Chicken and rice has to be the ultimate family friendly comfort food. You don’t even have to turn on the oven to make this quick and easy version. Just make it on the stove top and all in one pot!

Even better, you need only 6 main ingredients (including a ‘secret’ ingredient) and 30 minutes to get it on the table – but you won’t believe how much flavor it has! Make it as is or use it as a base to create a new recipe of your own.

Why you’ll love this

Chicken and rice is a staple meal all over the world, but strip it back to the bare essentials and it can still be a super tasty crowd pleaser!

I think the whole family will enjoy this cozy one pot stove top chicken and rice, and here’s why:

Everyone needs a quick and easy chicken and rice recipe in their list of go-to meals!

Big fan of easy and comforting chicken dinners? You’ll love this creamy chicken and leek pie recipe and this one pan marry me chicken pasta, too!

About the ingredients

A large onion: This provides the first ‘layer’ of flavor as you soften a chopped onion in a little olive oil. I suggest a regular white onion as those tend to have the strongest flavor.

Chicken: For maximum flavor, use bone-in chicken thighs, chicken Marylands (including both a thigh and drumstick) or even just legs/drumsticks. Pull the skin off before cooking or ask a butcher to do it for you.

Rice: My favorite kind to use in this dish is Jasmine rice. You can use other kinds of white rice too such as long grain or basmati. I wouldn’t recommend brown rice, however, since it takes much longer to cook.

Cooking liquid: I usually use a mix of chicken broth/stock, white wine and water. I do recommend including the wine for maximum flavor. But if you don’t want to, that’s absolutely fine – just replace with more broth. Remember that the chicken will release more lovely flavor as it cooks.

Saffron: Yep, saffron is the ‘secret’ ingredient in this simple rice and chicken dish! Don’t worry, you don’t have to remortgage your house. You only need to add a large pinch of threads to get the rich, unique flavour and pretty yellow color we’re looking for.

Don’t worry if you don’t want to buy any just for this recipe. A good alternative to make yellow rice could be half a teaspoon of turmeric or even curry powder.

Fresh parsley: For a subtly aromatic pop of fresh green color, I like to sprinkle plenty of this herb over the top of the dish at the end. Fresh chervil, cilantro (coriander) or even arugula/rocket could be good substitutes.

You’ll also season the dish well with plenty of salt and pepper. This is actually one of the keys to the success of the dish!

How to make chicken and rice on the stove

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

Step 1: Cook a chopped onion in some extra virgin olive oil – just for a few minutes until softened. You’ll need a large pan with a lid such as a cast iron pan or large skillet.

Step 2: Nestle the chicken in with the onions and brown on both sides (This time I used chicken marylands). Then remove the chicken from the pan – just temporarily. This step isn’t absolutely essential but it helps improve flavor and adds more color to the dish.

Step 3: Pour the uncooked rice into the pan with the onions. Stir to coat the rice in the pan juices.

Step 4: Nestle the chicken back with the rice mixture in the pan and grind over a good amount of salt and black pepper.

Step 5: Pour over all the liquid and sprinkle over the big pinch of saffron. Put the lid on the pot/skillet. Then let simmer until most of the cooking liquid is absorbed (20-30 minutes, mostly depending on what type of rice you choose).

Step 6: The last step is to sprinkle fresh parsley all over the dish. I usually sprinkle over quite a lot – around half a bunch!

What to serve with chicken and rice

In keeping with the simplicity of this super quick and easy stovetop recipe, there’s nothing wrong with serving it by itself. Just don’t skip the fresh parsley on top. Grab some big spoons and enjoy a comforting bowl of chicken & rice just as it is.

On the other hand, you might like to serve it with a simple bowl of vegetables such as 10-minute seasoned frozen broccoli, easy sautéed squash or easy sautéed green beans. If you have a little extra time, these Mediterranean roast vegetables or these amazing roasted brussel sprouts and carrots go perfectly!

On warmer evenings, you could make a quick salad to go with it while the chicken and rice is simmering. How about a traditional Greek salad which is not only delicious but really quick to make?

Another option is to serve with a tomato based sauce such as marinara or even ratatouille.

Variations

While tasty, this is a very simple chicken with rice dish – more like a paella or pilaf than a risotto. I think this makes it a perfect ‘base recipe’ that you can tweak to truly make your own!

Here are some great ideas:

• For an extra burst of flavor, fry a little chopped Spanish chorizo at the same time as you soften the onions. Bacon would work well, too.

• Fry some sliced mushrooms along with the onion.

• Add extra fresh or dried herbs into the cooking liquid (dried Italian herbs, fresh rosemary, tarragon, thyme, dill, basil, or whatever you like). Go easy with rosemary or thyme as they have quite a strong flavor.

• Stir extra spices or flavors in when you add the rice, such as paprika or garlic powder (a teaspoon), cumin (half a teaspoon), a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, or even curry paste.

• For a zesty finish, add the juice of half a lemon to the cooking liquid and/or grate some lemon zest over the finished dish.

• For a North African vibe, add a little ras el hanout spice mix when cooking the onions. Then stir in some raisins and sprinkle over some dukkah or toasted nuts to serve, such as flaked almonds, crushed hazelnuts or pistachios.

• For extra veggie goodness, why not add some frozen peas at the same time as you add the liquid, or wilt some spinach in at the end?

Recipe FAQ

Two more simple stove top chicken recipes that I’d love you to try are this easy Greek chicken and rice bowl, and this Mediterranean stove top chicken casserole. I hope you enjoy these too!

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