Homemade rice pilaf is delicious, and is a perfect side dish for beef, poultry, and seafood. Who needs a box mix when it can easily be made from scratch?
Do you buy rice pilaf from a box on the grocery store shelf? What if I told you it’s VERY easy to make your own and it tastes FANTASTIC?!!! That’s right… this Easy Homemade Rice Pilaf is my latest recipe “find” and it is amazing. Seriously GOOD.
I love rice pilaf, and have been buying boxes of it (“The San Francisco Treat” – wink, wink) for years and years, until I found this recipe. This homemade rice pilaf is delicious, very easy to make, and is my new “go to” homemade rice pilaf recipe.
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How To Make Easy Homemade Rice Pilaf
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a medium-sized skillet. Add orzo pasta and the black wild rice to the skillet. Cook the rice on medium-low heat, stirring often, until the orzo becomes golden brown in color.
Add the diced onions and continue cooking until the onions have softened and become translucent in color. Toss in the minced garlic, and cook for an additional minute.
Add the white rice, salt, pepper, turmeric and chicken broth to the skillet, and stir well, to combine.
Let The Rice Pilaf Cook
Bring the mixture to a boil, and stir the rice often. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to Low. Put a cover/lid on the skillet, and continue to cook rice for 25-30 minutes. *Note: Check the rice at 25 minutes. If it’s almost done, but not all the way done, add a little water, and give it a quick stir. Try cooking it for another 5 minutes, to be sure the rice is completely done.
Here is a photo (below) of what the homemade rice pilaf looked like when it was done. The rice will be soft, and the black wild rice will have a touch of firmness. It looks very similar to what you get from a boxed mix (but honestly think it tasted better).
When the rice is done, remove skillet from the heat. Take the lid off the skillet, and let the rice stand (uncovered) for a couple minutes. Fluff the homemade rice pilaf with a fork, and serve!
Serve The Homemade Rice Pilaf
I served the homemade rice pilaf to accompany a chicken dinner I made recently (Rosemary Chicken With Caramelized Onion Wine Sauce). We’ve also enjoyed this homemade rice pilaf as a side dish for seafood and pork chops, which was also delicious.
This flavorful rice is a perfect side dish for beef, poultry, pork or seafood, and in my book, you can’t beat that! The leftovers are incredible, too (with a good stir and a quick heat up in the microwave!).
I really hope you will give this delicious homemade rice pilaf a try. We LOVE it, and it’s now been added to our regular rotation. It’s wonderful being able to make rice pilaf from scratch! It sure saves unnecessary trips to the grocery store!
Looking For More SIDE DISHES?
You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. A few favorite side dish recipes you might enjoy include:
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Broccoli Au Gratin Rice Pilaf
- Toasted Orzo with Lemon and Chives
- Orzo with Parmesan
- Spanish Rice
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Recipe Adapted From: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/stovetop-rice-pilaf-with-orzo.html
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1/2 medium brown onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup white rice
- 1 Tablespoon black wild rice
- Salt and pepper , to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (a spice, gives the rice it's yellow color & it's good for you!)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Melt butter in medium skillet. Add orzo and black wild rice; cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the orzo is golden brown in color (about 5 minutes).
- Add diced onion and cook until onions soften and are translucent. Add minced garlic; cook for one minute, stirring often.
- Add white rice, salt and pepper, turmeric, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
- Cook mixture until the liquid comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to Low, put a lid on the skillet. Continue simmering the rice for 25 minutes. When done, the rice will be softened, and the liquid will be absorbed.
- *Test the rice at the 25 minute mark. If the rice is in need of a bit more cooking (but most liquid is absorbed already), add just a touch more water, and cook for another 5 minutes. The black wild rice will still be a bit firmer than the rest of the rice... (that's okay).
- When rice is done, remove the skillet from the heat. Take off lid, and let it stand for a couple minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve. Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
That was can I par-cook the black wild rice …
Never tried that (we like it a bit firm), but don’t think it would hurt!
CN I pad cook the black wild rice so it is NOT so firm?