Simple Chicken and Rice Skillet: A New Favorite for the Weekday

• Why You'll Love This One-Pan Chicken Dinner
• Key Ingredients for Success
• The Best Simple Chicken Rice Skillet Recipe Ever
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Making This Recipe
• Tips for Perfect Skillet Cooking
• Play Around with Variations
• What You Can Serve with Your Chicken and Rice Skillet

We all have those days. You’ve labored a whole long day; the kids have activities and making dinner is difficult enough without thinking about its preparation -even just reading through a menu for takeout is enough to make us pass out. Yet how would you feel if a simple chicken and rice skillet could provide a nutritious, delicious meal that you’d be happy to eat--completed in nearly an hour and with minimal cleanup? This is where we go home to labor on our website. This rice and chicken skillet can save the day.

This is not just another recipe. It is a one-pan chicken night that mates juicy breast or thighs, fluffy long-grain rice, and a combination of aromatic herbs and spices all cooked together in the same skillet. The wonder occurs as the rice absorbs some rich chicken stock and seasoning, making a dish that tastes like it simmered for hours. It is the kind of meal one expects to see after Thanksgiving: a comforting nameless casserole with familiar taste--anything but dull.

This quick-and-easy chicken and rice recipe is for working parents who prefer not to be burdened by having to belt out flavor. We’re going to give you all the facts and details, starting with basic ingredients but also a step-by-step guide so you can put your particular stamp on things. Get ready for one more great fast skillet dinner alongside Green Chili Mac-and-Cheese Pizza to which your standard weekly repertoire must pay tribute.

Why You'll Love This One-Pan Chicken Dinner

• It’s a True One-Pan Meal: Everything cooks in one skillet. That's right- everything. This means fewer dishes to wash and more time spent relaxing after the meal. By searing the chicken breast, toasting long grain rice, and then stewing it all approaches commentary from just such an enclosed location.
• This Recipe Is Perfect for Weeknights: Ready in about 45 minutes, from start to finish. It's a realistic and manageable meal for even the most hectic Tuesday evening.
• Family-Friendly Flavors: Chicken, rice, and a simple yet flavorful sauce is irresistible to groups. It is straightforward enough that picky eaters can still enjoy their meal and has enough taste for adult tastes.
• Finding Where to Save: For this dish, the ingredients are really very cheap. The chicken thighs from affordable grocery stores are braised in chicken broth and seasoned with simple pantry items such as rice. What's more, it proves you don't have to use expensive ingredients in order to create some real quality food.
• Endlessly Adaptable: Think of this recipe as a starting point. Just add your favorite vegetable; alter the herb here and there--or even a pinch of chili to cater for your family's taste. Later on we will offer plenty of variations of the dish.

Key Ingredients for Success

The trick to this straightforward chicken and rice skillet is its refusal to overreach in any direction. You will not be hunting for long, unusual items at the grocery store. Here's what goes into this comforting dish you'll be making.

• Chicken: This one's about boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They'll be plump and juicy right on the cooker, and contribute lots of flavor into the dish. You could also use chicken breasts, but of course with thighs you get a better and richer taste.
• Rice: It's a good idea to go with long-grain white rice. It does not misshape once cooked like the other kinds of rice and soaks up all that good broth without being goopy. Basmati or Jasmine are both splendid types as well. You did not want to use short-grained Arborio rice for this recipe as you would get a risotto-like consistency.
• Flavor Base: Yellow onion and garlic are the backbone of our flavors. These humble ingredients lend depth and sweetness to dishes which, once tasted, we think you'll find impossible to ignore.
• Liquid: You have to have low-salt chicken broth. It adds a savory, meaty flavor to the rice that water just doesn't cut it. Using low-salt broth gives you greater control of how salty the dish will end up.
• Herbs and Spices: We're doing it simple-but-tasteful style, using paprika for color on top of the salt, plus black pepper. Garnish with some fresh parsley at the end.
• Fat for Frying: Olive oil or another neutral oil is used to sear the chicken and saute the aromatics. A touch of butter adds richness, but it is optional.

