You will love this easy dish! A simple and delicious recipe for pilaf with chicken – as my mother used to cook it. This aromatic Ukrainian dish is prepared from chicken, onions, carrots and rice, seasoned only with pepper and coriander. Try serving it with pickles and pickled tomatoes. Traditional Uzbek pilaf is prepared from beef or lamb – you will also find it on our website soon!
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Ingredients for Ukrainian pilaf with chicken
Here are my tips for the basic ingredients you’ll need to make this easy chicken pilaf. Find the full list of ingredients on the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken: Both chicken thighs and chicken breasts work great for this recipe. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
- Basmati rice: This is my favorite type of rice for pilaf. It will remain fluffy and will not stick together.
- Garlic: I like to add a lot of garlic to this recipe, but feel free to vary the flavor.
- Onions and Carrots: Together they add great flavor to a recipe.
- Chicken broth: for making pilaf. If you don’t have stock, you can also use water or even vegetable stock.
How to cook easy rice pilaf with chicken
You will love how easy this chicken pilaf recipe is! Start by choosing the meat – both chicken breast and chicken thigh are good for this recipe. Even a bone-in chicken will do. If you are using boneless chicken, cut it into small pieces.
- Brown the chicken on all sides, about 6–8 minutes, until browned. At this stage, the chicken does not need to be cooked to the end; it will finish cooking together with the rice. If using bone-in meat, cook it a few minutes longer.
- After removing the chicken, add a little butter to the pan. I LOVE using butter because it adds so much flavor! Fry onions and carrots until tender, then add garlic, coriander, and cumin. I like to lightly toast the spices to bring out more flavor.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and add the chicken stock. Cover and cook the dish according to the instructions on the rice package.
- Garnish the rice with chopped parsley and enjoy with pickles, sour cream and/or pickled tomatoes. To warm up, fry the rice pilaf in a hot pan with a drop of oil!
🍽️ What to serve with? Pickled cucumbers or canned tomatoes, in my opinion, will perfectly complement the chicken pilaf recipe prepared for dinner!
One pot chicken and rice
Pilaf with chicken
Easy chicken pilaf, a delicious recipe for a good dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast or thigh; cubed
- Oil for frying
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt; add more to taste
- Ground black pepper
- 2 cups (0.47 l) long-grain Basmati rice
- 4 cups (0.95 l) chicken broth
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- Pickles and pickled tomatoes, for serving
- Sour cream, for serving; optional
Instructions
First, prepare the chicken – both chicken breast and chicken thigh work well for this recipe. If you are using boneless chicken, cut it into small pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Fry the chicken in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
First, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, and then sear it on all sides for about 6–8 minutes, until browned. At this point, the chicken does not need to be cooked to the end; it will finish cooking together with the rice. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Cooking the Carrots & Onion:
In the same pan, add the butter and let it melt over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and continue to cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, sautéing the garlic briefly.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the rice, salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Mix everything with a spatula.
Cooking Instructions for Pilaf:
Pour the chicken broth into the pan, but do not stir; let the chicken stock sit over the chicken and rice. Close the pan with a tight lid and put the rice to stew over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 20–25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is ready. Remove the rice from the heat and let it stand for another 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions:
With a large fork, fluff the rice and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with pickles, pickled tomatoes, or sour cream. For reheating, you can fry the rice pilaf in a hot pan with a drizzle of oil.
Bon appétit!
Notes
TIP: This chicken rice pilaf can be made with different types of rice – I recommend using long-grain basmati rice. This is a fragrant long-grain rice that cooks quickly and remains fluffy. You can also use brown rice for this recipe. Whichever type of rice you choose, follow the cooking instructions on the rice package. Some types of rice require more or less liquid/stock, and some may require more or less cooking time.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
6 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 444Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 83mgSodium 1540mgCarbohydrates 56gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 30g
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