It’s almost Friday and it’s this part of the week when my cravings for comfort food really start kicking in. It doesn’t help that it’s been dark and rainy non-stop for like, the last three weeks straight! So this week I whipped up this Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet, which has to be one of the most comfort-food-y comfort foods of all time. Or maybe I should just call it “February food.” Creamy, cheesy, carby deliciousness in one easy skillet. Imagine chicken pot pie filling baked into rice and topped with cheese. If that doesn’t make you forget how dreary it is outside, I don’t know what will.
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Can I Make this with Brown Rice?
I don’t suggest using brown rice for this recipe. Not only will it require a lot of other changes to the recipe (the amount of liquid used, the cook time, etc), but I just don’t think the flavor and texture of brown rice would be a good match for this particular recipe. This one is supposed to be creamy, soft, and indulgent. If you’re looking for a healthy chicken and rice recipe, I’d look for one that is designed to be healthy (and I’m sure there are some good ones out there!).
Can I Use Chicken Thighs instead of Breasts?
Yes, absolutely. You should be able to swap out chicken thighs for chicken breasts in this recipe without making any other adjustments. Use approximately 3/4 lb. chicken thighs.
Can I Use Fresh Vegetables?
Sure! I used frozen peas and carrots for this recipe because I intended this recipe to be more of a convenience comfort food, but you can certainly use fresh if you have them available. Fresh vegetables will likely need a little bit more time to cook, since frozen vegetables are blanched before freezing, so I would add your fresh vegetables at the same time that the broth is added, so they can simmer with the rice.
Can I substitute the Heavy Cream?
Yes, you do have some options here. If you want to make it just a little lighter, you can use half and half. If you’re looking for a non-dairy substitute, I would use coconut milk (the kind in the can, not the kind in a carton meant as a dairy milk substitute). Or, you can just leave the cream out and make it a non-creamy chicken and rice dish. The cheese on top will be plenty of richness for some people!
How to Store the Leftover Chicken and Rice Skillet
After cooking your skillet full of comfort, divide the chicken and rice into single portions and refrigerate for 4-5 days. A quick reheat in the microwave and you’re back on the comfort food bandwagon. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested freezing this one, but I suspect it would freeze well, since all of the ingredients used generally freeze well.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.26)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.) ($3.62)
- 1 cup long grain white rice ($0.62)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp dried sage ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.39)
- 1/2 lb. frozen peas and carrots ($0.67)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream ($0.26)
- 4 oz. cheddar, shredded ($0.85)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and add it to an oven safe deep skillet (3 qt. capacity) along with the butter. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
- While the onions are cooking, dice the chicken breast into small, 1/2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the skillet and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes more, or just until the outside of the chicken pieces have turned opaque (the chicken will finish cooking through as it simmers with the rice).
- Add the rice, thyme, sage, salt, some freshly cracked pepper (about ten cranks of a pepper mill), and the chicken broth to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let the skillet simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, replacing the lid each time. Cooking the rice in an excess of broth and stirring occasionally as it cooks will produce a saucy rice mixture.
- After 15 minutes, the rice should be tender and saucy (if not yet tender, let it continue to cook for 5 more minutes). Stir in the frozen vegetables (no need to thaw), replace the lid, and let it sit over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes to heat the vegetables through. Finally, add the heavy cream, stir to combine, taste, and add extra salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of the broth you used).
- Turn on the oven's broiler, top the skillet with the shredded cheese, and place the skillet in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot.
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How to Make Chicken and Rice – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and add it to a deep skillet (3 qt capacity) with 2 Tbsp butter. Sauté the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it’s translucent.
While the onions are cooking, dice one boneless, skinless chicken breast into small 1/2-inch sided pieces. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for just a few minutes more, or until the chicken is cooked and opaque on the outside (it will finish cooking through as it simmers with the rice).
Once the chicken pieces are partially cooked, add 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried sage, 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill), and 1 cup long grain white rice (uncooked). Stir to combine.
Also add 3 cups chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine again.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure to replace the lid each time. Cooking the rice in an excess of liquid and giving it a stir every now and then makes it end up more saucy instead of fluffy rice grains.
After 15 minutes, the rice should be tender and saucy. Add 1/2 lb. frozen peas and carrots and stir them into the rice. Return the lid and let the chicken, rice, and vegetables sit for another 5 minutes or so to heat the vegetables through.
