• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Press
  • Browse Categories
  • Work With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Give Recipe logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Browse Categories
  • Turkish
  • Desserts
  • About
  • Start Here
×

Home » Side Dishes and Mezzes » Turkish Rice Pilaf with Orzo (Sehriyeli Pilav)

Published: Jan 11, 2021 · Modified: Jan 22, 2021 by Zerrin & Yusuf

Turkish Rice Pilaf with Orzo (Sehriyeli Pilav)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This Turkish Rice Pilaf With Orzo (Şeyriyeli Pilav) is simple, delicious and a great alternative to heavier side dishes. It turns out perfectly fluffy every time, so will definitely become your ultimate side dish.

Fluffy rice pilaf with orzo in a copper pan with two spoons in it.

Pilav is the ultimate side dish in Turkish cuisine. We make it either with rice as in this recipe or with bulgur as in our bulgur pilaf recipe. We have these interchangeably to pair any main dish. And we make rice pilaf with raisins on special occasions.

Rice pilaf with orzo is one of our all-time favorite Turkish recipes because of how easy it is to make. On top of that it’s also extremely flexible. The ingredients of this rice dish aka sehriyeli pilav are something we always have in our pantry.

In fact, this sehriyeli pilav is our go-to side for dishes like lamb stew, Turkish Beans Kuru Fasulye, Roasted Chicken with Veggies or Turkish vegetarian dishes like Okra With Tomatoes. 

How do you like orzo in general? It is one of the staples in our pantry. We use it quite often not only when making rice pilaf, but we also love it in soups like Tomato Chicken Orzo Soup and salads like Cucumber Lemon Orzo Salad. If you like this pasta as much as we do, you will love this Turkish side dish too.

That being said, orzo is totally optional. If you don’t have orzo on hand or don’t want to use it, you can make this pilaf recipe without orzo following the exact same steps. Alternatively, you can top this rice pilaf with blanched peas or shelled fresh fava beans.

Jump to:
  • How to Make
  • Tips
  • More Rice Recipes
  • Which Rice For Turkish Pilav?
  • Alternative Flavors
  • Is This Rice Pilaf Vegan?
  • FAQs
  • More Side Dishes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments
Orzo, rice and olive oil are in separate bowls on a white background.

How to Make

This Turkish pilav recipe is so easy with simple ingredients and comes together in about 45 minutes, including resting time. 

First, rinse the rice under warm water well. You can do this in a sieve. Put rice in a sieve and hold it under warm tap water. Wash the rice rubbing it with your fingers. This method will help remove the starch from rice, which will result in a fluffy pilaf.  Make sure the water is not too hot.If your hand can’t tolerate, reduce the heat. Place the sieve on a bowl to drain it well.

Browned orzo pasta in a white pan with olive oil and a wooden spoon in it.
Browned orzo and rice are in a white pan with a wooden spoon in it.

Second, heat olive oil in a shallow pan and toast the orzo stirring occasionally. This will take a few minutes. When it is nicely brown, add in rice and salt. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes until the color of rice gets brighter. This cooking will help prevent rice from sticking one another. 

A hand pouring water over rice in a white pan over the stove.
Simmering orzo and rice in a white pan with a glass lid.

Third, pour hot water over rice, give it a stir, cover the pan and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest when it boils and let it simmer until all the water is gone. Depending on the pan and your stove, this will take 20-25 minutes. You can check it after 20 minutes. Please watch the video in the recipe card below.

Fourth, remove it from the heat when there is no water left. Uncover the pan, give a very gentle stir and place a piece of paper towel on the rice. Cover it again and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will help remove the steam in the pan when the rice is resting, which is another trick to end up with separate grains in your rice pilaf.

 Finally, remove the paper towel, fluff it with a fork or gently stir with a spoon and then serve.

Tip: If you want your rice pilav to be gluten-free or don’t like orzo, leave it out and make your pilaf just with rice following the same steps.

Rice pilaf with orzo served in a copper pan with two spoons on the side.

Tips

Make sure you remove the excessive starch of rice. This will make your pilaf extra fluffy because it prevents the rice from sticking together and getting mushy. And how can you do this? There are two methods:

1) Rinse rice in a sieve under hot water very well and drain (please see how to do this in the video in the recipe card below). 

2) Add a sprinkle of salt over rice, pour hot water over it, let it sit for about 10 minutes. And then rinse and drain. 

Add a few drops of lemon into the pan right after pouring water. The acidity of lemon juice helps stop the rice grains from sticking together. 

Cook rice covered and on the lowest heat after the water in the pan comes to a boil. This gives the rice time to absorb the cooking water and develop flavor.

Finally, allow your rice pilaf to rest at least for 15 minutes before serving. 

More Rice Recipes

  • Sweet Porridge Recipe With Rice
  • Turkish Rice Pudding

Which Rice For Turkish Pilav?

Turkish baldo rice is the best rice to make a classic pilaf in Turkish cuisine. But if you can’t find it, you can go with Italian arborio rice, which is the closest rice to Turkish baldo. If you can’t find either of these, just go with the best quality long-grain white rice at your market such as jasmine or basmati.

Although you can use all these types of rice to make pilaf, they won’t have the exact same texture and flavor when cooked. Give each a try and choose the best for your taste.

Another thing that might be different for each rice type or brand is the ratio of water. If it is your first time, try it with 1 cup rice: 1 and ½ cup water. If the rice is not fully cooked, then make it with 1 cup rice: 1 and ¾ cup water in your future cooking. Always make sure it is at the lowest heat when simmering.

If you’re using brown or wild rice, increase the cooking time and add a little bit more water to ensure that the rice cooks fully.

