This easy one-pot chicken and rice is a mid-week dream recipe. This one-pot chicken recipe is easy to prepare, loaded with flavor, and only requires a few ingredients.
As much as I love making fancy and even complicated meals, sometimes there is nothing better than a simple one-pot chicken recipe. This one-pot chicken and rice is easy, no-fuss, and requires just a few ingredients to whip up. It’s endlessly versatile, so add or subtract ingredients as you like.
How to Make this One-Pot Chicken and Rice:
This recipe requires virtually no thinking or planning at all. Seriously. Start with a very quick marinade on the chicken. Marinate it with a touch of oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can marinate this chicken for the entire day or for 15 minutes, it’s up to you.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the remaining ingredients. Dice an onion, mince a few cloves of garlic. If you want to throw in some diced bell peppers, prepare them now.
Once that’s ready, start the recipe by sautéing the chicken in a little oil in an even layer until it’s very well-browned and mostly cooked through. Add the onion to the skillet and cook with the chicken until it is softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. At this point, you can add additional spices, like chili powder, cumin, or cayenne powder as you like, depending on how intense you’d like the flavor to be.
Melt butter into the pot. Once frothy, add the rice and toss to coat with the butter and spices. Season everything with salt and pepper and cook for about 1-2 minutes to allow the rice to toast up nicely.
From there, it’s just a matter of pouring in stock, adding diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir the rice occasionally as it cooks, but no need to cover it. Just keep an eye on it and stir it up along the way!
How can I customize this one-pot chicken and rice recipe?
It’s easy to customize this recipe! Add additional vegetables, like:
- Bell peppers
- Small-diced sweet potato or butternut squash
- Poblano peppers, for a hint of smokiness
- Baby spinach added at the very end of cooking
- Black beans, drained and added with the tomatoes
If you want to bolster this recipe with additional, hearty vegetables like sweet potatoes or additional peppers, be sure to remove the chicken from the skillet before adding onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, add the additional vegetables and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder and cook until softened. Return the chicken to the pot and continue on with the recipe as written.
Looking for more rice recipes? Check my archives!
If you made this recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!
One-Pot Chicken and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin-sliced chicken cutlets cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder more or less, depending on preference
- Salt and pepper About ½ teaspoon of each, more or less depending on your preference
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- 1 cup white rice long-grain, preferred
- 2 cups chicken stock plus more, as needed
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese optional
- 2 scallions minced, white and green parts kept separate
Avocado Topping (Optional):
- 1 avocado peeled and cored
- 1 jalapeño trimmed and minced
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ red onion peeled and minced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Combine the diced chicken with one tablespoon olive in a gallon freezer bag. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake it until the chicken is completely coated. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Prepare Avocado Topping:
- Place the avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add jalapeño, lime juice, red onion, and garlic and mix to combine. Season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator.
Cook the Chicken:
- Heat the remaining oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook in an even layer for at least 5-7 minutes until a brown crust forms. Flip and cook again for 5-7 minutes. Continue cooking, allowing the chicken to cook undisturbed for 3-5 minute intervals until the chicken is almost completely cooked through.
Cook the Aromatics:
- Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the butter and cook an additional minute until frothy, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the remaining spices, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne powder and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the Rice:
- Once the butter is melted and frothy, add the rice and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until toasted and coated with the butter and spices.
- Pour in the stock, add tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly, to prevent the rice from sticking. Cook until the rice is tender, but not overcooked. Add more stock or water, as necessary, to loosen up the rice if it absorbs too much liquid. Taste and season to your preferences.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the cheddar cheese and the white parts of the scallions. Cook for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat.
To Serve:
- Divide the chicken and rice between bowls and spoon the avocado topping onto each. Garnish with the green parts of scallions. Enjoy!