Finally, stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream. Give the chicken and rice a taste, and add salt if needed (this will depend on how much salt your broth contains).
Turn the broiler on in the oven. Top the skillet with 4 oz. shredded cheddar, then place the skillet in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. (You do not need to move the oven’s rack up closer to the broiler, leave it in the middle.)
I garnished with a little parsley for color, but it’s not needed to flavor this dish.
This didn’t work for me, for some reason. The broth didn’t all cook down and it came out very soupy even though the rice was cooked. Taste was ok, but in cooking down the broth, I ended up with something more like creamy chicken porridge. Not quite what I was going for.
Tasty, for a simple meal. I left out the cheese at the end, for the better. Cream could be ignored too or a lighter cream used.
The recipe sounds great, but y’all need to update your prices! O, at least list the states where these prices exist. I’ll move there because my cost is at least 3-4xs what you listed. lol
HI Melanie. We shop at discount grocers in Nashville TN.
This recipe turned out so good, and so comforting. I used precooked rotisserie chicken and frozen steamed broccoli and added them at the end. It was very quick and easy, and the best part is that this recipe freezes really well, too! No mushiness or weird textures or anything. The flavors didn’t even dull.
I substituted poultry seasoning for the thyme and sage and put in fresh broccoli instead of peas and carrots, as this is what I had. I definitely hit.
amazing, made this multiple times
It is fast and easy to whip from the freezer or fridge. I used dry rice, rotisserie chicken, frozen homemade broth, frozen veg mix, and half and half for the cream. The spices made it taste better. So good!
So cozy and delicious! I’ll make this again.
I used up some leftovers with it. Leftover chicken, some old baby carrots which I put in with the onion, and some wilty parsley. I had no peas so I used frozen green beans. I think the saucy rice will go with a lot of different veggies.
My toddler loved this! I used half and half instead of heavy cream and also added some grated parmesan.
Absolutely AMAZING! Only used ½an onion due to family preferences but it came out so well and perfect, everyone had 2nds and then praised the fact the onions actually tasted great.
This was good, I needed something creamy and casseroley without all the work of a casserole. Husband loved it. I did use chicken thighs instead of breast and next time I’d do breast, something about the dark meat reminded me of not very good school cafeteria food.
Forgot the stars!
I really enjoyed this! My husband usually works late and didn’t give me his feedback, but I’m going to make it again for sure.
Tasty and filling, I used chicken thighs and 4 cloves of minced garlic to increase the richness and savory factors. To ensure cheesy deliciousness I doubled the cheese, stirring in half of it throughout the rice mixture before sprinkling the other half on top for broiling.
I made this a couple of nights ago, and it was fabulous!! Super simple and so yummy! If I still had kids in the house, I’m sure there would have been none left!! Thanks Beth!
Hi there, we absolutely LOVE this meal! Question – if I want to double it, do you think the cooking time will stay the same?
Cooking time might take a little longer because it would take longer for the skillet to come up to a simmer. But once it’s simmering, you’ll want to let that rice simmer for the same amount of time as usual. :)
I used long grain brown rice from ASDA (UK) and it cooked perfect in the time given. Thanks for the recipe.
This is a staple in my dinner repertoire. So simple and comforting.
Made this for dinner tonight as a last minute rush — and it was excellent! I didn’t have any heavy cream so subbed in some finely grated parmesean and then skipped the cheese on top step and served some extra parm on the side. Low effort, high reward dinner. Thank you!
Yummy comfort food. A little bit of frozen peas and a little bit of mixed veggies were the frozen veggies we had. So delicious!
I made this as written a few weeks ago and then did a Southwestern version tonight with taco seasoning spices, a can of black beans, a can of corn, and a can of diced tomatoes and it was MAGNIFICENT. Plopped a little sour cream on top. Good in a bowl, good in a tortilla. And I think it’s going to be good with a fried egg for breakfast.
The original was also creamy-dreamy awesome, I’m also looking forward to riffing on this for a while!
Made this tonight the recipe is easy and a nice comfort food. I forgot to buy dried sage so I used italian seasoning instead of measuring the individual dried herbs.
Delicious. I made it in a dutch oven and just put the lid on the melt the cheese at the end.
Yeap! Our big skillet has plastic handles and can’t go under the broiler. Putting the cover on worked for us too.
