One-Pot Chicken and Rice
A customizable, crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight (and tastes anything but).
·Aug 10, 2023
Instead of a recipe that needs to be followed to the letter, think of this as a guide to a family-friendly weeknight meal that can be customized to your heart's content. Skip the mushrooms, swap the broccoli for another veg that cooks in about the same amount of time—sliced carrots or cauliflower florets would work nicely—or add some quick-cooking vegetables like snow peas, leafy greens, or sliced bell peppers atop the rice mixture for a quick cook before removing from heat.
Two things that we don’t recommend skipping: rinsing the rice and cooking this in a Non Stick Saute Pan. Rinsing the rice before cooking removes excess starch, which helps to keep grains separate and reduce gumminess, while the Non Stick Saute Pan browns ingredients evenly and is a cinch to clean up.
One-Pot Chicken and Rice
A customizable, crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight (and tastes anything but).
Rhoda Boone, Culinary Director
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 3 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1” cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼”-thick
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger (optional)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about 8 ounces)
- Any of the following to garnish: chili crisp, chopped salted peanuts or cashews, cilantro leaves, sliced scallions, soy sauce, and/or toasted sesame seeds
Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, shaking gently, until water runs clear. Set aside until ready to cook.
Add 2 tsp. oil to a Non Stick Saute Pan and heat over medium. Working in two batches, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until opaque and lightly browned on all sides, 5–7 minutes. Transfer first batch to an Entrée Bowl, reserving fat in Pan. Add second batch and cook. Scrape chicken and juices into Bowl with first batch and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to Pan and heat over medium. Add onion and season with salt. Cook until just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and browned and liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 more minutes. Add garlic and ginger (if using), and cook until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add rice, season with salt, and cook, stirring to coat, about 1 minute.
Add broth and stir to combine. Top with chicken and reserved juices in a single layer, cover, and bring to a low boil over medium heat (this should take 1–2 minutes). Reduce to a simmer (covered) over low heat.
Cook rice for 7 minutes, then very quickly add broccoli and cover Pan without letting too much steam escape. Check rice after it has simmered 13 minutes total. If rice is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed, remove from heat. If not, cook another 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Let rice stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Serve and top with whatever you like: chili crisp, chopped salted peanuts or cashews, cilantro leaves, sliced scallions, soy sauce, and/or toasted sesame seeds.
