the pressure cooker lid on the rice for about 2 minutes. Then open and stir.   

kale rice inside instant pot

Stovetop Directions

Cooking this recipe on the stove top will cause for a change in the water to rice ratio.

The majority of the ingredients will stay the same except for the liquid, you will need to increase the water to 2 1/2-3 cups of water instead of 2 for the stovetop.  (2 1/2 cups for a dryer firm rice and 3 cups for a more moist rice).

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more. 

Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt, and rice vinegar. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Allow the rice to cook for 18-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. 

Meanwhile, chop the kale.

When rice is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in kale. Cover saucepan with lid for 2 minutes. Then serve and enjoy. 

Tips:

  • I serve this as a side, usually to a roasted chicken. You could make it a one-pot meal by adding chopped boneless chicken breast or thighs to the pot when you add the water.
  • The rice vinegar is optional but I love the flavor it adds to this rice dish.
  • If adjusting the amount of servings for this recipe on the stove top, this guide to cooking perfect white rice is helpful.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Looking for other rice recipes? Try these out:

Print Pin Save
4 from 1 vote

Easy Flavorful Kale Rice

This easy kale rice is a step up from plain and boring white rice. It’s full of flavor and can be cooked on the stovetop or in your electric pressure cooker.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword kale rice
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Rise to pressure and natural relase 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 214kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups long-grain rice rinsed
  • 2 cups water*
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 3 cups chopped kale

Instructions

Pressure Cooker Instructions

  • Set your pressure cooker to sauté and set it to the “more” setting. Once the display says “HOT”, add butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more.
  • Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add water, salt and rice vinegar.
  • Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare your kale but removing the stems and chopping the kale into fine pieces. Set aside.
  • Once your 5 minute cook time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to “venting. Press Cancel on the pressure cooker.
  • Open the lid and pour chopped kale into the insert and use a spoon or fork to stir in the kale. Rest the pressure cooker lid on the rice for about 2 minutes. Then open and stir.
  • The majority of the ingredients will stay the same except for the liquid, you will need to increase the water to 4 cups instead of 2 for the stovetop.

Stove Top Directions

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add in chopped garlic and stir for about a minute more.
  • Then add rice and stir for about 20 seconds to toast the rice a little. Then add in 2 1/2 – 3 cups of water*, salt, and rice vinegar. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Allow the rice to cook for 18-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.
  • Meanwhile, chop the kale.
  • When rice is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in kale. Cover saucepan with lid for 2 minutes. Then serve and enjoy.

Suggested Tools

Video

Notes

*water amounts different for instant pot and stove top instructions. Use 2 1/2 cups for a dryer firm rice and 3 cups for a more moist rice.
  • You could make it a one-pot meal by adding chopped boneless chicken breast or thighs to the pot when you add the water.
  • The rice vinegar is optional but I love the flavor it adds to this rice dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2597IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
My Southern Air Fryer ECookbookFind all my Top Southern Air Fryer recipes in one place! My Southern Air Fryer ECookbook!
Subscribe to my YouTubeSubscribe to my YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Click the bell icon to be notified when I upload a new video.
Tried this recipe? Share on InstagramMention @Myforkinglife or tag #myforkinglife!
Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

Sharing is caring!

Recipe Rating




Shelley n

Monday 4th of March 2024

i prefer brown rice to white, and love to add cilantro as you do the kale, but I've never done the onion, garlic and vinegar... I shall try it asap! as for 'plain' rice, I love to do this- add a huge splash of sesame oil to the sauce pan, heat it a minute or two. add a cup of brown rice and set over medium/high to toast for five minutes, stirring once a minute or so. add 2 cups water and cover immediately, lowering heat to low/medium simmer for 20-25 minutes or to your preferred doneness. I find this rice just perfect and ready to eat as a side to whatever your main dish is, straight up or w whatever gravy or sauce comes with. I hope you'll try with your fam, it's flavorful without any salt added.

much love!

Tanya

Monday 4th of March 2024

Thanks so much Shelley n! Brown rice is amazing and I love the fact that you add sesame oil to it. I'm the only one in my family that likes it though. Maybe with your recipe, I can get the others to get on board, lol. Thanks so much for sharing.

Kathy Hopkins

Monday 10th of April 2023

I am so new to instapot. will the kale cook just sitting for 5 minutes?

Tanya

Tuesday 11th of April 2023

Hi Kathy, Yep, they will. Just make sure the kale is chopped finely.

Diane DiPrete

Saturday 6th of November 2021

Is there a substitute for kale? Cannot eat it. I love rice and this looks delicious. thank you

Tanya

Sunday 7th of November 2021

Hi Diane, any hearty green will do. I'd recommended finely chopped collards as a sub.

June C Long

Thursday 4th of March 2021

Can you use frozen kale?

Tanya

Thursday 4th of March 2021

You sure can.