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When you need a flavorful, yet easy side dish turn to this recipe for Homemade Rice Pilaf. Made with toasted rice, earthy mushrooms, and a homemade blend of spices, this Mushroom Rice Pilaf recipe is buttery, nutty, and insanely delicious!
Mushroom Rice Pilaf at a Glance
Growing up my family referred to my mom's rice pilaf as fancy rice. Let me be honest, there is NOTHING fancy or complicated about this recipe! But just like orzo rice, a few extra steps transform rice into a memorable side dish.
- Easy, yet impressive side dish. While this buttery, nutty rice pilaf feels fancy (and deserves to be served with fancy meals), it is surprisingly simple to make. Just the way I like it.
- Simple Ingredients. No boxed mix or packaged seasoning here! This recipe uses a simple blend of seasonings and inexpensive ingredients to deliver a dish with flavor!
- Pairs with Endless Entrees. With the earthy mushrooms, this rice pilaf pairs beautifully with beef, pork, chicken, seafood, just about any entree! We especially love it with ribeye Steaks, London broil and balsamic pork tenderloin.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Rice: When making rice pilaf, long-grain white rice or basmati is the standard choice. Feel free to use long-grain brown rice, but the cooking time will increase.
- Butter + Olive Oil: The butter adds richness to the pilaf, while the olive oil helps to prevent the butter from burning. Use unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil for best results.
- Mushrooms: Baby Bella, shitake, or button mushrooms all work well in this recipe. Or you can omit the mushrooms for picky eaters.
- Onion: Sweet onions, white onions, and yellow onions all work well in rice pilaf. I don't recommend using a red onion.
- Seasonings: To give the rice pilaf incredible flavor, I use a blend of spices that replicate Dried Onion Soup Mix. It gives the rice so much flavor WITHOUT the additives found in packaged soup mixes.
- Broth: You can use vegetable broth, chicken stock, or beef broth when making rice pilaf. The st will keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly, chicken broth will keep the pilaf a bit lighter in flavor, and beef broth will make rich rice pilaf.
How to Make Rice Pilaf
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Saute the onion and mushrooms. Because the onions need a bit longer cooking time than the mushrooms, I start the recipe by sautéing the onions in a combination of olive oil and butter over medium heat until the onion has begun to soften, then add in the mushrooms, and continue to saute until the mushrooms are fragrant and browned.
- Toast the rice and dried spices. Add the rice and dried seasonings to the skillet and toss to coat the rice with the butter. Let this mixture toast for just a minute or two, which will add a rich nutty flavor to the rice, along with allowing the dried herbs to release their essences into the dish.
- Add broth and simmer. Once the onion, mushrooms, and rice are toasted, this rice pilaf comes together as easily as cooking plain rice. After adding the broth, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the rice is cooked through.
- Fluff and serve. Once the rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat. Gently fluff the rice with a fork. Do NOT stir the rice, as this can cause the rice grains to break down and turn mushy.
Recipe Modifications
- Add Veggies. Add in diced carrots along with the onion for a pop of color and texture or stir in frozen peas after the rice has cooked. Place the lid back on the rice and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until the peas have defrosted and warmed through.
- Add More Flavor. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce for additional earthiness.
- Dairy-Free Rice Pilaf: If you need this recipe to be dairy-free, you can replace the butter with non-dairy butter or use additional olive oil.
- Have an Instant Pot? Use my recipe for Instant Pot Rice Pilaf for perfect results.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the rice pilaf to cool slightly, then transfer the rice pilaf to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the rice to cool fully. Once cooled, freeze the leftover pilaf in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Allow the rice to defrost in the refrigerator if needed. Place the rice pilaf into a heat-safe container and add a splash of additional broth or water to the rice, cover with a moistened paper towel, and heat in the microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through. The additional broth along with the moist paper towel will keep the pilaf from drying out when reheated.
Serving Suggestions
This rice pilaf with (or without) mushrooms is an earthy, buttery side dish that pairs well with endless entrees. Try it out with one of the following recipes.
Easy Homemade Rice Pilaf
Made with toasted rice, earthy mushrooms, and a homemade blend of spices, this Rice Pilaf Recipe is buttery, nutty, and insanely delicious!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, minced
- 8 oz baby Bella or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups low-sodium broth, beef, chicken or vegetable
- minced parsley or chives, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter over medium heat until just until the butter is melted. Once melted, add in ½ cup yellow onion (minced), and saute until the onion is beginning to soften 3-4 minutes
- Add in 8 oz baby Bella or button mushrooms (sliced) and saute until fragrant and browned 2-3 minutes.
- Place 1 cup long-grain white rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse well. Shake the strainer well to remove all the excess water.
- Add the rinsed rice, 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon celery seed, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt into the saucepan and toss everything together to coat the rice with the butter and seasonings. Toast the mixture for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add 2 cups low-sodium broth and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, while still keeping the heat at medium.
- Once small bubbles begin to form along the sides of the pan, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until rice is cooked through.
- Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Do NOT stir the rice, as this can cause the rice grains to break down and turn mushy. Give the rice a taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve with chopped fresh parsley or chopped green onions.
Notes
Important Tip: Do not be tempted to turn up the heat when preparing rice pilaf. To do so, can result in burnt butter, overcooked mushrooms, and uneven cooking.
Rice: Use long-grain white or basmati rice for this recipe. If you use long-grain brown rice, you will need to increase the cooking time.
Broth: You can use vegetable broth, chicken broth, or beef broth when making rice pilaf.
Storage: Store rice pilaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftover pilaf in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Transfer to a heat-safe container and add a splash of additional broth or water to the rice, cover with a moistened paper towel, and heat in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 223mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
I love the earthy flavors and it really complimented the steak. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
It does pair really well with Steak! Thanks for sharing your review 🙂
I've made this twice in a week! All 4 of my kids loved it too which is amazing!
That is a huge compliment! Thanks for sharing!
My kids loved this so much it's going on the weekly rotation!
This rice pilaf is sooo yummy!! Such a good side dish to almost anything!
This is really good!! I loved how easy it is to make!
This rice pilaf was a hit in our house! I am a huge mushroom fan so this is right up my alley!
Just wondering why instant pot rice pilaf uses 2 cups of rice, but the stove top recipe calls for just one cup. I want to try my instant pot, but don't need the large amount. Thank you!
Hi Cheryl! You can cut the recipe in half as long as you have a 6 quart model. An 8 or 10 quart needs the full 2 cups.
The instructions say to add minced garlic, but it's not listed in the ingredients list. How much minced garlic, or how many cloves?
Hi Lori! This recipe only calls for garlic powder--and uses 1/2 teaspoon 🙂 Enjoy
Hi,
This looks like a wonderful dish I would like to make. In the picture there is a label for celery salt, in the ingredients list it states celery seed, and in the instructions (step 5) it states celery powder. What is the correct ingredient?
Thanks.
It should state celery seed--I will make sure this is updated ASAP!