This easy one pot chicken and rice recipe is made with real ingredients in either a dutch oven pot or cast iron skillet. Started on the stovetop and finished in the oven, this delicious Sunday dinner is one the whole family will love!
This post was originally published in January 2022 and has been updated for content.
Sundays are made for comfort food in my opinion, especially when it's cold outside. It's a great recipe when you are looking for extra comfort, plus it's easy to put together and uses simple ingredients.
Serve this easy chicken and rice dish with roasted acorn squash, spinach salad with pears and a big slice of lemon olive oil cake!
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🥘 Ingredient notes
- Chicken Thighs - Juicy chicken thighs are perfect for dutch oven cooking and provide amazing flavor. Bone in, skin on thighs will provide the most flavor, however boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used. For 6 servings, aim for about 3 pounds for bone in thighs and 2 pounds for boneless. You can also use a whole chicken cut up into pieces or chicken breasts. I do recommend bone in chicken for the most flavor.
- Rice - White rice is usually the type of rice that I use for this recipe since that is what my family likes. You can use brown rice if you prefer, however, cooking times will be much longer.
- Parsley - Garnishing your dish with a bit of fresh parsley adds beautiful color and freshness, but it can certainly be omitted if desired.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Chicken Breasts - Instead of chicken thighs, skin on or skinless chicken breasts may be used. Cooking times will be about the same, but flavor will be slightly different since it's a leaner cut of meat.
- Dairy Free - To make this dish dairy free, simply substitute the butter with your favorite plant based butter substitute or additional olive oil.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, season the chicken thighs on both sides with the garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven or large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat with the olive oil and brown the chicken thighs on both sides.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate. Melt the butter in the pot and sauté onions for a few minutes and then add the garlic and cook for a little bit more. Add the uncooked rice and let it cook for a couple of minutes until it's lightly browned.
Pour the chicken stock into the pot and stir to combine with the rice mixture, scraping any stuck on bits off of the bottom of the pan. Nestle the chicken back in the pot on top of the rice.
Cover and cook in a 375˚ oven for 40-45 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Depending on the size of both the pan and chicken thighs, it may be best to brown the chicken just 2 or 3 pieces at a time. This will help to make sure they brown evenly.
- After adding the chicken stock into the pot, make sure to scrape the bottom to loosen up any stuck on bits. These browned bits hold a ton of flavor and you want them mixed into the rice.
- When adding the chicken back to the pot, make sure to pour any juices that remain on the plate. This also holds additional flavor that you don't want to miss out on!
- To make sure your chicken cooks fully, always use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165˚.
- Make sure you have a deep skillet if you aren't using a dutch oven. This will make sure you have enough room for the rice, chicken and broth.
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
If you don't have a dutch oven or large skillet, a 9x13 baking dish can be used to make this chicken and rice meal. Brown the chicken in a pan on the stove top, working a couple of pieces at a time. Set them aside and then cook the onions, garlic and rice, according to the directions. Place the browned chicken pieces in the baking dish and top with the cooked onions, garlic and rice. Pour the chicken stock over the top, cover with foil and cook in the oven as directed.
🥡 Storage suggestions
This one pot chicken and rice will keep in an airtight container when stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or in the microwave.
🥘 More comfort food recipes
If you loved this recipe for one-pot chicken and rice, check out these other comfort food dishes that are also great for Sunday dinner!
📖 Recipe
Easy One Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken thighs see note below
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 quart chicken stock or broth
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ and season the chicken thighs on both sides with the garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven or large cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium high heat with the olive oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer in the pot, add chicken, skin side down and cook until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes. Flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes until they are browned on the other side.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Lower the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pot.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until slightly translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
- Pour the chicken stock into the pot and stir to combine it with the rice, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck on bits. Place the chicken thighs back into the pot and pour any juices that collected on the plate into the pot as well.
- Cover the pot with a lid or foil and place in the oven to cook for 40-45 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy.
