Classic Rice Pilaf

YUM!!!! I halved the recipe (except fot the onion) and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish. This came out PERFECT! I didn't have the saffron, so I omitted that. I can't believe the flavor that came out of just those few ingredients...sooo good! I will def be making this delicious rice again! Thanks for sharing. :)

You know, I was making such a small amount of this recipe for Hubs and me that I immediately decided the oven method wasn’t practical for me and decided to just use the traditional stovetop method instead. But I must say, after reading through the recipe thoroughly I wasn’t impressed, and wondered, truly, what the real advantage was of preparing the rice this way rather than the stovetop method regardless of the number of servings. This recipe’s method requires more steps and more pans. The stovetop method is a “one stop shop.” Also, I’m not sure I like the ratio of rice to liquid either - in my mind, it should always be one part rice to (at least) two parts cooking liquid, be it water or stock. I like the addition of saffron and onion, but neither is anything special. And the cayenne isn’t necessary at all. Frankly, the bottom line is that this is a basic, simple rice with an unnecessarily complicated way of cooking it. In addition to simply cooking it on the stove top I made it a little more colorful and festive by adding a medley of colorful finely chopped bell peppers, fresh minced garlic and a good handful of frozen peas. Prepared as directed, this requires unnecessary steps that don’t benefit the final result.

I followed the recipe exactly (except omitted the saffron) and had no problems whatsoever. No more Rice-A-Roni for us! I am eager to experiment with other flavor profiles. I find it very annoying that the review tagged as the "Most Helpful Critical Review" didn't even bother to make the recipe as written. But used the stove-top method. I for one, welcome a good rice recipe that will free up stove space. It widens my options for dinner. Thank you Chef John!

I loved loved the texture of this rice. It was so easy to make too. I sprayed the pan with some PAM and none of it stuck. When I saw the amount of salt and the cayenne, I was a little worried. It was a tad too salty for me and there was a kickback from the cayenne. I made it a second time and cut the salt back to 1 tsp. and the cayenne by half. That time I got the cayenne amount right, but still working on the salt amount. I will have to keep working on the right salt amount. Though, thanks Chef John for teaching me a new method to cook rice.

I am giving it 5 stars even though I made a couple changes and will make more changes the next time I prepare this. I am giving it 5 stars because I LOVE the technique and the flavor is amazing! My twin toddlers gobbled it down and my husband couldn't stop smiling as he complimented my cooking over and over and over. First, I read a review complaining about the amount of pots used. You can use the same pot for both stovetop steps. Not complicated. Second, changes I made. I added broken up vermicelli to create a box-rice effect. It was an amazing addition. I sautéed that with the onions. I used bouillon in lieu of stock as that was what I had on hand. Accordingly, I cut down on the salt, which I would have also done since I was using salted butter. Third, what I would change next time. 1) use 3.5 cups of stock. The ratio I know is always 2 parts liquid for 1 part rice. While the rice was amazing, it was a teeny bit crunchy. I think 4 cups of rice would mean soggy rice so I don't feel the normal ratio is warranted. Sealing with foil really keeps the steam in and I think that helps. Still, a little more liquid would have made a difference. 2) only use 1/8 tsp of cayenne. The kick from the cayenne was a little much for what I was after with this dish. With that said, it's not overwhelming as is. Just family preference there. This is an amazing, surprisingly simple, and most definitely a go-to dish for us going forward!

This was really easy to make and it came out great. I normally shy away from cooking rice because it always comes out either sticky or undercooked. This recipe was fantastic. I used a whole small onion instead of half because I love onions. I used water instead of the chicken stock and added chicken bouillon because I ran out of chicken stock. I left out the salt because the bouillon is already salty. I also added about a tablespoon of garlic to the last two minutes of simmering the liquid. The rice came out wonderful. Perfectly cooked, fluffy and yummy.

Hands down the go to side for a dinner group when you need rice and don't want to have to cook as guests arrive. Made recipe and a half (3 cups rice) as directed sofetning the onions in the pan and then added the seasonings and broth to that before stirring into jasmine rice (all I had on hand). Didn't really get any kick from the cayenne. Turned out perfect, but will maybe add garlic or seasoned salt next time with some other herbs for extra flavor. Seems very versatile, could probably even add a little tomato sauce and cumin for a spanish rice.

