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One-Pot Chicken and Rice

One-pot chicken and rice with golden chicken thighs and fluffy herb-infused rice cooked in the same pot. The rice absorbs all the pan drippings for a comforting, weeknight easy chicken rice skillet dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
resting 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs
Rice and broth
  • 1.5 cup long grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2.5 cup chicken broth
Aromatics and vegetables
  • 0.5 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Spices and oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper to taste Season to taste (use about this amount as a starting point).
Garnish
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the bone-in chicken thighs with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Make sure both sides are evenly coated.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and place chicken skin-side down. Sear for 5-6 minutes until golden, then remove to a plate.
Build the rice base
  1. In the same pot, sauté the diced onion, carrot, and minced garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir so the garlic doesn’t brown.
  2. Stir in the rinsed long grain white rice, turmeric, and cumin and toast briefly. Cook for about 1 minute, just until the rice looks lightly coated.
Cook together
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
  2. Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice and keep them skin-side up. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low.
  3. Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Avoid lifting the lid during this time.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the frozen peas, then cover again and let the dish rest for 5 minutes. The peas will heat through while the rice settles.
  2. Fluff the rice and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with the chicken resting on top of the fluffy rice.

Notes

Pro tip: use long-grain white rice and keep the lid tight during the 20-25 minute simmer so the rice absorbs drippings instead of steaming out. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth to loosen the rice. Freezing works, but rice texture may soften after thawing; freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap olive oil with 1 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp broth to sauté the aromatics.