One Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice
Published Apr 02, 2025
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Hearty, delicious and incredibly satisfying, this One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice is the perfect meal to make on a busy weeknight.
Steaming hot and fluffy rice is teamed up with perfectly seasoned and juicy chicken thighs to make this filling dish that comes together in just one pot. You’ll need just 15 minutes of hands-on kitchen time and a few pantry staples to put this dish together.
One pan and one pot meals are my favorite, because they mean minimal prep and cleanup to do afterwards. Who can say no to that?
On days when we’re craving some pasta, I turn to my One Pot Creamy Macaroni and Chicken or One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe. This time, however, I wanted to make a rice and chicken dish that deserves a spot on your weekly rotation.
It is everything I hoped for and more. Tasty, family-friendly, completely made on the stovetop, and great for picky eaters!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice💜
- Precious’ Pro Tips
- What You Need To Make One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice
- Step 1: Pat Dry and Marinate
- Step 2: Sear the Chicken
- Step 3: Sauté Aromatics
- Step 4: Add Rice and Broth
- Step 5: Add Chicken and Cook
- How To Serve One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice🍽️
- Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Common Questions
- More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love💜
- One Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe
Why You’ll Love One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice💜
This one-pot chicken recipe looks ordinary, but everything really comes together in one pan, which means fewer dishes to do later! And that’s not all!
- Easy to make: It’s ridiculously easy to make. I’ve tried quite a few rice dinners, but this one’s got to be the most effortless one. It’s perfect for days when you don’t want to spend too long in the kitchen, but still want a hearty home-cooked meal to dig into.
- Customizable: The no-fail combination of chicken thighs and rice means you can experiment all you want with the seasonings and flavors. I love my simple but tasty dry rub for the chicken. You can also marinate it in my homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and Green Seasoning.
- Versatile and delish: The dish is filling all by itself and versatile enough to be paired with pretty much any side like Garlic Butter Green Beans. It’s a tasty meal the whole family will enjoy.
Precious’ Pro Tips
In this section, I share some quick tips I noted while testing the recipe. Make it insanely delicious with my tips!
- Toasting the rice with the aromatics before adding the chicken broth infuses the rice with flavor and a nutty flavor from the toasting.
- I find it better to make this recipe without added veggies and then serve it with veggies on the side. That’s because my kids enjoy the veggies on the side better than in the rice. Steamed broccoli is one of our favorite veggie sides to enjoy with meals like this.
- If you would like, add veggies like mixed veggies, red bell peppers, or broccoli.
- Please use a large pot. I used a 3.5 quart, which was barely enough. I recommend a 5 quart. If you have an enameled cast iron pot, use it as it holds the heat well.
- If you’re using another cut of chicken like chicken breasts, adjust the cooking time accordingly so you don’t end up with tough, overcooked chicken. I suggest adding the chicken breasts back to the pan when the rice is halfway through cooking.
- To add a bit of creaminess to the dish, you can add a splash of coconut milk along with the broth.
- For some extra deliciousness, use white wine to deglaze the pot after you’ve removed the browned chicken thighs.
What You Need To Make One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice
Simple ingredients, extraordinary results! Here is everything you need, with some notes on key ingredients:
- Chicken thighs: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs here because it has the best flavor and juiciness. You can choose to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if that’s what you prefer.
- Rice: Jasmine rice is the best choice for this recipe. The rice cooks up in the broth and turns soft and fluffy- just what you need.
- Chicken broth: Choose low-sodium chicken broth or stock. You’ll need this to cook the rice, and choosing a low sodium option lets you control the amount of salt and seasonings you’re adding in. You can also use vegetable broth if you want to.
- Tomato paste: To add a deeper, tangy flavor to the rice.
- Vegetables: I used fresh garlic and onion, to build that savory, umami flavor.
- Seasonings: You’ll need the classics- onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning. I also added a bit of thyme to make the dish aromatic, and some chicken bouillon seasoning for the additional flavor.
- Bay leaf: For that earthy aroma.
- Olive oil: To sear the chicken thighs and cook the aromatics. You can also use vegetable oil or any neutral oil of your choice.
For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.
Choose a thick-bottomed pot with a lid for this recipe. This ensures the heat is evenly distributed throughout the inside, and you won’t end up with burnt rice stuck to the bottom!
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken cut swap: Don’t have bone-in chicken thighs? Choose another cut like chicken breasts or chicken drumsticks.
- Rice swap: If you can’t find Jasmine rice, use Basmati rice or any other long-grain rice for best results.
How to Make One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice
Step 1: Pat Dry and Marinate
Use paper towels to pat the chicken thighs dry and remove all excess moisture. Add them to a mixing bowl with onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon, black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika and salt. Mix everything well and ensure the chicken is nicely coated.
