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Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is a great side dish to add to just about any meal. Long grain rice with sautéed sweet bell peppers and onions, plus Mediterranean spices cooked in broth. A flavorful and delicious addition to your dinner plans.

Rice Pilaf in a bowl

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Rice Pilaf

Serve Rice Pilaf with Smoked Chicken, Grilled Salmon, Barbecue Grilled Shrimp or any of our Easy Pork Chop Recipes. Since it cooks so quickly, I love it with this Grilled Sicilian Style Steak.

Rice PIlaf collage

This quick and easy side dish is my favorite for busy weeknights. It’s ready in about 30 minutes and it is so simple to make. The peppers and onions add great flavor and texture the dish and everyone loves it even if they don’t normally like rice. 

How to Make Rice Pilaf:

chopped peppers and onions

  • Chop peppers and onions – I like my vegetables a chunky for this rice pilaf, but if you have super picky eaters, dicing them works just as well. Use a mix of sweet peppers or what ever you have on hand. 
  • Make quick work of chopping vegetables with this handy chopper. I can’t believe how much time it saves and it’s easy to clean up.

steps to make rice pilaf

  • Coat the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil. Add chopped onions and peppers and cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. 
  • Add long grain white rice, broth (chicken or vegetable), Mediterranean Seasonings and salt. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and lower to simmer for 15 minutes. 
  • Stir rice mixture and return cover. Remove from heat and set aside 5- 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

Rice Pilaf in a red pan

Recipe Variations:

  • If you aren’t a fan of bell peppers, try carrots or celery to jazz up your rice. 
  • Use vegetable broth if you would like to make it a vegetarian dish. 
  • Add fresh lemon juice to brighten up the flavors. 
  • Make this a main dish by adding shredded chicken, seasoned ground beef or pork. 

Rice Pilaf in a serving bowl

The Best Rice for Rice Pilaf:

I prefer long grain white rice. I always use Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice. It turns out the same every time. It’s never sticky or mushy. I’m a bit particular about the texture of rice. 

How much liquid to add to cook rice:

Generally a 2:1 ration of liquid to rice is recommended. I usually add about 1/4 cup less of the liquid and the rice is tender without being mushy. 

How Much Rice to Cook:

Leftover rice is one of my favorites to have on hand and it’s easy to make a little extra. I figure 1/4 cup of dry rice per person. So I will generally cook about 1 1/2 cups of dry rice with about 2 3/4 cups of liquid for our family meals.

How to Reheat Rice:

You can always pop a bowl of rice in the microwave for a minute or so but I like to add it to a small pan with a bit of water or broth. The liquid will steam and heat the rice evenly, making it taste freshly made. 

You can also stir leftover rice into soups or casseroles. 

Bowl of rice pilaf with peppers and onions

Delicious Rice Dishes for Dinner

Delicious dishes featuring rice that are sure to be family favorites.

Rice Pilaf

Add this quick and easy side dish to your menu this week. It’s easy to scale the recipe to feed a crowd and leftovers are great to enjoy for lunch or with another meal.

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Rice Pilaf
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5 from 2 votes

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is a great side dish to add to just about any meal. Long grain rice with sautéed sweet bell peppers and onions with Mediterranean spices cooked in broth. A flavorful and delicious addition to your dinner plans.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy side dish, rice, rice with vegetables, sweet pepper rice, vegetarian side dish
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 249kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add olive oil to saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir in peppers and onions. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often until vegetables start to soften.
  • Pour in rice and broth. Add Mediterranean seasonings and salt, stir.
  • Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir and cover, set aside for 5- 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 509mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

6 Comments

    1. Hi Tim,
      I’m not sure why that was not working. I updated the link and it seems to be working now. There’s also a link in the top of the post in the ingredients list.

      ~ Milisa

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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