Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion, Orange, Cherry & Pistachio
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Perfumed with spices, this exotic rice pilaf is a delicious way to jazz up pan-seared salmon or roast chicken.
Sometimes it’s nice to make a super-simple entree and focus on making your side dishes special instead. This rice pilaf, modestly adapted from chef chef Ris Lacoste, is a delicious way to jazz up basic pan-seared salmon or roast chicken. It’s easy to make; just be sure to allow time to caramelize the onions. The key is to cook them low and slow so that they turn a rich caramel color without a touch of burning.
What you’ll need to make rice pilaf
How to make rice pilaf
To begin, slice two of the onions into half-moons, and dice the remaining onion.
Set a liquid measuring cup with about 1/2 cup of water next to the stove. In a 12-inch skillet (preferably not nonstick), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are meltingly tender and a rich, deep caramel color, 20 to 25 minutes.
To help the caramelization process along and prevent the onions from burning, deglaze the pan every so often with a few tablespoons of the water—but wait to do this until you see a brown film forming on the bottom of the pan. I usually use about 1/2 cup of water total, but you may need a bit more or less.
Add the cumin and cinnamon and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook one minute more, stirring occasionally, to allow the onion to absorb the flavors of the spices and caramelize a bit more. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
Zest and juice the orange.
Pour the orange juice over the cherries in a small bowl to hydrate them, if necessary adding enough water to cover completely. Set aside.
In a heavy 3-qt. saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to low, and stir well to coat each grain with butter. Toast for a full 5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add 2-1/2 cups water, stir once, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.
Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Strain the cherries and discard the orange juice. Using the fork, gently fold in the cherries, caramelized onions, pistachios, and 1/4 teaspoon packed orange zest.
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and orange zest, if desired. (Note: Orange zest is very strong and somewhat bitter in flavor so be sure to add it little by little.)
Enjoy!
You may also like
- Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Almonds
- Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms, Carrots, and Pecans
- Mexican Rice Pilaf
- Quinoa Pilaf with Chickpeas, Currants, and Almonds
Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion, Orange, Cherry & Pistachio
Perfumed with spices, this exotic rice pilaf is a delicious way to jazz up pan-seared salmon or roast chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 medium onions: 2 thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 finely diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 orange, zest (you'll use about ¼ tsp) and juice
- ¾ cup sweetened dried tart cherries
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- ¾ cup (3.5 oz) unsalted shelled pistachios
Instructions
- Set a liquid measuring cup with about ½ cup of water next to the stove. In a 12-inch skillet (preferably not nonstick), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are meltingly tender and a rich, deep caramel color, 20 to 25 minutes. To help the caramelization process along and prevent the onions from burning, deglaze the pan every so often with a few tablespoons of the water—but wait to do this until you see a brown film forming on the bottom of the pan. I usually use about ½ cup of water total, but you may need a bit more or less. Add the cumin and cinnamon and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook one minute more, stirring occasionally, to allow the onion to absorb the flavors of the spices and caramelize a bit more. Season with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
- Pour the orange juice over the cherries in a small bowl to hydrate them, if necessary adding enough water to cover completely. Set aside.
- In a heavy 3-qt. saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to low, and stir well to coat each grain with butter. Toast for a full 5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add 2½ cups water, stir once, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.
- Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Strain the cherries and discard the orange juice. Using the fork, gently fold in the cherries, caramelized onions, pistachios, and ¼ teaspoon packed orange zest. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and orange zest, if desired. (Note: Orange zest is very strong and somewhat bitter in flavor so be sure to add it little by little.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 323
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 299 mg
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn,
This pilaf sounds fabulous and I’m considering making this to go with your Onion Braised Brisket (another winner!). Do you think these would make a good combination? I’m thinking a pilaf would be a good side with the marvelous brisket sauce unless you have a better suggestion?
Thx so very much!
Hi Yvonne, I think it sounds like a wonderful combination. Enjoy!
Jenn – I made this rice and everyone loved it! I want to make it for my vegan children and am wondering how best to carmelize the onions without butter. What is your suggestion? Thanks. – Kathy
Hi Kathy, So glad this was a hit! To caramelize the onions, you can use oil in place of the butter. 🙂
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this rice. The first time I made it, I didn’t have pistachio, so I toasted some walnut bits to add instead. It turned out to be great also. For the rice part, I like to mix in half wild rice to be more healthy. I learned to use bit less oil to my like. Overall, this is such a keeper! Thank you!
This rice pilaf is SO good. Have made it many times. Thank you, Jenn!
Jenn,
Have you ever tried this recipe with wild rice or a combination of wild and brown rice? I’m thinking of using one or the other for a Thanksgiving side dish. Any tips on cooking wild rice would be helpful.
Happy holidays from a devoted fan.
Hi Mary Pat, I’ve never made this with wild or brown rice or a combination of the 2. I think it would work but I’d read the cooking instructions on the package of wild rice to see how much water you’ll need as well as the cook time as it may be different than what I’ve indicated in the recipe. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it (and happy holidays to you too)!
Hi Jen! First I just wanted to say thank you for all of your amazing recipes. When I need a new recipe for some dish I always check your website first to see if you have a variation.
I was wondering if this rice dish would pair well with your Chicken Marbella, or would the flavors compete? I am looking for a starch side to serve with that chicken dish.
Thank you!
So glad you like the recipes, Mary! I think the flavors in the pilaf would compete with those in the chicken so I’d recommend something more simple. Couscous would be great here. Hope that helps!
Made this as a side with Moroccan Grilled Chicken. Delicious! So good that my husband said it was my best dinner yet and I cook a lot!
One of the best rice dishes I have ever made!
Hi Jen, A friend of mine told me about your website. I love it so much, I bought your cookbook! I was just wondering if you could substitute quinoa for the rice? Also, if pistachios are unavailable, would almonds, cashews or walnuts work?
So glad you like the recipes and I appreciate your support with the cookbook! Yes, I do think you could use rice here, but you won’t need to toast the quinoa like you do the rice. When you get to that step, just cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious, I didn’t have pistachios on hand so I used the pecans I had. I did have the dried cherries and orange so I thought I would give it a try. My husband and I loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
We thought the rice pilaf was delicious! I used sweetened cranberries (instead of cherries), and I saved the fresh orange juice (after soaking the cranberries) and added it as part of the water for the rice. I served this with jumbo shrimp sautéed in butter. Jenn, I loved the hint to add 1 tblsp at a time to the onions as they caramelized.
Your recipes are spot-on delicious, easy to prepare (with your precise instructions), and an inspiration for those whose culinary experience has not yet developed into its full potential. I am so glad I ordered your cookbook when it first came out, and I look forward to your next
one.
❤️