Prepare this filling dish, chicken pilaf in just 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pistachios before serving.
Pilaf is a great way of using up leftover chicken; be it thighs, breast or a whole chicken. Flavoured with garlic, chilli, cumin, and cinnamon, this pilaf is bursting with flavour. Vegetables such as leek and carrot pack this dish with nutrients.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 red and 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- Good pinch of ground cinnamon
- 200g basmati rice
- 600ml hot chicken stock
- 16 ready-to-eat dried apricots, halved
- 4 or 6 cooked chicken thighs,skinned and boned(200-300g/7-10oz)
- 2-3 carrots, diced and steamed
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- Zest and juice of 1 orange, optional
- Handful of parsley leaves
- A few pistachios
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion for 7 mins, until softened and browned. Spoon out a third of the onion and set aside for garnish.
- Add the chilli, garlic, cumin seeds and cinnamon to the pan, cook for a min, then add the rice and stir well. Add the chicken stock and apricots. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 10-15 mins, until the stock is absorbed. Don’t stir during cooking.
- Add the shredded chicken and veg. Stir in orange zest and juice, if using. Warm through for 5 mins.
- Serve topped with the crispy onions, parsley leaves and nuts.
Top tips for making chicken pilaf
This recipe uses chicken stock; juices leftover from cooked chicken, but you could easily opt for a stock cube if you don’t have stock to hand.
You might also like...
Low calorie meals: 500 calorie dinners
How to cook rice: the ultimate guide
Chicken thigh recipes
Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies.
-
Slimming World's chilli and cauliflower rice recipe
This Slimming World chilli and cauliflower rice is easy to make, but healthy and satisfying to eat - the perfect mid-week supper that will please the whole family!
By Slimming World Published
-
Beetroot raita
Vibrant beetroot raita is a delicious dish that's ready in 5 minutes and makes a classic Indian dip for onion bhajis or samosas
By Octavia Lillywhite Published
-
Curry paste
Homemade curry paste can be the difference between a good curry and a great one. Learn how to make your own here - it's much easier than you might think.
By Nichola Palmer Last updated
-
Feta and spinach stuffed chicken
This feta and spinach stuffed chicken is cooked in 25 minutes and only has four steps in the method
By Jessica Ransom Published
-
Sweet potato and courgette fish cakes
These sweet potato and courgette fish cakes take 30 minutes to make and can be served with chips, salad, or steamed veg on the side...
By Rose Fooks Published
-
Chicken and spinach lasagne
This chicken and spinach lasagne is a great new take on the family favourite and it’s easy to prepare during the day to cook come dinner time...
By Jessica Ransom Published
-
This cling film freezer hack is the packed lunch time-saver we all need
Apparently, we've all been storing our clingfilm wrong...
By Emma Dooney Published
-
Kate Middleton reveals 'healthy' new snack she's 'going to try' with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
It sounds delicious
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Princess Charlotte's favourite snack usually requires a 'refined palate' - would your kids choose it?
Princess Charlotte has inherited her love for this grown-up from her mum Kate Middleton
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published