With just a cast iron skillet, 5 simple ingredients, and a little heat, you can make this Garlic Rice Pilaf right in your own backyard! Use it as a flavorful base for your smoked and grilled meats, meal prepping, and a whole lot more!
Garlic Rice Pilaf
If you’re tired of serving your BBQ next to bland white rice or on an empty plate, you have to try this one. Fluffy medium grain rice and orzo toasted in butter and simmered in stock, this Garlic Rice Pilaf works as well on its own as it does as a bed or side for your favorite smoked meats. Pilaf is the answer to the question, “What should I serve with this?,” no matter what this is. Toasting the orzo in butter builds a layer of nutty flavor and texture that beautifully plays against the fluffy long grain rice. 5 ingredients, 30 minutes, 1 pan: let’s do this.
Ingredients for Garlic Rice Pilaf
Yes, you really need just 5 simple ingredients to make this Garlic Rice Pilaf, and you’ve likely got most of these staples on hand already:
- 2 cups medium grain rice
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
How to Make Garlic Rice Pilaf
If you thought the list of ingredients was short, wait until you see how to make this yummy stuff. Just follow these 3 easy steps and you’ll have a sleeper-hit of a side on your hands:
- Cook the orzo. First up, melt the butter in a deep sauce pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the butter is just melted, add the orzo pasta. Allow the pasta to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
- Cook the rice. Next up, add the rice to the pan. Stir everything with a wooden spoon so the butter coats the rice completely. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and add the minced garlic. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, then simmer for about 20 minutes. You’re looking for tender rice and a fully-absorbed stock.
- Fluff, serve, and enjoy. Remove the pan from the heat, then fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Enjoy this pilaf as a bed for your favorite meats, on the side, or any way you love rice.
Serving Suggestions
This pilaf was built for BBQ. Anything with a sauce, a glaze, or good rendered fat is going to run down into the rice for a whole new flavor experience. Here are a few of my favorite pairings for pilaf:
- Smoked Chicken Thighs: Rendered fat and crispy skin over buttery rice is a hard-to-beat weeknight meal.
- Texas Style Smoked Beef Brisket: Lay a few slices of smoky brisket onto a scoop of pilaf, then let the juices soak it. You can substitute the chicken stock with beef stock if you’re going this route.
- Hot Honey Salmon: That sticky sweet heat glaze runs down into the garlic rice for a bite you’ll be thinking about for weeks.
- Smoked Pork Chops: A thick chop needs a side with some substance next to it, and mashed potatoes aren’t always the answer.
- Grilled Vegetables: With a rich blend of veggies in a zesty marinade and this pilaf, you’ve got dinner with no meat required.
Storing Leftovers
Because of the contrast between the toasted orzo and fluffy rice, pilaf is best enjoyed when you make it. However, if you have leftover pilaf, it stores easily in the refrigerator. Allow any remaining rice to cool to room temperature before placing in a gallon-size zip-top bag or other airtight container in your fridge. You can enjoy the pilaf again for 3 to 4 days. The rice loses some of the complementary textures, but still makes a delicious side for your meats.
More Perfect Sides for BBQ
The only thing that feels better than feeding the people you love is feeding them a whole meal you made yourself. This pilaf pairs perfectly with smoked and grilled meats, but the options don’t stop there! You can find dozens of BBQ side recipes here on the https://homefrontking.com/, as well as in the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, check out the crowd favorites:
Simple Garlic Rice Pilaf Recipe
Add this Garlic Rice Pilaf to your cookout menu this weekend, then get ready for the compliments to roll in. Be sure to swing back here after to drop a rating along with a comment. I love hearing about your BBQ successes and cheering you on!
Tag @heygrillhey on Facebook and Instagram when you post photos of your full spread. Also, remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you never miss another recipe to help you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
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Cook the orzo. In a deep sauce pan or cast iron skillet, melt the butter and add in orzo pasta over medium heat. Cook until the pasta is lightly toasted, 3-5 minutes.
½ cup dried orzo, 2 Tablespoons butter
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Cook the rice. Add in the rice, then stir so the rice gets coated in the butter. Add in the chicken stock and garlic, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with the lid and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.
2 cups short or medium grain rice, 5 cups chicken stock, 6 cloves garlic
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Fluff, serve, and enjoy. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving, then enjoy it as a bed for your favorite meats or on the side.
Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
