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Crumbly pilaf with chicken in a frying pan

Fluffy Chicken Pilaf in a Skillet

A tasty, inexpensive everyday dish for the whole family! You can use any kind of meat for this skillet pilaf, but I suggest making it with chicken. It cooks much faster this way, and the flavor is every bit as good as other methods. Give it a try!

Julia M.

Recipe author

Crumbly pilaf with chicken in a frying pan

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Rice (long grain)

1.5

Chicken

800

Onion

Carrots

Garlic

Water

800

Vegetable oil

Salt

Dry spices

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 27 % 8 g

Fats 27 % 8 g

Carbohydrates 47 % 14 g

159 kcal

GI: 8 / 92 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make chicken pilaf in a skillet? Gather all your ingredients. You can use any part of the chicken; I'm using chicken thighs. Go with long-grain rice — it's less likely to turn mushy. Peel the onion and carrot and rinse them under running water.
Step 2:

Chop the chicken into small pieces — each thigh can be cut into 3–4 pieces.
Step 3:

For pilaf, use a wide, flat-bottomed skillet with high sides. Add a little vegetable oil and heat it until hot. Add the prepared chicken and fry over high heat for 4–5 minutes, until it's evenly golden all over.
Step 4:

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Chop the peeled onion and carrot. Cut the onion into half-moons or a bit smaller — don't go too fine, or it'll cook away completely. Cut the carrot into thin batons or grate it on the coarse side of a box grater.
Step 5:

Add the onion and carrot to the fried chicken in the skillet. Sprinkle in a little salt and some spices to taste. Stir everything and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
Step 6:

Then pour in a little water. Set a head of garlic in the center and cover with a lid. Simmer the meat over low heat for 10–15 minutes.
Step 7:

Separately, rinse the rice several times, then drain off all the water.
Step 8:

Add the rice to the skillet with the chicken. Pour in enough hot water to sit just above the level of the rice. Set that same head of garlic in the center. Cover and cook the pilaf until the rice is done — about 25 minutes. In that time the rice will absorb all the liquid. Taste it near the end; if needed, add a bit more hot water — but just a little, so the rice doesn't turn mushy.
Step 9:

Take the skillet off the heat and let the finished pilaf rest, covered, for another 15 minutes. Fluff it up before serving.
Step 10:

Serve the chicken pilaf with some fresh vegetables. Enjoy!

You can swap the chicken for turkey or any other meat you like. Just keep in mind that this will change the cooking time and the calorie count.
Here's a simple way to check whether the oil is hot enough in the skillet: lower a wooden spatula into it. If bubbles gather around it, you're ready to start frying.