One Pan Chicken and Rice Dinner
This cozy and delicious one pan chicken and rice dinner recipe will quickly become a favorite family dinner. Perfectly seared herbed chicken nestled in rice and finished with a touch of parmesan cheese--it's cozy, so flavorful and as easy as making dinner can get! Only a few minutes of prep and less than 30 minutes to cook--you will love it!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb chicken breast cut in two inch thickness
- ½ - 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter separated
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2½ cups chicken broth we use low sodium
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
- 2 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken lengthwise into about 2 inch wide strips. Pound the chicken pieces into about ¾ - 1 inch thickness. Pat dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, onion powder and paprika. You can go as generous on the seasoning as desired!
- Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Melt two tablespoons of butter in the heated pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- Add the chicken to the heated pan and sear for about 2 minutes per side, not touching it at all until flipping. Once the chicken is seared, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. It will not be fully cooked at this time.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the rice and cook to toast it slightly for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn or get stuck to the pan. Add in the broth and chopped spinach and stir to combine.
- Bring the rice and broth to a gentle boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low/low low heat,(whatever temperature maintains a low boil) add the chicken back into the pan, laying it gently over the rice, making sure it is not fully immersed in the rice. Cover and allow it to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Chicken should also be an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Once the chicken and rice is cooked, push the chicken to the side to add the parmesan and stir it to melt into the rice. Serve topped with more parmesan and freshly chopped parsley!
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. When reheating, you may want to add an extra splash of broth to the rice. To freeze, allow the chicken and rice to cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe container. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
Once the lid is closed and the rice is cooking, try not to disturb it. The steam in the pan is needed to cook the rice and the chicken until both are done. Lifting the lid will cause some of that steam to escape and the chicken and rice will not cook as evenly and as timely.
Do not use brown rice in this one pan chicken and rice. Brown rice takes much longer to cook so you will end up with very dry chicken by the time the liquid is all absorbed.
Do not use any form of minute rice/quick rice/parboiled rice. Quite the opposite, these types of rice will cook too quickly and you will end up with a pile of mush.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1066mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2087IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 2mg