Tomato-Basil Chicken and Cashew Rice Pilaf
Tomato-Basil Chicken and Cashew Rice Pilaf – an impressive Italian recipe that my whole family loves. The flavors blend together and the sweet tomatoes go well with the savory rice.
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CHICKEN AND RICE PILAF
My friend Steph sent me this Tomato Basil Chicken and Cashew Rice Pilaf recipe that was really popular with her dinner group. I didn’t want to even post a picture because it does NOT do the recipe justice.
First, I will say that I am not usually a huge rice fan. I’ll eat it if it gets stuck to my food or if I am at PF Changs and pour their special sauce all over it. Lets face it, you can pour their special sauce over cardboard and it would be fabulous.
Well this blew me away. I could eat it and only it for dinner and be completely happy. I know you are thinking how can rice be worth all this praise. Try it, and you will know why. With the chicken, sooo good! Thanks Steph for the recipe.
I don’t think that the chicken necessarily is supposed to go on top of the rice but that’s how it ended up on my plate and it was divine.
HOW TO MAKE
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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For the chicken: Heat butter in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Increase heat to high; add tomatoes and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, 5-7 minutes. 
Add cream and bring to boil; boil until slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes.
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Stir in basil, salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in shallow baking dish; pour sauce on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done. While chicken is cooking make the rice.
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For the rice pilaf: In large saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until soft. Add rice; stir until coated. Stir in broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat to a simmer 15-20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in cashews and parsley. Serve with chicken on top.
Increase heat to high; add tomatoes and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, 5-7 minutes. 
Add cream and bring to boil; boil until slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes.
OTHER EASY DINNERS
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- One-Pan Chicken Fajita Rice
- One-Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Italian Sausage and Peppers
- One-Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
- Cheater Korean Beef
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
- One-Pan Chicken Spinach and Orzo
- Creamy Chicken and Spinach
- One-Pan Chicken Broccoli and Rice
- Chicken Salad recipe
Tomato-Basil Chicken with Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
CHICKEN
CASHEW RICE PILAF:
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅓ finely chopped onion
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cashews, measured then chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- For the chicken: Heat butter in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Increase heat to high; add tomatoes and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Add cream and bring to boil; boil until slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes.
- Stir in basil, salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in shallow baking dish; pour sauce on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done. While chicken is cooking make the rice.
- For the rice pilaf: In large saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until soft. Add rice; stir until coated. Stir in broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat to a simmer 15-20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in cashews and parsley. Serve with chicken on top.
Notes
I love your blog. I always feel inspired to cook when I visit it. I want to try this recipe but I’d like to find out two things: 1. Do the cashews need to be toasted? 2. If I don’t have FRESH basil and parsley, how bad would it be to use dried basil and frozen parsley (chopped and frozen from fresh)? Thanks.
Cherisse,
I don’t toast the cashews but I think that would be a good idea. I think you could get away with dried parsley but basil I’m not so sure. I think fresh basil makes a huge difference.
We LOVED this. Even my tomato haters really liked it. Thanks so much!
I made this with the lime rice and it was delicious. My whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing!
I found your food blog through a friend and there is not one thing I have made so far from it that was not amazing. This recipe is divine and so easy, thanks for sharing!!