Perfect Rice Pilaf
This rice pilaf is easy and so tasty! A combination of long grain rice and orzo pasta and simple spices cook to tender, flavorful perfection.
Rice pilaf just might be the most perfect side dish! This stovetop version is amazingly quick and simple.

4 Easy Steps for Perfect Rice Pilaf
Rice pilaf is basically any rice dish where the rice and other grains are toasted in butter/fat before being cooked in broth. Most recipes for rice pilaf use both rice and pasta of some sort.
For this recipe, we are using long-grain white rice and orzo.
For perfect rice pilaf:
- Saute onions in butter to start.
- Add the rice and pasta and cook until the grains are toasty and well-coated in butter. This is an important step; don’t skip it!
- Add pantry-friendly spices (needed for flavor!) and broth.
- Cook, covered, until the rice and pasta are tender.
What to Serve with Rice Pilaf
For such an unassuming recipe, rice pilaf is incredibly delicious. It is so much more flavorful than everyday steamed rice thanks to the garlic and onion.
And…it can be served with so.many.things.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Best Baked Salmon or Maple Pecan Salmon or Honey Lime Tilapia
- Roasted maple-glazed pork tenderloin or smoky grilled pork tenderloin
- Lemon garlic grilled chicken or rosemary ranch chicken
- Beef or chicken kabobs
- Roasted vegetables
No-Fuss Side Dish
If you’re looking for a no-fuss side dish you can make last minute, this perfect rice pilaf is for you!
Don’t skip toasting the rice and orzo in the butter. It makes all the difference in flavor and texture of the finished dish.
For whatever reason, when I serve this rice pilaf, my kids think something out-of-the-ordinary is happening or maybe VIP company is showing up to eat dinner with us. 😂
Apparently kids that grow up on plain, ol’ steamed rice get pretty darn excited to see rice pilaf appear at the table. Good thing I can wow them at a moment’s notice! This rice pilaf is definitely easy enough for a weeknight and “fancy” enough for elevated meals. It’s become a go-to side dish!
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Perfect Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- ¾ cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Chopped, fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion has turned translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the rice and orzo and stir well to coat the grains with the butter mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until the grains are sizzling. Watch closely so the grains don't burn.
- Add the broth, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat without stirring. Stir once to scrape up the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to maintain a simmer, and cook for 17 minutes (don't lift the lid during cooking!).
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before removing the lid and fluffing with a spoon or fork. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.
This is a really great recipe. I made this as a side for our dinner last night, and my husband said, “this is the only rice we should ever make! It is sooooo good!” Even my children ate it up, and went back for seconds.
Yay, Natalie! Love reading that! Glad it was a hit.
This recipe is excellent. I make something similar in the pressure cooker. I don’t use oil or onion + use 1/2 c orzo. The seasonings are the same. I sauté the rice and orzo, then cook on high pressure 4 minutes with 10 minute natural release. Once I started making this in the IP, I never looked back!
Thanks for all your great recipes!
This was very good, but it made a lot for my household of 2! Do you think it would freeze well?
Definitely worth a try (haven’t frozen it myself to know exactly how it will fare).
Tips for storing and reheating leftovers?
I store them in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
Do you think the rice setting on the instant pot would work for this recipe?
Do you think the rice setting on the instant pot would work for this?
Hi Maddie, I don’t own a rice cooker, so I can’t say for sure – but it’s worth experimenting if you’d like to try it. I’d suggest still sauteeing the onions in the butter/oil and making sure the grains of rice and orzo are coated and toasty in the butter before cooking.
Made it today and it is SO SO SO good. I used jasmine rice and it worked perfectly! I wanted it to have a coconut flavor because of the dinner we were having, so I used some coconut milk as part of the broth it called for and it is delicious! Everyone had seconds. Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
Thanks for the review and detailing your changes! The addition of coconut milk sounds so yummy!
This sounds so good! If you were to leave the orzo out (gluten free) would you add to it the same amount of rice?
That’s a good question, Heidi – I think if you were to leave out the orzo, I’d increase the rice by 1/2 cup.
Yay! I’ve been wanting to learn how to make my own rice pilaf! Thanks, Mel!
You are so welcome!
Hi Mel-
Do you think this would work with medium grain rice?
It sounds so good!
Hi Kathie – it’s possible it might work. You may need to make a few adjustments (slightly less liquid). Since I haven’t tried making it with medium grain rice, I’m not 100% sure of the changes needed, but it is worth experimenting. Medium grain rice will make the overall dish a bit more dense and moist and chewy.