Easy French Chicken Pilaf – A Comforting Family Dinner

This French chicken pilaf is rustic, comforting, and full of flavour. The recipe comes directly from Richard Olney’s Provence The Beautiful Cookbook (1993), a beautiful gift from my daughter after her time in France. With golden-browned chicken, seasoned rice, and sautéed tomatoes, this dish captures the honest, homely cooking of southern France — and it’s become a true family favourite.

French Chicken Pilaf – A Comforting Family Favourite

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

This French-style chicken pilaf is a rustic and flavourful dish. With tender, golden-browned chicken nestled into fragrant, seasoned rice and topped with sautéed tomatoes, this dish brings a little taste of southern France to your table. It’s simple, homely, and full of honest flavour.

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Ingredients

 

• 1.5 kg chicken pieces drumsticks, thighs, or a whole chicken cut into pieces
• Salt and pepper to season
• Olive oil enough to coat the base of your pan
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 1 large red capsicum bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1½ cups long grain rice 250g
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp ground turmeric or 1/8 tsp saffron powder if preferred
• Salt to taste
• 700 ml boiling water
• 3 tomatoes peeled (optional), deseeded, and coarsely chopped

Instructions

 

• Prepare Chicken:
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy-based sauté pan, heat olive oil and brown the chicken on all sides (10–15 mins). Remove and set aside.
• Reserve Fat:
• Carefully pour off and reserve the chicken fat, leaving a thin film in the pan.
• Sauté Vegetables:
• Add diced onion and capsicum. Cook on low, stirring often, until softened (about 5 mins).
• Add Rice & Seasoning:
• Stir in the rice, cayenne, turmeric (or saffron), and salt. Cook gently, stirring, until the rice becomes opaque (about 5 mins).
• Add Garlic & Parsley:
• Finely chop garlic and parsley together (persillade). Add to the rice along with 700 ml boiling water.
• Add Chicken Back In:
• Stir once, then nestle the chicken pieces (and any juices) on top. When bubbling, cover tightly and simmer on low for 25 minutes.
• Sauté Tomatoes Separately:
• In a separate pan, heat the reserved chicken fat until smoking hot. Lightly sauté the chopped tomatoes for 2–3 minutes.
• Finish Cooking:
• Add the sautéed tomatoes over the chicken and rice. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes (total cook time ~35 mins).
• Rest and Serve:
• Turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and let rest 5–10 minutes to allow the rice to fluff up. Serve hot — it’s hearty, homely, and full of flavour.

Video

Notes

• The rice soaks up all the flavour from the chicken and spices as it cooks.
• Sautéing the tomatoes separately in the reserved chicken fat gives the dish extra richness.
• You can use saffron powder instead of turmeric for a more traditional flavour.

This recipe is by Richard Olney, from Provence The Beautiful Cookbook (1993). The book was a treasured gift from my daughter after her travels in France—and this dish quickly became a favourite in our home.