This chicken rice pilaf makes a satisfying lunch or dinner dish with a tossed salad or sliced fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. The pilaf is made with rice, chicken, shrimp, and bacon. The flavors are excellent! Sliced scallions or parsley garnish the finished dish.
Feel free to bake the bacon, but remember to save the drippings because they’re used to sauté the rice. You can vary the vegetables as well. Omit the bell pepper, and add some sliced mushrooms or julienned carrots. Peas are an excellent addition—steam them until tender and add them to the rice just before it’s ready.
What Is Pilaf?
Pilaf, sometimes spelled pilau or perloo, is a rice dish cooked in a seasoned broth. The rice is first sautéed in oil or butter, giving it a lovely, nutty flavor. Various cultures have many variations, and some common ingredients include cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. This chicken and shrimp pilaf is a basic Southern Lowcountry version.
What To Serve With Chicken Rice Pilaf
Serve the rice pilaf with crusty bread or biscuits and a green salad with a simple vinaigrette or dressing.
PrintChicken Rice Pilaf With Shrimp and Bacon
Shrimp, and crumbled cooked bacon flavor this savory chicken rice pilaf. It’s an easy and delicious dish loaded with texture and flavor!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken, Rice, Shrimp
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably low sodium or unsalted
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined*
- 1 cup diced cooked chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- thinly sliced scallion tops or chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet; drain on paper towels and set aside.
- In the same skillet in the bacon drippings, sauté the rice for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock; cover the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add more stock or water if necessary.
- Meanwhile, in another heavy skillet or saucepan, melt the butter; add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent and vegetables are tender.
- Add the flour to the vegetable mixture and stir to blend. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the skillet along with the shrimp and chicken.
- Cook, stirring, for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the cooked rice and crumbled bacon to the shrimp and chicken mixture; stir and heat through. If the rice mixture seems dry, add a small amount of chicken stock or water to moisten.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with sliced scallion tops or fresh chopped parsley before serving.
