Orzo Rice

Delicious Orzo Rice requires 5 pantry staple ingredients and takes just 30 minutes to make. This is an easy side dish for any meal!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 27

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 265kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
1 cup orzo pasta
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo has turned golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more or until fragrant.
Stir in the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and fluff mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

Rice: You can use a different rice variety if you'd like. Jasmine rice, basmati or any other fragrant rice would work beautifully in this recipe. Brown rice can be used, you may need to add a touch more liquid and cook it for slightly longer than what's called for in this recipe.

Rice pilaf traditionally has a yellow tinge to it. This is usually due to added turmeric to the dish. This recipe doesn't include turmeric, but if you want to you it for that yellow color and to add flavor, you can add turmeric.

Storing: Store cooked orzo rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To reheat: Place desired amount on a microwavable plate and heat for 20-30 seconds or until warmed through.

Variations

Add vegetables to the orzo rice pilaf dish. Chop the vegetables and add them when you add the rice. You can do peas (not chopped), carrots, red pepper, broccoli, etc. It's a great way to add additional vegetables in your meals.

Make it a meal by adding chopped grilled chicken.

What To Serve with Orzo Rice

It can also go well with fish such as my lemon glazed salmon, sheet pan chili lime salmon, or brown sugar-crusted salmon.

If you've made the orzo rice into a meal by adding chopped grilled chicken or salmon, there are more delicious side dishes on my website that will pair well with this rice pilaf as a main dish. Options include: corn avocado feta salad, cherry tomato caprese salad, or crunchy cabbage salad.

Recipe makes 6 1/4 cups of orzo rice, about 6 servings worth, depending on your serving size.

Nutrition