This easy one pot chicken and rice is made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, a flavorful blend of seasonings, a tender veggie blend, and rice simmered together in a rich chicken broth. This delicious 30-minute chicken and rice recipe will soon become your favorite dinner go-to!
Why This Recipe Works
Quick and Easy - With only 5 minutes of prep time (no chopping of anything!) and 30 minutes of cook time, this fabulous dinner is ready to eat before you know it!
Meal Planning - This recipe is great for meal planning because it's all-inclusive. You have your meat, veggies, and rice all cooked together. No side dish is needed.
Easy Clean-Up - Because it's all cooked in one pan, there is less to clean up after you've enjoyed this feast!
Comfort Food - There isn't anything more comforting than a one-pot meal that contains rice. Another favorite rice dish is my chicken and sausage jambalaya (packed with Cajun flavor!)
Why You'll Love It
Chicken and rice casserole has been around for ages and is either baked in the oven or on the stovetop with cream of this or that soup. This recipe is better because it uses broth instead of processed canned soups. It's more flavorful, and no need to heat up the oven!
There's something very appealing about one-pan dinners. Everything cooks in one pan so all the delicious seasonings and flavors get absorbed into the rice and chicken. Yum!
Using chicken thighs ensures juicy chicken; sometimes chicken breasts tend to dry out if you overcook them in the slightest way. However, thighs don't try out very easily and that's a big plus!
Not to mention, I'm a huge fan of any recipe that includes rice! This recipe reminds me of my chicken and sausage jambalaya: you got your meat, rice, trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery), broth, and lots of seasonings all cooked together in one pot. What is there not to love?!
What Goes In It
One Pot Chicken and Rice has simple ingredients found in almost every grocery store.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs - I don't recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe because the skin tends to be greasy and also because bone-in chicken takes longer to cook.
Extra Long Grain Rice - this type of rice does not get sticky or mushy; it has the perfect texture even after absorbing the seasoned broth. Do not use instant rice!
Onion, Bell Pepper, and Celery - this veggie mixture adds flavor and texture to the mixture. Using the frozen, pre-chopped mixture cuts down on prep time and sauteing time. See the recipe card if you're using fresh veggies.
Chicken Broth - adds way more flavor than water alone. Use the canned broth, bone broth, or make your own with bouillon.
Seasonings - this is where the biggest flavor boost comes from! Combine all the seasonings and rub on the thighs before searing them. We'll save a little bit of the seasoning blend to add to the rice/broth mixture. Oh yeah!
How to Make It
For the absolute best results, please use the actual recipe card below!
(1) Mix the seasonings in a small bowl, and sprinkle some on each thigh (save a little for later). Sear the chicken thighs in a large pan.
(2) Remove the chicken from the pan and saute the onion, bell pepper, and celery blend (no need to thaw first).
(3) Add the broth, rice, and the remaining seasoning mixture to the pan.
(4) Lay the chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes. How easy is that!
What to Serve with It
Hot buttered biscuits, toasted garlic bread, my crispy romaine ramen noodle salad, Italian green beans, steamed broccoli, or green peas. All are great side dishes!
Tips
Here are some of my tips for the best results when making one pot chicken and rice.
Use a heavy-gauge pan, at least 5-quart capacity, for best results. A heavy gauge pan will cook more evenly.
Use can use any long-grain rice but I do not recommend brown rice, it takes longer to cook (which will make the chicken tough) and it won't absorb the broth as well (which will make the dish soupy).
Once you've plated your chicken and rice, sprinkle a little clear hot sauce on top (Panola is my favorite).
For added flavor, add some chopped green onion or sprinkle fresh parsley on top of the finished recipe for an extra special look. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top for a cheesy experience!
You certainly can but you will need to enhance the flavor of the water by adding additional seasonings such as salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Basmati and jasmine are both long-grain kinds of rice; however, just be sure to read the package label. My favorite rice for this recipe is good ole Uncle Ben's Extra Long Grain Rice!
Once completely cooled off, store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavor will slightly enhance the following day making great leftovers!
More Comfort Food
- Easy Shrimp and Rice Casserole
- Easy Cajun Rice Dressing
- Easy Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
- Cajun Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
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One Pot Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- large saute pan (or skillet) with lid
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
- 1-¼ teaspooons salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs I can fit 5 in my large saute pan
- 2 cups frozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix found in your grocery store's frozen vegetable isle
- 3 cups chicken broth (I recommend the 33% less sodium version) Swanson brand is what I used
- 1-½ cups extra long grain white rice extra long-grain rice won't get mushy
Instructions
- Mix the seasonings in a small bowl. Sprinkle each side of each thigh with about ¼ teaspoon of the seasoning mixture. Save the rest of the seasoning mixture for Step 4. Set the chicken aside.
- In a large saute pan, add the olive oil. Heat the skillet to medium-high heat, then add the seasoned chicken thighs. Sear the thighs for 3 minutes, flip over, and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Remove the thighs from the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the frozen onion, bell pepper, and celery mixture. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned pieces from searing the chicken. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer (slow sizzle) for 3 minutes.
- To the pan, add the chicken broth, rice, and remaining seasoning mixture. Blend well and taste test. At this stage, the liquid may seem a little too salty but after the rice has absorbed all the liquid, the saltiness will tone down.
- Lay the thighs on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
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