9 Easy One Pot Chicken and Rice Dinners

These easy one pot chicken and rice dinners are what I cook when I have chicken thighs, a bag of rice, and no interest in washing more than one pan.

From a classic skillet chicken and rice to a Greek lemon version, a Mexican rice with chicken, a cheesy broccoli chicken and rice, and a chicken fried rice, the rice cooks in the same pot as the chicken and takes on all of its flavor.

Here are the nine we eat most!

The rice is the whole point of cooking these in one pot, because it cooks in the chicken drippings and the broth, not in plain water.

Most of them follow the same shape, which is brown the chicken, cook the onion and garlic in the fat, add rice and broth, put the chicken back on top, and cover it until the rice is done.

1. One Pot Chicken and Rice

Seasoned chicken thighs brown skin side down, then rice, onion, garlic, and broth go in underneath them and the whole thing simmers under a lid.

The skin stays crisp on top while the rice cooks soft and savory below, and it’s the recipe I’d teach someone first.

Bone-in thighs give the rice more flavor than boneless.

Parsley and a squeeze of lemon on top, and that’s dinner.

2. Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Rice

Diced chicken, rice, garlic, and broth cook together, and then cream and parmesan get stirred in at the end for something close to a risotto with none of the stirring.

My kids call it the cheesy rice and ask for it weekly.

Frozen peas go in with the cream and warm through in a minute.

It’s the plainest recipe on the list and one of the most requested!

3. Garlic Chicken and Rice Skillet

Chicken breasts seared in a skillet, then rice, a lot of garlic, and broth cook underneath them until the rice is tender and the chicken is done.

It has the flavor of the casserole from a baking dish with a fraction of the time and none of the canned soup.

Slice the chicken and fan it over the rice to serve.

Green beans on the side.

4. Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice

Chicken thighs marinated in lemon, garlic, and oregano brown in the pot, and the rice cooks in the lemony juices and broth beneath them.

The rice comes out tangy and golden, and the chicken tastes like it came off a Greek grill.

Marinate the chicken in the morning if you can, and skip it if you can’t.

Feta crumbled over the top and a cucumber salad next to it.

5. Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

A milder cousin of the Greek version, with lemon, thyme, and rosemary in the rice and chicken breasts on top.

The herbs go in with the rice so they flavor every grain, and the lemon slices cook on top of the chicken.

It’s the one I make for company because it looks like more work than it is.

6. Mexican Rice with Chicken

Chicken, rice, tomato sauce, onion, cumin, and chili powder cook together into the orange rice from every Mexican restaurant with chicken already in it.

Corn and black beans stirred in at the end make it a full bowl.

Cheese, cilantro, and a lime wedge, and everyone builds their own.

The leftovers go into burritos the next day!

7. Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice

Chicken, rice, and broccoli cook in broth in one pan, and a pile of cheddar goes in at the end and melts into a sauce.

It’s the broccoli cheese casserole without the baking dish or the cream of anything soup.

The broccoli goes in for the last ten minutes so it stays green.

A little hot sauce on top for the adults.

8. Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms

Chicken thighs, sliced mushrooms, onion, thyme, and rice in a broth that turns into a light gravy as the rice cooks.

The mushrooms brown with the onion before the rice goes in, and that step is where the flavor comes from.

It’s a cold weather dinner that tastes like it took all afternoon.

A green salad with a sharp dressing next to it.

9. Chicken Fried Rice

Diced chicken, day-old rice, eggs, peas and carrots, and soy sauce in one hot skillet, and it’s the one on this list that starts with cooked rice, not raw.

Cold leftover rice fries up separate and toasty, and fresh rice turns to mush, so make the rice the night before.

Push everything to one side, scramble the eggs in the empty half, and stir them in.

Sesame oil and green onions at the end, and it beats takeout on time and price.

Notes on Chicken and Rice in One Pot

Long grain white rice is the rice for these, since it cooks in about the same time as chicken thighs and doesn’t turn gluey, and jasmine works the same way.

Brown rice needs nearly twice the time and more liquid, so it only works in recipes written for it.

Rinse the rice before it goes in to wash off the surface starch, and the grains will stay separate.

Once the lid goes on, leave it on, because every peek lets the steam out and the rice on top ends up undercooked.

Let the pot rest off the heat for five minutes with the lid on before fluffing, which finishes the rice and lets the chicken juices settle.

A heavy cast iron skillet with a lid or a braiser holds heat evenly enough that the rice on the bottom doesn’t scorch.

An instant read thermometer settles whether the thighs are done when the rice is, and a rice paddle fluffs without mashing.

Chicken bouillon base in a jar is what I use for the broth, since it’s cheaper than cartons and I can make it stronger for the rice.

More Chicken and Rice on the Site

The crockpot meals with chicken breast that don’t dry out post has the slow cooker versions for the days I’m out of the house.

My quick crockpot dinners with ten minutes of prep post is the other low-effort list I lean on.

And the slow cooker chicken and dumplings is what I make when I want chicken comfort food without rice.