This is really tasty. I skipped the saffron and omitted the salt. Otherwise, I followed this recipe exactly. Next time I may cut back on the cayenne just a smidge. It took everything I had not to up the broth. 3 cups of liquid for 2 cups of rice goes against everything I know. I stuck with the 3 cups expecting to have to add more and cook longer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that 3 cups was enough. Rice was fluffy and in individual grains.

Yay! Finally, my rice turned out!! I'm always going to prepare it this way. I used brown rice and it takes a bit longer than 35 minutes -- I cooked mine for 45 minutes and it was still a little hard. An hour probably would have been best. Foolproof recipe!

Hey Chef John, I tried this recipe and we loved it. My husband is French and you can imagine he is not easy to please when it comes to food, but every time I tried one of your recipes he liked it a lot. I guess your taste in food and ingredients correspond to ours. Keep on the greate work, teaching neohpites like myself seem like professional cooks. By the way I told hubby yesterday that I love you so much I am willing to leave him for you, he's kinda OK with it ???!

This turned out PERFECT, my husband keeps asking me to do it again. I halved the recipe (because it's just two of us and 2 cups of rice is a lot), but I kept the amount of onions the same. Excellent flavour and perfect consistency.

I tried this recipe tonight. I loved it! I cooked mine in a rice cooker instead of in the oven. I just put the onions in there after the oil was hot. I used one part rice to 2 parts broth and it was exceptional. I didn't have saffron so I used tumeric and added peas. What a nice side dish.

Awesome! Has become a favorite in our home. Just served it to the kids and grandkids, and everyone raved. My grandson even asked for seconds. You can add just about anything to this. I throw in pieces of broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and celery and it's fantastic. I deviate a little from the directions in that I add the rice to the butter/oil mixture while it's still in the saucepan, then scrape that into the casserole dish. I then boil the broth mixture and any vegetables I'm adding in that same pan, and pour that into the rice mix. Turns out great every time. Thanks Chef John!

Great way to cook basic rice pilaf. Perfect ratio between the rice and liquid. I used Asian short grain rice (Japanese brand) because that's what I always have on hand. I usually cook my rice (not pilaf or seasoned in any way) in a rice cooker and pilaf on stove top (which can be tricky sometimes even when using long grain). I tried this oven method using my Asian rice and followed the recipe. Surprisingly they came out excellent! I omitted the saffron, just a very tiny pinch of cayenne and kosher salt, and tiny bit of freshly ground black pepper. Because DH and I are vegetarian, I used all water and about 1/8 tsp of vegetable bouillon (Better Than Bouillon in a glass jar). Will definitely make again!

Excellent! Tasty and easy. Did not use saffron because I didn't have any.

This was awesome, exactly as written. At first I thought I should have added more broth because it looked dry, but it turned out to have excellent texture and the rice was perfectly al dente. We enjoyed the leftovers for several days.

Delicious and easy way to make rice! I have also used beef stock and thought it was very good. Try to resist the urge to peek under the foil after you take it out of the oven. Just trust that it will be good and don't let that steam escape! Just a note that my daughter thought it was a bit too spicy, although my husband and I thought it was just right. I personally love the very slight kick of the cayenne, but if you have kids, you may want to cut down on the cayenne just a TAD.

This is an excellent recipe that makes perfectly cooked rice. I used half the amount of cayenne, therefore I wished I had increased the amount of chopped onion, but it was still very good.

This turned out really yummy,loved the saffron in it. I needed to cook this a little longer and added a little more stock. I think my foil was not quite up to par. I will be making this again and again.

I tried this more for method rather than flavor and it scores a big ole 5 in both areas. No saffron in the house so omitted that and omitted the salt. Will add a little salt next time. It was perfect after the 10 minute standing time. Next time I think I'll add a little garlic and jus a small squeeze of lemon juice. You have to try this.

