One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf

August 8, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that’s truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it’s a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

While B.O.B. Bob and I aren’t the craziest fans of anything featuring rice as a main ingredient, we are slowly, and I do mean very slowly, learning to not completely disregard any recipe with its use. So naturally, when it came to choosing a side dish to pair with these Saucy Green Chile & Beer Turkey Skillet Meatballs, serving them over or beside some form of rice seemed a wee bit out of our comfort zone. But, when a little bit of orzo pasta is added to rice, nine times out of ten, neither I nor B.O.B. Bob are ones to complain. That little bit of pasta is all it takes for us to suddenly be able to swallow bite after bite of rice. Although to be fair, the butter, olive oil, and vegetables in this particular recipe might also have something to do with our being able to not only tolerate but also welcome this summer rice side dish recipe. I mean, seriously, y’all, what freaking recipe isn’t improved with the addition of butter, olive oil, and zucchini?

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Sweet Yellow Onion
  • 3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice, Rinsed & Drained
  • 1/2 Cup Orzo Pasta
  • 1 Small to Medium Zucchini, Diced (Approximately 2 Cups or 10-oz.)
  • 1 3/4 Cups Cold Water
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Very Finely Chopped
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Black Pepper

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

Directions:

  1. Place the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. When the butter is melted, add the grated onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the rinsed and drained rice, followed by the orzo pasta. Cook until the rice and pasta are golden brown, stirring constantly. This should only take about 2 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add the diced zucchini, water, cilantro, salt, and pepper; bring to a rolling boil. (Not just simmering around the edges. You want to see some major bubbles going on in the saucepan.)
  5. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
  6. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat.
  7. Allow the rice pilaf to rest for 10 minutes before uncovering it and fluffing it with a fork or spoon.

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

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 to the rice.
  • I used a small to medium-sized zucchini for this recipe. I don’t suggest using a large zucchini because it will have more seeds, a tougher skin, and a mushier texture than a small or medium-sized zucchini. You will need approximately 2 cups or 10-oz. of diced zucchini.
  • 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 cilantro when serving.

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

Improvements:

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One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf

One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Sweet Yellow Onion
  • 3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice, Rinsed & Drained
  • 1/2 Cup Orzo Pasta
  • 1 Small to Medium Zucchini, Diced (Approximately 2 Cups or 10-oz.)
  • 1 3/4 Cups Cold Water
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Very Finely Chopped
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Fine Black Pepper

Directions:

  1. Place the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. When the butter is melted, add the grated onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the rinsed and drained rice, followed by the orzo pasta. Cook until the rice and pasta are golden brown, stirring constantly. This should only take about 2 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add the diced zucchini, water, cilantro, salt, and pepper; bring to a rolling boil. (Not just simmering around the edges. You want to see some major bubbles going on in the saucepan.)
  5. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
  6. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat.
  7. Allow the rice pilaf to rest for 10 minutes before uncovering it and fluffing it with a fork or spoon.
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One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf - This one-pot rice and pasta pilaf perfectly marries fluffy jasmine rice with tender orzo pasta, creating a soft, buttery side dish that's truly a delight. With fresh cilantro, diced zucchini, and sweet sautéed yellow onion, it’s the ideal companion for everything from a simple weeknight meal to your favorite Mexican feasts. Best of all, it's a brilliant way to use up fresh summer zucchini and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for even the toughest critics. And, if you have friends at your table who aren’t fans of cilantro, no worries. You can easily swap it out for some fresh parsley instead.

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Serve this One-Pot Zucchini, Onion, & Cilantro Rice Pilaf with these Saucy Green Chile & Beer Turkey Skillet Meatballs. Get ready to spice up your dinner routine with our Saucy Green Chile & Beer Skillet Meatballs. Tender ground turkey is gently mixed with a combination of flavorful taco seasoning, grated sweet yellow onion, a touch of cheddar cheese, and a generous helping of either fresh cilantro or fresh parsley. An egg and panko bread crumbs are also added to help bring everything together. After being browned to perfection, these savory turkey meatballs are then simmered in a unique and utterly delicious sauce combining beer and zesty green chile enchilada sauce. Served over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, these comforting, saucy stove-top skillet meatballs promise a family-friendly meal that is as easy to prepare as it is to enjoy. CLICK HERE for the recipe.

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