One-Pot Chicken and Rice (Easy Family Dinner)

This is a simple, honest dinner that gets you to the table without drama. One Pot Chicken and Rice sits well on a tired weeknight. It smells like home. It warms you.

If you like dinners that hang together in one pan, you might also enjoy this chicken sweet potato rice bowl same comfort, different mood.

I’ll go slow. No odd ingredients. Just the kind of steps you can follow between helping with homework and finding lost shoes. And yes, the seasoning matters.

Why This Is a Recipe You’ll Keep

It’s low fuss. You brown the thighs, toss in rice and stock, and let the pot do the rest. Leftovers reheat well. Nobody complains about reheated rice when it smells like this.

Most days you want dinner to feel easier. This does that. It also lives in regular pans and regular spice jars. No special gear. No mystery.

I learned this recipe from long family meals. It fed a crowd once. It fed two on another night. It’s flexible without being fussy. If you need something slow and steady, that’s what this is.

How This Dish Comes Together

First, you season the chicken and sear it. That gives you color and flavor. Then the onions and rice get a little love in the pan. The stock finishes them gently.

So, sear. Sauté. Cover. Wait. Fluff. Garnish. That’s it.

For a similar fuss-free comfort route, people often swap to slow-cooker versions, like this crockpot chicken and dumplings. when they want hands-off all afternoon.

Ingredients You’ll Need

1½ cups uncooked basmati rice
6 chicken thighs
1 ½ tsp mixed herbs (Substitute with Italian seasoning or herb de Provence)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 cup onion chopped (any types of onion would work for this recipe.)
1 Tbsp butter
3 cups low sodium chicken stock.
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup green onions to garnish (sub with chives, parsley or coriander)

Keep the rice and stock measured close. The rice matters here, basmati cooks predictably and stays fluffy. If you must use another rice, cooking time will change.

Making the Dish Step-by-Step Instructions

To a small mixing bowl, add smoked paprika, mixed herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and set aside.
Add the chicken thighs to a bigger bowl and add the seasoning reserving about a teaspoon for later. Mix until the chicken is well coated.

• Heat up olive oil on medium high heat, carefully add the chicken, skin side down and sear for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
• Remove the chicken and place on a plate and set aside. (You can blot the oil with kitchen towel if it looks too much at this point as the chicken releases its own oil too)
• Sauté the chopped onions in the hot oil until soft and translucent, add the butter, and stir until melted.
• Stir in the rinsed rice and toast for about a minute or two making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour the chicken stock over the rice, add the reserved seasoning, and stir to combine.
• Deglaze the bottom of the pan while stirring by scraping the bottom of the pan. This way the rice doesn’t burn when cooking.Taste and adjust seasoning to taste at this point.
• Arrange the chicken thighs over the rice then cover the pot with its lid and cook on low-medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the type of rice you are using. When the rice is done, it would be tender, fluffy and the water would be absorbed too.
• Garnish the rice with chopped green onions, cover and let it stand for another 3 minutes. fluff the rice with a fork, serve and enjoy!

Follow those steps in order. Don’t rush the sear. It gives a simple depth that the rest of the dish rides on. If you skip to the cover step too soon, the flavor flattens.

How We Like to Serve It

Plain and generous. Spoon rice onto plates, tuck a thigh in, let everyone help themselves to extra green onions.

A side salad keeps things bright. Or steamed green beans. I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon. It cuts through the richness.

If you want a saucier finish, warm a little extra stock with a knob of butter and spoon it over the chicken. It’s an old trick. It makes people ask for seconds. For a creamy touch, use this idea from a slow-cooker gravy dish I like: chicken and gravy.

Saving What’s Left

Cool leftovers quickly. Put them into airtight containers and slide them into the fridge within two hours. Eat within three to four days.

Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or stock to loosen the rice. Microwave works fine if you cover and stir halfway. Add the splash it brings life back.

If you want to turn leftovers into something new, mix the chicken and rice with yogurt, cucumber and herbs for a quick bowl, similar to this dump-and-bake chicken tzatziki with rice idea.

Small Kitchen Tricks From Experience

• Rinse the rice. Don’t skip this one. It keeps the grains from clumping.
• Pat the chicken dry. It sears better when it’s not wet.
• Toast the rice for a minute. It picks up flavor and stays separate. And yes, this part matters.
• Taste before you cover. You can always add salt, but you can’t take it out.

These are small things. They add up. If you do three of them, you’ll notice.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Cooking on too high a heat. The rice may stick or burn. Lower and slower wins here.
• Crowding the pan when searing. Work in batches if needed. Otherwise the chicken steams, not sears.
• Forgetting to reserve seasoning. That extra teaspoon layers the rice with flavor.
• Using too much liquid. Measure the stock. Too wet rice loses texture.

If your rice turns gummy, don’t panic. Let it sit covered off the heat for a few minutes and then fluff gently.

Simple Changes and Adaptations You Can Make

Swap herbs. Use Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence if that’s what you have. It changes the aroma but not the ease.
Use boneless thighs for quicker cooking; cut the time under the lid by a few minutes.
Add a handful of frozen peas in the last five minutes to toss in color and green. No big move.

Keep it small. The point is ease, not reinvention.

Questions That Usually Come Up

Can I use white rice other than basmati?

Yes. You can use jasmine. Watch the cook time closely. It may need a touch less liquid or a shorter steam time.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Yes, but chicken breasts cook faster. Sear them and check the doneness earlier under the lid so they don’t dry out.

Do I need to rinse the rice?

Rinse it. It removes excess starch and keeps the grains fluffy. I do this in a bowl or a fine sieve.

What if my pan is small?

Work in a wider pan if possible. You need room for the sear and to lay the thighs over the rice without crowding.

Can I make this in a Dutch oven?

Absolutely. A Dutch oven works beautifully for even heat. It’s practically made for this kind of meal.

Is low sodium stock necessary?

It’s easier to control salt with low sodium stock, but if you only have regular stock, reduce added salt and taste before serving.

A Quiet Closing Note

If you’re tired, this meal meets you there. It doesn’t demand anything strange. It gives warm, honest food. That’s the dinner you can count on tonight.

If you want a slightly different take or another one-pot method, this version from the web reads similarly and can be useful as a reference: One Pot Chicken and Rice – The Dinner Bite.

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