The Best Simple Chicken Rice Skillet Recipe Ever

Ready to get cooking? Just follow these simple steps to make a single-pan chicken dinner every time you cook.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-6 thighs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 3 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making This Recipe

Step 1: Give the Chicken a Little Thrashing

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a couple of paper towels. This will keep them from getting soggy and will help the outside get a good crispy crunch when it's fried. Mix a small bowl with salt, pepper, paprika, and dried thyme. Rub this spice mixture liberally on all sides of each chicken thigh.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken

Place the seasoned chicken thighs into the skillet and sear for 3-4 minutes per side or until they are golden brown. The chicken need not be cooked through at this point. Once browned, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.

Step 3: Sauté the Onion and Garlic

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until it has softened and become translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Step 4: Toast the Rice

Add the rinsed rice to the skillet and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to toast the sides of the grains evenly. This step helps keep individual grains separate and gives a rich, nutty flavor to the final result.

Step 5: Cook the Chicken and Rice

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine everything. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the skillet, right on top of the rice mixture. Once the broth returns to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time!

Step 6: Let It Rest

After 20-25 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the skillet covered on the stove. Let it rest for 10 minutes; this step is very important because now the rice can finish steaming and become light and fluffy.

Step 7: Fluff and Serve

Take the lid off. The rice should be tender and all the liquid absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the rice around the chicken. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and serve immediately, straight from the pan to the table.

Tips for Perfect Skillet Cooking

• The Not-So-Secret of Searing: Searing the chicken is not only for cooking; it helps build a lot of flavor. The browned bits left in the pan (called "fond") are what all your flavor will inside this dish need to come from.
• Rinse Your Rice: Rinsing the rice under cold water until it runs clear removes excess starch. This is the secret to non-sticky rice, where each grain is fluffy and separate.
• Use a Tight-Fitting Lid: The magic of this dish lies in the fact that once steam is trapped inside your skillet! If your lid doesn't fit tightly, steam will escape and then your rice won't cook properly.
• Resist The Urge to Peek: Opening the lid while the rice is cooking expels steam and reduces temperature, ruining your cook time. Have confidence in your cooking ability!

Play Around with Variations

One of the best things about this simple chicken and rice skillet is how flexible it is to customize to suit your own tastes or what you have in the fridge. It’s a splendid launchpad for combining other components and tastes. Let me get you started with a few suggestions.

More Vegetables

• Hearty Vegetables: Add in 1 cup chopped carrots or celery with the onion.
• Mushrooms: Chop 8 ounces cremini mushrooms after the onions have softened, before the garlic.
• Spinach or Kale: Drop in a few large handfuls of fresh spinach or kale throughout another couple of minutes.
• Frozen Peas: Tumble in a cup of frozen peas after you fluff the rice at the end.

Change Up The Tastes

• Lemony Herb: Add lemon and fresh dill for a bright, fresh aroma.
• Mexican Style: Swap paprika and thyme for chili powder and cumin, add black beans and corn with the broth.
• Creamed Mushrooms: Add mushrooms and onions, followed by cream for a thicker sauce.

What You Can Serve with Your Chicken and Rice Skillet

• Steamed Green Beans: A handful of green beans steamed with a squirt of lemon juice.
• Roasted Broccoli or Asparagus: Roasted broccoli or asparagus in the oven while the skillet simmers away.
• A Simple Green Salad: A bright, tangy contrast to the soft, meaty skillet.

This simple chicken and rice skillet is not just one recipe. It's your way to make the weeknight meals of life easier and more delicious. It is a dependable, comforting, and incredibly delicious meal your entire family will request again and again. Give this quick skillet chicken and rice a try, and you’ll see that it’s one of the very best one-dish meals around.