This Butter Rice Pilaf Recipe is a fluffy rice side dish with a simple mix of aromatic spices and cooked with butter and rich chicken broth.
An easy rice side dish that’s made in under 30 minutes. We love it with Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast or paired with my Million Dollar Beef Tenderloin.
My favorite thing about stick of butter rice (Rice made with a stick of butter) is that it goes with SO many main dishes. It’s versatile since the flavors are mild but delicious!
Butter Rice Pilaf
This rice pilaf is made by first toasting the rice with some lovely aromatic onions and garlic, then cooking it in broth to make a rich, buttery-flavored rice side dish.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need to make Butter Rice Pilaf. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Butter – salted
- Onion – sweet variety like yellow or white
- White Rice – long grain
- Chicken broth – regular or low-sodium
- Bay Leaves – add flavor
How To Make Butter Rice Pilaf
It’s super simple to make a rice pilaf, and it only takes a couple extra steps besides just cooking the rice. I’ll walk you through the process step by step!
Sauté Onions and Garlic
In a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it is bubbling slightly. Add in the diced onion and cook until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Sauté Rice
To the onion and garlic add in the rice and toast in the butter for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, salt, ground black pepper, and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a full boil.
Simmer Rice
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covering the pot with a lid. Let the rice cook for about 18 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and let sit (with the lid on) for an additional 3 minutes.
Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Serve hot!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Letting the rice sit for 3 additional minutes helps ensure any extra moisture soaks up into the rice to make it fluffy. Don’t skip this step!
- To make this dish low sodium, use unsalted butter, low sodium chicken broth, and omit the free salt in the recipe.
- Sprinkle on paprika or parsley before serving for a pop of color and flavor!
- You can use green onions in place of yellow for a lovely change in color.
Make Ahead and Storage
It’s so easy to make Rice Pilaf ahead of time and save it for serving later!
To Refrigerate: When cooked and cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: After cooling, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
Rice is cooked in boiling water without any or many seasonings added. PIlaf is sauteed with aromatic spices or onions and garlic before cooking in broth to make a richer, seasoned rice.
It is considered a simple carbohydrate, and if eaten in excess can be considered unhealthy. Everything in moderation is key.
The oil coats the individual grains of rice so they don’t stick together, making the rice more defined and not sticky when cooked.
Not only does the butter coat the rice to make it fluffy, but it also is a huge flavor booster, making it taste rich and delicious!
More Easy Rice Side Dishes
Rice is so easy to make, we have it frequently to make delicious meals. Here are a few of our favorite side dishes with rice!
- Cheesy Zucchini Rice with Bacon
- Easy Vegetable Rice Pilaf
- Super Easy Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf
- Garlic Parmesan Rice
- Herb Rice Pilaf with Garlic
I hope you enjoy this super easy 30-minute rice side dish as much as we do! Make sure to let me know how you like it in the comments below.
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Butter Rice Pilaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1½ cups white long grain rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a medium size pot, over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it's sizzling slightly. Add in the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in the rice and toast in the butter for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover the pot with a lid. Let the rice cook for about 18 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and let sit (with the lid on) for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
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