My mom always made rice pilaf for us as kids, and this brown rice pilaf, with toasted almonds, nutty rice, sweet shallots, and parsley, is still a great side dish! Make it in one pan in 20 minutes to serve with weeknight dinners and holiday meals.
Simple ingredients are all it takes to turn plain rice into a flavorful side dish. Try my mushroom rice, lemon rice, and Jollof rice, too!
This brown rice pilaf is the side dish that changed my opinion of brown rice from “meh” to “WHOA!” Also called pilav or pilau, this rice pilaf recipe involves slowly simmering buttery rice in a rich vegetable broth with garlic and shallots, finished off with toasted almonds and fresh herbs. I’ve made this brown rice pilaf a gazillion times, and I rarely change it. It’s a good alternative to white rice with dinner, and it’s ready in 20 minutes or less.
Things to Know About This Brown Rice Pilaf Recipe
- One skillet. You’ll sauté the veggies and simmer the pilaf all in the same pot.
- Quick. This easy rice dish is ready to eat in under 30 minutes. There’s plenty of time to whip up a quick chicken and vegetable skillet or garlic butter steak bites while the pilaf simmers.
- Tasty textures. The tender rice paired with sweet shallots and crunchy slivered almonds creates the perfect balance of textures. It’s the type of side dish that you can pair with everything!
What Readers Are Saying
“What an amazing side dish!! And I love the addition of crunchy almonds!” – Olivia
You’ll Need These Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients in this easy brown rice pilaf recipe. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full recipe with exact amounts.
- Olive Oil and Butter – I use half olive oil, half butter, but you can use all of one or the other, or your preferred cooking oil.
- Shallot – You can replace the chopped shallots with finely diced mild onions if needed.
- Garlic – Finely minced. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Instant Brown Rice – You can also make this recipe with white rice, keeping in mind the cooking time will be shorter. I even have an orzo pilaf recipe made with rice-shaped orzo pasta.
- Vegetable Broth – I like to cook with low-sodium broth or stock and adjust the seasonings to taste. Chicken broth also works in this recipe.
- Almonds – Sliced and toasted. I’ll sometimes crush up honey-roasted almonds to add in instead for a sweet-savory contrast. You can swap almonds for walnuts or pecans if you’d like.
- Fresh Parsley – Chopped, for garnish.
Tips and Variations
- Use instant rice. The cooking time in this recipe is based on instant rice. If you’re using normal brown rice or long-grain rice, the cooking time will be longer and more liquid may be required.
- Amp up the vegetables. Sauté diced bell peppers or mushrooms alongside the shallots. Or, stir in spinach leaves or frozen peas at the end and let them heat through.
- Fluff before serving. Tossing the finished brown rice pilaf with a fork before serving helps break up any lumps.
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Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil and butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots and saute for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add garlic and saute for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.
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Add rice and broth. Stir in rice and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
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Finish and serve. Remove from heat and add toasted almonds and parsley; stir and fluff with a fork. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Serve.
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Brown Rice Pilaf
The steps for preparing rice pilaf are very similar to risotto. The difference is, you won’t need to hover over a hot pan, stirring while the broth absorbs. The resulting texture is fluffier than risotto, and not as creamy, but delicious nonetheless.
- Sauté the aromatics. Start by heating the oil and butter in a skillet. Sauté the chopped shallots over medium heat for a minute, then add the garlic.
- Add the rice. Next, stir in the rice. Let that toast in the pan for a minute or so.
- Add the broth. Add the chicken broth, season to taste, and bring the rice to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the rice absorbs most of the liquid.
- Finish and serve. Lastly, take the pan off the heat before stirring in the toasted almonds. Garnish with parsley and fluff the rice with a fork, then serve.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refigerate within 2 hours. Store rice pilaf within 2 hours of cooking and keep it airtight in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the rice in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s piping hot.
