Cozy One-Pan Chicken and Rice

What even is this?

So this is basically the food equivalent of a warm hug after a crappy day. I came up with this recipe during that weird pandemic winter when I was stress-cooking like crazy. It’s juicy chicken thighs and perfectly seasoned rice that cook together in ONE PAN (fewer dishes = more Netflix time). The chicken skin gets all crispy while the rice underneath soaks up all those delicious chicken juices. It’s stupid easy but tastes like you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen. My family now requests this at least twice a month, and I’m not even mad about it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Listen, I wouldn’t waste your time with mediocre food. Here’s why this recipe rocks:

• ONE PAN. I cannot stress this enough. Who wants to wash a million dishes?
• It’s basically impossible to mess up. Seriously, I’ve made this while on a work call and it still turned out great.
• The crispy chicken skin is like nature’s potato chip but better.
• The rice soaks up all the chicken drippings which is basically flavor steroids.
• It’s fancy enough for company but easy enough for a Tuesday night.
• You can customize it with whatever herbs or veggies you have going sad in your fridge.
• Your house will smell amazing while it cooks.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day (if there are any, which there probably won’t be).

The Good Stuff You’ll Need

• 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (trust me on the skin-on part – that’s where all the magic happens)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter, or a mix of both if you’re feeling fancy)
• 1 medium onion, diced (yellow, white, whatever you’ve got)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you’re not planning on kissing anyone)
• 1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice (jasmine works great, but any regular rice will do)
• 2 ¾ cups chicken broth (low sodium if you’ve got it, otherwise just dial back the added salt)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed makes a difference here)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh if you’ve got it)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it, regular if you don’t)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional, but gives great color and is supposedly good for you)
• Salt and pepper (be generous here)
• 2 bay leaves
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for sprinkling on top to make it look fancy)
• Lemon wedges (to serve on the side for that “I definitely know what I’m doing” vibe)

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Let’s Do This

Get the Chicken Ready (10 minutes):

1. Pat those chicken thighs DRY with paper towels. Like, really dry. This is super important if you want crispy skin, which you do. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat your olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron works great) over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering but not smoking.
3. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the hot oil. Don’t crowd them! If they don’t all fit, do this in batches. Let them cook UNDISTURBED for about 5-7 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Seriously, don’t poke them or move them around. Just let them do their thing.
4. Flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Then transfer to a plate. They’ll still be raw in the middle, which is totally fine at this point.

Build the Flavor Base (5 minutes):

1. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat from the pan. (But save that liquid gold! I keep a jar in the fridge for roasting veggies later.)
2. Toss your diced onion into the pan and cook in the chicken fat for about 3-4 minutes until soft and starting to get some color.
3. Add the garlic and cook for just about 30 seconds – not too long or it’ll burn and taste bitter.
4. Sprinkle in the thyme, oregano, paprika, and turmeric (if using). Stir and let them get all fragrant for about 30 seconds.

Add the Rice (5 minutes):

1. Pour in the uncooked rice and stir it around to get it coated in all those seasoned oil and aromatics. Let it toast slightly for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaves, and a bit more salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and bring it to a simmer.

Bring It All Together (35-40 minutes):

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F while the rice is coming to a simmer.
2. Once the liquid is simmering, nestle those chicken thighs back into the pan, skin side UP, on top of the rice. Include any juices that collected on the plate.
3. Cover the skillet with a lid or tightly with foil and transfer to the oven.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove the lid/foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the chicken is completely cooked through (165°F internal temperature if you’re checking).
5. If you want the skin even crispier, you can turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes – but WATCH IT CAREFULLY. The difference between “beautifully browned” and “setting off the smoke alarm” is about 30 seconds.
6. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Fish out those bay leaves if you can find them (or warn your guests about the “surprise”).
7. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serving Suggestions

• This is pretty much a one-stop meal, but a simple green salad on the side makes you feel like a responsible adult.
• Roasted broccoli or asparagus makes a great veggie side if you need one. You can even slide a sheet pan of veggies into the oven during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• A cold glass of pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc goes amazingly well with this. Or that half-bottle of white that’s been open in your fridge for… uh… a while.
• Some crusty bread for sopping up any extra juices is never a bad idea.
• If you’re having company over, serve it right in the pan at the table for major dinner party points.

Switch It Up

This recipe is pretty hard to mess up, so feel free to play around:

• Mediterranean Style: Add a handful of olives, some sun-dried tomatoes, and sprinkle with feta cheese at the end.
• Woodland Mushroom: Add 8oz of sliced mushrooms when you cook the onions, and use some fresh thyme sprigs.
• Spanish-ish: Add a diced red bell pepper with the onions, throw in some smoked paprika, and finish with chopped Spanish olives.
• Lemon Herb Explosion: Double the lemon juice, add lemon zest, and use a mix of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary).
• Veggie Loaded: Add diced carrots, peas, and corn to the rice before baking. Basically whatever is in your freezer.
• Fall Comfort: Add cubed butternut squash, some sage, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Real Life Tips

• Don’t have chicken thighs? You can use drumsticks or even bone-in chicken breasts, but watch the cooking time. Breasts dry out faster.
• Forgot to defrost your chicken? (Been there.) If you’re using boneless thighs, you can actually sear them frozen and just add about 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
• This is great for meal prep. It actually tastes better the next day after the flavors meld.
• Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days. The rice might get a little soft when reheated, but it’s still delicious.
• If you want to make this for a crowd, you can double the recipe but you’ll need a really big oven-safe pan or a Dutch oven.

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Questions People Actually Ask

Q: Can I use boneless, skinless chicken?
A: I mean, technically yes, but you’ll lose the crispy skin which is basically the best part. If you use boneless skinless thighs, reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes. If you use boneless skinless breasts, definitely reduce the cooking time or they’ll be dry.

Q: Can I use brown rice instead?
A: You can, but brown rice takes longer to cook. Either par-cook the brown rice for about 15 minutes before adding it to the pan, or be prepared to add about 15-20 minutes to your baking time and probably an extra ½ cup of broth.

Q: My rice came out mushy/crunchy/not quite right.
A: Rice can be finicky. If it’s too crunchy, you needed more liquid or more time. If it’s too mushy, you had too much liquid. Different rice varieties absorb liquid differently, so you might need to adjust. Next time, check it 5 minutes before the recipe says it should be done.

Q: Can I make this ahead of time for company?
A: You can do all the stovetop steps ahead of time, then refrigerate the skillet (with the raw chicken nestled on top of the uncooked rice mixture). Pull it out about 30 minutes before you want to bake it to take the chill off, then bake as directed, adding about 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.

Q: I don’t have an oven-safe skillet. Now what?
A: After you add the rice and broth, transfer everything to a casserole dish, nestle the chicken on top, and then proceed with the oven steps. The only downside is one extra dish to wash.

Q: Is there a way to make this vegetarian?
A: Replace the chicken with portobello mushrooms or cauliflower “steaks,” and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Different flavor profile but still delicious!

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