Easy Rice Pilaf

This Easy Rice Pilaf recipe has such an amazing buttery flavor that you will love, and its so addictive you’ll want to serve it with just about everything! It’s made with long grain white rice, egg noodles, butter and chicken broth.  

This is a simple rice pilaf recipe to make. We make a slight departure from many (if not most) pilaf recipes, because we like to use wide egg noodles instead of usual vermicelli or orzo. The egg noodles in this pilaf are soft and buttery and they make this rice pilaf completely addictive! 

Why We Love This Recipe

• Flavor. The rice is rich and buttery and completely addictive. This is another recipe that I got from my ex mother-in-law. She used to make it all the time, and our whole family loved it!  But when she made it, she used 1 whole stick of butter (1/2 cup). We dialed that back just a bit so we use just 1/4 cup of butter instead of 1/2. Our version is lower in fat but still has the wonderful buttery flavor.   
• Quick and Easy. This is a super easy recipe to make. The rice takes about 18 minutes to cook, then we let it rest in the pan with the lid on for another 20-30 minutes to finish steam cooking the rice. The rice turns out perfect and fluffy and loaded with butter flavor every time! We like to serve this pilaf with chicken, fish, and as a base for our favorite dinner bowl recipes.
• Budget Friendly. This recipe is made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand in your pantry.

Rice Pilaf Recipe Ingredients

• Rice. We use long-grain white rice for this recipe.
• Noodles. We use wide egg noodles. This is how my ex mother-in-law made it and we make it exactly the same.
• Butter. Use unsalted butter. The butter flavor in this rice is amazing!
• Chicken Broth. The rice pilaf is cooked with low-sodium chicken broth.
• Seasoning. We season the rice with just a bit of salt. The flavor of this rice is all about the butter so we don’t add any seasonings that would interfere with that.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Rice Pilaf

1. Brown Noodles. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat and cook the noodles until they are golden brown.
2. Add Rice. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Then add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil with the lid OFF and then reduce heat to a low simmer and put the lid on the pan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has absorbed. Turn heat off and let the rice rest in the pan for 20-30 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
3. Garnish. Garnish with chopped parsley if you like.

Tips For Making The Best Rice Pilaf

• Don’t rinse the rice first.
• Don’t remove the lid while the rice cooks.
• Don’t stir the rice while the rice cooks.
• Let the rice rest for 20-30 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
• Set a timer for 18 minutes so you don’t overcook the rice. Take a quick peak under the lid and if the water has been absorbed by the rice, turn the flame off and let the rice rest in the pan with the lid still ON for 20-30 minutes. The rice will continue to steam cook and absorb any remaining liquid so it will be nice and fluffy.
• Cook the noodles in the butter over medium-low heat. Be careful the butter doesn’t start to burn or it will change the flavor of the rice.

Storing Leftovers

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 5 days.
• To reheat, add 1-2 tablespoons water to a skillet and reheat the rice on low heat until warmed through.

Is Rice Pilaf Gluten Free?

White rice is naturally gluten-free, but pilaf typically adds some type of pasta which contains gluten. We add egg noodles to our pilaf, and egg noodles contain gluten. So if you want a gluten-free pilaf, then sub out the egg noodles for a gluten-free noodle or pasta instead.

What To Serve With Rice Pilaf

• Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
• Italian Dressing Chicken
• Greek Chicken Bowl
• Marinated Greek Chicken

More Side Dish Recipes

• Vegetable Rice
• Mexican Green Rice
• Homemade Spanish Rice
• Spanish Brown Rice
• Mexican White Rice
• Beet Quinoa
• Peas and Carrots
• Sauteed Vegetables

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 Servings

Easy Rice Pilaf

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

This Easy Rice Pilaf recipe has such an amazing buttery flavor that you will want to serve it with just about everything! It's made with long grain white rice, egg noodles, unsalted butter and chicken broth.  

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain white rice, don't rinse
• 1/2 cup wide egg noodles
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups low salt chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat and cook the noodles for 1 to 2 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.
2. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. The butter will bubble. Then add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil with the lid OFF and then reduce heat to a low simmer and put the lid ON the pan. Simmer for 18 minutes until the liquid has absorbed. The amount of time will depend on the pot you use, whether it's deep or wide, etc. Turn heat off and let the rice rest in the pan with the lid still ON for 20-30 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
3. Garnish with chopped parsley if you like.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Rice Pilaf

• Don’t rinse the rice first.
• Don’t remove the lid while the rice cooks.
• Don’t stir the rice while the rice cooks.
• Let the rice rest for 20-30 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
• Set a timer for 18 minutes so you don’t overcook the rice. Take a quick peak under the lid and if the water has been absorbed by the rice, turn the flame off and let the rice rest in the pan with the lid still ON for 20-30 minutes. The rice will continue to steam cook and absorb any remaining liquid so it will be nice and fluffy.
• Cook the noodles in the butter over medium-low heat. Be careful the butter doesn't start to burn or it will change the flavor of the rice. Be careful the butter doesn't start to burn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 841mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.