- Serve the chicken and rice garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Either bone in or boneless chicken thighs may be used. Bone in, skin on will provide the most flavor. For 6 servings, about 3 pounds of bone in chicken thighs will be needed or about 2 pounds for boneless. A whole chicken cut into pieces can also be used.
- Depending on both the size of the pan and chicken thighs, it sometimes is best to brown the chicken 2 or 3 pieces at a time to help with even browning.
- After adding the chicken stock into the pot, make sure to scrape the bottom to loosen up any stuck on bits that will help flavor the dish.
- When adding the chicken back to the pot, make sure to pour any juices that remain on the plate for even more flavor!
- To make sure chicken is properly cooked, always use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the temperature of the chicken has reached 165˚.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken - Instead of chicken thighs, chicken breasts can be used. Cooking times will be about the same, but flavor will be slightly different since it's a leaner cut of meat.
- Dairy Free - To make this dish dairy free, simply substitute the butter with a plant based butter substitute or additional olive oil.
Kevin
I have a 7 quart Dutch oven but recently got a 3 1/2 quart brazier. Will this recipe fit in the braiser?
Amanda
Hey Kevin, I think it might be a little tight for a braiser. I use a 6 quart enameled dutch oven in those pictures and you can see it's pretty full.
Jilane
Hi,
Can I just leave the dutch oven on the stove instead of putting in the oven?
Thanks!
Jill
Amanda
You can do that, but I would cook over medium low and make sure the chicken is nestled into the rice really well. The cooking times will be different than on a stovetop, so I would just check it after 20 minutes or so to see where it's at and then go from there so it doesn't dry out.
Amanda
Great dish. So easy to make and tons of flavor. Thank you!
Amanda
Absolutely!, Glad you enjoyed it!
Kevin
Holy crap this was so freaking good! This is like a top ten for me
Amanda
Omg what a compliment! Thank you!
Shirley
My son gave me a dutch oven for Christmas. The first I've ever owned. I immediately thought of Chicken and Rice for my first dish. Omigosh! It was amazing! I added some diced carrots and celery to the onions, and some smoked paprika to the seasonings. Other than that it was all your recipe. It turned out fantastic! Reminds me of what my mom used to make. Perfect for a cold winter night.
Amanda
Thanks Shirley! I'm so happy you loved it and made good use out of your new dutch oven! Thank you for trying the recipe 🙂
Katherine
Are you using convection oven. I have a conventional oven? It has been cooking for 60 minutes in dutch oven and it still has liquid on the top should I try leaving the lid off or cooking it longer?
Amanda
I'm using a conventional oven. Typically convection cooks faster. If the rice is soft, you can remove the lid to help evaporate some of the liquid faster. If it still needs time to cook, I would leave the lid on.
Natalie
Yum, this looks so delicious. Perfect family dinner for busy weekdays. I'm going to add this recipe to my menu for next week. Thanks.
Amanda
That's great to hear!
Jere
Glad to have this recipe. My hubby bought chicken thighs which are not a favorite in my family but I need to use them. Used this recipe (love the one-pot) and it turned out super tasty and the kids realized chicken thighs are really good. I had to leave out the onion.
Amanda
So glad you enjoyed it!
FOODHEAL
This one-pot chicken and rice take me way back to my childhood memories! I love the way it looks and imagines it as delicious as the one my mother used to make. Thank you so much.
Amanda
Food evokes such great memories sometimes, I'm glad you enjoy it!
Jan
With such a hectic lifestyle, one pot meals mean so much to me. The flavours are amazing in this meal
Amanda
Same! Glad you like it!
Kayla DiMaggio
This one pot chicken and rice was so delicious! Such a great weeknight meal!
Amanda
Thanks Kayla, glad you enjoyed it!
Brittany F
This is a great dish, especially during these cool days. There’s nothing better than chicken and rice as a comforting dish!
Amanda
One of our favorite winter meals!