One Pot Chicken and Rice

You guys understand how a lot I like my one pot meals. They’re straightforward, cozy, and all the time satisfying. This Hen and Rice one pot meal is form of a mash-up of two of my different favourite recipes, Cajun Sausage and Rice and Mushroom Rice, and it’s undoubtedly transferring to the highest of my checklist of favorites. The rice is wealthy and flavorful, the hen is tremendous tender, and the entire dish comes collectively virtually effortlessly.

What’s in Hen and Rice?

This tremendous easy dish contains juicy hen thighs coated in herbs and spices (not spicy!), sautéed onions, and lengthy grain white rice cooked in vegetable broth. Since you cook dinner all the things in a single pot from begin to end, no flavors are misplaced. Each chunk is packed with wealthy and scrumptious taste.

Can I Use Hen Breasts?

I extremely recommend sticking to hen thighs for this recipe as a result of hen breasts can are likely to dry out a bit with the double cook dinner (sear first, steam with rice second), and the fattier hen thighs make the dish good and wealthy. It may be performed, but it surely undoubtedly gained’t be as juicy or tender as hen thighs. And whichever you employ, be sure that it’s boneless as a result of bone-in hen wants extra time to cook dinner and should not cook dinner by by the point the rice is completed.

What Else Can I Add to Hen and Rice?

If you wish to add some greens to the pot, I might attempt including a ½ cup frozen peas once you add the broth, or sautéing some mushrooms after the hen and earlier than the onions.

What to Serve with Hen and Rice?

Since I didn’t add any greens in the pot with my hen and rice, I added some roasted broccoli on the facet. I feel roasted broccoli is the right facet as a result of the roasted taste matches the coziness of the hen and rice, plus the straightforward taste doesn’t compete, leaving the hen and rice to shine. You might additionally do some steamed inexperienced beans, sautéed zucchini, or a easy facet salad.

Easy methods to Make Hen and Rice – Step by Step Pictures

Mix 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl. Coat each side of 4 or 5 boneless, skinless hen thighs with the seasoning combine.

Warmth 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a deep skillet over medium. As soon as scorching, swirl to coat the floor, then add the seasoned hen thighs. Prepare dinner for about 5 minutes on either side, or till properly browned. The hen doesn’t should be absolutely cooked at this level, simply properly browned on the floor. Whereas the hen cooks, cube a yellow onion.

Take away the browned hen to a clear plate. Cut back the warmth to medium-low, then add one other 1 Tbsp cooking oil and the diced onion to the skillet. Sauté the onion till mushy, permitting the moisture from the onion to dissolve the browned bits from the underside of the skillet.

Add one cup of raw long-grain white rice to the skillet. Proceed to sauté with the onion for 1-2 minutes to barely toast the rice. It’s best to hear it crackling and popping.

Add 1.75 cups vegetable broth to the skillet with the rice and onions. Briefly stir to dissolve any browned bits which may stay caught to the underside of the skillet.

Return the hen thighs to the skillet, inserting them on high of the rice. Place a lid on the skillet, flip the warmth as much as medium-high, and permit the broth to come back as much as a boil. When it reaches a full boil, flip the warmth all the way down to low and let it proceed to simmer on low, with out lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes.

After simmering on low for 20 minutes, flip off the warmth and let it relaxation for 5 minutes with out lifting the lid. After resting, it ought to seem like the above photograph.

Fluff the rice with a fork and stir the onions again into the rice (it tends to drift to the highest whereas simmering). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve!