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Easy One Pot Chicken And Rice
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Mason's One-Pot Chicken and Rice

A simple, budget-friendly one-pot chicken and rice dinner made with bone-in thighs, long-grain rice, and pantry seasonings. One pot, 35 minutes, about $8 to feed the whole family.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword budget dinner, chicken and rice, one pot chicken, weeknight dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 5 servings
Author Maggie

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 2 lbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice not instant
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth the rice-to-liquid ratio is 1 cup rice to 1.5-2 cups broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables truly optional; add during last 5 minutes if using
  • fresh parsley for garnish truly optional; for garnish only

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken thighs dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until golden. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate.
  2. In the same pot (don't wipe it out), add the diced onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast the grains until they start to turn translucent at the edges. This prevents mushy rice.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and add dried thyme. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Place the browned chicken thighs on top of the rice, skin-side up. Don't push them into the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight lid, and cook 20-25 minutes. Do not peek. When the timer goes off, the chicken should have reached 165°F internally at the thickest part of the thigh. No thermometer? Cut into the thickest part—no pink, juices clear.
  6. If using frozen vegetables, scatter them over the top during the last 5 minutes. Replace lid and let them steam. Turn off heat and let sit covered 5 more minutes.
  7. Fluff rice with a fork. Verify chicken has reached 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh using a meat thermometer—no pink, clear juices. Don't guess on poultry. Serve each plate with a chicken thigh on a bed of rice. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe Notes

Use bone-in, skin-on thighs — cheaper, more flavorful, and nearly impossible to dry out. Don't skip browning — those 5 minutes give you crispy skin and deep flavor. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth.