Why This One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe is a Game Changer
As busy moms, one thing we’ve perfected over the last 15 years is the easy, one-pot dinner. Recipes like these are a staple in our kitchens when you want minimal cleanup, but a consistently tasty meal.
This easy One Pot Chicken and Rice features juicy chicken thighs and fluffy, herbed rice all cooked in about 30 minutes, making it the ultimate family-friendly, budget-friendly recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: we used chicken thighs in this recipe for tender, juicy results. You can use skin on or skin off (whatever you prefer or need to meet your dietary needs), but we recommend using boneless for a quicker cook time.
- Seasoning: one of the biggest complaints we hear about a “chicken and rice” dinner is that it can be bland. Don’t skip this seasoning mix with paprika, italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper because it will take your regular chicken and rice dish from “blah” to “Ahhh”.
- Long-grain rice: Instead of a
- Shallots: the shallots in this recipe really kick it up a notch, but we know they can be harder to find. You can sub these out for green onions or spring onions in a pinch.
- Chicken stock: instead of broth, use chicken stock which is thicker and more gelatin rich. This will give the chicken and rice more depth of flavor overall.
Recipe Tips for Perfect One Pot Chicken and Rice Every Time
- Sear your chicken: Searing your chicken first will give you the best flavor. Not only will it help the taste of the chicken, but when you deglaze the pan (aka scrape the browned bits off before adding in your rice) it will add even more flavor to the entire dish.
- A tight-fitting lid: if you’re trying to prevent undercooked or mushy rice, use a tight-fitting lid so the steam is captured in the pot, letting the rice reabsorb just the right amount of liquid.
- Don’t lift the lid when fully covered: when you lift the lid during cooking, you release steam (and heat) which is essential for getting the right texture of rice, as well as tender cooked chicken.
How to Make One Pot Chicken and Rice
Follow these steps for perfectly cooked one pot chicken and rice
- Prepare the chicken: start by mixing together all the seasoning ingredients. Make sure you measure out enough, and you can even do it with a bit of a heavy hand (no bland chicken here). Then in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat, cook the chicken until it’s nicely browned on all sides. It’s okay if it’s not all the way cooked through, it will continue to cook in the rice. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Prep the rice: add in a little more olive oil to the same skillet (don’t wash it out), then add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add your rinsed and drained rice, stirring as it cooks for another 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock to the skillet and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits off the bottom.
- Assemble the skillet: Return the chicken and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes while partially covered. Cover the chicken with the lid (make sure it’s a tight fit!) and let it rest for five minutes.
- Serve: fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the chicken, garnishing everything with a little freshly chopped parsley.
Variations & Expert Substitutions
- Sub in different types of chicken like breasts or bone-in thighs, just keep in mind different types of chicken cook at different rates and adjust accordingly.
- Add in more veggies like frozen peas or carrots and let them cook alongside everything right in the skillet. You can also add in mushrooms or diced peppers, wilt in spinach or kale, or spice things up with some diced jalapeno.
- Change the flavor profile by swapping out the seasonings, like adding cajun seasoning or lemon pepper for a different flavor with the same juicy, tender chicken at the end.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You may need to adjust the cooking time to be more or less depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, but you can absolutely sub them in here.
Yes. Although we recommend the long-grain rice for best results when it comes to texture, you can sub brown rice (just make sure to check the texture, as it may need a little more time cooking).
You could always throw in frozen peas or carrots, or even wilt some spinach in the rice toward the end of cooking.
Yes. Once the chicken and rice have cooled, transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container and it will keep for 30-60 days in the freezer.
Using long-grain rice (like basmati) will help it from getting too mushy, and try not to leave it on the heat too long, because that will also result in mushy rice, too. Make sure that you leave the lid on while cooking, because taking the lid off and peeking will release the steam that is building and leave you with undercooked rice.
If you used the entire seasoning mix and still feel like this chicken is bland, you can double the seasoning mix or add in some stronger spices (think: smoked paprika, chili powder, etc.).
Yes! Try our Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice (it’s a favorite).
Storage & Reheating Tips
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, this One Pot Chicken and Rice reheats really nicely. Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For longer storage, place in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to two months. When reheating, you can help prevent your rice from drying out by adding a teaspoon or two of chicken broth to a skillet or microwave-safe container as you heat it back up.
Serving Suggestions
Though this dish can totally stand on its own as a complete meal, if you’re feeding a crowd or want to take your meal to the next level, try serving this with some Oven Roasted Broccoli, a side of crusty bread, and a squeeze of lemon over the top. You could also pair it with a simple side salad if you’re wanting more greens or a fresh fruit salad if it’s in season.
More Easy One Pot Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Alfredo: If you’re looking for something a little more carb-heavy and creamy, make this simple alfredo instead.
- Instant Pot Hot Honey Chicken: This recipe is perfect for making chicken sandwiches, but it can also be used in a wrap or top to a salad.
- Chicken Sausage Stir Fry: Another one pot recipe, but this one uses pre-made chicken sausage to make it incredibly quick and easy to throw together.
One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 chicken thighs, boneless (skin on or off, depending on what you have)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots or green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup long-grain rice, I used basmati, rinsed and drained
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- Make a spice mix by combining paprika powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a small bowl.
- Coat the chicken with the prepared spice mix.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken until nicely golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Prepare the rice:
- Add the remaining olive oil to the same skillet. Once heated, add the shallots and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes.
- Rinse and drain the rice and add it to the skillet. Cook the rice, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
Assemble:
- Return the chicken to the large skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the rice with chicken, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Cover the chicken with the lid completely, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve:
- Fluff the rice with the fork and serve with chicken, garnished with chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Can you use jasmine rice?
SO delicious! I loved the flavor of the rice. The kids loved it. It was super simple to make and quick. This will be a standard for our busy nights!
Yes! Jasmine rice is a great long-grain rice to use in this recipe!