You guys know how much I love my one pot meals. They’re easy, cozy, and always satisfying. This Chicken and Rice one pot meal is kind of a mash-up of two of my other favorite recipes, Cajun Sausage and Rice and Mushroom Rice, and it’s definitely moving to the top of my list of favorites. The rice is rich and flavorful, the chicken is super tender, and the whole dish comes together almost effortlessly.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What’s in Chicken and Rice?
This super simple dish includes juicy chicken thighs coated in herbs and spices (not spicy!), sautéed onions, and long grain white rice cooked in vegetable broth. Because you cook everything in one pot from start to finish, no flavors are lost. Every bite is packed with rich and delicious flavor.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts?
I highly suggest sticking to chicken thighs for this recipe because chicken breasts can tend to dry out a bit with the double cook (sear first, steam with rice second), and the fattier chicken thighs make the dish nice and rich. It can be done, but it definitely won’t be as juicy or tender as chicken thighs. And whichever you use, make sure it’s boneless because bone-in chicken needs more time to cook and may not cook through by the time the rice is finished.
What Else Can I Add to Chicken and Rice?
If you want to add some vegetables to the pot, I would try adding a ½ cup frozen peas when you add the broth, or sautéing some mushrooms after the chicken and before the onions.
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice?
Since I didn’t add any vegetables in the pot with my chicken and rice, I added some roasted broccoli on the side. I think roasted broccoli is the perfect side because the roasted flavor matches the coziness of the chicken and rice, plus the simple flavor doesn’t compete, leaving the chicken and rice to shine. You could also do some steamed green beans, sautéed zucchini, or a simple side salad.
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 tsp paprika ($0.20)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5 thighs) ($4.59)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided ($0.08)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.32)
- 1.75 cups vegetable broth ($0.23)
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional garnish) ($0.10)
Instructions
- Combine the paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat both sides of the chicken thighs in the seasoning mix.
- Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, swirl to coat the surface of the skillet, then add the chicken thighs. Cook the thighs for a few minutes on each side, or until well browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Remove the browned chicken to a clean plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add an additional 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet, then add the diced onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Allow the moisture from the onion to dissolve the browned bits from the skillet as you stir.
- Add the uncooked rice to the skillet and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes more to toast the rice.
- Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and briefly stir to dissolve any remaining brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, setting it on top of the rice. 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 the chicken and rice continue to simmer over low, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for an additional 5 minutes.
- Finally, remove the lid and fluff the rice around the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, then serve and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Deep Stainless Steel Skillet
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Chicken and Rice – Step by Step Photos
Combine 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl. Coat both sides of four or five boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the seasoning mix.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a deep skillet over medium. Once hot, swirl to coat the surface, then add the seasoned chicken thighs. Cook for about five minutes on each side, or until well browned. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point, just well browned on the surface. While the chicken cooks, dice a yellow onion.
Remove the browned chicken to a clean plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add another 1 Tbsp cooking oil and the diced onion to the skillet. Sauté the onion until soft, allowing the moisture from the onion to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add one cup of uncooked long-grain white rice to the skillet. Continue to sauté with the onion for 1-2 minutes to slightly toast the rice. You should hear it crackling and popping.
Add 1.75 cups vegetable broth to the skillet with the rice and onions. Briefly stir to dissolve any browned bits that might remain stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, placing them on top of the rice. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil. When it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer on low, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes.
After simmering on low for 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest for five minutes without lifting the lid. After resting, it should look like the above photo.
Fluff the rice with a fork and stir the onions back into the rice (it tends to float to the top while simmering). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve!
Wonderful! Thank You! 💕
1) You don’t wash your rice?! Beth, cmon now.
2) Kinda bland, but that’s alright. It has good flavor but nothing really pops is what I mean.
3) A ton of rice stuck to the bottom of my skillet. Not sure why because I did everything the correct way.
Overall it’s an okay dish but I’ll be looking for a better recipe elsewhere. Cheap doesn’t mean no flavor.
Did you wash your rice, Kyle? If so, you didn’t follow the recipe exactly. And please get some manners, Kyle.
Be sure to watch your chicken, and take it out before it’s overdone. In my experience, the chicken is always done before the rice, so I take it out at around the 30 minutes mark and let the rice cook for another 20 minutes.
I also find that this recipe leaves the rice a little bland, so I add salt and a bit of chicken stock powder. The chicken seasoning is really tasty though.
Why are you cooking chicken so long? Read the instructions again, no wonder you chicken is overdone. It’s user error, not bad recipe.
I added bourbon barbeque sauce and used chicken broth instead 👌🏼
Very good! Added marinated artichoke hearts and castelvetrano olives and used chicken buillon to elevate the flavors. Definitely needed to cook for 30 min after adding rice.
How could I make this using brown rice?
Hi, I’ve made this for couple of times, I like it but it tends to be slightly dry, how can I make it more “saucy” or creamy? rice soaks up all the liquid :) feels like something is missing, any ideas?
If it were me, I would just add a touch more broth and a pat of butter at the end!
I thought this was fantastic. I was weary of the flavor profile being basic but I was pleasantly surprised! I used better than bullion vegetable broth which complimented everything wonderfully. I also served with a side of green beans! Will definitely make again!
This looks great but it looks like you are using a pan and not a skillet. I have a 12.5 inch skillet, is that going to be deep enough for the volume of this or should I use a pan like in the images?
You might just be able to get away with that size, but if you have one, I’d recommend using something deeper. The skillet we’re using here is a 4 quart. You could even use a small dutch oven if you prefer.
My teenager loves this recipe so much, in fact he asked for it for his birthday even though we offered to go out to dinner or get DoorDash. I always have to cook the rice an extra 5 minutes but other then that it’s perfect.
This recipe is so good. I have to say I doubled the seasoning and used bouillon cubes for my broth.
I made this before and really liked it but changed it up this time. I made it with a Cajun twist. I added some Cajun seasoning to the spice mix. After sautéing the chicken I sautéed 12 ounces of sliced Andouille sausage. I added green pepper and celery to the onions and used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. My fiancé loved it! Great leftovers too.
I love this recipe!!! Unfortunately my life is usually so busy this takes too long to make. Is there anyway this can made in the slow cooker that wouldn’t make the rice totally stoggy.
I’m sure it could be done, but we’d have to test it out first which we haven’t done in a slow cooker. You’d definitely still want to sear the chicken though I think before adding it to a slow cooker!
I’ve read elsewhere that using Minute Rice will solve that.
How would I double this? If I don’t have a huge pot?
I think the only way you’d be able to do that is if you used two skillets.
It was good and easy, but very basic, and not enough spices/flavor. I think next time I’ll add some chipotle in adobo sauce, or diced green chilies, and possibly some diced bell peppers at the onion stage. And maybe a splash of some kind of vinegar or lemon juice at the end, for bit of a bright acidity.