Rice Pilaf Recipe
Homemade Rice Pilaf is better than any box from the store! This rice dish is surprisingly easy to make and loaded with flavor. We love it with fish and chicken!
When it comes to making rice for your dinner, don’t settle for some rice pilaf in a box. You can easily make a batch of fluffy, delicious rice pilaf with just a little more cooking time while you work on the rest of your dinner. It’s worth the 10 minutes. Promise. This recipe has been a favorite with my boys for years and I know your family is going to love it too.
I almost always make this rice pilaf recipe when I want Parmesan Crusted Salmon for dinner. The timing is perfect. While the pilaf rests, after baking, I crank up the oven temperature and pop in the salmon. By the time it’s done baking the rice is ready to go! And it doesn’t hurt that these recipes taste great together.
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What is Rice Pilaf?
Rice pilaf is traditionally a rice dish that includes broth (or stock), spices, and vegetables…sometimes even meat.
Jasmine or Basmati (AKA long-grain) rice is commonly used since the grains get fluffy and separate. The rice is cooked in hot fat and then combined with a cooking liquid and left to cook and steam.
There are so many variations all over the world, and dishes like paella evolved from pilaf.
What country is rice pilaf from?
India! Only there it’s called Pulao. The rice mixture includes lentils or vegetables (usually peas, potatoes, and carrots) or meat (like chicken, fish, lamb, or pork). Spices like nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, and clove are the name of the game!
This is not a true Indian pilaf. I tweaked it for my family, but OMG is it tasty!
Rice Pilaf Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Salt
- Long Grain White Rice
- Turmeric
- Water
- Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock
- Lime Zest
- Bay Leaf
Does rice pilaf have nuts?
This recipe does not, but you can totally add in pistachios, cashews, or almonds! They’ll go great with this recipe.
How to Make Rice Pilaf
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Place a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once butter is melted, add in the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Sweat the veggies until aromatic, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
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Pour rice into the pot and stir in with the veggies and butter. Cook the rice for another 5 minutes or until it has a nutty smell. If the rice starts to brown too quickly, reduce heat.
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In a small bowl, stir together the turmeric and water until combined. Add the chicken broth, turmeric mixture, lime zest, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir once and then bring to a boil.
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Stir once again and cover the pot with a wet kitchen towel (nice and wet but not dripping). Place the pot lid on top of the towel and then wrap the corners of the towel over the lid of the pot.
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Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for another 15 minutes without removing the lid. This will make sure all the liquid has been absorbed.
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Once rested, take the lid off of the pot and remove the towel. Discard the bay leaf and stir rice to fluff it up. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.
*If you like, you can slice the lime into wheels or wedges to serve with the rice pilaf.
I love the smell of this rice as it cooks. Best of all It hangs out and finishes the steaming process while I work on dinner. Once this rice is in the oven, you can bail on it for 15 minutes and pop up to take it out of the oven before it sits. How many side dish recipes are that easy to ignore when you’re trying to get the main dish done? Not many if they’re not in a crock pot.
My family is picky, but here are some other great add-ins for this homemade rice pilaf!
- Orange lest instead of lime zest (1/2 orange)
- 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen) – add these top the pot on top of everything, just before you put the towel and lid on top
- 1/4 cup golden raisins – stir these in after cooking
- 1/4 cup pistachios, shells removed and chopped – stir in or sprinkle on top after cooking
These elements give this dish more of a traditional Indian flavor. But raisins and rice can be a hard sell with my 10-year-old, so I usually go with the pistachios if anything. They’re a great way to add some color to this dish and they add some crunch amidst all that fluffy rice.
Yummy recipes with rice!
- Hawaiian Fried Rice
- Green Chile Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Brown Rice & Apple Salad
- Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
Crazy Good Side to go with Dinner!
- Pesto Mashed Potatoes
- Southern Fried Corn with Bacon
- Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes
- Creamed Spinach with Bacon
- More side dish recipes…
Rice Pilaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup water
- 2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 large lime zested
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once butter is melted, add in the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Sweat the veggies until aromatic, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
- Pour rice into the pot and stir in with the veggies and butter. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice has a nutty smell. If the rice starts to brown too quickly, reduce heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the turmeric and water until combined. Add the chicken broth, turmeric mixture, lime zest, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir once and then bring to a boil.
- Stir once again and cover the pot with a wet kitchen towel (nice and wet but not dripping). Place the pot lid on top of the towel and then wrap the corners of the towel over the lid of the pot.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for another 15 minutes without removing the lid.
- Once rested, take the lid off of the pot and remove the towel. Discard the bay leaf and stir rice to fluff it up. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm. *If you like, you can slice the lime into wheels or wedges to serve with the rice pilaf.
Notes
- orange lest instead of lime zest (1/2 orange)
- 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen) - add with the bay leaf
- 1/4 cup golden raisins - add after cooking
- 1/4 cup pistachios, shells removed and chopped - add after cooking
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.