9 Rice-A-Roni Flavors, Ranked

I won't try to speak to anyone else's childhood experience, but as far as mine is concerned, Rice-A-Roni was a mainstay in my house when I was growing up. There was just one catch: My mom exclusively bought the brand's Rice Pilaf. Until doing this taste test, that was the only Rice-A-Roni offering I'd ever had. We can blame my picky childhood tendencies (which would never have touched a different box) for that. 

But I'm in my 30s now, and so is my palate. I figured it was high time to remedy my pickiness of ages past by trying the brand's entire lineup — or at least, every box I could find at my local Walmart. I left this taste test with a newfound appreciation for the tasty, easy-to-make side. I won't pick my flavors unscrupulously from now on, but I can confidently say that my childhood favorite has a few new contenders.

I ranked each Rice-a-Roni offering based on how well its stated flavor notes came through, how natural its flavors were, and how universally appealing the offering was. Here's how they performed. 

It pains me to say it, but Rice-A-Roni's Creamy Four Cheese rice was the most disappointing of the bunch by a fairly wide margin. I expected to like this one quite a bit; I'll always be a fan of plain ol' boxed mac and cheese, and the same basic components seemed to be at play here. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. 

I'm fairly accustomed to the flavor of powdered cheeses by now, and I don't expect anything grand from a boxed "cheesy" dish. But something about Rice-A-Roni's offering was just ... off. On the plus side, it was herby enough to be flavorful, but that didn't give it enough of a leg up to move out of last place. The cheese itself tasted incredibly artificial and off-putting, and though I didn't expect anything gourmet here, I was still pretty disappointed. I'd pass on this box, especially if you're a cheese fan. 

My second-to-last choice isn't a surprising one, considering the flavor I put in last place. Rice-A-Roni's Cheddar Broccoli rice suffered many of the same flaws as its Creamy Four Cheese offering did, and it committed some of its own cardinal sins, as well. This and the previous one are the only two on this list that I flat-out wouldn't recommend; the latter flavors could all be favorites of other consumers.

In addition to having an overly artificial (and just generally unpleasant) cheesy flavor, the broccoli flavor in the rice also seemed strangely manufactured. It was far too strong for how much broccoli was actually present in the dish. If you don't mind the dubious origins of whatever this broccoli flavor came from alongside clearly processed, powdered cheese, you could be into this box — I, however, was not. 

Next up is a Rice-a-Roni offering well-suited for any lovers of traditional Thanksgiving feasts (alas, I do not fall in that bucket). In my opinion, this quick side didn't taste like chicken so much as it tasted like turkey. That's not a bad thing, but I'm not a turkey girl, so it ended up landing this one in seventh place. 

At least the rice was flavorful, and it was pretty herb-forward. Aside from my own personal lack of fondness toward this particular flavor, I can't say it disappointed me much; in fact, one of my friends is a Thanksgiving fiend, and I'm betting she would love this one. All of the following were stronger competitors in my opinion, and all were more universally enjoyable, too. If you're feeding a crowd, this probably isn't the box I would go with.

Rice-A-Roni's Chicken & Garlic rice was a definite step up from the previous offering, and it didn't have that same turkey-esque flavor that I associated with the brand's plain chicken variety. Was it my favorite? No. Does it deserve slightly more acclaim than the previous? Absolutely.

It's time to talk about salt — I found that most of the boxes on this list had the perfect amount of salt, but I thought the Chicken & Garlic was a little too salty, which definitely contributed to its bottom-half placement on this list. I'll give it some props for having an ample garlic and herb flavor. I also found some issue with the texture — whereas many other rice boxes on this list had a creamy, toothsome texture, this one was a little more grainy. User error? Or is that just how this one is? We may never know — for now, it's staying in sixth place. 

Rice-a-Roni's Spanish Rice is the only box that veers from the company's standard "add butter and water" formula — this box required butter, water, and a can of diced tomatoes. That's not a huge deal, and most of us have diced tomatoes on hand in our pantries anyway, but it's something to be aware of.

