One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice

Easy prep, low-cost ingredients, virtually no washing up, delicious flavours – bliss! Whether I am camping, entertaining guests or want a quick delicious dinner with my family, this One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice is the kind of stress-free yet satisfying meal I love to make. The chicken is cooked until perfectly tender and juicy, flavoured with thyme, garlic and sweet paprika, and cooks on a bed of fluffy, fragrant, garlicky rice that absorbs all the heavenly chicken juices.

It takes just over 30 minutes to get on the table and, best of all, it’s all made in one-pan so it hardly takes up any space on the stove and there’s no after-dinner mountain of dishes! It’s super comforting and nourishing and – like most of my chicken recipes – economical and family-friendly. The recipe uses boneless chicken thighs but, because chicken skin adds so much extra flavour, I like to buy bone-in, skin-on chicken cutlets, then bone them myself and leave the skin on. If you’d like to try your hand at deboning, here’s a great video that shows you how it’s done. I freeze the bones and add them to my chicken soup for an extra hit of nutrients and flavour. Serve this chicken and rice with a simple green salad drizzled with your favourite dressing, or see below for other suggestions.

What else could I serve with One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice

I think simple greens go best with this hearty dish, so try steamed green beans, snow peas (mangetout), zucchini (courgette), cauliflower, broccoli, baby spinach or other greens of your choice.

Tips for cooking One-pot rice recipes

• Use a thick, heavy-based pan with a lid. This will allow the heat to distribute evenly and cook the rice without leaving pockets of rice uncooked.
• Make sure the heat is just right! Too much heat and the liquid will evaporate too quickly; too little heat and the liquid will not evaporate enough. Ensure there is a gentle simmer (small bubbles appearing in the liquid) before covering and continuing to cook on low.
• Let the rice rest for 2–5 minutes with the lid on before stirring! This allows any residual liquid to absorb and the steam continues the cooking process. If there is still residual liquid left in the pan, stir it vigorously for the remaining liquid to be absorbed. Liquid will continue to absorb the longer the rice sits.
• Rice still not cooked? It’s likely the heat wasn’t high enough. Add ½ cup (125 ml) of boiling water from the kettle. Cover and continue cooking until the rice is cooked.

Watch how to make One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice

How can I make this dish low-carb?

Instead of regular rice, you could serve the chicken with cauliflower rice, which is very easy to make at home. Use a box grater to grate the cauliflower, or a food processor to blitz the cauliflower until it resembles small grains of rice. You can also buy frozen cauliflower rice at the supermarket. Or you could make your own zucchini (courgette) noodles using a spiraliser or julienne peeler, or simply slice the zucchini as thinly as you can. You can also buy zoodles/courgetti (zucchini “spaghetti”) from the fresh fruit and vegetable section at the supermarket. These do come at an additional expense (it can be cheaper to make your own) and also don’t last as long in the fridge, but they are a great option when you need dinner on the table extra quickly.

What are some other easy, One-pan, Chicken and Rice Meal Ideas?

If you love easy but tasty chicken and rice meals, you’re sure to enjoy the following:

• Cheesy Chicken & Broccolini Rice
• One-pan Ginger Shallot Chicken and Rice
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Chicken & Chorizo Paella
• One-pot Greek Chicken and Rice
• Baked Chicken Risotto

One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice

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5 from 8 reviews

One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice is the perfect nourishing, family-friendly meal for stress-free weeknights. It’s quick and easy and made with simple ingredients and the flavour is amazing!

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
•  5 boneless chicken thighs (skin on or off, skin-on pictured) (see note 1)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 cup (200 g) jasmine rice
• 1 ½ cups (375 ml) chicken stock
• Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish (optional)

TO SERVE

• Mixed leaf salad

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Instructions

1. Combine the sea salt flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, pepper and olive oil in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and use tongs or your hands to ensure it is evenly coated in the marinade.
2. Heat a large, deep, heavy-based pan over medium–high heat. Cook the chicken for 6–8 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. Spoon out any excess fat from the pan (especially if you used skin-on chicken), if desired – although this is not essential, as the fat = extra flavour!
3. Add the water to deglaze the pan and use a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. To the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Add the rice and stock to the pan, stir and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to the pan (skin-side up if using skin-on chicken thighs).
6. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Once the chicken and rice are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to stand for 10 minutes, covered.
8. Serve sprinkled with fresh thyme, if using, and a side of mixed leaf salad.

Equipment

Chef Knife

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Large Wooden Spoon

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Tongs

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Notes

Note 1 – If you want to use chicken thighs with the skin on, I buy bone-in, skin-on chicken cutlets from the supermarket and bone them myself. Here’s a great video that shows you how it’s done.

Make ahead:

Chicken – Marinate the chicken up to 48 hours prior to cooking. Store refrigerated in an airtight container or reusable sandwich bag. This recipe is not suitable to freeze.

Leftovers:

Leftovers taste even better the next day! Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For best results, reheat in the microwave.

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins + 10 minutes resting
• Category: mains , starters , entrees , side dishes , soups , stews , salads , sandwiches , burgers , pasta , rice , seafood , vegetarian , desserts , baking , drinks , snacks , breakfast , gluten-free , dairy-free , low-carb , grilling , barbequing , holiday favourites , batch cooking , meal planning , budget-friendly , quick and easy , one pan , freezer friendly , chicken , beef , pork , lamb
• Method: Barbequing-grilling , roasting , baking , frying , sauteing , boiling , simmering , steaming , slow cooking , grilling-broiling , braising , pan
• Cuisine: Mexican , Italian , American , French , Asian , Greek , Thai , German , Indian , Middle Eastern , Mediterranean