Rice Pilaf with Orzo

A spoon holding up a scoop of rice pilaf.

Rice pilaf with orzo is full of delicious French onion flavor! It's a side dish that's just as easy to make as it is tasty. With only a little bit of prep work required, let your stove do its thing so you can get to the rest of your meal!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Inactive time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 323kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons salted butter
1 cup long grain white rice
⅓ cup orzo pasta
14.5 ounces beef broth (you can also use chicken broth if you prefer)
1 packet French onion soup seasoning

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium high heat.
Add rice and orzo and cook until they start to get golden stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.
While the rice cooks, bring the broth to a boil in another pan.
Add the onion soup seasoning to the rice and stir to combine.
Slow pour the boil broth into the rice (be careful because it bubbles up quite a bit).
Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
Simmer for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat and let the covered pot sit on the hot burner for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a spoon. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Stir constantly when toasting the rice and orzo. The second half of my recipe is very hands-off, but you really need to stay in front of the stove during the toasting step — rice and orzo can go from golden to burnt super quickly!

Boil the broth separately. I know it seems like an extra step (and pot), but trust the process! Pouring the hot liquid into the toasted grains keeps the temperature consistent and keeps the rice from cooking unevenly.

Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid to trap the steam during simmering. If too much escapes, the pilaf will come out dry and undercooked!

Don't skip the 10-minute rest. It allows the rice to finish steaming and absorb any leftover broth — and prevents any leftover soggy or crunchy pieces.

Want to make brown pilaf rice instead? Use 1 ¼ cups of broth per 1 cup of brown rice, and leave it to simmer for 40-45 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

Ingredients to prep ahead- Rinse the rice if desired, and carefully measure out all of the ingredients.

Leftovers and storage- You can place any leftover rice pilaf in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to help loosen it up and bring back its fluffy texture! I typically reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts.

Nutrition