One interesting thing about Turkish pilav: It is mostly served in a dome shape at restaurants. If you want to do the same, wet a bowl and put some rice pilav in it pressing over it gently and then transfer it on a plate upside down.

Turkish style rice pilav served in the shape of a dome with a sprig of parsley on the top on a white plate.

Alternative Flavors

If you’d like to up the flavor in this rice pilaf with orzo recipe you can use stock instead of water to cook the rice and orzo. Keep it vegan with vegetable or mushroom stock or try chicken or beef stock. Remember that stock usually contains salt, so you can season the pilaf a little less.

You may also want to try adding other flavorings to the pilaf when it’s simmering. Try stirring in raisins or chickpeas. Nuts such as pine nuts or chopped almonds can be added during the simmering process and sprinkled on top for texture. When it’s time to garnish, feel free to try other herbs such as mint or thyme.

Is This Rice Pilaf Vegan?

This recipe is 100% vegan! Since it uses olive oil and water to toast and cook the pilaf there are absolutely no animal products in this sehriyeli pilav. If you’re not concerned about this being vegan and prefer the flavor of butter, you can add some when your pilaf is cooked, right before letting it rest.

Rice pilaf with orzo served in a copper pan with two spoons on the side.

FAQs

  • Why is my rice pilaf mushy? Some reasons for mushy rice are adding too much water, cooking it in a pan that is not suitable for pilaf, stirring it too much and soaking rice beforehand for a long time.
  • Which pan is the best for making pilaf? Shallow non-stick pans with a thick bottom are the best because the heat spreads evenly, which is ideal for the perfect rice pilaf. 
  • What can I make with mushy rice? Don’t worry, you won’t waste it. You can turn it into a Turkish style porridge with yogurt. You can even use it when making chicken tomato rice soup or rice yogurt soup.
  • How long does cooked rice last in the fridge? You can keep it up to 2-3 days. The taste won’t be as good if you keep it longer than this. Also, if you reheat it once, don’t keep it any longer if there is still leftovers.How do you reheat rice pilaf? The best way is to reheat it in a non-stick pan with a splash of water on the stove, over medium or low heat, stirring occasionally. Don’t forget to cover the pan with a lid when reheating. Alternatively, you can reheat rice in the microwave again with a splash of water for a few minutes. Make sure the dish you are using is microwave-safe.
  • We can’t wait to see how you make this recipe your own! Please don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you make it.

More Side Dishes

  • Turkish Rice with Raisins and Nuts (Ic Pilav)
  • How To Cook Wheat Berries
  • Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf)
  • How To Cook Buckwheat Groats

As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!

Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates.

Print

📖 Recipe

Turkish Rice Pilaf with Orzo (Sehriyeli Pilav)

Homemade rice pilaf with orzo and a little parsley in an oval copper pan.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

A light and fluffy rice pilaf with orzo recipe that comes out fluffy every time.

  • Author: Zerrin & Yusuf
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: Turkish
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup rice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup orzo
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and ½ cup water, hot
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the rice in a sieve. Rinse under hot water well to remove the starch until the water gets clear. Drain well.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large shallow pan. Add orzo and cook it over medium heat until brown, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add in rice and salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the rice gets bright white, about 5 minutes.
  4. Pour hot water over rice, cover the pan and bring it to boil.
  5. Bring the heat to the lowest when it boils and let it simmer until all the water is absorbed, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Give it a gentle stir.
  6. Line the top of the rice with some paper towel. Let it rest covered for 15 minutes before serving.
  7. Gently stir with a wooden spoon or fluff with a fork, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 portion
  • Calories: 177
  • Sugar: 0.3 g
  • Sodium: 584.3 mg
  • Fat: 10.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 18.5 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: rice pilaf, rice pilaf with orzo

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @give_recipe on Instagram and hashtag it #giverecipe

« Fresh Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe
Turkish Celeriac Recipe (Zeytinyagli Kereviz) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Ariane Pamay-Ochoa says

    July 05, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    Your instructions, tips and suggestions are very detailed. I can’t wait to try cooking your recipes!! 😊

    Reply
  2. Em says

    December 30, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Great recipe, makes the absolute perfect rice

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Zerrin & Yusuf says

      December 30, 2021 at 4:05 am

      Thank you Em! Glad you liked this classic Turkish pilaf recipe.

      Reply
  3. Maria says

    November 11, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    Great tips ! Why add salt to soaking rice ? Ty

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      November 13, 2018 at 8:20 am

      Hi Maria, salt helps to remove the starch of rice when soaked in hot water.

      Reply
  4. Liz says

    November 11, 2018 at 4:01 am

    I was just searching for a rice dish to serve to company next weekend! Your pilaf will be perfect---and I love all the excellent tips!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      November 13, 2018 at 8:21 am

      Thank you Liz! Glad you find the tips helpful.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Zerrin & Yusuf

Meet Zerrin and Yusuf Gunaydin: The couple behind this blog. We bring Turkish food into your kitchen! From kebabs to desserts, everything you crave is here.

More about us→

POPULAR

  • Traditional Turkish Breakfast Foods
  • Air Fryer Chicken Wings Baking Powder
  • Baking Powder Chicken Wings Baked In The Oven
  • Adana Kebab (Turkish Ground Lamb Kebab)
  • Healthy Greek Yogurt Coleslaw with Low Fat Dressing
  • Turkish Chicken Kebab Recipe (Tavuk Şiş)

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted and the property of Give Recipe. They may not be republished in part or whole without proper credit and permission.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 GIVE RECIPE

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Privacy PolicyACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT