Main Page
Homemade dinner
Pilaf with chicken fillet in a frying pan

Skillet Chicken Pilaf

Hearty, aromatic, made from everyday ingredients — a great dinner! Skillet chicken pilaf is a simple but delicious dish you can put together from things you likely already have. It comes together much faster than pilaf made with other meats, and the chicken stays tender while the rice cooks up fluffy.

Lyalich

Recipe author

Pilaf with chicken fillet in a frying pan

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken fillet

250

Rice

0.75

Water

1.5

Onion

Carrots

Garlic

Adjika (dry)

0.25

Vegetable oil

Greenery

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 26 % 7 g

Fats 15 % 4 g

Carbohydrates 59 % 16 g

127 kcal

GI: 19 / 81 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make skillet chicken pilaf? Gather your ingredients. Rinse the vegetables and herbs; thaw the chicken fillet if it was frozen, then rinse and pat it dry with a paper towel. Short-grain (not parboiled) rice works best here. Use whatever herbs and spices you like.
Step 2:

For the pilaf, use a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet and pour in the vegetable oil. Choose a refined, neutral oil. Peel and chop the onion and add it to the skillet with the oil.
Step 3:

Cut the chicken fillet into even, medium pieces and add them to the skillet with the onion. Any fillet works — I used breast, and it stays juicy in this pilaf.
Step 4:

Peel the carrot and cut it into thin strips. Add it to the skillet with the onion and chicken. If you'd rather not julienne it, grate it coarsely or cut it into small dice.
Step 5:

Set the skillet over medium heat and cover. Braise the meat and vegetables for 7 minutes, stirring now and then so nothing burns.
Step 6:

So the rice doesn't clump or turn to mush, rinse it well: cover the rice with warm water, rub it gently between your palms, then drain and add fresh water. Repeat until the water runs clear. This washes away the starch that makes rice sticky.
Step 7:

Add the rice to the skillet with the browned vegetables and chicken, and spread it into an even layer.
Step 8:

Pour the hot water into the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and stir.
Step 9:

Add the dry adjika to the skillet. You can swap it for barberries, cumin, or a pilaf spice blend.
Step 10:

Finely chop the herbs and add them to the skillet.
Step 11:

Rinse the garlic and, without peeling it, push the cloves into the rice.
Step 12:

Bring everything to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook the pilaf for 25 minutes, until the rice is done. Don't stir it while it cooks, or it'll turn to mush.
Step 13:

Take the pilaf off the heat and let it rest, covered, for another 10 minutes. In that time the rice will absorb the remaining liquid and finish cooking. Remove the lid and stir.
Step 14:

Turn the pilaf out onto a large platter, arrange the garlic cloves on top, and serve.
Step 15:

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that properly thawing the ingredients has a lot to do with the quality and flavor of the finished dish.
To make rice dishes come out consistently delicious, it helps to choose the right rice and rinse it well before cooking.
Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and form harmful compounds. Choose an oil with a suitable smoke point for frying.