Turkish-Style Rice Pilaf With Orzo

Written by
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Food writer Elizabeth Taviloğlu learned Turkish cooking hands-on in Turkey where she has lived and traveled for more than 24 years.
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Elizabeth Taviloglu
Updated 09/29/20
Turkish style rice pilaf recipe

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
  • Total: 25 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
243 Calories
6g Fat
42g Carbs
5g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 243
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 458mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 5g
Calcium 14mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Are you tired of plain boiled rice? Add some flair to your meat and poultry menus with this easy and tasty recipe for classic Turkish rice pilaf. 

Rice pilaf is famous all over the world and served in some of the finest restaurants as a side dish to poultry or red meats. In Turkey, pilav (pee-LAHV) is the word used to describe not only one, but a whole array of dishes made with rice.

This particular pilaf is cooked with butter, oil, and orzo. It's a nice side to serve with grilled meats, stewed dishes, and anywhere you would serve plain rice. If you want to transform it into an entree, try a Turkish rice pilaf with chicken and chickpeas.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoons orzo pasta
  • 1 cup rice (Baldo or Calrose)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Turkish style rice pilaf
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a shallow saucepan, melt the butter and oil together. Once melted, add the orzo pasta and stir continuously over medium heat until the pasta turns a dark golden color. Be careful and keep stirring so the butter and orzo don't burn.

    Melt butter
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Add the uncooked rice and stir thoroughly until the oil has worked its way through all the grains. Add your chicken broth and spices and bring to a boil. If you are using chicken bouillon in place of stock, cut down or omit the salt.

    Add uncooked rice
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Cover and reduce the heat. Let the rice slowly simmer until the liquid disappears.

    Cover rice
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Without removing the cover, take the pan from the heat and put it aside to cool down. Keep the top on at all times while the rice cools. Note: If too much condensation forms on the inside of the lid, open it and cover the top of the pan with a few paper towels, then close the lid over them. This will absorb excess moisture and allow the rice to continue steaming at an even pace.

    Cover pot
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Before serving, open the lid and gently stir the rice to loosen the bottom and separate the grains.

    Open lid
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. You can use a small dessert bowl as a mold to ​give it that signature rice pilaf look. Fill the bowl and pack down the warm rice with the back of a spoon. Invert the bowl onto a serving plate. The pilaf will pop out in the shape of the bowl.

    Turkish rice pilaf with orzo
    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii 

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