How To Make Rice Pilaf

A simple rice pilaf is a great way to add a little excitement back into side dishes. Although plain rice may be a quick side dish to add on to any meal, you can step up the flavor experience by adding a few simple extras. Rice pilaf is easy to make and there are many flavor options to take the dish in whatever direction your meal is going. While there are numerous opinions on how to make the perfect pilaf, you don’t need to make it complicated. You can make a pilaf from leftover cooked rice from the previous night. If you want a basic pilaf, cook long grain rice in mixture of stock and water and combine finely chopped and sautéed ingredients like onions, peppers, celery, parsley and plenty of spices in a skillet and cook. In this video, Chef Mark will show you how to cook a flavorful rice pilaf that will be the perfect accompaniment to any dish. For more great cooking demonstration videos, subscribe to the LearnToCookOnline YouTube channel.

Rice Pilaf Recipe:
Makes 4 portions of rice pilaf (about 6 oz. each)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 Tbsp onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp oil or clarified butter
Kosher salt, to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, then add the clarified butter or oil
3. When the fat gets hot, add the diced onion and sweat until the onion is slightly translucent, about 2-3 minutes
4. Add the uncooked rice and sauté, stirring constantly, for about a minute, or until the rice is fully coated with fat
5. Add the stock or broth, bring it back to a boil, then cover with an oven proof lid or a cartouche made out of parchment or foil and place the entire pot in the oven

Cooking Tip:
1. Check the seasoning of the cooking liquid and make any necessary adjustments before the pot goes into the oven
2. Cook the rice pilaf in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. If after 15 minutes there’s still liquid in the pot or the rice is still too moist, re-cover and return the pot to the oven for another 2 to 4 minutes
3. Remove the pot from the oven and gently fluff the rice pilaf with a fork

If you like this post, please be sure to check out the following!

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If you have questions or comments about this video or recipe please leave them below.