Doubled this recipe for company, and it turned out great. I just used a deep 9 x 13 casserole dish. Always risky trying something new for guests, but everyone really liked it. I used basmati rice and beef broth instead of chicken, it was all I had. I also reduced the salt by at least 1/3. The cayenne added a nice zip, but not too spicy. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again.

This recipe has the exact same ingredients as the pilaf i make on the stovetop, minus the saffron. I wanted to see if there was a difference being baked vs steamed... and there absolutely is! This is by far more flavorful and the only way i'll do it now. Thanks to the submitter!!

Perfect! The first time I made it i followed the directions exactly except for cutting it in half as it was just for hubby and me. Made it again tonight with Jasmine rice. I thought it was even better because of the fragrance. After making the World's Best Lasagna I'm trying all of your recipes. Thanks, this is now my go to for rice.

I loved this recipe. I followed it pretty faithfully (except I used vegetable instead of chicken stock) and it turned out very well--tasty and an excellent texture. The oven really makes a difference. I'm looking forward to trying this with dill rice and olive rice.

Great recipe. Very simple side dish. Followed the recipe.

This was really good! So simple! I didn't have saffron so I used Tony Cachere's Herb mix in the same measurements and omitted the salt and cayenne (it's in the herb mix). Turned out GREAT!! Next time I may try curry :) To the reviewer "Ali".....Did you use brown rice? Brown rice takes longer to cook. Did you cover the dish? This is VERY IMPORTANT! Perhaps you were peeking? The foil "lid" too loose?

Great way to make rice for a crowd! I doubled the recipe, added 5 minutes to the cooking time and another five to the out-of-oven steaming and it was perfect. Reviewers who doubt the ratio of rice to liquid must be thinking of the typical stovetop preparation, which is a different method (-with some of that liquid evaporating during cooking as steam escapes the pot.). Also, melted butter/oil make up some of the "liquid" in pilaf. In short, trust the recipe - it delivers!

I am so impressed with how this turned out. It was perfect! I left off the saffron. I also used low sodium chicken broth. After taking it out of the oven, I also ended up leaving it sit for about 30 minutes instead of just 10 (because we weren't ready to eat yet). When I took off the foil, the rice was still hot and it fluffed just like it did in the video. I saw several people at dinner going back for seconds of this rice.

I love the texture and taste of this rice, I didn't change anything.

I followed this to the "T" (with the exception of the Saffron) and it would not cook. I had to put it the oven AGAIN for another 30 minutes, let it sit and it finally cooked. not as fluffy as his, still a bit sticky and did NOT taste like rice pilaf at all. ACK!

Excellent, followed the recipe exactly with the exception of saffron, just too expensive. Also sprinkled a little parsley.

I'm really loving you, Chef John! Followed exactly. Was perfect, massively tasty! To the idiot who gave this 3 stars, you should try the recipe properly before rejecting it. I used basmati rice, cause that's what I had. It usually uses more water, but I did not deviate and it's perfect.

I generously gave this three stars simply for the fact that I think it has potential. I followed the recipe to a T (did not have the optional saffron so I skipped that). First, it was crunchy--can't stand undercooked rice and its not fun trying to fix that! Second, it was far too salty. If/when I try this one more time, I will definitely cut back on the salt and cook it for a longer time.

A basic rice pilaf that tastes great as is, but can be used as a base for your own creation! The whole family ate the lot. As we usually have one child per meal who simply refuses to eat at least ONE side, the fact that there were no leftovers is irrefutable proof that this is a five star recipe! Baking was also a nice change of pace for rice. It made it easier to leave it alone while it steamed! Lol

I followed the recipe exactly--got ready to eat, finally unwrapped the foil, and....crunchy rice in broth. It was not at all cooked. The flavor was good when I gave it a taste test, but we couldn't eat it--I couldn't even chew the rice.. I'm willing to consider that my oven is starting to die, but I had just made a cake in it the night before without problems. Next time, I will use half the cayenne. This is the first Chef John recipe that has failed me--I will check my oven temp and try again, and come back for a (hopefully) better rating, because it has potential. I was just disappointed after stopping to buy rice, stock, etc. and then wouldn't cook. I will keep trying, and return another day.

