Say goodbye to boring rice and hello to a mouthwatering side dish that will become a new family favorite. This buttery rice pilaf is loaded with fresh parsley and pairs well with almost any meal. Whether eaten on its own or served alongside your favorite main dish, this easy weeknight recipe is guaranteed to please even the pickiest of eaters.
Year by year, B.O.B. Bob and I are getting closer and closer to admitting that we might sometimes actually have a hankering for the occasional rice dish. If, of course, the rice dish in question, has some flavor and isn’t just straight-up boring, as recipes with white rice so often are. And, since one of our main reasons for not being all gung-ho to eat rice is its texture, adding a wee bit of orzo is still pretty much a requirement for us. This recipe, in particular, is certainly one that we’ll be enjoying more often. It has simple ingredients, just the right touch of buttery flavor, and the perfect amount of seasoning. And as a bonus, it only takes about 20 or so mostly hands-off minutes to make and it pairs well with just about everything. In our book, when it comes to rice, this buttered parsley version is a clear winner.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice
- 1/2 Cup Orzo Pasta
- 2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Very Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Minced Onion
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Black Pepper
Directions:
- Place the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the rice and pasta and cook until the pasta is nicely browned, stirring constantly. This should only take about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, parsley, dried minced onion, salt, and pepper; bring to a rolling boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Allow the rice pilaf to rest for 5 minutes before uncovering it and fluffing it with a fork or spoon.
- If desired, garnish this rice pilaf with additional finely chopped parsley when serving.
Suggestions:
- You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I used salted. If you use unsalted, you may need to add more salt before serving.
- I used dried minced onion in this recipe for its convenience. If you don’t have any, feel free to omit it or replace it with 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder.
- Wrap a clean dish towel over the lid to prevent any condensation from falling back down into the rice while it cooks. Lay a clean dish towel out on your counter, place the lid on top of the towel, and then gather the ends and sides of the towel up over the lid. Use a rubber band, binder clip, or zip tie to keep the ends and sides together. If you use this method, keep a close eye on the rice as it cooks, making sure that the towel never comes in contact with the range or flame of your stove.
- If there is still liquid in the bottom of your saucepan after the rice has cooked for the final 15 minutes, allow it to keep cooking until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Garnish the rice with additional finely chopped parsley when serving.
Improvements:
- Add a clove or two of minced garlic to the rice pilaf.
- Replace the parsley with any fresh herbs you have on hand. Try swapping in thyme, oregano, dill, or rosemary to find which herb you like best. I suggest using a tablespoon or two of each for these herbs because they are so much more flavorful than parsley. A 1/2 cup would be way too overpowering.
- Serve this rice pilaf with these Paprika & Oregano Marinated Pork Chops or this Crockpot Kung Pao Chicken with Carrots.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice
- 1/2 Cup Orzo Pasta
- 2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Very Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Minced Onion
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Black Pepper
Directions:
- Place the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the rice and pasta and cook until the pasta is nicely browned, stirring constantly. This should only take about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, parsley, dried minced onion, salt, and pepper; bring to a rolling boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Allow the rice pilaf to rest for 5 minutes before uncovering it and fluffing it with a fork or spoon.
- If desired, garnish this rice pilaf with additional finely chopped parsley when serving.
PIN THIS RECIPE
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
Simple Weeknight Stovetop Tumeric Rice
