Fragrant rice pilaf is classic side dish that’s very easy to make and packs wonderful flavors. This recipe turns out perfect every time! Why settle for plain steamed rice when you can make fragrant rice pilaf!
This rice pilaf recipe would be terrific with chicken shawarma bowls and shish kebab.
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Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need-
- 1 cup basmati rice (long grain rice)
- ⅓ cup vermicelli (or orzo)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ⅔ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
Garnish:
2 teaspoon parsley
What is rice pilaf?
Long grain rice cooked in broth along with flavors/aromatics like onion, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. In some Middle Eastern cuisines rice pilaf has rice and vermicelli cooked together.
Vegetable can also be used in making pilaf, finely chopped mushrooms, fine diced carrots and diced celery are best.
No matter what additional ingredients you use, rice is always the star.
Ingredients notes
- Best rice for pilaf – basmati rice is best to use for pilaf. Basmati rice is a type of long grain rice which has lovely subtle flavors and cooks to fluffier rice. Flavors and fluffiness is what pilaf is all about! If you can’t find basmati rice aka long grain rice use jasmine rice.
- Vermicelli – some Middle Eastern cuisine (Lebanese cuisine) uses vermicelli along with long grain in pilaf. It’s very thin noodle or pasta that is somewhat similar to spaghetti but much thinner in diameter and is broken in smaller size pieces. Vermicelli are golden yellow before roasting and turns deep golden brown after roasting. I used pre-roasted vermicelli.
- Flavors – pilaf has wonderful savory flavors to it. Flavors of garlic and onion. You can use garlic powder and onion powder or use fresh minced garlic and fine diced yellow onion in the recipe.
- If using fresh onion and garlic, sauté first in olive oil until fragrant than add vermicelli and rice to sauté in it.
- Fat – I used butter and olive oil together for great taste and flavors.
- Pilaf spices– I used paprika alone. Feel free to add spices of Middle Eastern flavors like cardamom, cinnamon and cumin or change it up to suit your own taste.
- Stock – I always make rice pilaf with chicken or vegetable stock. If you are a fan of beef stock, go ahead and use it. Water will work fine too but highly recommend stock for extra flavors.
- Garnish – garnish with fresh parsley for freshness.
Ingredients additions & substitutions
Nuts – Middles Eastern style pilaf usually has nuts like sliced almonds and pistachios. You can throw in some sliced almond and sliced pistachios. It’s great side dish on Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner table. To make it Christmas special, add almonds and pecans to suit the theme.
Dry fruits – to give it an authentic Middle Eastern flavors, try adding sultanas or golden yellow raisins. You can also add dried apricots or dried cranberries for color and sharper pop of flavors to the pilaf.
Seeds – if allergic to nuts, swap nuts with seeds like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Seeds not only are nutritious but adds great texture and flavor to pilaf!
Vegetables – you can make pilaf with vegetables too. Diced mushrooms, finely diced carrots and celery are some vegetables that you can use to make pilaf.
If you can’t find vermicelli use orzo pasta in the recipe.
To rinse or not to rinse rice first?
If you are my regular reader, you know I advocate rinsing rice first before cooking in almost all my rice recipes like this steamed rice, cilantro lime rice.
There are two reasons why I always rinse my rice –
- To remove excess surface starch from rice hence it isn’t too sticky once cooked.
- Sometimes when I buy rice from packets, I notice debris in rice. Rinse to get rid of debris.
Having said that, I do sometimes cook rice without rinsing and I get perfectly cooked fluffy rice always. It all depends on the rice to liquid ratio and adjusting that to cook fluffier rice.
It’s up to you to decide if you want to rinse rice or not first before cooking, you’ll find me advocate to rinse rice first (except for one or two exceptions). That’s me!
I used the best premium quality basmati rice I could ever find here and I knew I could cook perfect rice (no sticky) without rinsing. I have been cooking rice for past 20 years and I have grown up seeing my mom cook different kinds of rice almost every single day and she almost always rinses rice first.
