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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.

One-pan Chicken & Garlic Rice
In this quick and easy one-pan meal, tender, juicy chicken is flavoured with thyme, garlic and sweet paprika, and is cooked on a bed of fluffy, fragrant, garlicky rice. We recently enjoyed it on a family camping trip.

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.

Chicken and rice one pot recipe
All you need for a complete meal is a simple green salad, but you could serve any steamed green vegetables you like with this hearty, delicious chicken and rice.

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, broccolini (tenderstem 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 125 ml (½ cup) of boiling water from the kettle. Cover and continue cooking until the rice is cooked.
Nic
We made this recipe on a recent camping trip, it came together so quickly. I marinated the chicken prior to leaving and it meant that dinner was ready in less than 20 minutes!

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.

If you enjoyed One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice, I think you’ll love:

One-pan Chicken & Garlic Rice

One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice

Author: Nicole
4.9 from 38 votes
“This is genuinely one of the most delicious rice recipes I’ve ever cooked! A winner with the whole family which is rare!”
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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!
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 boneless chicken thighs, skin on or off, skin-on pictured (see note 1)
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) water
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
  • 200 g (1 cup) jasmine rice
  • 375 ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
TO SERVE

Equipment

Instructions

  • Marinate the chicken – 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.
  • Cook the chicken – 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!
  • Add the water to deglaze the pan and use a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  • To the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Cook the rice – 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).
  • Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Stand – Once the chicken and rice are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to stand for 10 minutes, covered.
  • Serve – Serve sprinkled with fresh thyme, if using, and a side of mixed leaf salad.

Nutrition information

Nutrition Facts
One-pan Chicken and Garlic Rice
Amount per Serving
Calories
525
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
 
0.03
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
13
g
Cholesterol
 
137
mg
46
%
Sodium
 
858
mg
37
%
Potassium
 
578
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
 
48
g
16
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
 
298
IU
6
%
Vitamin C
 
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
 
48
mg
5
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes

Watch how to make it

Recipe 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.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!
Course entrée, Main Course
Cuisine European