French Chicken Pilaf – A Comforting Family Favourite
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 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.
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.