Chicken Thighs and Rice – Easy One Pan Recipe

Don’t know what to make for dinner? This chicken thighs and rice recipe is delish, easy to make and cooked all in one pan! The chicken is tender, the rice absorbed with scrumptious chicken stock and the carrots are soft and buttery!

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Chicken Thighs and Rice Ingredients

This recipe is so simple and versatile! If you’re missing a seasoning, substitute it with one of your favorites at home! I’ve also been on a chicken thigh kick so I use skinless to keep this recipe healthier. Here’s the ingredients you’ll need:

• Long grain rice
• Chicken thighs skinless
• Dried oregano
• Smoked paprika
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Cooking oil
• Onion
• Carrots
• Unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• Chicken stock – to take this recipe up another level, here’s how to make your own chicken stock! Any time I use bone-in meat, I add the leftover bones to a container and freeze it to make a stock. Once I have about 2-3 cups worth, I add them to a large pot. Fill with water until the bones are covered and season with aromatics plus your favorite seasonings. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it cook for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Strain and reserve the golden liquid. Use immediately or cool the stock before adding to the refrigerator or freezer.

Step 1: Seasoning the Chicken

To a small bowl, add 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix until combine. This recipe is meant to be simple so I choose to not rinse my rice. If you choose to do so, rinse your rice at this point and set it aside. Add the chicken thighs to a bowl and add the seasoning reserving 1 teaspoon for later. Mix until the chicken is well coated.

Step 2: Cooking the chicken

Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a cooking pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs to the pan; cook for 3 minutes. Flips the chicken and cook another 3 minutes. Move the chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.

Step 3: Saute the carrots and onion

To the same pan stir in the chopped onions & carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice, butter and the 1 tsp of reserved seasoning until coated. Cook for about a 1 to 2 minutes; stirring occasionally. Pour the chicken stock over the rice and mix until incorporated.

Step 4: Add everything to the pan to cook the rice

Place the seared chicken thighs over the rice. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed. Ensure the rice is fluffy and the chicken is fully cooked. Taste the rice and season with an extra pinch of salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

Chicken and rice in general is a match made in heaven. This recipe is comforting and so easy as everything is cooked in one pan! I omit washing the rice to keep this recipe even more simple. We also use skinless chicken thighs to make this recipe a bit healthier. The carrots and rice soak up the stock deliciously. It is the perfect one pan meal!

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One Pan Chicken Thighs and Rice Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs; skinless
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion; peeled chopped
• 2 large carrots; cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups long grain rice; uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions 

• In a small bowl whisk together 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Save 1 teaspoon of the seasoning in a separate bowl for a future step.
• Place the skinless chicken thighs in a large bowl and add the seasoning. Mix the chicken until its evenly coated.
• Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a cooking pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs skin side down to the pan; cook for 3 minutes. Flips the chicken and cook another 3 minutes. Move the chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.
• To the same pan stir in the chopped onions & carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice, butter and the 1 tsp of reserved seasoning until coated. Cook for about a 1 to 2 minutes; stirring occasionally. Pour the chicken stock over the rice and mix until incorporated.
• Place the chicken thighs over the rice. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes until the stock has been absorbed. Ensure the rice is fluffy and the chicken is fully cooked. Taste the rice and season with an extra pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve and enjoy!

“Skinless, bone-in chicken thighs are safely cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). While 165°F is the minimum safe temperature, many people prefer cooking them to a slightly higher temperature, like 175-185°F (79-85°C), for a more tender and juicy texture.”(AI Sourced July 17th)