BAKED RICE PILAF — Rice and toasted orzo are mixed with colorful vegetables and chicken broth, then baked until light and fluffy.
Nothing makes a better side dish, in my opinion, than a good rice pilaf. And this colorful, Baked Rice Pilaf is my all time favorite!
This pilaf is a combination of white rice and orzo, toasted in a skillet then mixed with veggies and a savory broth and baked until light and fluffy.
This recipe is fantastic! I must admit I was skeptical about the process, but followed it as directed and was thrilled with the fluffy results. ~ Lauri
You definitely don’t want to skip the toasting step. It adds tons of color and flavor to this savory side dish.
I just love how pretty this looks with the peppers, carrots and green onions. And my kids hardly notice that I’m serving them vegetables. A handful of fresh herbs tossed in just before serving also adds great color and flavor.
This rice pilaf goes well with beef, pork or chicken. You could even add cooked meat right to the pilaf itself for a complete, one-pot meal.
This does take a bit longer to cook than your typical rice dish, so make sure to leave yourself about an hour to finish it.
But I love that once this rice pilaf in the oven, you can forget about it while you concentrate on making your main dish. It’s the kind of side you’ll make again and again because it’s so easy and convenient.
And it’s versatile too. You can easily switch up the vegetables and herbs to use whatever you have on hand. Even frozen veggies, like peas or corn, would work well.
This is a side dish that’s fancy enough to serve for a holiday meal, but easy enough to throw together on a week night. And my whole family loves it.
You really can’t go wrong with this Baked Rice Pilaf.
Be sure to save this Baked Rice Pilaf recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Baked Rice Pilaf
- Butter
- Produce: onions, celery, garlic, carrots, red pepper, green onions, fresh parsley
- Orzo
- Rice
- Chicken broth
- Salt and pepper
Baked Rice Pilaf
Rice and toasted orzo are mixed with colorful vegetables and chicken broth, then baked until light and fluffy.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat
- Sauté onions celery and garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in orzo. Toast until orzo is a deep, golden brown, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, carrots and peppers and pour into a large, covered casserole dish. Pour one cup of the chicken broth over the rice mixture and stir.
- Cover and bake for 25 minutes. When time is up, remove lid and stir in the remaining broth. Cover and bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Fluff rice with a fork, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in green onions and parsley just before serving.
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If you love this recipe, you might also like:
Cranberry Almond Rice Pilaf
Garlic Parmesan Orzo
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Simply Scratch
Laurie
This recipe is fantastic! I must admit I was sceptical about the process, but followed it as directed and was thrilled with the fluffy results.
Danelle
Thank you!!!
Kara Mazer
I don’t have any orzo. Can I use 2 cups rice instead?
Danelle
That should work.
Donna
break up spaghetti into pieces, orzo is a type of pasta.
Lynn Ouellette
Need to bake it at 350 degrees. How long will it take?
Many thanks.
Becky
So tasty! I did it as instructed the first time and realized my oven was broken. Second time i did the same ratio of ingredients but kept it in my pan, covered on low medium heat for about 20 min! Same result and a little faster 🙂
Karen Teeling
Can this bake at 400 degrees? If so, how long? Thanks
Gina Willis
Made and had great flavour. However, the orzo was undercooked despite following the recipe. Is the orzo supposed to be as soft as the rice or is it meant to be hard?
Tans
When you add rice to the skillet is it dry like the orzo? Or is it precooked?
Danelle
It is dry like the orzo.
Chef Christopher Rumm
Doubled the recipe, followed as directed using a Dutch oven and scratch made chicken stock. This recioe is great for a a big gathering. Everyone said that it was fantastic!