Step 2: Sear the Chicken
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat, add the seasoned chicken, skin side down, and let them sear for 4-5 minutes. Then, flip them over and let them sear again for 4-5 minutes until they’re light golden brown. Remove these and set them aside.
Step 3: Sauté Aromatics
Turn down the heat and add the chopped onions and garlic to the pot. Let them sauté for a few minutes until they soften. Turn the heat to medium again and add the tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes and chicken bouillon powder.
Step 4: Add Rice and Broth
Add the washed rice to the pot and let it cook along with the seasonings for a few minutes until it gets nice and toasty. Keep stirring! After 5 minutes, add the chicken broth and season with salt. Stir well.
Step 5: Add Chicken and Cook
Add the chicken thighs back to the pot- arrange them over the rice. Cover the pot with a large sheet of aluminum foil, turn down the heat and let it cook on low for about 30-45 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is nice and fluffy. Top with a sprinkle of sliced green onions or any fresh herbs of your choice, and serve!
Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top, right before you serve to add a zesty flavor to the dish.
How To Serve One Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice🍽️
- Team up this filling rice and chicken dish with a simple veggie side like Garlic Butter Green Beans, Sauteed Peppers or Fried Carrots. You can also try my Sauteed Vegetables if you have a lot of veggies in the refrigerator- it’s the perfect side dish to pair with pretty much anything.
- A light salad will also go perfectly with this comforting meal. Try my Avocado Salad or Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad, which works great with this dinner.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Storage: Store your leftover one-pot chicken dish for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Use an airtight container to keep it fresh.
- Reheating: You can reheat the dish in the microwave, pausing at every 15-second interval, or in a cast iron skillet or a pan over medium heat. Make sure you add a splash of water to lend the rice some moisture when you’re reheating it.
Common Questions
I wouldn’t recommend using brown rice here. If you can’t find long-grain rice, choose short-grain rice.
To check if the chicken is done, you’ll usually need to check its internal temperature. You don’t need to do that here, though. That’s because the chicken is first seared and cooked with the rice, and it is sure to be completely cooked.
Check the pot at the 15-20 minute mark to see how much of the liquid has been absorbed, and add a bit more if needed. The rice should cook at the 30-45 minute mark, so keep an eye on the texture of the rice at that time, and once it is soft enough and the liquid is absorbed, take the pot off the heat.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love💜
If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!
One Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Rice
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups Jasmine rice or other long-grain rice, rinsed 3 to 4 times to remove excess starch
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 green onions green parts diced, reserve whites for other recipes
Instructions
Chicken Thighs
- Pat the chicken thighs dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Add them to a large mixing bowl, then add the onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix well to ensure that the seasoning evenly coats the chicken thighs.
- Place a wide-bottom pot on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for three minutes.
- Add the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side down and let them sear for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip them to the other side and let them sear for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot, leaving behind the oil and fat rendered from the chicken. Reduce the heat to low.
Rice
- Immediately add diced onion and minced garlic to the same pot and let them saute for two to three minutes while stirring until the onions are transluscent.
- Bring the heat back up to medium-high. Add the tomato paste, dried thyme, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and chicken bouillon powder. Stir well to combine and let them cook together, while stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the washed rice and let it toast in the aromatics while stirring from time to time, for 5 minutes.
- Add the low-sodium chicken broth (or stock) and the one teaspoon of sea salt. Stir well to combine.
- Add the seared chicken back to the pot, arranging it over the stock and rice. Cover the pot tightly with a large sheet of aluminum foil, reduce the heat to low and let it cook for 30 to 45 minutes until the chicken and rice are tender.
- Check around the 15-minute mark and if the rice looks too dry, pour about half to one cup of water over it. Cover tightly again with foil and let the rice cook on low heat until the rice is soft and fluffy.
- When the rice is done, turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork, sprinkle green onions as needed, and serve warm.
Notes
- Toasting the rice with the aromatics before adding the chicken broth infuses the rice with flavor from the aromatics and a nutty flavor from the toasting.
- I find it better to make this recipe without added veggies and then serve it with veggies on the side. That’s because my kids enjoy the veggies on the side better than in the rice. Steamed broccoli is one of our favorite veggie sides to enjoy with meals like this.
- If you would like, add veggies like mixed veggies, red bell peppers, or broccoli.
- Please use a large pot. I used a 3.5 quart, which was barely enough. I recommend a 5 quart. If you have an enameled cast iron pot, use it as it holds the heat well.
- If you’re using another cut of chicken, adjust the cooking time accordingly- you don’t want to end up with tough, overcooked chicken.
- To add a bit of creaminess to the dish, you can also add a splash of coconut milk along with the broth.
- For some extra deliciousness, use white wine to deglaze the pot after you’ve removed the browned chicken thighs.
