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 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!