Quick Sour Cream Chive Rice
A creamy, herb-forward stovetop rice dish made with sour cream, fresh chives, and chicken broth. The rice cooks directly in the broth, absorbing its flavor while staying tender and moist. Ready in under 25 minutes.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 3½ cups total)
Steps
Before you start
- Measure the rice and broth
- Have sour cream and chives ready at room temperature
- Gather a lid for your saucepan (a baking sheet works if you don't have one)
Toast the rice
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (3-quart / 3 L) over medium heat.
- Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the grains smell fragrant and look slightly translucent at the edges.
- This toasting deepens the rice's nutty flavor.
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Ready when: Rice grains appear translucent at the edges and smell nutty
Tip: Stir constantly to prevent sticking and ensure even toasting; this step takes only 2 minutes, so don't walk away.
Add broth and simmer
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir once.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Place the lid on the saucepan and simmer gently for 18 minutes, until the rice is tender and the broth is almost completely absorbed.
- Do not stir during cooking.
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Ready when: Rice is tender and liquid is almost completely absorbed; a few grains of broth may remain at the bottom
Tip: Resist the urge to stir or lift the lid; this interferes with even cooking. If liquid disappears before 18 minutes, the heat is too high—reduce it slightly.
Remove from heat and rest
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
- This allows the rice to finish absorbing any remaining moisture and the grains to set.
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Ready when: Steam stops releasing from under the lid
Fold in sour cream and chives
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
- Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Add the sour cream and chopped chives, and fold them in with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- The residual heat will warm the sour cream and wilt the chives slightly, but keep the motion gentle to avoid mashing the rice.
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Ready when: Sour cream and chives are evenly distributed throughout; rice grains are separate and creamy
Tip: If the sour cream is cold, it may temporarily cool the rice. Letting it sit at room temperature before adding prevents this. Fold gently—overmixing can make the rice starchy and gluey.
Taste and serve
- Taste a spoonful and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately while the rice is warm and creamy.
Good to know
Tips
- Room-temperature sour cream folds in more smoothly and doesn't shock the warm rice. Remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking.
- Do not stir the rice while it simmers—steam trapped under the lid is what cooks it evenly. Stirring releases steam and dries out the grains.
- This recipe is flexible with broth ratios; if you prefer softer rice, use 3 cups broth; for firmer, grains, use 2½ cups. Adjust future batches to your preference.
- Fresh chives lose their delicate onion flavor when cooked; adding them at the end preserves their brightness and color.
Make ahead
Prepare the rice up through Step 3 and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding 1–2 tablespoons of broth to restore moisture. Fold in the sour cream and chives just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring often, until warmed through (about 5 minutes). Do not microwave; the sour cream can separate. Freezing is not recommended due to the sour cream base.
Substitutions
- low-sodium chicken broth → Vegetable broth or water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Vegetable broth keeps the dish vegetarian; water works but yields milder flavor.
- fresh chives → Fresh dill, tarragon, or scallions (green parts only), finely chopped. Each herb brings a different note—dill adds brightness, tarragon adds sophistication, scallions add mild onion flavor.
- full-fat sour cream → Greek yogurt (full-fat, plain) or crème fraîche. Greek yogurt will yield a tangier rice; crème fraîche provides richer flavor and a higher fat content.
- long-grain white rice → Short-grain white rice or jasmine rice. Short-grain rice will be slightly stickier; jasmine rice will add a subtle floral aroma. Both work well; extend cooking to 20 minutes if using short-grain.
