This Rice Pilaf is one of those side dishes that feels elevated yet effortless. It's light, fluffy, and packed with flavor. The secret? Toasting the rice before simmering it in chicken stock to create a depth of flavor that makes every bite delicious.
Rice Pilaf is one of my favorite side dishes, it is easy to make, nutritious, and pairs well with so many different proteins. I especially love serving it with saucy dishes like this Smothered Chicken recipe, where I can drizzle the rich sauce over the fluffy rice. It's so good! Of course, Rice pilaf is just as delicious on its own.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice- Long or short grain white rice.
- Olive Oil & Butter - A combination of both for flavor. You can substitute all of either if needed.
- Onion- Yellow or white onion to add flavor to the dish.
- Garlic- Freshly minced garlic cloves to bring a rich aromatic flavor to the rice.
- Chicken Stock- As always, I recommend using a good quality chicken stock. The chicken stock brings a deep savory flavor to the rice.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
How To Make Rice Pilaf
Making homemade Rice Pilaf is easy and takes just a few simple steps:
1 Rinse the Rice: Rinse raw white rice under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then let it drain thoroughly.
2 Sauté the Onion: Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced onion until soft and translucent.
3 Toast the Rice & Garlic: Add the drained rice directly to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains turn lightly golden and fragrant, then stir in the minced garlic.
4 Simmer & Steam: Pour in chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steam covered for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
👉 Sky's Tips
- Toast the rice before cooking it. Toasting the rice gives it great flavor and the best texture.
- Allow the rice to sit, covered and off the heat, for 10 minutes before removing the lid. This allows the rice to absorb all the liquid and dry out a bit, creating the best fluffy texture.
- Mix in vegetables like english peas or carrots for additional flavor.
Give this fluffy, flavorful rice pilaf a try the next time you need a simple side dish to elevate your weeknight dinner!
-Sky🩷
If you tried this Rice Pilaf recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comment section below!
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📖 Recipe
Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup onion small diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice about 20 minutes before cooking. Leave it in a mesh strainer to while you prep the onions and garlic.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Now add the rice to the pan with the onions and spread out into an even layer and begin toasting the rice. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Once the rice has started to lightly brown, add in the minced garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Once the 20 minutes are up, turn the heat off, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before you remove the lid and fluff the rice. Enjoy!
Dee says
Easy to make and great flavor! Keeping this one for sure.
Simply Scratch Made says
Great to hear!
Peter Miks says
Can this be made with brown rice?
Sky Pilgreen says
Hi there! Great question. I haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Brown rice takes quite a bit longer to cook and usually needs more liquid, so it would likely require some adjustments.
If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!