This One Pot Rice and Chicken is seasoned to perfection, pan-fried until nice and brown, and served with soft, fluffy rice—all in one pot. If you're a fan of one-pot meals and are looking for something quick and easy to make for dinner, you must try the recipe.
Chicken is my favourite protein. I love experimenting with different seasonings to jazz it up and serving it with different sides. The dish is perfect to whip up in a jiffy when you have no time but want a healthy, wholesome meal for your family.
Recently, I tried my hands at a simple one pot Jamaican Jerk chicken with rice, and it turned out fantastic! I used my scratch-made Jamaican Jerk marinade for the chicken, and paired it with some seasoned rice, and it turned out such a huge hit in my household.
Inspired by it, I decided to try out a simpler, easier version of the recipe which anyone can put together with just some pantry staples.
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Why Choose This Recipe
One-pot rice and Chicken is a quick and easy recipe that packs delicious flavors and is a great dinner option that the whole family can enjoy!
It comes together in just one pot, which means less mess and cleanup afterward!
You can customize the mix-ins and ingredients based on what you have at hand! The recipe is perfect to use up any leftovers that you may have.
Ingredients For the One Pot Rice and Chicken
Rice: Long-grain rice is the best for this recipe. I used Basmati, but I think Jasmine rice could work well too.
Chicken: I used chicken thighs with the skin and bone on for this recipe. I love it with the skin on, but if you want the healthier option, you can use skinless chicken.
Chicken broth: For that bit of extra flavor. I used low sodium chicken broth, but you could just use regular broth too.
Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used a bit of Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and some smoked paprika to lend the dish a bit of heat and smoky flavor.
Tomato paste: For a bit of a tangy flavor and that nice pop of color!
Vegetables: I just used what I had at hand- some garlic, onions and bell peppers. And some chopped parsley to garnish it all too!
Oil: I used just a bit of canola oil, but you could use almost any oil of your choice, and it should work out just fine.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use a different marinade or seasoning for the chicken to make a unique version of this recipe. I love the idea of using my green seasoning here!
- You can also try this one-pot rice and chicken with a different cut of chicken. Chicken breasts and chicken drumsticks are both great choices.
- To bulk up the dish, add veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and peas if you want to!
How to Make One Pot Rice and Chicken
- Step 1: In a bowl, add the chicken and season it with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, black pepper and mixed herbs.
- Step 2: Heat oil in a pot and add the chicken in, skin side down. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the skin is brown. Flip it over.
- Step 3: Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside. In the same pot, add the tomato paste, onions, bell peppers and garlic.
- Step 4: Stir to combine and add the chicken stock to deglaze the pot. Now add the chicken back to the pot. Taste and season if needed.
- Step 5: Cover the pot with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed, and the rice is fluffy.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have chicken stock, just cook the rice with water, and add some chicken bouillon or seasoning powder for the flavor.
- To get the perfect fluffy rice, make sure you wash the rice nicely, ideally until the water runs clear. This helps remove starch and the rice doesn't get mushy.
- If you're using frozen chicken for this recipe, make sure you allow it to thaw completely before you use it.
- Lend the one pot chicken and rice a bit of zesty flavor by adding some lemon juice on the top, right before you serve.
- You can also add chopped spinach or kale to the dish towards the end to make the dish healthier.
- If you have any leftover rice and chicken, allow it to cool down completely, transfer it to a clean container and refrigerate it for 2-3 days.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This hearty one pot rice and chicken dish is perfect to enjoy for lunch or dinner.
You can pair it with a simple salad like Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad or a classic side dish like roasted garlic butter Parmesan potatoes.
Finish it all up with a delicious dessert of butter cake or some extra moist orange cake.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to reheat this one pot chicken and rice dish is to microwave it for a few minutes. You can also pop it back into a pan and reheat it if you want to, but make sure you do that over low heat.
Yes, you can! Marinate the chicken thighs a day before and chop and prep all your veggies in a separate container. This can make cooking super quick and easy.
Yes, you can definitely do that too! Use an oven safe pot or pan, and pop it into an oven preheated at 350- 380F, and cook for about 50-60 minutes.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try
If you tried this One pot rice and chicken or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting me today!
One Pot Rice and Chicken
Ingredients
To Season Chicken
- 6 Chicken thighs
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Mixed herbs
- 1 tsp Blackpepper
For the rice
- 2 cups Rice long grain basmati
- 1 Red bell pepper medium size
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- ½ Large onion
- 3-4 cups Chicken broth
- 3 Garlic cloves minced or chopped
- Fresh Parsley
- ⅓ cup Cooking oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the chicken and mix with spoon.
- Put chicken thighs in a bowl, add the mixed seasoning and mix till chicken is well coated. Save 1-2 teaspoon of the mixed seasoning.
- In a hot pot, add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, sear the chicken with skin side up first till brown. Then flip sides. This will take about 3 minutes for each side. Chicken isn't supposed to be fully cooked at this point.
- Remove chicken and set aside.
- Put the rice in the pot, keep stirring for about 2 minutes making sure it doesn's stick to the pot.
- Add the chopped bell pepper, onions, garlic, tomato paste, and the remaining seasoning.
- Stir till well combined. Now pour in the chicken broth and stir so to deglaze the pan. Place the chicken on top of the rice. Taste the mixture to adjust.
- Cover and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed, chicken cooked and rice tender.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately
Video
Notes
- If you're using frozen chicken for this recipe, make sure you allow it to thaw completely before you use it. Transfer your frozen chicken to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight before you use it for the recipe.
- You can also add chopped spinach or kale to the dish towards the end to make the dish healthier.
- Add other veggies like carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, peas, spinach and kale to bulk up the dish and make it more filling and nutritious.
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Nutrition
Bilikis says
Thank for the recipe ma