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Crispy chicken thighs smothered in herbaceous garlicky goodness are the star in this convenient one pan herb and garlic chicken with rice. But the rice is pretty damn good, too.
Chicken with rice. Cooked in one pan. It absolutely does sound too good to be true! But we’re thrilled to tell you that it works really well. This flavorful dinner is quick, effortless, and best of all, it leaves you with very little dishes in your sink. We’re already brainstorming other flavor combos to bring to this method.
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Chicken thighs over chicken breasts? YUP.
Chicken breasts can make for a fab quick and easy dinner (these sheet pan chicken Philly cheesesteaks are a great example of that). But you guys. THE THIGHS. They’re so tender and flavorful and were basically meant for one-pan dishes like this one. In this recipe, we decided to treat ourselves with skin-on, bone-in thighs. We were after that golden crisp layer of savory skin—and the bone helps to distribute heat more evenly. However, if boneless and skinless is your jam, that’ll totally work with a few adaptations to the steps involved, which I’ll note in the recipe card below. Could you use chicken breasts in this recipe? Technically yes, but I wouldn’t. The chicken thighs cook in sync with the rice, coming out tender and juicy, giving you a perfectly timed dinner without hassle.
The trick to perfect one pan herb and garlic chicken with rice.
The big flavors in this dish come from deglazing the pan with a good quality chicken broth or stock—so use one you’re familiar with. We used our Instant Pot chicken stock and it was excellent. Deglazing the pan loosens up the crispy bits left behind from browning the herb-rubbed garlicky chicken, so you’re getting those flavors steeped into your already tasty broth, and then into your rice! (Not to mention, if you’re using skin-on thighs, you’ll also be getting tons of flavor from that succulent fat. But don’t fret—skinless thighs will still leave you with a lot of flavor.)
Will the chicken and rice be ready at the same time?
Yes! This had me feeling skeptical too, because both ingredients must be fully cooked to be enjoyed and timing can be risky. But this recipe yields fluffy basmati rice and tender finger-lickin’ chicken thighs. And because we’re working with dark meat, the risk of it drying out like a chicken breast is slim.
Made for weeknights: One Pan Herb and Garlic Chicken with Rice.
Sounds perfect for an upcoming weeknight, right? And it’s so easy! Here’s what you’re looking at.
- Place the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle them with seasoning. Rub the seasoning over the chicken thighs to fully coat them and evenly distribute the herbs and spices; set the bowl aside.
- Pour a glug or two of olive oil into a large braiser or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs into the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken skin has crisped and is golden in color. Flip the thighs over, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the thighs and set them aside on a plate. The thighs won’t be cooked through, we just want a nice golden sear at this point.
- Bring the heat down to medium and add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and fresh herbs to the pan. Simmer for about a minute or two, or until fragrant and tender, and add a splash of chicken stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and deglaze the pan by scraping the pan bits left behind from the chicken with a spatula or wooden spoon. (So much flavor is seeping into your stock at this point!)
- After about 2-3 minutes of simmering, add the rest of the chicken stock. Stir in the rice, and place the chicken thighs on top of the rice, half submerged into the stock. Cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165º F.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken thigh and rice, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
Put it in your dinner rotation!
If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.
Other easy weeknight meals you’ll want to check out:
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Philly Cheesesteaks
- Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta with Ground Turkey and Spinach
- Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry with Ramen Noodles
- Garlicky Rigatoni Pasta with Spinach and Toasted Breadcrumbs
- Sheet Pan Turkey Sausage and Peppers
One Pan Herb and Garlic Chicken with Rice
Ingredients
Dry rub.
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Chicken and rice.
- 4 large skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, or 6 small (about 2 lbs of chicken total), You can use skinless & boneless as well.
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms, I like using baby bella or cremini
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock, Or use my Instant Pot Chicken Stock
Instructions
- Mix all of the seasonings for your dry rub in a small bowl; set aside.
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Sprinkle the dry rub over the chicken and, with clean hands, toss the chicken to evenly coat; set aside.
- Pour a glug or two of olive oil into a large braiser or Dutch oven and bring the heat to medium-high. Place the chicken thighs into the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken skin has crisped and is golden in color. (If using skinless, just place face-side down and cook until slightly golden—about 2-3 minutes.) Flip the thighs over, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the thighs and set them aside on a plate. The thighs won't be cooked through, we just want a nice golden sear at this point.
- Bring the heat down to medium and add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and fresh herbs to the pan. Simmer for about a minute or two, or until fragrant and tender, and add a splash of chicken stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and deglaze the pan by scraping the pan bits left behind from the chicken using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- After about 2-3 minutes of simmering, add the rest of the chicken stock. Stir in the rice, and place the chicken thighs on top of the rice, half submerged into the stock. Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165º F.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken thigh and rice, stir in the lemon zest, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley; serve immediately.
Where does the zest go?
Woops! Add the zest at the end when you squeeze in the fresh lemon juice, before garnishing with the herbs.