One Pot Chicken and Rice

This chicken and rice recipe came about more out of necessity to use up chicken, rice, and broccoli rather than a recipe I sat down to create. It’s one of those recipes that I’ve thrown together thousands of times with ingredients I’ve had on hand. Kind of like this chicken Chicken Broccoli Bake, Greek Chicken Bowl, or this super popular Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies.

While making this one pot chicken and rice recipe a few weeks ago, I thought that this would be a great family-friendly recipe I believe all of you would appreciate!

Reasons this recipe works

• One-pot dinner recipe. This makes for easy preparation and cleanup.
• Use simple ingredients. If you keep a healthy, stocked pantry and kitchen, you’ll likely have everything to make this recipe right now.
• Delicious. Don’t let the simplicity of these ingredients fool you; this chicken and rice recipe is packed with flavors. If you’re looking for a healthy recipe that the whole family can agree on, then this is it.
• Meal prep champion. If you’re looking for chicken and recipe meal prep recipes, this one should be top on the list. You can make this on Sunday for a week, but you can also freeze it into portions for easy lunches or dinners.

Ingredients

• Cooked long grain brown rice provides whole grains and fiber to the recipe. For this recipe to come together quickly, it’s essential to have brown rice cooked ahead of time. I like to cook brown rice in a rice cooker over the weekend to make this one pot chicken and rice quickly during the week.
• Frozen broccoli florets (not pictured) add fiber, calcium, iron, and other vitamins to this one-pot meal. I love grabbing bags of “steam in bag” frozen broccoli to keep in the freezer for easy dinner recipes. However, fresh broccoli will work too; you will need to adjust the cooking time by about 10 minutes. 
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts give this recipe lean protein to fill you up without feeling bloated. There are so many options for the chicken in this chicken and rice recipe; you can cut the chicken into chunks which I show you how to do in this recipe. However, I’ve also used leftover crockpot shredded chicken numerous times or rotisserie chicken. Honestly, use whatever chicken you have on hand. My only recommendation is to use high-quality organic chicken for the best flavor and keep this recipe clean.
• Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to season the chicken.
• White onion adds flavor and texture to the chicken and rice. You can add more or less or leave it out if you don’t like onions.
• Garlic cloves also give this chicken and rice another layer of flavor. I tend to measure garlic with my heart, but two or three cloves will work.
• Chicken broth brings the ingredients together and creates a creamy sauce.
• Grated parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese thickens the sauce and gives the chicken and rice recipe a tangy, cheesy flavor.

Supplies

Here are all the supplies I use to cook and meal prep this recipe.

• 3 1/2 quart Saute Pan – This is my favorite cooking pan to use for one-pot meals. It’s the perfect size for recipes like chicken and rice. I have this Cuisinart saute pan.
• Cooking Spoon and Spatula – This one by OXO has excellent ratings if you need a new cooking utensil set.
• Ello Storage Glass Containers – I use these containers to store this recipe’s components ahead of time.
• Ello 30-Ounce Meal Prep Containers – I love these containers when I want to make this recipe entirely ahead of time and refrigerate to eat during the week.

How to Make One Pot Chicken and Rice

• Cut the chicken breasts into strips, heat the broccoli, and measure out the rest of the ingredients. This makes it easy to prepare this recipe quickly. If you’re using leftover shredded chicken, stir that in after the broccoli cooks.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Seasoning the chicken is essential because it adds another layer of flavor to this recipe. When you saute the chicken with the spices, it locks in that flavor. Sometimes, I’ll also add a little paprika.
• Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat, and once it’s hot, add the chicken. Cook until browned on both sides, cooked through, and no longer pink on the inside.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
• Heat another tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. 
• Then pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. 
• Reduce to a simmer and let it cook down for about 2-3 minutes.
• Then, stir in the broccoli, and rice, and add the chicken back into the pot. Please note you should cook the frozen “steam in bag” broccoli ahead of time using the microwave instructions on the back of the bag. 
• Give the chicken and rice mixture a couple of stirs and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes until the broccoli and chicken are hot. There should still be some chicken broth at the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry; the rice will absorb this and create a creamy, cheesy sauce in the next step.
• Reduce heat to low, and add the rice, shredded cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese to the pan. 
• Stir until all ingredients are mixed and the shredded cheddar melts
• Taste for salt and pepper.
• Serve hot!

