Orange cranberry rice pilaf is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Don’t save it for the holidays, though. It is also great with any roast meat or special dinner.
Orange cranberry rice pilaf features toasted pasta, fluffy rice, citrus notes, cranberries, fresh herbs, and pecans. It looks striking and tastes even better.
I became acquainted with this recipe many moons ago. I was helping our local gourmet kitchen store host a couple of dinner events.
The owner, Sondra, has great taste in recipes, and she introduced me to this great side dish. We made it a few times, and I was hooked.
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The orange and cranberry flavors remind me of fall, so that is when I usually think to make it. However, it would really be fabulous any time of year.
It would be perfect with your holiday ham or turkey. You can also serve it with a roast chicken or pork roast.
What is rice pilaf?
Rice pilaf is sautéed with aromatics before cooking in broth to create seasoned rice. There is typically butter or oil added to help make more defined rice grains than in other rice recipes.
When I think of rice pilaf, I think of the stuff in the box. It normally has some toasted past in the mix, and we do the same thing in this recipe.
Once you find out how easy it is to make your own rice pilaf, you won’t buy the boxes again. This is a great recipe to start with, but you can change up the flavor profile in so many ways.
Storage
You can store leftover rice pilaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You may want to add just a bit more water or chicken stock when you reheat the rice.
For longer storage, freeze the rice pilaf for up to 2 months.
Orange Cranberry Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 large navel orange
- 1 bunch green onions
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup orzo
- 1¼ cups long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 Tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
- Zest the 1 large navel orange. Then remove the peel and chop into bite sized pieces.
- Trim the ends off 1 bunch green onions. Separate the white and green parts, then chop and keep separate.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the ½ cup orzo and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1¼ cups long grain white rice and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Toast for a minute or two.
- Add 3 cups chicken stock, 4 Tablespoons dried cranberries, white parts of the green onions, orange zest, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, and 1 bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 17 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Stir in the chopped orange, green parts of the green onions, ½ cup chopped parsley, and ½ cup sliced almonds.
- Adjust seasoning to your liking and serve.
Notes
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