I just made this and completely spaced out on the cream at all and it was STILL good! Definitely keeping this in the rotation.
This turned out amazing. Super delicious. It’s kind of like risotto. And it’s super easy. I had it done In under an hour. I did use two chicken breasts that was the only modification I made. This is going to be frequently made. The only bad part is I’m counting calories and I could only have one 1.5 cup serving. :(
We love, love, love this dish. I use a lb of chicken breast, double the sage and thyme, use chicken bone broth, and half and half instead of the heavy cream. My husband said it’s in his Top 5 of things I make. Thank you so much for this one, Beth!
So good and easy. With little clean up. My pickiest eater even loved it. I used basmati rice since it was what I had on hand. Still creamy and the consistency came out perfect. Great way to stretch meat.
I made this one with brown rice (even though you said not to!). It took a looong time to soak up the broth, but it still turned out creamy and delicious!
So glad to hear! And thank you for sharing how it turned out, that will be helpful to others. :)
If I substitute the rice for cauliflower rice and the peas for broccoli, would this be keto?
I absolutely love this recipe by the way! We use ground turkey and it’s absolute perfection!
I’m not sure. Unfortunately, I don’t follow keto so I don’t know the exact rules.
Would it affect the recipe much if I used 2 chicken breasts vs just 1? Would I need any less or more of anything besides seasoning?
Nope, that should be a pretty straight forward addition with no other changes to other ingredients needed. :)
Really comforting winter dish – and easy too! I added half a teaspon of smoked paprika to have a little extra heat (and had to sub coconut milk for cream last minute, as I was out) and loved it!! Another weekday winner that would suit kids as well as adults :)
followed this recipe to T. Came out deliciously.
My family loved this simple recipe! I doubled the thyme and sage and added a teaspoon of better than bouillon and half teaspoon paprika. It gets so creamy like risotto I only added a splash of half and half and stirred in the cheese. So easy and homey, perfect for January.
This recipe has become a staple in my house over the last few months. My spouse loves it and says it’s one of their favorite foods! So easy and satisfying. Sometimes I forget the cream, but the rice is great without it, too!
This was amazing! My picky husband loved it.
this recipe is amazing! absolutely recommend (:
I’m not kidding, you absolutely MUST make this, it’s ridiculously good. It’s the food version of a warm hug. I anticipate I’ll be using this recipe a lot in the cold months to come.
I can only eat brown rice. Is there any adjustments you can suggest for using brown rice instead of white?
Unfortunately brown rice requires a lot more liquid and a longer cooking time than white rice, so the recipe would need some major adjustments. Unfortunately those types of adjustments aren’t something I can estimate, I’d really need to test it before offering advice.
Made this tonight, really easy! Used fresh herbs instead of dry, would probably double the pepper next
time and a bit more cheese (I guesstimated the cheese amount— not very well i guess)
I made this with two cans of cannellini beans instead of chicken because I just moved and didn’t have chicken on hand. Easy vegetarian sub! Delicious!
Will this recipe be just as good with ground meat instead? My toddler has a hard time chewing meat unless its ground meat and it’s just easier to cook one dish for the whole family rather than one for toddler and one for the rest of the family.
Yes you could certainly give it a try. We haven’t tested with ground chicken yet.
Lien – have made with ground chicken before and is still delicious! I always add extra seasoning, but if you have a toddler maybe keep as is and have hot sauce to top the dish!
This was so delicious and easy. I even veganized it with Morningstar “chicken” strips and Daiya cheddar shreds.
My husband followed the recipe to a tee and it was not like the picture. It was good but more like a pot pie soup. Was it suppose to simmer for 15 or 30 mins? We also made it in a dutch oven but I’m not sure if that had anything to do with the outcome? It was super soupy. Again still good and tasty especially for a cold day
This is going to be a staple for us. Made it twice this week! It’s very versatile. The last time I made it, I added a chopped celery stalk, a green bell pepper, and a few ounces of leftover mushrooms with the onion and let them cook down for a few extra minutes. I also usually double the thyme, but I love thyme.
Very comforting, easy, and delicious. Also a good one for lockdown days! I’ve made this a few times and sometimes throw in leftover cooked chicken; works very well & still tastes great. Thank you :)
My family LOVED this. Simple and delicious!
