Ready in an hour, this Lemon Chicken Cassoulet with asparagus and brown rice is a one pot meal perfect for your weeknight dinner. Lemon and oregano are the star flavors of this budget-friendly meal.
Lemon Chicken Cassoulet: A One Pot Meal
Sometimes you just need a quick and easy one pot meal to save dinnertime. Okay, most of us always need a one pot meal to save dinnertime and most of us run out of ideas for one pot meals and need new inspiration. My favorite thing, besides not having many dishes to do, about one pot meals, is that most of the time they have few ingredients, yet can still taste delicious. This recipe for Lemon Chicken Cassoulet (a fancy word for a stove top casserole) with asparagus and brown rice is no exception. The lemon and oregano are really the star flavors of this dish, the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender, the rice al dente, and the asparagus perfectly tender. It all comes together in just an hour, and if you use white rice, about half that time. It’s a budget-friendly meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Take advantage of asparagus season!
I just love when it’s asparagus season because it’s 1) inexpensive, 2) beautifully green, and 3) the perfect size, not too thick and not too thin. Sometimes when asparagus is out of season, the stalks can be woody and tough to eat. Not this asparagus, folks.
Isn’t it magnificent?
My other favorite part of this dish is the fact that the chicken thighs get super crispy and browned, so each bite gives you that glorious crunch we all love with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Give this simple one pot meal a try and I’m sure you’ll love it too!
Ingredients
- 2½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
- 2 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1–1½ tsp coarse salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground black pepper, divided
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2½ cups unsalted chicken stock
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium-high heat.
- Season chicken thighs with oregano leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Once oil is hot, add chicken thighs and sauté 2-3 minutes, until browned and crispy, then flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and place on a plate.
- Add brown rice, chicken stock, and lemon zest and juice. Stir in remaining salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken back in the pot and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Place the lid on the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until rice is al dente and liquid is absorbed.
- When there is 20 minutes remaining, add asparagus to the pot and stir. Continue cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: To shorten the cooking time in half, use boil in bag rice. Prepare it in the microwave for just under the required instructions time, then pour it into the cassoulet during the last five minutes of simmering to absorb the flavors.
We hope you love this Lemon Chicken Cassoulet recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Julie from The Gourmet RD, as much as we do. If you love this budget-friendly meal, be sure to visit our One Pot Meals Section for more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