Chef John hits another homerun with this recipe!! One word to describe it:DELICIOUS Read the recipe, watched the video and did exactly as directed (except for the Saffron; I was able to find Saffron at our local grocery but not willing to pay that price for it. Over $11 for a few pinches, no thanks) Anyway, this recipe was so easy! The hardest part was not peeking at it after taking it out of the oven. As bad as I wanted to, I didnt peek becuase I didnt want to take any chances of failing it. When the long 10 min was over, I took off the foil and waah laa! Flakey, tasty and hard to believe I made that! Went delicious with Margarita marinated Swai fish fillets. I even did a presentation test popping it out of a round container to plate it which worked like a charm! It was cooked all of the way, not clumpy at all and perfect amount of moisture to hold the molded shape. P.S. I also sprayed the baking pan with a no-stick cooking spray before putting the rice in it. Rice didnt stick to the backing pan at all.

Wow, I can't believe how well this recipe turned out. Yummy and perfect for my families taste buds. A perfect side dish to our broiled tilapia and asparagus.

I have been making rice this way for years and highly recommend it. The nice thing about this recipe (in addition to its excellent taste) is that it is very forgiving. It can stand for as long as 20-30 minutes out of the oven and still be warm if you keep it covered. In addition, you also free up a burner on your stove. Once you try this method, you may never go back to the old way. Enjoy!

Really good. I followed the recipe exactly as written omitting the saffron because I didn't have any. I will definitely make this again. Easy and very tasty considering so few ingredients.

Chef John, your recipes are SIMPLY amazing. Not overly complicated, not hoity-toity. You exemplify good cooking. The food is about good ingredients, cooked well. I so appreciate everything you do.

Coming from a culture that loves its pilaf, I might add that the recipe can also be applied to make a pea-pilaf, by adding peas to the fried onion, and letting them fry for about 2-3 minutes, depending on how much you want to cut the sweetness of peas. We usually don't use saffron. Variations can also be made by frying the onions with diced carrot or sliced almonds, etc. For an even more aromatic dish, you can add whole spices like cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves and cumin seeds with the onion.

My husband and I absolutely love this rice! It is the only rice we eat now.

BEST. RICE . EVER! All the steps in making this are absolutely worth it. I have a family of four and EVERYONE (kids included) wanted seconds! I'm so glad I didn't decide to scale back the recipe because they also requested the leftovers the very next day! I chopped the onions very small because my kids are the kind that will pick them out, but no one even knew they were in the rice! They just "melted"! I only put a dash of cayenne, because of my littles, and it was just perfect. It gave it an extra "something". I don't usually buy saffron, but I'm sure that would only kick it up another notch - as if that's possible?! Definitely a dish you can make for company and the rice/water ratio was perfect. Just seal your foil around the dish well and NO PEEKING until after it rests for the entire 10 minutes. You will find steamy, fluffy, individual grains of rice that you just need to fluff with a fork and serve.

The PERFECT way to cook rice. I LOVED this dish, as did my guests. It was so easy and fool proof. I doubled the recipe as I was having quite a few guests, and it didn't take any more time (although could have used 2-3 minutes more in the oven maybe). I'm looking forward to the leftovers!

So easy to make! I used homemade vegetable stock versus chicken stock which didn't have any salt added. I also didn't have the saffron. Although it takes a while to cook, it is a truly simple and easy recipe to make. This rice is great with a crockpot chicken.

Delish and perfect every time! I made with saffron for the first time tonight, but we didn't notice a flavor difference. Considering the price of saffron, I say skip it. Some people seem to have problems with the rice not being fully cooked and/or excess liquid. My suggestions; make sure your oven temperature is right and it's covered tightly with foil, and NO PEEKING during cooking or the 10 minute rest period.

This is a fantastic recipe! I've made it quite a few times now, always a winner with the hubby and kids. I usually need to add a bit more chicken broth to mine.

Followed this recipe adcurately and it was not only tasteless, it was not completely cooked. The rice was crunchy. Entire family gave it a thumbs down.