Cooking Tips

I know I mentioned this recipe is very versatile, so here are some variations I’ve used over the years with this chicken and rice recipe.

• Use white rice. I like to use brown rice because it’s healthier with its whole grains, fiber, protein, and nutrients. However, if all you have is white rice available, that will work fine. I like Jasmine rice or basmati rice too. I recommend getting in the habit of cooking and freezing brown rice into portions to have ready for recipes like this.
• Use quinoa or other grains. If you have some leftover quinoa, farro, bulgur, or other grains, you can use that instead of rice. Honestly, any grain will work great it all depends on what you have on hand and your personal preference.
• Cook rice in chicken broth for more flavor. Whenever I make a batch of brown rice, I always cook it in chicken broth instead of just water. I’ll also add some salt, onion powder, and garlic powder for seasoning (about ½ – 1 teaspoon each). This gives the rice a lot more flavor, which adds more flavor to the recipe.
• Use leftover rice. Many one-pot chicken and rice recipes call for cooking the rice right in the recipe. However, I like to use brown rice, which would add another 25-30 minutes to the recipe, which I don’t have. I always have leftover brown rice, which is why I make this recipe so often for my family. I’ll make a big batch of brown rice on the weekend and use it in recipes during the week.
• Add other vegetables. Chicken and broccoli is such a classic combination, but you can use any vegetables that need to be used up. This recipe has used green beans, mushrooms, kale, spinach, and even roasted Brussel sprouts. 
• Use chicken thighs. I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts because it’s lean and high in protein, plus that’s what I always have on hand. However, chicken thighs would be great in this recipe too. Chicken thighs bring a lot of flavor to any recipe because they are higher in fat. I’d recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are easier to cook. Bone-in breasts or thighs take longer to cook and then you’ll need to remove the bones. 
• Use white wine. My husband LOVES white wine in any recipe. It adds so much flavor! I often purchase a bottle of white wine to leave on the kitchen counter just for recipes. My favorite to cook with is chardonnay, but any dry wine will work well. If I make this recipe, I’ll use ¼ cup of wine and then use about ¾ cups of chicken broth.
• For extra richness stir in a  tablespoon of unsalted butter and splash of heavy cream at the end.
• Use fresh broccoli. I’ve successfully used both fresh and frozen broccoli in this recipe. When I use frozen, I like to purchase a 12-ounce “steam in bag” bag of broccoli. I’ll cook it in the microwave and add it to the recipe. That’s what I did for this recipe. My advice with using frozen broccoli is to drain it before adding to the recipe because it releases a lot of liquid when you heat it. I cut fresh broccoli into small bite-size pieces and then added it with the chicken broth. Then I put the cover on and let it steam for 5-7 minutes or until tender. I’ll often use an extra 1/4 – 1/2 cup chicken stock when I make this recipe using fresh broccoli.
• Switch up the cheese. My favorite cheese to use in this recipe is sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese. Again, whatever you need to use up. I’ve used taco cheese, pepper jack, and Colby Jack.
• Shred the cheese fresh. This takes a little more work, but it melts better and creates a delicious cheesy sharp cheddar cheese flavor.

Chicken and Rice Meal Prep

Of course, any meal I make needs to be prepped ahead of time in some way, shape, or form. My weeks are busy, and I need easy!

You can meal prep this chicken and rice recipe in a couple of different ways:

Prep All Of The Components Of The Recipe Ahead Of Time.

1. Start by cooking the rice and storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. If you freeze it, you’ll need to warm it up ahead of time in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl. However, you can throw it in cold (done it), but it’ll just need a little longer to come up to temperature and cook.
2. Trim and cut the chicken. One of my least favorite things to do is handle raw chicken during the week. Well, actually anytime but during the busy week especially. I meal prep chicken for this recipe is to get it recipe ready by cutting it into cubes.
3. Chop the broccoli. If you’re using fresh broccoli, then cutting it into bite-size pieces will save you a lot of time and mess during the week.
4. Shred cheese. If you’re shredding cheese instead of using packaged shredded cheese for this recipe, then doing this ahead will save time during the week.

When the ingredients are ready ahead of time, you can throw this dinner together in less than 30 minutes during the week.

Completely Cook The Meal

Another way to prepare this recipe is to make it entirely on the weekend and then refrigerate or freeze it for dinner or lunch during the week. Warm it up in the microwave when you’re ready to eat!

Check out my other chicken meal prep ideas for more tips, tricks, and recipes.