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Easy Homemade Fluffy Rice Pilaf with Orzo

A close-up of a white bowl filled with fluffy, golden rice pilaf garnished generously with fresh chopped parsley.
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Make weeknight dinners better with this quick and easy homemade rice pilaf. This flavorful side dish uses long-grain rice, orzo, onions, garlic, and chicken broth to achieve a perfectly fluffy texture that pairs well with chicken, beef, or vegetables.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup orzo pasta
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (Basmati or Jasmine recommended)
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the orzo pasta and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns light golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  3. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the rice to the skillet and stir to coat the grains with the fat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the rice slightly.
  6. Pour in the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  7. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the skillet tightly with a lid, and simmer for 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
  8. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it stand, covered, for an additional 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this resting period.
  9. Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

  • For a richer flavor, substitute half of the chicken broth with dry white wine and let it cook off before adding the rest of the liquid.
  • To make this a gluten free rice pilaf, confirm your broth is certified gluten free.
  • If you do not have orzo, you can omit it and increase the rice to 1 3/4 cups, using 3 cups of broth.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://completelyyummy.com/easy-rice-pilaf-fluffy-orzo-recipe/