I made it with rice cooker and added 2/ 1 chicken stock/ rice. More liquid to rice ratio. It was excellent !!!!

I think I'll double the amount of saffron next time, expensive spice but so worth it!!

Loved loved loved...I omitted the pepper, saffron and used a minute amount of sea salt...the best rice hands up...fluffy and easy and great reheated...highly recommend.

I enjoyed making and cooking this sophisticated rice pilaf. I made it the same way and with the same ingredients Chef John showed. I did mould it by spooning rice into ramekin cups, press gently, but firmly; turn over unto a plate. Garnished with sliced green onions. Makes a great presentation. Served it with Chef John's Prosciutto-Wrapped Cherry-Stuffed Chicken Breasts and haricot green beans. Thank you Chef John.

I needed this for a base recipe... trying to replicate the rice pilaf we had as a side at Holiday Acres Resort in Rhinelander wisconsin. I use to be a waitress there and I would mow down on this with fresh squeezed lemon when i'd get hungry.... So to make this more like holiday acres from the recipe i remember , I added chopped celery along with the onions to the butter and olive oil. I added Thyme to the broth while boiling it... I use threw two whole sprigs in there. It was nice to use them from Thanksgiving... and they still look pretty good... just a little dried up. I'm using a slow cooker because I need the oven for the fish I'm going to make tonight. So far its smelling pretty good. I am having a hard time rating this because of the changes i've made... I couldn't find any other rice pilaf with celery added to it. I Guess i can't post this "review" without rating it.. I use my reviews for references when i come back to make the recipe again...

This was awesome. I added some peas and carrots to it! Very tasty and easy to make!!! Everyone loved over the traditional stove too rice

Rich and delicious.

Just what I was looking for. My mom used to make something similar but I never knew it was called rice pilaf! I only sprinkled a bit of salt and cayenne pepper and it was fine. May add a bit more next time but didn't want to overdo it on the first try. Will be a regular part of our rice rotation.

This turned out great; I loved the texture! Followed the recipe (omitted the optional saffron) and added a bit of dried parsley flakes and yellow food coloring to the simmering broth for visual appeal.

Definitely a keeper. I doubled the recipe and used a little less than the two to one ratio for water to rice. I also kept it in the oven for 10 minutes longer. Make sure to let it rest for 10 minutes outside the oven with the foil on very tight. It was perfect. I think the extra time helped the rice cook completely, as some reviewers said theirs was a little al dente.

Amazing flavor! Like several other reviewers, I did not use the saffron since I didn't have it "in stock" and was making a dinner from ingredients I had on hand. I used Lundberg Organic Long-Grain White Rice (Amer Test Kitchen favorite). This recipe is easy to prepare. I put it in an oval baking dish and baked it in my Breville Toaster Oven and it came out perfect. No sticky rice. I did toast some slivered almonds and pine-nuts and put them in before baking. I should have put them in after because they were too soft. Lesson learned. Either way, with or without the nuts, the rice flavor is fantastic. I'll be making it again. Oh yes...the entire meal was from Allrecipes. I served this along with "Juicy Roasted Chicken" and "Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread" (a staple in my repertoire). Everything complemented each other very nicely and the timing of it all coming together at the same time worked well (not my strong-suit). I got the chicken in...prepped the dry ingredients for the cornbread, assembled and got the rice baking then assembled and baked the cornbread. YUMM-O! I love this site!!! EDIT 12/11/16 - I continue to make this recipe, especially whenever we have family and are making chicken or pork. My young nephews scarfed it up this summer and everyone who has ever had it seems to really like it. It has a great flavor.

Now the only rice my family will eat! Really tasty and perfect days later. Don't always add saffron, good either way.

Everyone loved the flavor. I loved how easy it was to prepare ahead of time.

If you are skeptical about this method for cooking rice, just give it a try. It turns out really nice. Each grain is totally separate, not mushy at all. 1/4 tsp of cayenne is a little spicy for me but I'm weak when it comes to spice. Turns out good when I cut the butter and oil in half too. When I'm in ah hurry I just heat up the broth and skip the simmer. Still turns out great.

