This one pot chicken and rice dinner 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!
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, it's easy to put together and uses simple ingredients.
Serve this one pot chicken and rice dish with green bean with bacon, 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 or wild rice if you prefer, however, cooking times will be much longer.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Chicken Breasts - Use skin-on or skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Cooking times will be about the same, but the 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 olive oil.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, season the chicken thighs on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Heat a dutch oven or large skillet on the stovetop 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. The liquid should be absorbed and the rice fluffy. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
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⭐ Expert tips
- Depending on the size of both the pan and chicken thighs, it may be best to brown the chicken, two or three pieces at a time so they brown evenly.
- After adding the chicken stock into the pot, make sure to scrape the bottom to loosen up any stuck-on bits. They add a ton of flavor to the rice.
- When adding the chicken back to the pot, make sure to pour any juices that remain on the plate for additional flavor.
- To make sure your chicken cooks fully, always use a kitchen thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165˚.
- Make sure you have a deep skillet (affiliate link) if you aren't using a dutch oven so you have enough room for all the ingredients.
❤️ My Favorite Dutch Oven
This is the 6 quart enameled dutch oven that I use in my kitchen and it works great for this recipe and so many more!
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if you make a purchase after clicking on it.
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
Use a 9x13 baking dish instead of a dutch oven or cast iron skillet for this chicken and rice meal.
Brown the chicken in a pan on the stovetop, 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.
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🥡 Storage suggestions
This one pot chicken and rice recipe will keep in an airtight container when stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat leftovers in the oven or in the microwave.
Reader Review
"This recipe is incredible!! It’s so perfect for people who want to knock out dinner quickly and deliciously. I wouldn’t consider myself a great cook and this recipe was so easy to follow and simple. It came out amazing ๐"
🥘 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!
๐ Recipe
The BEST One Pot Chicken and Rice Dinner (Dutch Oven)
Video
Equipment
- 6-Quart Dutch Oven large cast iron skillet, or baking dish (see note below)
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, (optional) 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 (affiliate link) or large cast iron skillet (affiliate link) 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. Do a few pieces at a time so as to not overcrowd the pot.
- 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
- Chicken - Use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs. Bone in, and 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. Chicken breasts can be used too, but will yield less flavor. Always cook chicken to 165˚ when checked with a reliable kitchen thermometer (affiliate link).
- Dairy Free - Substitute the butter for olive oil.
- Baking Dish - Brown the chicken in a pan on the stovetop. Set it aside and then cook the onions, garlic, and rice, according to the directions. Place the browned chicken in a 9x13 baking dish (affiliate link) and top with the cooked onions, and garlic. Pour the chicken stock over the top, cover with foil, and cook in the oven as directed.
- Leftovers - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave.
Stephanie
This was so tasty! Itโs the first recipe Iโve cooked in a Dutch oven, so I honestly wasnโt expecting it to work out. But I was pleasantly surprised! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and it was still very flavorful. I canโt imagine changing anything, it was just that good. This will be a go-to comfort food, so thank you for sharing.
Amanda Scarlati
Thanks Stephanie, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!