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 the kind of comfort food I make time and time again, and it’s definitely moving to the top of my list of favorite recipes. The rice is rich and flavorful, the chicken is super tender, and the whole dish comes together almost effortlessly.
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“This is one of my favorite go-to dinners!! Absolutely love it! Great flavors. Add some roasted veggies on the side. Yum!”
Matthew
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.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this one pan chicken and rice:
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they make this dish nice and rich from the fat they release. You could use chicken breasts, but it definitely won’t be as juicy or tender as chicken thighs. Chicken breasts can tend to dry out a bit with the double cook (sear first, steam with rice second), but I don’t need to worry about that with chicken thighs.
- Long-Grain White Rice: This pantry staple is one of my favorite ingredients because it’s so versatile and budget-friendly. I haven’t tried this recipe using any other type of rice, so I can’t say how it might turn out with something like short grain or brown rice.
- Vegetable Broth: Using vegetable broth adds an extra layer of flavor to this dish. You could use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand, but it’ll change the flavor and color of the cooked rice slightly.
- Cooking Oil: Helps to create a nice sear on the chicken thighs before adding them to the rice. I use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or vegetable oil.
- Yellow Onion: Adds a nice sweetness and even more flavor. Be sure to sauté it until softened before moving on to the next step.
- Seasonings: I use a bunch of simple but flavorful seasonings for this dish, including salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, and paprika!
- Chopped Parsley: Sprinkle over some freshly chopped parsley as an optional garnish at the end.
What Veggies Can I Add?
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. You could also mix in some thawed and chopped frozen broccoli (like I do in my cheesy chicken and rice casserole recipe) when you add the broth!
Recipe Tips for Success!
- Don’t overcook your chicken thighs in the first step! I only sear them until they’re browned and have a nice crust on the outside. They’ll continue to cook in the rice later on.
- Be sure to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Bone-in chicken needs more time to cook and may not be ready by the time the rice is done.
- I recommend double-checking the package instructions for your long-grain white rice before starting this recipe. Different brands may have slightly different cooking times and ratios of liquid to rice. My rice cooked through using the amount of broth listed in the recipe, but yours may need a bit more or less.
- DON’T LIFT THE LID ONCE YOU ADD THE VEGETABLE BROTH! This is crucial for the rice to cook evenly and absorb all the liquid. Trust me, I know it’s tempting to peek, but resist the urge.
- Once cooked, taste and adjust the seasonings as you see fit. I always taste for salt and pepper at the end and add more if needed.
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 a green bean salad, sautéed zucchini, steamed green beans, or a simple side salad.
Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If freezing, I’d store the chicken and rice separately to make thawing and reheating easier. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth or water to the rice before reheating, and make sure everything is piping hot before serving.
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Cost $6.18 recipe / $1.54 serving
Ingredients
- 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)
Video
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!
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Nutrition Information
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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!
More One Pot Chicken Recipes
This Chicken and Rice recipe was originally published 5/21/22. It was updated and republished 1/17/25.
I made this for dinner tonight. I followed the recipe exactly as written. This is one of the easiest and most favorable recipes I’ve made in a long time. The seasonings were spot on and the rice cooked perfectly. Will definitely make again
This is one of my go-to recipes! It’s great with 8oz of mushrooms, and I use 2c of broth which gives it a creamier consistency. I also serve with roasted broccoli on the side for added greens!
I was disappointed and found this recipe somewhat bland and lacking. I would not recommend.
While the recipe is very filling, there was just no pizzazz for me :( I’m pretty seasoned in the kitchen (pun intended? maybe). I think instead of regular paprika, smoked would have been better. I also needed to use broth to break up the bits in the pan after the chicken comes out. I’m surprised there wasn’t a step for this, otherwise, you have charred chicken bits while your onion is cooking. I didn’t use parsley either. Thanks anyway!
Well, I’ll be darned, I actually made this and didn’t screw it up! I live on my own and have a bad habit of sticking to just a small handful of recipes. I decided to look up chicken and rice recipes and the photos of this one drew me in. Add in that the ingredients were cheap and the steps were simple and I was curious to try this.
I followed almost everything that was said. I used to make rice in a pot before I became enlightened to the magic of a rice cooker, but I returned back to those old days to make this. I used chicken broth and two cups of rice. A simple rule that has never steered me wrong is two cups of water for every one cup of rice (with basic white long grain rice) and I did the exact same this time, but with the broth.
Aside from wishing I’d added a little more salt to my chicken, everything was perfect. No gummy rice, no undercooked rice. I did soften the rice in my sauteed onions for a few minutes and then let it boil for maybe three to five minutes before lowering it down to the simmer. And yes, I then let it sit on the same burner for five minutes, still never touching the lid. I was nervous when I finally took it off, but the meal was a success.
Definitely will be sharing this recipe with other family members. Thank you!
Winner winner, chicken dinner. Cheap and oh so delicious! Kids and hubby were all inhaling this. I subbed smoked paprika, since I was out of classic. I also added butter to the toasting rice step since my dad does it like that. I doubled garlic powder, and I salted and peppered thru each step. Lots of flavor and the meat was succulent! Thank you! will be on the regular menu as a new fam fave:)
Absolutely disgusting. WAY too much oregano. We couldn’t eat it and threw all of it away.
This was awful. The rice was undercooked and the meat was dry. All that seasoning gave me high hopes but it was actually bland. We ended up tossing it.
This is the best recipe on this site. Game changer in the kitchen. We’ve made it so many times, you can change up the seasoning and change it up a little here and there.
I made this last night and I was in a hurry. It was one of the best dishes I’ve ever made. My husband loved it! I also made the roasted broccoli recipe and that was wonderful; however, it was still tough even after the allotted time. I cooked it for a couple minutes more then did a quick broil. I will be making both of these again!
Definitely a favorite!! We enjoyed it with roasted carrots. A perfect autumn meal. Followed the recipe to the letter-it never disappoints.
Ive made this recipe several times now- I usually add chopped mushrooms and garlic in, and peas at the end. So easy to try many different types of spice profiles- this would be a great base, for instance- for Spanish rice and chicken one pot meal- just get some tomato bouillon and some tomato paste added after the onions would make a really excellent alternative- season the chicken with adobo, beans as a side etc.
So good as written but it’s easy to adapt to your tastes.
Chicken and rice is a simple meal that takes well to whatever changes you have. I’ve always been partial to chicken and wild rice, so that’s what I did. I followed all the steps here, except I followed the liquid amount stated on the wild rice bag. I also added spinach with the onions to add some greens to the meal. The smokiness from the paprika in this is really good. Fall favorite meal
I ended up having some issues getting the rice to the correct texture — when finished as written it was crunchy, so I let it go a little longer and it got mushy.
Really enjoyed this one for a few reasons: it’s tasty, it’s made in one pan, and the only chopping I had to do was one onion. Deal! I added 1/2 a teaspoon of umami seasoning (from Trader Joe’s) to the other listed spices and it was awesome. Served with steamed broccoli on the side. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!