After a long day at work, we want a meal that is tasty, but easy to make. That’s why one pot meals are some of our favorite recipes. We love the flavor that comes with using darker meat; drumsticks and chicken thighs are naturally flavorful and tender. And they’re often lesser priced meats, especially compared to chicken breasts. Regardless, both main ingredients (chicken and rice) offer hearty sustenance to our hungry bunch. This chicken and rice recipe is made in one pot, with everything simmering together to combine flavors.
To help make this a short cut meal, we try to have some of these staple ingredients on hand; for example, we usually keep some chicken in the freezer and pull it out the night before so it’s ready for dinner the next day. And when we’re feeling like we need a little roughage in our meal, we might toss in some veggies, like green beans or bell peppers for crunch, and a splash of lemon juice is a great way to brighten up a dish. One pot means super easy clean up, so we’re winning in both cooking and eating!
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 6 bone in chicken thighs or 6 drumsticks (or a combination of the two)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 green bell peppers, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Optional: parsley, to garnish
Preparation
- Brown chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons oil, then remove.
- Sauté onions in pot with 1 Tbs oil over medium heat until translucent.
- Add bell pepper, celery, garlic, and thyme. Sauté until vegetables have softened.
- Mix in rice, chicken stock, lemon, salt, and pepper. Stir to pick up any brown bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Return chicken to pot, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until chicken and rice are both cooked through. Remove from heat and give rice a gentle toss just before serving.
Recipe adapted from A Pinch Of Healthy