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chicken-thighs-and-rice-one-pan-recipe

Chicken Thighs and Rice

Juicy seared chicken thighs nestled into buttery garlic rice and simmered together in one skillet until tender and full of savory flavor. A complete one-pan dinner ready in 40 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 boneless chicken thighs skin-on or skinless, patted dry
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper or to taste
  • 1 tsp paprika smoked paprika recommended
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow or white onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.5 cups long-grain white rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth low-sodium recommended
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley minced, plus more for garnish

Equipment

  • Deep skillet or Dutch oven
  • Lid for skillet
  • Meat thermometer
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Method
 

  1. Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
  2. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Remove and cover loosely with foil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan and saute diced onion for about 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Add rice and stir constantly for 1 minute to lightly toast the grains.
  5. Pour in chicken broth, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley.
  6. Nestle seared chicken thighs back into the rice. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is fluffy and chicken reaches 165 degrees F internally.
  7. Remove from heat and rest covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve directly from the pan.

Notes

Use bone-in thighs for extra flavor and add 10 minutes to the simmer time. If rice is undercooked after 25 minutes, add 1/4 cup warm broth and steam for 5 more minutes with lid on. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat well with a splash of broth.