Sticky, soft Romanian chicken pilaf (pilaf cu pui) or rice with chicken and vegetables, this is traditional Romanian comfort food at its best!
Romanian chicken pilaf is one of the most popular Romanian dishes. Everybody makes it, and everybody loves it, especially children. It is really sticky and soft, making funny, "squishy" noises when stirred; it is so comforting and delicious.
Ingredients: 11 + oil, salt & pepper | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
My family loves rice, so I cook it very often. Either as a plain side for other dishes like the Hungarian Letscho, the Fricassee with Leftover Turkey, or the Pumpkin Turkey Curry. Or in the form of a Romanian pilaf - the way my grandmother used to make it.
Of all the rice dishes she made, my grandmother's chicken pilaf was the family favorite. Even my sister, who could barely stand her, and cousins who only had it every few years, agreed: Mama Silvia made the best chicken pilaf.
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Recipe ingredients
Short-grain rice: I've tried this pilaf with long-grain and brown rice - it's good, but for authentic Romanian pilaf, you need short-grain rice, like risotto rice. Short-grain rice makes the dish creamier, softer, and stickier.
- Romanian pilaf is cooked much longer than usual rice, until it's soft and slightly overcooked, a bit like Asian congee - that's the comfort of it. There are many pilaf variations worldwide, but this is the Romanian version, and I hope you enjoy it.
Stock: You can make it with homemade or store-bought stock.
- Homemade stock: Cook 2 chicken legs or 2 chicken breasts with vegetables and spices. Use the broth and meat for the pilaf. Adding a chicken stock cube can boost flavor, unless you've simmered a whole chicken or carcass for a long time - the stock will be rich enough on its own.
- Store-bought stock: Use cooked chicken and pre-made stock for a quicker version, though it's less authentic.
See the recipe card for detailed instructions and full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Romanian chicken pilaf?
Step #1: Prepare the stock. Keep the required amount of stock warm in a jug or pan, adding it gradually as you cook the pilaf.
Step #2: Shred the cooked meat.
Step #3: Cook the onions until translucent, add a little stock, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Step #4: Sauté carrots, celery, and pepper in a little oil. Add some stock and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, then add more stock and simmer another 5 minutes.
Step #5: Stir in the unwashed rice for 2-3 minutes.
Step #6: Add 2 cups stock and a little salt, and simmer 5 minutes. Gradually add more stock, stirring, and cook for 50 minutes until the rice is very soft.
Step #7: After 30 minutes, add the chopped meat and reserved carrot. If you run out of stock, use more from the pan or hot water.
Step #8: Continue adding stock and stirring for another 20 minutes.
Store and reheat
The Romanian pilaf with chicken is best served immediately, but you can easily reheat it.
It can be reheated in the pot. In this case, add some stock and reheat gently, stirring often.
The dish is not suitable for freezing, but it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Romanian Pilaf with Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken broth:
- 2 pieces chicken breast or 2 whole chicken legs, Note 1
- 1 small onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 small piece of celeriac or 2 celery sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 allspice corns
- 1 cube chicken stock optional, Note 2
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Pilaf:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onions
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 1 ½ cups short-grain rice
- about 7 cups chicken stock or broth
- 10.5 oz cooked chicken meat
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- a small bunch of parsley
Instructions
Chicken stock:
- Place the chicken parts into a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, celeriac or celery sticks, bay leaves, allspice corns, and 2 liters/ 8 ½ cups water, some salt, and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer.2 pieces chicken breast + 1 small onion + 1 carrot + 1 small piece of celeriac + 2 bay leaves + 5 allspice corns + water + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Simmer for about 30 minutes for the breasts and 40-50 minutes for the legs (check to see if they are cooked through).
- You could add one or two cubes (to taste) of chicken stock to the broth; it will increase the flavor.1 cube chicken stock
- Shred chicken: When the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Discard the vegetables and the spices; you can keep the carrot, slice it, and add it to the pilaf together with the meat. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones and shred the meat into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Pilaf:
- In the meantime, start cooking the pilaf. Measure the needed stock and keep it warm all the time; you can leave the pot on a low heat source for the entire cooking process. I use a jug pot for this recipe, it makes pouring easier.
- Prepare vegetables: Chop the onions finely. Slice the carrots and chop the red bell pepper into fine strips.2 onions + 3 medium carrots + 1 small red bell pepper
- Cook onions: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and cook them gently until translucent. Add ½ cup/ 120 ml chicken stock and stir. Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Add the carrots and the peppers and cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring a few times in between. Add another ½ cup/ 120 ml chicken stock and let it bubble away for a further 5 minutes or so.
- Add the unwashed short-grain rice and stir well for about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups/ 500 ml of the chicken stock and stir well. Cook gently for another 5 minutes, and add some salt.1 ½ cups short-grain rice
- Add stock: Now, it will be a bit like making a risotto, without continuous stirring. Start adding the remaining stock (about 4 cups/ 1 liter left) little by little, stirring well after each addition.
- Cook pilaf: Cover the pot, leaving a crack open, and cook the rice for about 50 minutes, making sure that you add some stock and stir regularly every 5 minutes or so.
- Add chicken: After 30 minutes, add the chicken (and the leftover cooked carrot if you wish), stir well, and continue adding the stock and stirring for a further 20 minutes or until the rice is soft and sticky.If the liquid is not enough, you can add more from the pot or more water if you are out of chicken stock.10.5 oz cooked chicken meat
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.fine sea salt and ground black pepper + a small bunch of parsley
- It is best served immediately, but it can easily be reheated on low heat with the addition of some more chicken stock.
Notes
- Chicken stock and chicken: You could make the pilaf using already-cooked chicken and bought chicken stock; it is faster, but not so authentic. You will need about 10.6 oz/ 300 g of chicken meat for the pilaf.
- Stock cubes: If only cooking chicken breasts/legs in water for a short time, I would recommend using 1-2 chicken stock cubes as well, which will increase the flavor. When using chicken stock made from a whole chicken or chicken bones cooked for a longer time, the stock cube will not be necessary; the liquid will have enough flavor as it is.
Jayne Kies says
This is very similar to my Romanian Grandmas recipe. Overcooked rice is Wonerful with carrots& celery, onion,& garlic. Forgot the parsley to garnish. Am cooking this for supper tonight. Thank you.
Adina says
Welcome, Jayne. I hope it tastes like your grandma's. 🙂
Marvellina|What To Cook Today says
I'm always drawn to pilaf! I like everything mix with rice kinda gal 🙂 I think using raw chicken like you did to make this dish will contribute even more flavor!
Adina says
I love pilaf too, I make it so often and with always changing ingredients. But this chicken pilaf is my favorite. 🙂
Monica says
For me, I usually make plain rice so a pilaf or something like that is a real treat. This sounds wonderful! Rice is such a great comfort food for us, we couldn't live without it. All the better when it's so flavorful and colorful like this.
Adina says
We love rice too and I often make pilaf when I really don't know what to cook anymore. Or when I don't have time to go shopping. You can put just about anything into it.