Skip to Content

Mushroom Rice Pilaf Recipe

Fluffy, fragrant rice with crunchy edges make this Mushroom Rice Pilaf recipe a great weeknight side dish or fancy enough for a dinner party rice side.

Fluffy, fragrant with crunchy edges make this Mushroom Rice Pilaf recipe a great weeknight side dish or fancy enough for a dinner party side dish.  

The fragrant mushroom rice pilaf recipe for today’s post is a family classic.

True story…. my mom’s recipe card said Mom’s Rice.  My Grandma Mabel’s recipe card said Mabel’s  Mom’s  rice and my Aunt Helen’s said Helen’s Mabel’s, Mom’s rice. This leads me to believe my mom had it first, but they all claimed it was “their recipe.”

You know a recipe everyone says is their own it’s a great one!  The rice pilaf is easy enough to have for a weeknight dinner or fancy enough to serve for a dinner party side dish.

What is the difference between regular rice and a rice pilaf?

Regular rice is generally made with water as the liquid and can be either, boiled, steamed or baked.  A rice pilaf is made with a seasoned liquid such as a broth or stock.  Usually, the pilaf is baked in the oven.

How do you make Rice Pilaf:

Rice pilaf starts with some aromatics such as onions and mushrooms in this case.  You want to saute them in a little butter to really bring out the flavor.  Once they are ready you’ll add the rice in and stir to coat all the rice in a little butter too.

Making sure each piece of rice is coated in butter makes for very moist pilaf, versus a much too dried out pilaf that makes you want to have a drink of water to wash it down after taking a bite.  By continuing to heat the rice you also toast the rice a little bit which brings out a nutty flavor in your pilaf that makes it feel very much a comfort food.

In the original recipe, my mom used a store-bought can of condensed mushroom soup as the seasoned liquid.  I recently shared a recipe on how to make homemade mushroom soup which I recommend for the ultimate flavor and the ability to know exactly what is in your food.  (no preservatives, fresh mushrooms!)

Variations on Rice Pilaf:

This recipe is very versatile.  Actually you could make a pilaf with anything you have in your house. This Mushroom Rice Pilaf is a little more hearty because it uses the creamy mushroom soup, but you could also use chicken broth as the liquid or make it strictly vegetarian by using vegetable broth.

To make Vegetarian Pilaf for a main course offering for your guests you can use a vegetable broth and double the mushrooms in the recipe.  You can sub a good olive oil in place of the butter as well. I promise your company will go away very well satisfied and not hungry at all.  I’ll buy a variety of special mushrooms such as porcini, shiitake, chanterelles and Miatake to have a very impressive vegetarian option.

Oyter mushrooms, porcini, chanterelle and crimini mushrooms to be used in the Savory Bread Pudding with mushrooms.

Other Add-ins you could use for Pilaf:

  • Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans…. (any of your favorite nuts)
  • Cranberries, Apples, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Raisins
  • Aromatics such as Curry Powder, Coriander, Cinnamon
  • Fennel, Carrot
  • Water Chestnuts
  • Roast Chicken, Sausage, Pork

I’ll often use whatever we have on hand to make a Rice Pilaf for a dinner party.  The most important thing when adding things is to be mindful of the boldness of the flavor. Remember, it’s better to have a few flavors that really stand out than have so many flavors happening that you can’t distinguish what you are eating.

Need more ideas for what to serve along side your meal? Find all the SIDE DISH recipes you need here!

Looking for other Mushroom or Pilaf Recipes for side dishes? 

Moroccan Rice Pilaf ~ West Via Midwest

Mushroom Bread Pudding  ~ West Via Midwest

While a Rice Pilaf can be a hearty main course you can also serve it with so many other things as a side dish.  It pairs well with all meats.  Some suggestions for you:  Lemon Blossom’s Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs this recipe for Horseradish Crusted Rib Eye ,  Roast Cuban Chicken,  or these simple grilled lamb chops.

Fragrant Rice Pilaf in a serving dish.


PIN THIS   for easy reference when you need an easy, delicious side dish! 

You can also follow me on Facebook here for more easy recipes for entertaining!

 (Or sign up for my mailing list that shares easy recipes and tips for easy entertaining on this page where it says “join the west via midwest community!”  )


Yield: 6 side dish portions

Fragrant Mushroom Rice Pilaf

Side dish of Mushroom Rice Pilaf

Fluffy, fragrant with crunchy edges make this Mushroom Rice Pilaf recipe a great weeknight side dish or fancy enough for a dinner party side dish.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. In a saute pan on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and saute the onions for 2 minutes.  
  3. Then add the mushrooms and saute until they have softened and released their juices. (about 5 minutes). 
  4. Add the remaining butter. Once butter has melted add the rice and stir until all the rice is coated with butter. 
  5. Continue to stir rice for about 3-4 minutes( this is called toasting the rice to bring out a nutty flavor.)
  6. Add the mushroom soup and chicken broth and stir.  Either bake in the saute pan or place in a baking dish.
  7. Bake for 45-55 minutes.
  8. Fluff rice and serve immediately. 

Notes

If you are using canned condensed mushroom soup instead of homemade, use one can plus one can full of chicken broth or water as a sub. 


To make vegetarian use vegetable broth instead.


To serve as a main course option double the amount of mushrooms and onions in the recipe for a hearty dish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

6 side dish portions

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Saturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 379mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure and tag us on Instagram (@michele_westviamidwest) to be featured in our stories or our weekly newsletter! We love it when you make our recipes and share the love!

Sign up to get recipes and tips for stress free entertaining!

we won't EVER sell or share your info!

I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Christie

Sunday 29th of September 2019

I made this yesterday to serve with a rack of lamb and it was absolutely delicious! My family and friends loved it. Definitely a winner!

Kathy McDaniel

Saturday 28th of April 2018

Each of your family members claiming this recipe as their own is hilarious and speaks loudly of the quality and great flavor of this pilaf. I love mushrooms so this one is a recipe I have to make soon! Very elegant also - love it!

Michele

Monday 30th of April 2018

I love the history of recipes Kathy! My favorite ones are family recipes that later in life you realize was from a product label! My grandmas tried and true caramel popcorn recipe we realized recently was from a Karo Syrup bottle! :)

Sandra

Saturday 28th of April 2018

I’m a fan of adding nuts to rice pilaf and love that you included a vegetarian option for us! This is such a simple recipe and goes with just about everything. We enjoyed this mushroom rice pilaf with cod and not a bite was left!

Michele

Monday 30th of April 2018

So many of our friends are vegetarian today and this recipe is one my regular offerings for them! Im glad you enjoyed it! ~!m

Dana DeVolk

Saturday 28th of April 2018

My husband is obsessed with anything mushroom so I had to make this as a special treat for him. No surprise, he loved it! I added slivered almonds I toasted and it gave a nice texture to the dish. Thanks so much for this recipe!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses affiliate links, such as Amazon which pays this site a small commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read full info here.

Skip to Recipe

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!