Followed the recipe almost exactly ( used only evoo as suggested by one review, added a chicken bouillon cube and 2 cups water and vegetable broth to get the full 3 cups),aside from those changes everything was exact. There might be misuse with the rice that I used, but it took forever to cook. It became mushy by the time I decided to move it to pan and cook it with more veggie broth. I wasn't too much a fan of the flavor, but my mom thought it was delicious. I don't think I'd make it again, even with with proper rice though.

After many years of cooking from this site, this is my first review even though I've made some tasty dishes that are keepers. Chef John, my son could not stop raving about this rice, saying it is the BEST RICE I've ever made!! And I'm from Louisiana and make A LOT of rice! I took the idea from your video and molded the rice in a ramekin. A few green onions on top. I'll be making rice this way from now on. I followed the recipe exactly except for the saffron which I didn't have. Just threw a dash of Everglades seasoning in there along with the cayenne. Great flavor. Thanks a million!

This recipe was an easy and great way to make rice! I absolutely loved the flavor. I used more rice than I was supposed to so it didn't come out completely done, I just had to just the time a bit to make it just right! Thanks for posting this recipe!! YUM!!

Another perfect Chef John recipe! Thank you! For those who say that it doesn't cook. It's VERY important to cover it with aluminum foil AND to leave it uncovered while it rests for 10 minutes after cooking, that way the steam cooks the rice.

I have probably made this recipe about two dozen times since I found it. I love it because the recipe is really versatile, so if I don't have an ingredient, such as Olive oil, I can just substitute with something else and every time it comes out delicious.

So easy. I used Jasmine rice and added chopped broccoli and carrots, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. My 4 year old loved it!

This was a very tasty side dish. Since saffron is pretty pricey, not too many cooks always have it on hand. Try using 'turmeric' instead of saffron. It works well in recipes which call for saffron.

I have made this twice now and both times it has been perfect. I don't cook rice often but normally I will put twice as much liquid as the amount of rice (I had no uncooked or crunchy rice). I did put 4 cups liquid in for the 2 cups rice. I don't buy saffron due to the price but tumeric is a common substitute which I used. This rice is so loaded with flavor that to me it's almost addictive. I make this using only 2 pots; one to boil the broth and spices in and a large iron skillet that I brown the onion in and also cook the complete recipe in the oven - it works great. It's so easy to make that I can't imagine so many having trouble with it however, the cooking method is designed for the recipe and should be followed. I won't be looking for another recipe; this one is a keeper for me. Thank you so much.

Kick it up a notch by adding some garlic powder and toasted sliver almonds.

Awesome recipe and easy to fix. I used leftovers and made Chicken Fried Rice. Chef John recipes are the best!

This is great! I added broken vermicelli when browning the rice, chopped onion and garlic. A great alternative to potatoes for a side dish.

This tasted very good. I prefer my pilaf with a little veggies in it, but aside from that it was great. Cooked up perfectly and accompanied my chicken wonderfully!

Loved it! So simple, came out perfect following the recipe as is. It made a ton, so next time I will cut it in half and cook in an 8x8 pan. Will make again!

I tried this rice tonight and it was a huge hit!! I made it exactly as the recipe stated except I added small bits of carrots just because I like carrots in rice. The cayenne pepper was subtle, but there - it gave it just a touch of heat and i basically like saffron in anything. I cannot wait to make this again. It may just be the best recipe I have ever made from AllRecipes !!!!

WOW!!!!!! So good and real easy to make! I have plenty ideas with this! Thanks so much. I'm thinking of adding veggies with it next time!

Oh my gosh I have NEVER had this recipe turn out bad. I have to eat gluten free and love this recipe so much. Just added a little spicy chicken broth and the dish was even more amazing. Also cook this in my largest cast iron skillet and holy cow sooooooooo good!

Made this just now. I'm vegetarian and used chicken stock substitute but it came out perfectly baking it in the oven.

It really pairs well with butter chicken. I also used basmati rice, no other changes made. Definitely will make this again.

