One Pot Chicken and Rice
Published 7/16/2023 • Updated 8/25/2024
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This chicken and rice recipe is a Fit Foodie reader favorite. I personally make this a couple of times per month because it’s my husband’s favorite. It truly doesn’t get better than juicy chicken thighs and a yummy rice pilaf all cooked together in one pot. PS: I don’t even like mushrooms and I LOVE this chicken and rice 🥳
What makes our recipe unique is that we use our homemade chicken seasoning and our secret ingredient – Worcestershire sauce for a hit of vinegar.
Featured Comments
“This is SO GOOD and flavorful! I love the chicken seasoning. Second time making it tonight and it won’t be the last.” -Molly
“I am super impressed with how this turned out and how easy it was. The home made chicken spice recipe is something else! Loved it all and will making this again in future. Sitting munching on leftovers for lunch.” -Bex
This is the most flavorful one-pot chicken and rice on the internet. We make ours in a Dutch oven with juicy chicken thighs and a delightful rice medley so you get extra veggies!
We’ve got a handful of chicken and rice recipes on Fit Foodie Finds and this is definitely the most classic (and midwestern 😉).
What is in this chicken and rice recipe?
- Chicken: this recipe calls for 2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on thighs, but you’re more than welcome to use boneless skinless. Whatever you prefer.
- Rice: make sure to use long-grain white rice such as basmati. We did NOT test this recipe with brown rice and/or instant rice, but the liquid ratio will vary greatly.
- Veggies: vegetables you need for this chicken and rice recipe are carrots, onion, mushrooms, and peas.
- Seasonings: you’ll need to whip up a batch of our famous all-purpose chicken seasoning. Or, you can use a store-bought kind. In addition, you’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Secret Ingredient: our secret ingredient is Worcestershire sauce! It’s vinegary and savory and such a great flavor addition. Don’t have Worcestershire? Try using balsamic or apple cider vinegar instead.
What can you use in place of a dutch oven?
Don’t have a Dutch oven? No problem! You can do a few things:
- Use a deep cast iron pot that is big enough to hold everything.
- Do the searing in a frying pan and then transfer everything into a casserole baking dish for baking.
- Use a normal stockpot. You may need to slightly increase the baking time.
Great Jones
The Dutchess
This is hands-down our favorite Dutch oven. It’s a 6.75 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s super high-quality and gorgeous.
Variations for Chicken and Rice
Rice – this recipe calls for basmati white rice, but it will also work with jasmine rice. We did NOT test this recipe with brown rice or any kind of instant rice, so stay away from those.
Chicken – while we 100% prefer chicken thighs for chicken and rice, you are more than welcome to use chicken breast instead. You can also try mixing in rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken at the end.
Veggies – I’ve made this recipe with lots of other veggies, too (sometimes you gotta clear out that fridge). Try broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potato. You’re also more than welcome to swap out the fresh veggies for a bag of frozen veggies. I’ve used the carrots, peas, and corn combo and it worked great!
Quick Instructions for One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Season and sear chicken: generously season your chicken thighs with the chicken seasoning and then sear each side in olive oil in a Dutch oven to brown.
- Cook veggies: saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrot a few minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: add the rice, chicken broth, frozen peas, Worcestershire sauce, and spices, and mix to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Bake: remove the Dutch oven from the heat and add the chicken thighs on top. Cover and bake at 375ºF for around 35 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken thighs have reached an internal temperature of 165ºF.
FAQ
A dutch oven is a large, heavy pot made out of cast iron. It’s great for cooking one-pot meals because it retains heat, which helps cook your food evenly.
Homemade chicken and rice is a healthy, balanced meal that is great for any night of the week! To make this recipe even healthier: 1. omit the butter and use olive oil and 2. use chicken breast instead of thighs.
Yes, you can! Make sure you use a ratio of 2:1 for water to rice and to cook the chicken and rice in a covered pot over medium/high heat until the liquid has been absorbed.
The best way to add flavor to chicken and rice is through spices. Try a homemade seasoning blend of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and oregano.
Storage
Let chicken and rice cool completely. Then, transfer it into a large, glass container. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container.
storage tip!
If you’ve got the space in your fridge, you can simply store your chicken and rice bake in the Dutch oven. That’ll save you a few dishes!
Can you freeze chicken and rice?
If you’re planning to freeze this chicken and rice, recipe we recommend baking it all the way through first and then freezing it.
- Let your chicken and rice recipe cool completely.
- Then, transfer into a freezer-safe container and remove as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, you can bake your chicken and rice in a disposable tin container and freeze in that.
To thaw & reheat: let the casserole thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, bake the casserole at 350ºF for 30-45 minutes or until warm in the middle.
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs, boneless works too!
- 3 tablespoons homemade chicken seasoning
- 2.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium white onion, minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced (or 4 medium)
- 4 oz. white mushrooms, diced
- 2 medium carrots minced
- 1 cup white rice, we used white basmati
- 2 and 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1.5 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- fresh parsley, for topping
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Then, prep chicken thighs by patting them dry with a piece of paper towel. Generously sprinkle them with chicken seasoning and set aside.
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat. When olive oil is fragrant. Sear chicken thighs on both sides for 2 minutes to get them golden brown. Remove from heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and use a wooden utensil to remove the brown bits from the bottom. Then, add onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and a pinch of salt and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in white rice, chicken broth, frozen peas, Worchestershire sauce, and spices, and mix to combine. Turn the heat to high. Once the liquid begins to bubble, immediately remove it from the heat.
- Place the seared chicken thighs on top of the rice and place the top on the Dutch oven.
- Bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. At this point, the liquid should be completely absorbed. If it’s not, continue baking for 5-10 minutes until it absorbs. Check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs. It should read at least 165ºF.
- Option to broil the dish on high for around 1-2 minutes to really get the chicken golden brown.
- Top with fresh parsley and then serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- Feel free to use chicken breast in place of thighs.
- We’ve tested this recipe with long-grain white rice such as basmati and jasmine.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
Followed the recipe but substituted some of the broth with left over white wine. Came out phenomenal! Made sure the chicken was dry and well coated with chicken spice and it did not stick at all to the Dutch oven. Was nice and golden and was moist but well cooked when I took it out of the oven.
Well done!
Such a great recipe! Tasty but balanced. A great recipe for a family meal!