How to make rice pilaf?
- Pour chicken stock into a large pot. Add butter garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ground pepper to taste to the stock.
- Heat the stock until it comes to boil.
- Meanwhile in a pan heat olive oil.
- Sauté vermicelli (or orzo if using that) until it is roasted to deep golden brown on low heat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring constantly as vermicelli will begin to burn fast.
- Add long grain rice (if you choose to rinse rice, feel free to rinse first) to the pan and continue to sauté until rice is toasted and aromatic, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Once stock begins to boil, remove from heat and pour it carefully over rice and vermicelli mix.
- Stir well.
- Cover the pan with lid and let it cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Note: do not open lid or stir the rice while it’s cooking. Leave the pan alone. Escaped heat/steam will tend to compromise on cooking rice perfectly.
- Once rice is cooked turn off heat. Rest rice undisturbed for 5 minutes covered. Resting rice is crucial step, this is when rice will finish it’s cooking.
- Open lid, gently fluff rice using silicone spatula or fork.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
FAQS
Long grain basmati rice is ideal for pilaf recipe because it’s fragrant and suits well with the flavors used in pilaf. If you can’t find long grain basmati rice, use long grain jasmine rice. Any long grain rice or medium grain rice can be used.
Short grain and sushi rice can also be used but it will result in sticky pilaf.
Vermicelli is very thin noodle or pasta that is somewhat similar to spaghetti but much thinner in diameter and is broken in smaller size pieces. Vermicelli is golden yellow before roasting and turns deep golden brown after roasting.
If you can’t find vermicelli use orzo pasta in the recipe.
Rice pilaf recipe also often has vegetable used in it. Vegetables like finely chopped mushrooms, fine diced carrots and diced celery are used.
Rice pilaf can be a great side dish for holiday dinner table. You can make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can add nuts like sliced almonds, pistachios, pine nuts and some dried fruits like apricots, sultanas, golden yellow raisins or cranberries to make it traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas theme.
Leftovers can be stored in air tight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on stove top or in microwave with a splash of water until warm and serve.
MORE RICE SIDE DISHES:
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📋Easy Rice Pilaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice long grain rice
- ⅓ cup vermicelli or orzo
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ⅔ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
Garnish:
- 2 teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- Pour chicken stock into a large pot. Add butter garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ground pepper to taste to the stock.
- Heat the stock until it comes to boil.
- Meanwhile in a pan heat olive oil.
- Saute vermicelli (or orzo if using it) until it is roasted to deep golden brown on low heat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring constantly as vermicelli will begin to burn fast.
- Add long grain rice (if you choose to rinse rice, feel free to rinse first) to the pan and continue to saute until rice is toasted and aromatic, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Once stock begins to boil, remove from heat and pour it carefully over rice and vermicelli mix.
- Stir well.
- Cover the pan with lid and let it cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Note: do not open lid or stir the rice while it’s cooking. Leave the pan alone. Escaped heat/steam will tend to compromise on cooking rice perfectly.
- Once rice is cooked and all liquids are evaporated, turn off heat. Rest rice undisturbed for 5 minutes covered. Resting rice is crucial step, this is when rice will finish it’s cooking.
- Open lid, gently fluff rice using silicone spatula or fork.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- Vegetables – vegetables can be included in rice pilaf recipe. Vegetables like finely chopped mushrooms, fine diced carrots and diced celery are best.
- Nuts – Middles Eastern style pilaf usually has nuts like sliced almonds and pistachios. You can throw in some sliced almond and sliced pistachios. This rice pilaf is great side dish on Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner table. To make it Christmas special, add almonds and pecans to suit the theme.
- Dry fruits – to give it an authentic Middle Eastern flavors, try adding sultanas or golden yellow raisins. You can also add dried apricots or dried cranberries for color and sharper pop of flavors to the pilaf.
- Seeds – if allergic to nuts, swap nuts with seeds like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Seeds not only are nutritious but adds great texture and flavor to pilaf!
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