Rice Pilaf

By Naz Deravian

Updated December 14, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(609)
Comments
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A fragrant, fluffy buttery rice pilaf is pure comfort. The word pilaf generally refers to a rice dish in which the grains are toasted in a fat like butter, ghee or oil before being cooked in broth or other liquid, and the dish’s many iterations span the globe from Central and South Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe to the Caribbean. (Other grains like barley and bulgur, and noodles such as vermicelli or orzo – see Tip – can also be included.) In this simple version, onion and garlic are cooked in butter, which is then used to toast long-grain basmati rice until nutty and gently seasoned. The process of first rinsing the rice, then toasting in fat, prevents clumping. The amount of added liquid may vary slightly depending on the brand of rice, but do cut down on the salt if using a salted broth. With this base, you can get as creative as you like and add a variety of vegetables, herbs, spices, chopped nuts, dried fruit, ground meat or even shrimp. Or serve as is alongside chicken, fish or vegetables.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 cups white basmati rice

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ghee or oil of choice

  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 

  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet

  • 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth or water

  • ½ cup chopped parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

52 grams carbs; 82 milligrams cholesterol; 480 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 401 milligrams sodium; 20 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a fine-meshed sieve, rinse the rice with cold water to rid the grains of excess starch. This makes for a fluffier rice that doesn’t clump. Set aside to thoroughly drain.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium (3 ½-quart) saucepan, heat the butter over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Adjust heat to medium-low, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Adjust heat to medium, add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the grains are coated in the butter, are shiny and smell toasty, about 5 minutes. Take care not to burn the garlic, turning down the heat if necessary. Stir in the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika, and cook for 1 minute.

  4. Step 4

    Add the broth, adjust heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, cover and turn heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to steam, covered, for 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Gently fluff with a slotted spatula as you fold in the parsley, taking care not to break too many grains, and serve.

Tip

  •  To add noodles: Swap 1 cup of rice for 1 cup of orzo or broken vermicelli, and add with the rice in Step 3. 

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Ratings

5 out of 5
609 user ratings
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Comments

Laurel Bedig

My father was Assyrian and my aunt Armenian. We called her “Auntie Pilaf” as she made the best! Pilaf was served instead of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas and anytime we had leg of lamb or lamb shish kabobs. Very simple recipe. Melt a lot of butter in pan with low heat, add vermicelli broken in thirds and brown, add rice and chicken broth, turn to low when broth boils, cover and wait 20 minutes. Voila! The best ever. It doesn’t overwhelm all of the other dishes but adds to their deliciousness and is very good on its own too. The secret is lots of butter!

GSA

Made this with half rice, half orzo. Very tasty. Not clear why it says it will take 10 minutes to make - there is 40 minutes of cooking time.

AP

Excellent with grilled Peruvian chicken. About halfway through boiling I added frozen green peas to the top of the rice to steam cook. Will likely add diced carrot next time as well. Also added about a cup more of broth to keep the rice from cooking to the bottom of the pan, but I think that really depends on the cookware used.

liesl g.

I wondered why this side dish was getting so many 5-star reviews without any razzle dazzle elements like nuts, dried fruit or what I think of as unique herbs. So I made it and learned that while it’s simple, it’s extremely flavorful and (important for me) fool-proof. While I can see from the comments it’s a nostalgic flavor for many, for me it’s just about a perfect side. Not boring, but easily lets a main dish shine. I inadvertently made this with a rich bone broth the first time. It was very good.

Jack S

So fluffy and delicious! I make this at least once a week. So good!

Petra

Why are there so many comments mentioning vermicelli? Clearly I’m missing something here and would love to be enlightened!

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