One Pot Chicken and Rice
Published 7/16/2023 • Updated 4/2/2024
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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!
What is in chicken and rice?
- 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.
Swaps + Variations
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.
Add more 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.
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. chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- 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.
Yummy!!!! The flavor combination is amazing and pairs well with a good red wine! Highly recommend!!
WAWHOO! So glad you had a little vino with it, too!
Love this recipe! Is it possible to make the same with Shrimp? Would you change the spices? thanks
It is possible, but I think the shrimp might come out overcooked with that long of bake time. You could always just serve it with sauteed shrimp on top!
Smelled amazing while it was cooking and so delicious. Just got my Dutch Oven for Christmas and was looking for some new recipes. I was nervous about cooking the rice this way as I usually use a rice cooker but it was awesome. Not mushy at all.
I couldn’t live without my Dutch oven!!
This was so tasty! I had seconds and my whole family raved over this chicken and rice recipe!
This was delicious. Everyone gobbled it up. I changed it up a bit by using boneless chicken thighs and frozen mixed vegetables. I also took the time to make up the chicken seasoning and don’t leave out the fresh mushrooms. Yum.
Looks amazing!!
Really good!
Is it possible to make this recipe without a Dutch oven? Could I transfer the rice and chicken to a glass baking dish and cover with foil to bake?
Yes you can! You may need to increase the bake time because your casserole dish won’t be hot from the searing, but that will work just fine!
Turned out excellent. When I saw the recipe I thought- okay, I enjoy a good rice pilaf. The flavour was absolutely excellent. I did chicken breasts and they were dry, but the rice was perfect. Used jasmine
Glad you loved this!
I was very disappointed. It just turned out like a mushy mess for me. Maybe I used the wrong kind of rice. I used long grain white rice (not instant). Anyway will not try it again.
Hey Carla! Did you precook the rice or use precooked rice? This recipe calls for dry rice and it’s impossible for it to come out mushy with this bake time.
Very good. Made with boneless breasts and doubled peas and left out mushrooms.
Cumin adds an Indian taste that makes this an original, tasty dish that is easy to make!
LOVE all your additions! Glad chicken breast worked, too!