Easy Rice Pilaf:
Fluffy, flavorful, and fabulous, this easy rice pilaf recipe makes a great side dish all year long. The perfect side for any protein, and a regular in your dinner rotation.
The rice is perfectly cooked and fluffy, the flavors simple and wonderful. This is the kind of side that tastes amazing but really lets the main shine. It is far better than the boxed version, but just as easy to make.
Pair it with your favorite protein like Smoked Pork Butt and serve with chocolate cupcakes and peanut butter frosting for dessert.
This recipe can be made in the oven, however, I find it is so easy to make stove top, why bother? But if you want to make it in the oven, then what you will do is:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Follow recipe directions through step 4, where you have your rice and aromatics in a pan.
- Then add your liquid and transfer to an oven safe cooking dish. Cover with foil.
- Cook in the oven for about 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, fluff with a fork, and continue with step 7 in the recipe card.
Serve Rice Pilaf with:
- Lemon Butter salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs
- Skillet Honey Mustard Chicken
- Healthy Lemon Skillet Chicken
- Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce (Keto)
- Honey Dijon Chicken Cobb Salad
Or Try this Wild Rice Pilaf for a fun change to rice pilaf.

Easy Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup white long grain rice uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Dried Parsley
- ¼ cup Parmesan Grated
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter *Note, you need a lid for the skillet for later
- Add orzo pasta to butter, and cook and stir orzo until golden brown.
- Once orzo pasta is golden, stir in onion and cook until onion becomes translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add in the rice, and stir to coat with oil. Add chicken broth, salt, and parsley. Stir well, then increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet with lid, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minute
- Stir in parmesan, then fluff with a fork.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
Video
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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