I love this dish! Its quick, easy, and usually make it when I have leftover chicken from another recipe as I have the rest of the ingredients on hand most of the time. I did not have cream this time, so I subbed in greek yogurt and a splash of whole milk and we usually mix in the cheese so it’s extra creamy. I usually find some of these dishes underseasoned, so I also double the seasoning.
So comforting, it’s really one of those warm-long-hug type of dishes. We skipped the broiler step and just added the cheese to our plate and it melted when we stirred it in (lazy).
This recipe is amazing! We made it twice this week because my family couldn’t get enough of it. Thank you so much! And thank you for this whole website. Truly, in a time of a global pandemic, these recipes are just exactly what we need! Delicious, easy, and not too many ingredients. You’re a live saver in this household of a family of 5!
Made this last night- it was delicious! I used a bag of frozen veggie mix (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower) and no other changes. It was a satisfying and quick dinner. Thanks!
This was soo good!! I didn’t have any sage or thyme, so I used onion powder, parsley, paprika, and chili powder instead.
I also substituted vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Made this and added in a lot of crushed red pepper and powder ranch dressing. the family loved it! a good leftover dish. Only drawback is rice got a little mushy by day 3 however, I also tripled the recipe. I am sure if you just made a normal amount, there would NOT be any leftovers.
This recipe is incredibly versatile – I subbed in oregano for the sage and thyme, chopped frozen spinach for the veggies, and used a five-cheese blend because those were what I had in the house, and it still came out absolutely delicious. This is absolutely going in my comfort food regular rotation.
This was great. I made a vegetarian version. Added fresh mushrooms and a frozen veggie medley. Worked perfectly!
Super Tasty! we subsisted fresh broccoli for the veggies and so it was kind of like a broccoli, cheese and chicken casserole!
So excited to try this out. This is probably a silly question, but my non stick skillet… can I put that in the oven to broil? I’ve never done that before, so just wondering. I’m sure by leaving the cheese on top and covering with a lid it could also melt, right?
Yes you should be just fine to put it in under broil. Enjoy!
I would advise NOT putting a non-stick pan under a broiler. Non-stick surfaces are not designed for that kind of heat.
This is so so good that when doing some taste testing before adding any cream or cheese, we decided it was already so good so we ate it as was. I have to say that a the Better Than Bullion for chicken and beef are seriuosly game changers for me. They make those other brands taste terrible and super bland. I will make this often. …
Can leftover cooked rice be used in this recipe?
No, unfortunately you really need to use uncooked rice for this recipe. I’m sure you could craft a recipe that is similar to this using cooked rice, but it would take some testing to figure out the best method.
If I used cooked shredded chicken (leftover chicken roast), when would I added it for this recipe? Should I change anything else to do it?
No I’d still add it to the broth after sauteing the vegetables. It’ll still be great!
This looks so good, and easy to make! I totally need to add it to the menu for next week, my kids will love it!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This looks absolutely delicious. I just found my valentine dish. Can’t wait to try it!
You could add tofu or scrambled egg or probably chickpeas (drained, from a can) without changing the ratio.
This looks amazing. My family loves anything with rice. I’m going to pin this to make later
I’m curious about a vegetarian version of this dish–any guesses as to how you’d experiment with that? I was thinking of adding more veggies but wonder if they would release too much water. (I’m sure it’s delicious with chicken too so just curious!)
My supermarket has a number of meat substitutes. I often use the fake hamburger crumbles in chili or casseroles when my vegetarian daughter comes for dinner, but there are chicken substitutes, too–Gardien and Quorn are two brand names you might find in your supermarket, although I’ve not used either of them. As another option, you can pick up fried tofu which has both more taste and texture than the water packed stuff in the produce department–the plain stuff will add protein, but little flavor or texture. Alternatively, you could throw in a can, of beans, well rinsed so the liquid doesn’t muddy the rice–I’d choose black or kidney beans for color. I sometimes do something similar to this recipe and like to add red bell pepper to the onions–mostly for color–and frozen broccoli. Thanks, Beth–this recipe is perfect for a cold and yucky day.
It’s funny you mention that because I actually modeled this recipe after my Vegetable Pot Pie Skillet, which is vegetarian. :) I think you could easily just leave out the chicken, swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and use more vegetables if you want, or you can even just leave the vegetable amount the same. You don’t need to worry about them releasing excess water because you want the rice to be nice and saucy, so it’s all good. :)