This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A simple and really delicious Rice Pilaf recipe – using ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen!
As bloggers and self-proclaimed foodies, my husband Jack and I love to cook and share recipes for some fairly elaborate dishes here on A Family Feast.
Sometimes we’re encouraging you – our wonderful readers – to try a new, exotic ingredient; other times we’re hoping to teach you a new cooking technique; and still other times we guide you step-by-step through a recipe that results in a wonderfully impressive dish!
But I actually get equally excited when we can share homemade versions of classic recipes with you – like today’s Rice Pilaf. Recipes like this are so easy and delicious – but better yet – you probably already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen cabinet!
And, if you are like me, I often cooked the rice pilaf that came out of a box with a pre-packaged seasoning mix. Then Jack showed me how easy it is to make homemade rice pilaf – and I’ll never buy a boxed rice pilaf mix ever again!
How do you make Rice Pilaf?
Rice pilaf is, by definition, rice that has been cooked in chicken stock or another flavored broth. To mirror the popular boxed variety, we’ve add pan-toasted orzo pasta to our Rice Pilaf as well.
Combine the rice, orzo, and broth in a Dutch oven, along with sautéed onions, herbs and seasonings – then bake in the oven until the rice and pasta are cooked through and tender.
Making Rice Pilaf at home is so simple – and the flavors are just so much better than any boxed rice pilaf!
This Rice Pilaf recipe is actually one of the very first dishes that Jack learned to prepare back in culinary school many years ago. It’s a wonderful, classic dish that anyone can make at home –and one that everyone should have in their recipe collection!
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in June 2013. We’ve updated the photos.
You may enjoy these other pilaf recipes:
- Forbidden Rice Pilaf
- Curried Rice Pilaf With Red Lentils
- Quinoa Pilaf
- Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Savory Root Vegetable Rice Pilaf
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Rice Pilaf
You’ll never buy the boxed rice pilaf again!
Ingredients
½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 large cloves garlic finely minced
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 ½ cups chicken stock
(Optional) Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, dry toast the raw orzo stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a light walnut color (3 to 4 minutes). Remove orzo to a bowl and set aside.
Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and rice. Sauté for five minutes stirring occasionally or until onions are translucent. If the rice starts to get brown, remove from heat before you proceed to next step.
Add garlic and stir for one minute. Then add bay, thyme, pepper and browned orzo. Stir and add chicken stock. Be careful – when the stock hits the pan, it will bubble up.
Stir once, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes untouched.
Remove from the oven and discard bay leaves. Fluff rice with a wooden spoon and taste. Add salt to taste, as needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Notes
Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock you use for cooking, the addition of some additional salt may or may not be needed.
Just excellent. From start to finish only one dutch oven pot so clean up was easy. The flavours were excellent. Made a similar recipe from another site and it does not come CLOSE to this one. Your measurements are right on the mark including the cooking time and temperature
Thank you so much Rudy – so glad you enjoyed the rice!
have not made store bought rice pilaf since finding this recipe on A Family Feast many years ago!
Thanks Pam! 🙂
Family favorite, turns out perfect every time!!
Thanks Amy!
I have been making this rice for nearly 9 years now. Its one of our family favorites. Its actually what encouraged me to come back to your site and see what else I can make 😊
We’re so glad you found us Phyllis! 🙂
How big of a casserole dish or saucepan would I need to make this? How many quarts would it need to hold? My dutch oven is way too big for this. THANK YOU FOR INFO- LOOKS DELICIOUS.
Hi Jennifer – We used a 5-quart dutch oven and it fills the pot about half way. You could use an oven-safe, medium-size pan with lid instead.