I was picking Big A up from a play date when her friend asked her mom what was for dinner. Her mom said “chicken and rice.” I left there thinking, I don’t have a chicken and rice dinner. I mean, I serve chicken and rice separately but not as a one-pot dish.
I finally tried it for dinner one night following this recipe on Crème de la Crumb. Although both my husband and Little D liked it, Big A (my chicken lover) thought it was too spicy. I used my homemade Italian seasoning which has red pepper. The other not-so-good part was the chicken was a bit dry. So it needed some work if I was to bring it into the rotation.
The next time I made it, I used some different spices and swapped out chicken breasts for skinless boneless chicken thighs. And it was perfecto — Big A approved and all. I could’ve thrown in the broccoli with it but instead, I steamed it on the side. I like steaming a lot of broccoli so I have some leftover to roast the next day. Have you ever roasted broccoli that has been steamed and sat in the fridge for a day or two? It’s AMAZING. Better than dessert…
Also, you can use brown rice for this recipe but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. I like white rice for this dish (bad dietitian, I know).
I appreciate that this is a true 30-minute meal. Perfect for a workday or those nights you need to eat quickly before heading out to some activity.
Any chicken and rice lovers out there?
- 1½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or four chicken breasts pounded thin
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2¼ chicken broth
- juice from 1 lemon
- In a large skillet or pan (with a lid) heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat (spread garlic around pan). Once the garlic sizzles, brown the chicken for 1-2 minute on each side.
- While the chicken is browning, quickly combine the spices in a cup and spread over chicken pieces. When you flip the chicken do the same on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and put on a plate.
- Add the rice, broth and lemon juice to the pan and stir. Place the chicken back in the pan, cover and turn down heat to medium-low cooking for about 20-25 minutes or until the liquid dissolves and chicken is cooked through.
For more easy recipes and tips on how to serve meals to kids, check out Maryann’s book The Family Dinner Solution: How to Create a Rotation of Dinner Meals Your Family Will Love
Can I use cooking bags that can be used in the oven when making these chicken recipes? I printed out 3 of them that looks so delicious and I have all the ingredients on hand too. But I also like easy cleanup hense my question.
I’m not sure. I have never used them.