I had to make a Lebanese rice pilaf three times before I got it right. No online search I did even came close to this. The perfect kind of rice, the appropriate rice-to-water ratio, and of course, lots of butter and oil, are probably the key ingredients. Get some grilled meats, a decent Lebanese yogurt marinade, and some hummus. You will feel as though you are eating at your favorite restaurant if you are from southeast Michigan or another area where a substantial Middle Eastern community resides. Believe me.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 6 cups |
Ingredients
- 3 cups parboiled long-grain white rice
- ½ cup butter, divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon tahini
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with water. Add rice and let soak for 10 minutes; drain and rinse until water runs clear.
- Heat 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir orzo in hot butter-oil mixture until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add drained rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir orzo-rice mixture until rice is coated in butter-oil mixture and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Pour 4 cups water over rice mixture and add salt; stir and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is fluffy and tender yet firm, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir almonds until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup butter and tahini until almonds are evenly coated.
- Mix almond mixture into rice mixture.
- Squeeze a little lemon over the top of rice at the end for some added tartness.
- Use other roasted nuts like pistachios or cashews, or even add some golden raisins for variety.
- Some restaurants use little pieces of vermicelli or angel hair pasta instead of orzo, so you can substitute those if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 203 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 641 mg |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This was terrible. Too much fat and not a whole of flavor. Dog enjoyed it though.
Pretty good and inspiring
I thought it tasted like Rice-a-roni. Couldn’t even taste the tahini.
I made this with a few modifications… Sub chicken or veggie stock for water and it will have a lot more flavor! I also like to sprinkle the rice with Sadaf rice seasoning while browning. Bon apetit!
This was so yummy!!! My very picky children even loved it! I followed the recipe to a T and I will make this again and again! It would be fun to add in some shredded coconut, raisins, and or cranberries once in awhile for a different experience, but it is fantastic as it is!
I like rice. And, I really like Lebanese food. But, I was hoping for more with this one. I guess the photos led me to believe this rice dish was going to be much more flavourful than it is. It’s a good rice dish, but not great. It’s just kind of “meh”. The rice cooked as is, for sure, is fluffy and moist, but it’s just rice. I’m not sure if it’s worth the extra effort compared to just a nice pot of rice cooked in stock with a few add-ins thrown in at the end.
My family and the groups I have made it for loved this recipe. Our local Lebanese restaurant puts carrots in theirs, so I dice up some carrots and put them in about halfway through with the rice cooking. Love the addition of some color and if I don’t overcook the carrots just the slightest crunch people seem to like as well! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! A keeper for sure! 🙂
I made this rice to pair with shish tawook for a Lebanese dinner with friends. The rice turned out delicious, but looked nothing like the picture. It was nowhere near that yellow. I added about three times as many almonds as the recipe called for, and I still think it could have used more. Next time I will probably add more salt too. It was a little bland for my taste (but I’m a salt-aholic). My husband and guests were very complimentary. I will definitely make this again.
This is not too similar to what Lebanese rice I’ve had but it is tasty nonetheless. I added a lot more nuts–2 or 3 times the stated amount–and a bit of golden raisins. Thanks for a good, versatile recipe.