I always have a hard time with rice - it always overcooks, undercooks and gets mushy. This recipe really is foolproof. Rice came out perfect. I omitted the saffron and used about 1/3 of a sweet onion and 2 shallots and used 1 tsp of salt. Everyone loved it! I think it would also be good with a clove of garlic. Works well with beef broth as well.

Finally I have made rice that was cooked to perfection! Not sure why cooking rice usually gives me problems.. either undercooked or overcooked and mushy. I even have a rice cooker that will burn it on the bottom. This time it came out perfect. Husband raved over this.

So simple, and so delicious! I normally don't leave reviews but this recipe came out *perfect*! It will definitely become a staple, my new favorite way to make rice!

I love rice as a side dish, but I don't have a rice cooker and I always struggle with cooking rice so that the texture is just right. I don't want to use instant because it's just not the same. Anyways, I think this is my favorite way to prepare rice now. It is so delicious. I followed the recipe(except for the cayenne. I'm not a fan and neither are my boys), and like everyone else I don't have saffron and I could not find saffron anywhere. So I did a little bit of Internet searching and it seems that saffron is extremely expensive and it's probably not common for most average ordinary folks (like me) to use it. So I looked up a substitute and found a tip from a pro chef. The closest substitute to saffron is 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp paprika. So that is what I did. I think it made the rice taste outstanding. I also agree that it's not a big deal to have to use a pan for the onions and broth. I just wiped out the pan from the onions for heating the broth. I added a smidge more broth and the rice came out absolutely perfect. Try it, it's worth the extra effort.

My fiance and I adored this! I made it alongside one of my favorite entrees: Blackened Salmon. The pilaf was a nice side. The light, buttery flavor, with just a small kick from the cayenne and saffron, balanced the meal out perfectly! I think I might have eaten more of the pilaf than the salmon! I just could not get enough. I followed the recipe as written, with the exception of the butter. I used only 1-1.5 tablespoons and used Smart Butter rather than real butter. The saffron was definitely worth the extra money spent at the grocery store! It added a lot to the taste. I will definitely use this recipe again and again!

Loved this recipe! I followed it exactly how it was written, except didn't have Saffron. It was delish! I've been looking for a good, simple pilaf recipe, and now it's safe in my recipe box. Will use this again and again, I am sure.

The rice was pretty undercooked.

It was REALLY plain. I cooked it in my rice cooker hoping for it to come out nice and fluffy, I think the recipe called for too much chicken stock, and it was ust plain. Needed for seasoning.

This is a very good recipe to have on hand at all times. It is quick and easy and the recipe can be changed according to what you have in your pantry. I did not have chicken stock but I did have some chicken bouillon cubes that I made into chicken broth to pour over the rice. I also added some veggies from my fridge and changed the spices and it turned out very well. Thumbs up from me!

Wow! I didn't even know it was possible to cook rice this way. It came out perfect. I mixed green beans and shrimp into it for a meal.

Simple, easy recipe. Very tasty

Easy to follow recipe. Results were exactly as expected. Saved me time not having to supervise on the stove (no rice cooker here) and the guests raved.

Very easy and delicious! Paired well with the Algerian Meatballs I made

I did exactly what was called for and the rice was greasy and not cooked all the way through. I do not recommend making this.

Made just as recipe said was good..will definitely make again

This was fantastic! I made it exactly as stated in the recipe, except I had to omit saffron because I didn't have any. The texture came out perfect, and the flavor was subtle with the perfect amount of kick from the cayenne. My kids thought it was a tad spicy, but not me! This recipe is a keeper.

My wife is not one for rice, but she absolutely loved this recipe! She even went for seconds. Great recipe! Thanks Chef John!

Outstanding! A big hit - served with grilled grouper and grilled zucchini & squash - this rice pilaf held it's own!

This always turns out beautiful and delicious. It's so good my boyfriend not only asked me to make it again, he asked me to show him how to make it so he could make it whenever he wanted. I skip the saffron because it's pricey and I never have any, but this rice is still very flavorful without. Love it, love it, love it. We make it all the time.