Ingredients for Chicken Pilaf
- 1 chicken breast, boiled
- 2 water glasses (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp each) rice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tea glass (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 1 water glass chicken broth (reserved from boiling)
- 1 water glass water
- 1 dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) salt
- 1/2 dessert spoon black pepper
How to Make Chicken Pilaf
Rinse the chicken breast and place it in a pot. Cover with water and boil until cooked through. Don't discard the cooking liquid — set aside 1 water glass (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) of the broth; you'll use it in the pilaf. The rest can go. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and shred it.
Pick over and rinse the 2 water glasses of rice. Place it in a bowl, cover with hot water, and let it soak until the water cools — about 20 minutes. Drain well.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pilaf pot over medium heat. Pour in 1 tea glass of vegetable oil. Once the butter melts, add the shredded chicken and stir it around for a minute or two. Season with 1 dessert spoon of salt and 1/2 dessert spoon of black pepper. Sauté briefly, then add the drained rice. Stir the rice in the fat until the grains look translucent, then pour in 1 water glass of water and the 1 water glass of reserved chicken broth. Stir once, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with extra black pepper if you like.
Tips
Soaking the rice for 20 minutes draws out excess starch — that's what gives you separate, fluffy grains instead of a sticky clump.
Butter alone makes the pilaf heavy; oil alone lacks that expected aroma. Using both gives you grains that are glossy and full of flavor.
Cook the pilaf in the natural broth from boiling the chicken, not plain water. That's where the real depth comes from. Strain the broth first if you want a cleaner finish.
Sauté the rice in the fat until the grains turn translucent and start to stick together slightly. Pilaf cooked this way will never go mushy.
Once the water is absorbed, lay a sheet of paper towel across the pot, replace the lid, and let it rest for at least 15–20 minutes. That resting time is what sets the texture.
Black pepper is the classic companion here. Work a little into the chicken as you shred it — it brings that familiar street-pilaf aroma straight to your kitchen.