I liked this Spanish rice, but the canned tomatoes did a ton of heavy lifting, and they were a little out of balance with the rest of the dish. If you do make this one, I'd recommend chopping the tomatoes a bit more before adding them in. Other than that, this dish gave off effortless Spanish rice vibes, though it obviously didn't match up to what you'd expect from a Spanish restaurant. For an at-home offering, though? Certainly not the worst!

If you're generally a fan of beef-flavored things or dishes with beef bouillon in them, you'll probably get along well with Rice-A-Roni's Beef rice. Its flavor comes through loud and clear, and I'd have been able to recognize it with my eyes closed. Beef has never been my own flavor of choice, but I do see the fairly universal appeal in it, and it was easy to give this as high as fourth place. 

My one qualm was that the small carrot bits gave this a strange bite, but that wasn't a big enough bother to rank this any lower. I was surprised that I didn't think this was too salty, which is a problem I often have with beef-flavored products. Rather, its flavor was very full and well-rounded, and it was perfectly salted. Job well done, Rice-A-Roni; this is an easy pick for beef fans. 

The universal appeal of this option (and the following) is a large part of why this got third place. It's plenty flavorful and wouldn't be disappointing in any degree, though you could always add something to upgrade it. It would also pair well with pretty much any main, and as such, is a good box to keep in the cabinet for those nights when you realize you've totally forgotten about a side dish.

The wild rice adds some textural interest here; personally, I enjoyed that, but I can see some (aka younger me) being turned off by that, which is the biggest reason I ranked it below the following option. It's still nice and creamy, with a very neutral flavor that still avoids being bland. I liked this one a lot; it just couldn't compete with my top two choices.

Ah, my old childhood pal. I promise, it's not (just) nostalgia that landed Rice-a-Roni's Rice Pilaf in second place (though I'm as big a sucker for the good ol' days as anybody). I genuinely think this is a particularly strong entry in the company's lineup, and it has everything going for it.

Flavor? Check. This dish is incredibly herb-forward, and manages to be flavorful while also being easy to pair with different dinner mains. I liked the textural interest that the pasta brought to the equation, which was enough to make the end result interesting without the risk of being unappealing to any audience. It follows, then, that this dish was pretty universally appealing — actually, I can say that from experience, as it was the only box of Rice-A-Roni my delicate childhood taste buds would touch. Rice Pilaf almost earned the top spot; alas, I think a new flavor has to be named my No. 1 choice.

I was thoroughly impressed by Rice-A-Roni's Mexican Style rice. I like this type of rice in general, but I can't say I've ever had a boxed offering — the next time I want some, Rice-a-Roni's will be an easy pick. This was perhaps the most well-balanced rice offering on this list, and it packed a ton of flavor, too. 

First and foremost, the rice refrained from being too salty — a huge feat, in my opinion. I loved the texture, though I can see some purists potentially having issues with it; this rice was incredibly creamy, whereas the rice I usually get at Mexican restaurants isn't. Still, it was packed with that classic spiced flavor of the dish, and once again, I liked the texture that the pasta pieces brought into the equation. Cupboard, say hello to your new staple — it's honestly worth putting Rice Pilaf on the back shelf for. 

To perform this taste test, I grabbed one of every type of Rice-a-Roni available at my local Walmart and went to work. I ended up with nine offerings total, and they took me quite a while to cook up one by one. I judged each based on a few main factors: how flavorful it was (and how much its purported flavors came out), whether the flavors tasted natural or artificial, and how universally appealing each offering was.

I didn't boil the Rice-a-Roni in any flavorful liquids for some extra pizzazz — we went fully plain Jane with this taste test, and honestly (unless you want to upgrade your butter), you won't go wrong by simply following the boxed instructions. I still wouldn't recommend my bottom few choices, but on the whole, I was very pleased with what Rice-A-Roni had to offer.